No, your son didn't call you an idiot...he said idiom!LOL

Relax Mom! You son didn't call you an idiot...honest! He asked you what is an idiom! Funny how 1 little letter can really get someone in trouble....isn't it!LOL So Mom....what is an idiom?

id·i·om/ˈidēəm/
Noun:
1.A group of words established by usage as having a meaning not deducible from those of the individual words (e.g., raining cats and...
2.A form of expression natural to a language, person, or group of people: "he had a feeling for phrase and idiom".

Examples and Observations:
•"Every cloud has its silver lining but it is sometimes a little difficult to get it to the mint." (Don Marquis)
•"Fads are the kiss of death. When the fad goes away, you go with it." (Conway Twitty)

Functions of Idioms "People use idioms to make their language richer and more colorful and to convey subtle shades of meaning or intention. Idioms are used often to replace a literal word or expression, and many times the idiom better describes the full nuance of meaning. Idioms and idiomatic expressions can be more precise than the literal words, often using fewer words but saying more. For example, the expression it runs in the family is shorter and more succinct than saying that a physical or personality trait 'is fairly common throughout one's extended family and over a number of generations.'" (Gail Brenner, Webster's New World American Idioms Handbook. Webster's New World, 2003)

So....these are great for creative writing works! To get our kids to understand those quirky sayings they sometimes here. Any grade level will encounter these at some point in their writing! And to better understand them, you can google them as I did or check out more information at your local library or even go online and find idiom games to play......and then you can be an IDIOM not an idiot!