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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 24
Explanation and Analysis—Lemon:
Near the end of the book, Vonnegut uses an idiom when explaining how Dwayne knows Don Breedlove:
Dwayne had once sold Breedlove a new Pontiac Ventura, which Don said was a lemon. A lemon was an automobile which didn't run right, and which nobody was able to repair.
This is followed by a drawing of a lemon, alongside the words "THIS CAR IS A LEMON!". The phrase "a lemon" is an idiom because its meaning—that the car is defective—couldn't be gleaned from the direct meanings of the words involved. But while most authors would simply use an idiom and rely on the audience to understand its meaning, Vonnegut explains the meaning of the idiom in direct and simple language.
This simple sequence of events—the use of an idiom and the subsequent explanation of it—contributes to Vonnegut's larger argument that meaning and truth are unstable in the modern world. The idiom of a "lemon" is a clear instance of meaning coming unlatched from the words it is usually fixed to: it's nearly absurd for something that doesn't function well to be logically called a lemon. But by explaining the meaning, Vonnegut ensures that meaning stays attached to logical words. He recognizes the absurdity of this use of language, and then, by illuminating it, he seeks to repair it.
Related Themes:
