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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—Think Like a Horse:
In Chapter 1, Lily helps her father train the horses, working with the half-broken ones, and he advises her by using both an idiom and a simile:
Everyone who spent time around horses, Dad liked to say, needed to learn to think like a horse. He was always repeating that phrase: “Think like a horse.” The key to that, he said, was understanding that horses were always afraid [...] They were all the time looking for a protector, and if you could convince a horse that you’d protect him, he would do anything for you.
Related Themes:
Chapter 2
Explanation and Analysis—Two Nickels:
In Chapter 2, when the Caseys move back to the KC Ranch, the Clemenses' daughter, Dorothy, warns Lily's father against killing his neighbor's dogs in retribution, using an idiom to show how feuds can destroy families:
Unlock with LitCharts A+“My brother’s dead, and we ain’t got two nickels to rub together,” [Dorothy] said, “because a stupid argument over a damn game of horseshoes got out of hand.”
Related Themes:
