Language Geeks!!!

[techdragon]

I need a question answered..... Is there a specific term for a phase such as "leap of faith", "pushing the limit" or "end of the rope"....

I am trying to explain to PJ that these are phrases that don't just have a literal meaning and I am only able to descibe them as a figure of speech and that seems a little weak. Help me out??

Comments

[lostlostagain.livejournal.com]

In forensics (yes, I was a speech/debate geek), we referred to things like that with the example of "red herrings," in that the word red has a meaning and herring has a meaning but together they have a meaning the has nothing to do with individual words. I think we referred to them as idioms:

"idiom -- a phrase or grouping of words whose meaning cannot be determined from knowing the meaning of the individual words"