Confused About the Difference Between Idioms and Metaphors

[idiommetaphor]

Hi teachers,

I’ve been reading about idioms and metaphors, and I still feel a bit confused about how to clearly tell them apart in real-life usage. Some expressions seem to be both!

For example:

• Is “raining cats and dogs” an idiom only, or can it be considered metaphorical?
• What about “time is a thief”? Is that strictly a metaphor?

Could you please explain the key difference and maybe give a few clear examples of each?

Thank you in advance!

Best regards,
[idiommetaphor]

 

[tedmc]

The first is an idiom; the second a metaphor.

Set phrases/sayings some of which are derived from metaphors are called idioms.

Metaphors are things used by a speaker or writer, at will, to represent or symbolize something else to make a description more vivid and imaginative. Examples of metaphors are winds of change, heart of gold, life is a roller coaster, etc.

There is some overlap between metaphors and idioms though.

 

[Tarheel]

Here's an example of a metaphor. (See below.)
Three little devils came to my door.
They weren't really devils. They were kids. (On Halloween.)

If I say somebody sings like a bird, that's a simile. If I say she is a bird, that's a metaphor.

 

[emsr2d2]

Here's an example of a metaphor. (See below.)
Three little devils came to my door.
They weren't really devils. They were kids. (On Halloween.)

If I say somebody sings like a bird, that's a simile. If I say she is a bird, that's a metaphor.

Those are good examples but the OP didn't ask about the difference between similes and metaphors.

 

[Tarheel]

I know. I thought I'd throw that in there.

 

[jutfrank]

Is “raining cats and dogs” an idiom only, or can it be considered metaphorical?

Yes, it's an idiom. In fact, it's a prime example, since the sense of 'cats and dogs' cannot be inferred from the words alone. The origin of this phrase as I've always understood it goes back to a time when cats and dogs used to sleep on the thatched roofs of houses where it was nice and warm, and then when it started raining heavily, they would jump off the roofs, giving the impression that they were falling from the sky like the rain. There's nothing metaphorical about that.

What about “time is a thief”? Is that strictly a metaphor?

Yes, that's a metaphor. In fact, I don't know where you got this example from but I imagine that it was written specially in order to give a prime example of what a metaphor is in creative writing.