Synonymous Set Expressions

Contextual Classification of Set Expressions of prof. N.N. Amosova

Functional/Structural Classification of Set Expressions

A set expression functioning in speech is equivalent to definite classes of words or to complete sentences.

1. Nominal: mare’s nest; bundle of laughs; gut feeling

2. Verbal: play the second fiddle; burn one’s fingers; do up brown

3. Adjectival: dead as a doornail; in the wrong; out of sorts

4. Adverbial: tooth and nail; head and shoulders; out of thin air; to boot

5. Prepositional: in the course of; on top of; up against; by dint of

6. Conjunctional: as long as; as though; as soon as; so that

7. Interjectional: by all that’s blue; for shame; all right for you

Within each class a further structural subdivision is necessary.

E.g.,

I. Nominal set expressions

N + N a powder barrel – set of circumstances, cause of disagreement, in a relation between nations that may produce a sudden violent explosion, leading to war

N’s + N mare’s nest – nonsense

N + prep + N the arm of the law

N + and + N all the world and his wife – everybody

A+N red tape – needless but official delays

N + subordinate clause ships that pass in the night – people who have only one (accidental) meeting

II.Verbal set expressions

V + N to give the ax – abruptly to finish a relationship

V + post positive to put off – to cause confusion in; embarrass

V + and + V to draw and quarter – to punish someone very severely

V + one’s +N + prep to turn one’s back on – to refuse to help

V + subordinate clause to know which side one's bread is buttered on – to know who can help you and try to please him

III. Adjectival set expressions

A + and + A high and mighty – too proud of yourself

(as) + A + as + N as hard as nails – cruel, and unsympathetic

IV. Adverbial set expressions

N + conj. + N head and shoulders – by far; very much

Prep + N by inches – little by little, gradually

Conj + clause till the cows come home – until the last

Set expressions are units of fixed context. They are of two types – phrasemes and idioms.

1. Phrasemes: blank verse, cold weapon, small hours, to crack a joke. Phrasemes are always binary, i.e., they have two components. One of them (verse, hours, weapon, joke) serves as the determining context. This word is usually used in its central meaning. The other component has a phraseologically bound meaning (crack, cold, small, blank).

2. I dioms: mare’s nest, red tape, to buy a pig in a poke. The meaning of the idiom is created by the unit as a whole. Idioms may comprise unusual combinations of words which normally are not used together.

E.g., horsefeathers! – not true; I don’t believe what you are saying.

Synonyms are two or more set expressions possessing nearly identical denotational meaning, interchangeable at least in some contexts, but differing in shades of meaning, connotations, lexical composition, and imagery.

E.g., in for a penny in for a pound – as well be hung for a lamb as for a sheep; have a time – have a ball; in secret – in private; made of money – money to burn

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