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Научни трудове на Съюза на учените в България-Пловдив Серия A. Обществени науки, изкуство и култура, том I., Съюз на учените сесия 31 октомври - 1 ноември 2014 Scientific research of the Union of Scientists in Bulgaria-Plovdiv, seriesA. Public sciences, art and culture, Vol. I., Union of Scientists, ISSN 1311-9400, Session 31 October - 1 November 2014.
НАЙ-РАЗПРОСТРАНЕНИ ФРАЗЕОЛОГИЗМИ СЪС СЕМАНТИЧЕН КОМПОНЕНТ „НАПИТКА" В АНГЛИЙСКИЯ ЕЗИК Иванка Маринова Университет по хранителни технологии - Пловдив
MOST COMMON PHRASEOLOGICAL UNITS WITH THE SEMANTIC COMPONENT "DRINK" IN ENGLISH
Ivanka Marinova University of Food Technologies - Plovdiv
Abstract
The paper gives basic information about phraseological units and their classification. It then focuses on those units with the semantic component "drink" and the frequency of their occurrence in different dictionaries. The aim is to distinguish the most common of these phraseological units for the purposes of ELT.
Introduction
A phraseological unit is a lexicalized, reproducible, bilexemic or polylexemic word group in common use, which has syntactic and semantic stability, may be idiomatized, may carry connotations and may have an emphatic or intensifying function in a text. [1, 124-125]. It can be said that phraseological units are sets of words which have lost their individual lexical meaning and have formed a unique semantic whole. Phraseological units are used to nominate objects or everyday events and to express the speaker's attitude towards them or towards life in general. They have relatively constant composition, can be used in more than one situation and may add to the stylistic expression of language [7, 334]. According to the Russian tradition in phraseology, which is probably the most pervasive influence at work in current studies, phraseological units are primarily divided into "word-like" units, which function syntactically at or below the level of the simple sentence, and "sentence-like" units, which function pragmatically as sayings, catchphrases and conversational formulae. [l, 4] Examples of the former are water under the bridge, punch-drunk, small beer, and of the latter It's no use crying over spilt milk, Good wine needs no bush, Life isn't all beer and skittles. Different authors use different terminology when they refer to phraseological units, word-like units and sentence-like units (Table 1).
Table 1
Author General category Sentence-like unit Word-like unit
Mel'cuk Phraseme Pragmatic phraseme Semantic phraseme (idiom)
Gläser Phraseological unit Proposition Nomination (idiom)
Cowie Word combination Functional expression Composite (pure and figurative idiom)
Howarth Word combination Functional expression Composite unit (pure and figurative idiom)
The aim of the present study is to find those phraseological units with the semantic component "drink" which occur most frequently in dictionaries and to illustrate them with examples. For this purpose one should go through as many dictionaries as possible and establish which phraseological units appear repeatedly.
Discussion
Eight dictionaries of English idioms have been used in order to gather the existing phraseological units with the semantic component "drink". These include key words which nominate different kinds of drinks such as "water", "wine", "beer", "milk", "tea", "juice" and "drink". The survey shows that there are around 80 idioms in the English language which contain these key words. Highest in number are those phraseological units which include the word "water" probably because it is the most common drink and people associate a lot of everyday activities with it. Then come the idioms with the key words "drink" and "milk", and lowest in number are the expressions with "wine", "beer", "tea", and "juice". (Table 2)
Table 2
Key word Number of phraseological units found
Water 40
Drink 18
Milk 12
Beer 4
wine 3
Tea 3
Juice 2
The most common phraseological units out of these 80 are the ones which appear in at least 50% of the dictionaries, i.e. in four or five dictionaries. Here is a list of these idioms:
> wine and dine (80%) - it means to give someone an expensive and abundant meals e.g. He always wines and dines his clients before discussing business with them.
> be like water off a duck's back (70%) - to make no impression or effect on someone e.g. There's no point being sarcastic to Mark - it's like water off a duck's back.
> drink like afish (70%) - to drink too much alcohol e.g. He's a kindly man , but he drinks like a fish and is quite unreliable.
> hold water (70%) - to be valid, correct or accurate e.g. His explanation doesn't hold water
> water under the bridge (60%) - something that is in the past and is not worth worrying
about e.g. We had
a terrible quarrel, but that's all water under the bridge now.
> as drunk as a lord (60%), also blind drunk or roaring drunk- extremely drunk e.g. He went out to a reunion last night and came back as drunk as a lord.
> in deep water (60%) - in difficulties, in trouble e.g. He found himself in deep water when he took over the management of the firm.
> Tread water (60%)- be inactive or passive e.g. You've done nothing but tread water for the last few months.
> not for all the tea in China (60%) - not at all, not under any circumstances e.g. I wouldn't be married to that nasty man for all the tea in China!
> small beer (60%) - something unimportant e.g. This is small beer compared to the work he usually does.
> not all beer and skittles (60%) - not just a game, not just fun and pleasure e.g. You'll soon find out that this job is not all beer and skittles.
> the milk of human kindness (60%) - natural kindness and pity towards other people e.g. She won't get any sympathy from him - he's not exactly full of the milk of human kindness.
> milk and water (50%) - (something) feeble, insipid, very weak e.g. He spoke well, but his speech was milk and water after the fiery rhetoric of the previous speaker.
> cry over spilt milk (50%) - waste time regretting an accident that cannot be put right e.g. You should have gone with him - but it's no use crying over spilt milk.
> drink somebody under the table (50%) - to remain conscious after having drunk an amount ofalcohol that makes someone else lose consciousness e.g. He's a very heavy drinker - he could drink us all under the table.
> pour oil on troubled waters (50%) - try to calm and soothe a person, a difficult situation e.g. He is always getting into arguments with people, and his wife spends a lot of time pouring oil on troubled waters.
The survey has also established that there are some phraseological units which are not common in occurrence in many dictionaries but they strike an interest because there are similar sayings or catchphrases in Bulgarian. Here are some examples of these:
> Still waters have deep bottoms, also known as Still waters run deep - Тихите води са най-дълбоки
> As you brew, so must you drink - Каквото си надробиш, това ще сърбаш
> carry water in a sieve - преливам от пусто в празно
> Blood is thicker than water - Кръвта вода не става
> like duck to water - да плашиш куче с кокалче
> make someone's mouth water - да ти потече слюнката
> test the waters - опипвам почвата
> Eat, drink and be merry - Яж, пий и си носи новите дрехи
> muddy the waters - размътвам водите
> come hell or high water - каквото ще да става
> husband's tea - много слаб чай, водичка
> Adam's ale - вода
Conclusion
In conclusion it can be said that phraseological units are part of people's everyday life and they add to the vocabulary of the speaker. Teaching phraseological units in English develops the students' inner understanding of the language and improves their stylistic expression. That is why using idioms in class could be both educational and refreshing, especially when teaching difficult
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specialized terminology.
References
1. Cowie, A.P., 1998: "Phraseology - Theory, Analysis, and Applications", edited by Cow-ie, A.P., Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1998
2. Cowie, A.P., Mackin, R., McCaig, I.R., 1993: "Oxford dictionary of English idioms", Cowie, A.P., Mackin, R., McCaig, I.R., Oxford University Press, 1993
3. Gulland, Daphne M., Hinds-Howell, David G., 1986: "Dictionary of English Idioms", Gulland, Daphne M., Hinds-Howell, David G., Penguin books, 1986
4. Kirkpatrick, E.M., Schwatrz, C.M., 1993: "The Wordsworth Dictionary of Idioms", edited by Kirkpatrick, E.M., Schwatrz, C.M., Wordsworth Editions LTD, 1993
5. Manser, Martin H., 1994: "Dictionary of Idioms", Manser, Martin H., Chambers Cambridge, 1994
6. Maxwell, K., McEnery, C., McCregor, E., 1998: "Cambridge International Dictionary of Idioms", Maxwell, K., McEnery, C., McCregor, E., Cambridge University Press, 1998
7. Purvev, Hristo, 1979: „ Помагало по българска лексикология", „Наука и изкуство",
1979
8. Rakadzhiev, R., Ilieva, L., 1995: „ Английско-бъларски фразеологичен речник", МАГ-77, 1995
9. Seidl, J., McCordie, W., 1978: "English Iidioms and How to Use Them", Seidl, J., Mc-Cordie, W., Oxford University Press, 1978
10. Warren, H., 1994: "Oxford Learner's Dictionary of English Idioms", edited by Warren, H.. Oxford University Press
