Colloquialisms/Idioms

Colloquialism or colloquial language might be used in casual communication but is inappropriate for formal use.

For example, do not use any of the following words:

  • Handy
  • Cheers
  • Dodgy
  • Folks

Most idioms are also colloquial and of are groups of words that only holds meaning for a subset of people. For example, do not use any of the following phrases:

  • Cutting-edge technology
  • Over the moon
  • See the light
  • He bit the bullet
  • Let’s talk about the elephant in the room