Idioms. Cat out the bag. Think outside the box. Drop in the Bucket. Dime a dozen. Add fuel to the fire. Backseat driver. Baker’s Dozen. Flash in the Pan. Flip the bird. Under the weather. Wag the dog. Wine and Dine. Words or special phrasing that have non literal meaning. Idioms.

It is no secret I love word play. Simile. Metaphor. Line breaks. Broken words. Onomatopoeia. Homophones. Anaphora. Epistrophe. Epanados. But idioms are ones we use often in everyday conversation without even realizing it.

Because some idioms are only culturally relevant this can lead to some amazing miscommunication, especially with a very literal person.

FASTER than fairies, faster than witches,
Bridges and houses, hedges and ditches;
And charging along like troops in a battle,
All through the meadows the horses and cattle:
All of the sights of the hill and the plain
Fly as thick as driving rain;
And ever again, in the wink of an eye,
Painted stations whistle by.
~Robert Louis Stevenson,
“From the Railway Carriage” (excerpt)

How many trains have you met that can whistle?

Today, I would like to have a bit of fun with Idioms. Here is a website where you can explore a list of idioms and choose one or more to play with today.

Here’s how it works…

• Break a leg. Write a poem using an idiom or two.
• Post the poem to your blog. Feel free to include a link back to dVerse on your post. It’s all in the name of spreading the poetry love!
• Using the Mr. Linky box above, copy and paste the URL of your post, enter your name, and click submit! There, you’re in!
• Read others that have taken up the challenge.
• Let the cat out of the bag. Tweet, share, and spread the words!
• Above all, let’s have fun!

Look forward to seeing you out on the trail!