Idiom or slang

[Venus.jam]

I just want to better undestand it and know the difference between a grammatical sentence and an expression.
I want to know what makes someone says that for example "I beg you to pray" or "please pray for me" are not considered to be expression.

My question is that if an expression is referred to as "a commonly used phrase with an accepted meaning which may not be obvious" and if "I beg you to pray" is a commonly used phrase by Muslims, so why we cannot consider it as an expression which is frequently used in that certain way?!

 

[SoothingDave]

An "expression" really means a "common expression." If it is not something that is commonly said by many users of the language, then it is not a common expression.

If this phrase is a direct translation of the Arabic and used among English-speaking Muslims, then it would be an expression in that subgroup. But it would not be a common expression.

That is what the answerers hear are telling you. It's not a common expression. It is common in English to ask someone to pray for you like: "Please pray for Kevin's mother, she's in the hospital." Not: "I beg you to pray for Kevin's mother."

 

[Venus.jam]

An "expression" really means a "common expression." If it is not something that is commonly said by many users of the language, then it is not a common expression.

If this phrase is a direct translation of the Arabic and used among English-speaking Muslims, then it would be an expression in that subgroup. But it would not be a common expression.

That is what the answerers hear are telling you. It's not a common expression. It is common in English to ask someone to pray for you like: "Please pray for Kevin's mother, she's in the hospital." Not: "I beg you to pray for Kevin's mother."

Your explanation was great. My last question is that can we consider "I beg your pardon?" an expression? Is "I beg you ..." an expression on the whole?

Thanks in advance.

 

[SoothingDave]

No, it isn't. Or isn't any more. As I said, a "common expression" is something that is commonly said. Some of these expressions become fixed because they are so common. We no longer commonly say "I beg ..." except when saying "I beg your pardon."

What once may have been a normal way to ask another for things is now just preserved as a type of linguistic fossil in this expression. When composing original sentences we no longer say "I beg," but we do when using this fixed expression.

 

[Venus.jam]

No, it isn't. Or isn't any more. As I said, a "common expression" is something that is commonly said. Some of these expressions become fixed because they are so common. We no longer commonly say "I beg ..." except when saying "I beg your pardon."

What once may have been a normal way to ask another for things is now just preserved as a type of linguistic fossil in this expression. When composing original sentences we no longer say "I beg," but we do when using this fixed expression.

So "I beg your pardon" is the only the One and only one expression regarding "I beg..." which remains today. Did I get it right?
Do you mean that you do not use for example "I beg you not to leave" or "I beg you to keep quiet" and you use "do not leave please" and "please keep quiet" instead?

 

[emsr2d2]

In BrE, you'll hear "I beg to differ" quite frequently if someone is saying that they disagree with the other person.

 

[GoesStation]

In BrE, you'll hear "I beg to differ" quite frequently if someone is saying that they disagree with the other person.

Yet I've never heard a panhandler say that to explain why they chose their profession.

 

[SoothingDave]

In BrE, you'll hear "I beg to differ" quite frequently if someone is saying that they disagree with the other person.

Yes, in AmE, too.