Semantic features of idioms containing food and dr- 123docz.net

There is only one difference in the structure of the idioms of food and drink between the two languages that English idioms exist in prepositional phrases whereas Vietnamese ones do not have this structure.

4.2. Semantic features of idioms containing food and drink in English and Vietnamese

After a collection and detail analysis, idioms containing food and drink can be organized into two categories:

+ Idioms having human implications + Idioms having non-human implications 4.2.1. Idioms having human implications 4.2.1.1. Idiom expressing honesty/dishonesty:

English idioms Vietnamese idioms

butter wouldn‟t melt in ai biết đâu ma ăn cỗ ; láu tôm láu cá ; mạt cưa mướp

their mouth; sour grapes đắng; mật ngọt chết ruồi; miệng thơn thớt, dạ ớt ngâm;

mười voi không được bát nước xáo; thêm dấm thêm ớt;

thêm mắm thêm muối; treo đầu dê, bán thịt chó

4.2.1.2. Idiom expressing hunger and poverty English idioms Vietnamese idioms not have a bean; not to

have two beans to rub together

ăn cháo cầm hơi ; bữa rau bữa cháo ; cơm niêu nước lọ; cơm sung cháo dền ; gạo chợ nước sông ; nghèo rớt mùng tơi

4.2.1.3. Idiom expressing advantageous / disadvantageous situations

English idioms Vietnamese idioms

a bite at/of a cherry; a dead duck; a piece of cake; be toast; cherry on the cake; cut the mustard; dead meat; eat humble pie; golden goose; hot potato; in a pickle; in the soup; make mincemeat of sb; the rough end of the pineapple; the world is one‟s oyster

Cá nằm trên thớt ; cơm đen vận túng ; giao trứng cho ác; lợn lành chữa thành lợn què; mạnh vì gạo bạo vì tiền ; mật ít ruồi nhiều ; như cá gặp nước ; tránh vỏ dưa gặp vỏ dừa ; trứng chọi với đá ; trứng để đầu đẳng/gậy

4.2.1.4. Idiom expressing human physical states

English idioms Vietnamese idioms

as dead as mutton; have a bun in the oven; in the pudding club; off one‟s oats; full of beans

chắc như cua gạch ; mặt tái/xám như gà cắt tiết ; mặt vàng như nghê ̣ ; xấu từ

trong trứng 4.2.1.5. Idiom expressing human personality

English idioms Vietnamese idioms

a bad egg; a good egg; a rotten apple;

as cool as a cucumber; couch potato;

milk of human kindness; mutton dressed as lamb; old trout; sugar and spice; tea and sympathy; teach one‟s grandmother

ăn cháo đái bát ; ăn bơ làm biếng ; ăn mày đòi xôi gấc ; bắc nước chờ gạo người; bảo xôi ừ xôi , bảo thịt ừ thịt ; đo lọ nước mắm đếm củ dưa hành ; há miê ̣ng chờ sung ; hiền như củ khoai ;

to suck eggs; the salt of the earth;

tough/smart cookie; turn to jelly

húng mọc, tía tô cũng mọc ; láu tôm láu cá; miệng thơn thớt , dạ ớt ngâm ; nhát như cáy; rán sành ra mỡ

4.2.1.6. Idiom expressing human moods or psychological states

English idioms Vietnamese idioms

as keen as mustard; be/go nuts; do one‟s nut;

go bananas; go/turn beetroot; have egg on/all over one‟s face; in a stew (about/over sth); like the cat that‟s got the cream; make no bones about; meat; off one‟s nut; off one‟s onion

nguây nguẩy như mẹ quẩy tôm ; như cá gặp nước ; như mèo thấy mỡ; rối như canh hẹ

4.2.1.7. Idiom expressing human behaviours, attitude, actions and activities

English idioms Vietnamese idioms

bring home the bacon; chew the fat; drink like a fish; earn/make one‟s bread; eat like a horse; kill the goose that lays the golden egg; make a meal of/out of; not care beans;

not care/give a fig (for sb/sth); pick over the bones of someone; play gooseberry; put all your eggs in one basket; quarrel with bread and butter; rub salt into one‟s wounds; save one's bacon; separate/sort out the wheat from the chaff

ăn bánh trả tiền ; ăn nói cà riềng cà

tỏi; cãi nhau như chém chả ; giật đầu cá vá đầu tôm ; lúng búng như ngậm hột thị ; mượn gió bẻ măng ; nhường cơm sẻ áo; nói nhát gừng; nói như đổ mẻ vào mặt; nửa nạc nửa mỡ; thả con săn sắt bắt con cá rô ; theo voi ăn bã

mía; thừa nước đục thả câu

4.2.1.8. Idiom indicating human social status

English idioms Vietnamese idioms

a big cheese; sit above the salt; sit below the salt; small beer; small potatoes; speak with a plum in one‟s mouth; upper crust

ăn mày đòi xôi gấc; cá đối bằng đầu cá mè một lứa ; cơm bưng nước rót ; cơm thừa canh cặn

4.2.1.9. Idiom implying human success and failure

English idioms Vietnamese idioms

a dead duck; bear fruit; lay an egg; over- egg the pudding; the world is one‟s oyster

bóp chết từ trong trứng nước ; lợn lành chữa thành lợn què; trứng chọi với đá

4.2.1.10. Idiom implying human understanding, experience or skills

English idioms Vietnamese idioms

can‟t boil an egg; can‟t do sth for toffee; know one‟s onions; know which side one‟s bread is buttered; separate/sort out the wheat from the chaff;

someone‟s salad days; the proof of the pudding; use one‟s loaf; wake up and smell the coffee

ăn ốc nói mò ; gừng càng già càng cay ; thuộc nh ư cháo chảy

4.2.1.11. Idiom implying human relationship

English idioms Vietnamese idioms

break bread (with); play gooseberry; serve someone the same sauce; teach one‟s grandmother to suck eggs

ăn bánh trả tiền ; ăn mật trả gừng ; ăn miếng trả

miếng; bạn bè xôi thịt ; hàng thịt nguýt hàng cá ; kẻ ăn ốc người đổ vỏ ; không ưa thì dưa có giòi ; ông mắt chân giò , bà thò chai rượu ; vắt chanh bỏ vỏ; tiền trao cháo múc

4.2.1.12. Idiom implying endurance and adaptation to the environment

English idioms Vietnamese idioms

make an omelette without breaking eggs; eat humble pie

đói ăn bánh vẽ; nằm gai nếm mật; ngậm bồ hòn làm ngọt ; ngậm đắng nuốt cay ; nhịn như nhịn cơm sống ; khát nước mới đào giếng ; không có

cá lấy rau má làm ngon; liê ̣u cơm gắp mắm 4.2.1.13. Idiom implying good luck and bad luck

English idioms Vietnamese idioms

hard/tough cheese; icing on the cake chuột sa chĩnh gạo ; cơm đen vận túng ; mèo mù vớ cá rán

4.2.1.14. Idiom implying certainty/belief

English idioms Vietnamese idioms

as sure as eggs in eggs; take sth with a pinch

of salt; grain of salt ăn ốc nói mò; chắc như cua gạch 4.2.1.15. Idiom implying appearance

English idioms Vietnamese idioms

as brown as a berry; as like/alike as two peas in a pod; as red as beetroot

màu mỡ riêu cua ; mặt đỏ như gấc ; mặt vàng như nghê ̣ ; nụ cà hoa mướp; xấu từ trong trứng

4.2.1.16. Idiom implying choice

English idioms Vietnamese idioms

have one‟s cake and eat it; have other/bigger fish to fry; make fish of one and flesh of another; put all your eggs in one basket;

ăn muối còn hơn chuối chát ; chê cam sành vớ phải quýt hôi ; kén cá chọn canh

4.2.1.17. Idiom implying useless things

English idioms Vietnamese idioms

cast one's bread upon the waters;

caviar to the general; cry over spilt milk; keep one‟s breath to cool one‟s porridge; make a meal of/out of; not cost a bean; not worth a bean

ăn cơm nhà thổi tù và hàng tổng ; ăn cơm nhà vác ngà voi ; giết gà bằng dao mổ trâu; ăn một bát cháo chạy ba quãng đồng ; muối bỏ biển /bể; cố đấm ăn xôi;

chê cam sành vớ phải quýt hôi ; lợn lành chữa thành lợn què

4.2.1.18. Idiom implying religion

English idioms Vietnamese idioms

apple of Sodom ăn chay niê ̣m Phật

4.2.1.19. Idiom implying human affairs and marriage

English idioms Vietnamese idioms

 bắt cá hai tay; cơm chẳng lành canh chẳng ngọt ; ép dầu ép mỡ ai nỡ ép duyên; ông ăn chả, bà ăn nem;

4.2.2. Idioms having non-human implications

4.2.2.1. Idioms expressing Quantity

English idioms Vietnamese idioms

a slice/share of the cake; the whole enchilada

mọc lên như nấm ; nhẵn củ tỏi ; như (ăn) cơm bữa; rụng như sung

4.2.2.2. Idioms expressing Quality

English idioms Vietnamese idioms

caviar to the general; cherry on the cake; milk and water

bình cũ rượu mới ; bờ xôi ruộng mật ; cao lương mĩ

vị; cơm ngon/dẻo canh ngọt; củi quế gạo châu 4.2.2.3. Idioms implying things and their characteristics

English idioms Vietnamese idioms

as easy as pie; as nice as pie; as sour as vinegar; as warm as toast; cheap as chips;

crammed/packed like sardines;

curate‟s egg; first fruit;

forbidden fruit; go pear-shaped;

golden goose; gravy train

cay như ớt; chán như cơm nếp nát ; đắt như tôm tươi; dây cà ra dây muống ; dễ như ăn gỏi; dùi đục chấm (nước) (mắm) cáy; mềm như bún; một nụ cười bằng mười thang thuốc bổ ; nát như tương; ngọt như mía lùi ; nhạt như nước ốc ; quần nước sáo áo cháo lòng ; rượu ngon chẳng nê ̣ (kể) be sành

4.2.2.4. Idioms expressing Frequency

English idioms Vietnamese idioms

When the moon turns green cheese Như (ăn) cơm bữa

4.3. Similarities and differences in syntactic and semantic features of idioms