Previous
Hyperbole
Definition of Idiom
An idiom is a phrase that conveys a figurative meaning that is difficult or impossible to understand based solely on a literal interpretation of the words in the phrase. For... read full definition
An idiom is a phrase that conveys a figurative meaning that is difficult or impossible to understand based solely on a literal interpretation of the... read full definition
An idiom is a phrase that conveys a figurative meaning that is difficult or impossible to understand based solely on... read full definition
Chapter 1
Explanation and Analysis—A Holiday in Heaven:
Near the beginning of the novel Frank introduces his baby sister Margaret to the reader with great tenderness, using idiom and simile to explain why she affects everyone so strongly:
There’s a new baby soon, a little girl, and they call her Margaret. We all love Margaret. She has black curly hair and blue eyes like Mam and she waves her little hands and chirps like any little bird in the trees along Classon Avenue. Minnie says there was a holiday in heaven the day this child was made.
Related Themes:
Chapter 2
Explanation and Analysis—Did His Bit:
McCourt uses idiom and hyperbole to emphasize the frustration and bitterness felt by Irish veterans like Malachy Sr. over the meager pensions the IRA offers. This dialogue between Malachy Sr. and a fellow veteran takes place in an IRA office in Dublin, where they lament the meager rewards the Irish Free State offers for the sacrifices they made:
Unlock with LitCharts A+The man tells Dad, I can see you’re a man that did his bit. Dad says, Och, I did my bit, and the man says, I did me bit, too, and what did it get me but one eye less and a pension that wouldn’t feed a canary.
Related Themes:
