English as she is written — 5. Idioms

Abstract

A great deal of English is made up of set phrases welded together like building blocks. We learn them by heart and use them unaltered. Idioms are frozen units of language that sometimes defy grammar or logic or both. You cannot challenge an idiom or change it; it has been democratically elected by usage, and there is nothing grammarians or schoolmasters can do to alter an ungrammatical idiom. It exists among the people, and that's that. According to grammar we should say whom are you talking to? or to whom are you talking? Yet idiom requires us to say who are you talking to? It is I is correct English; it's me is idiomatic English.

Citation

Baker, E. (1977), "English as she is written — 5. Idioms", Education + Training, Vol. 19 No. 2, pp. 41-43. https://doi.org/10.1108/eb016470