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
Key Examples in The Postmaster
Idioms
Explanation and Analysis—Fish Out of Water:
In the opening lines of the story, Tagore uses a metaphorical idiom to capture the Postmaster’s relationship to Ulapur, the small town to which he has just moved:
The postmaster was a Calcutta boy—he was a fish out of water in a village like this […] The indigo agents and employees had hardly any spare time, and were not suitable company for an educated man. Or rather, his Calcutta background made him a bad mixer—in an unfamiliar place he was either arrogant or ill-at- ease. So there was not much contact between him and the residents in the area.