Colloquialism (noun) is an informal expression; words, phrases and aphorisms that are common in conversation, that differs by region and not used in formal speech. It is similar to an Idiom, but different from Jargon or Slang. Colloquial language is unacceptable in formal writing or speech. The following are examples of colloquial words, phrases and aphorisms.
Words: wanna, gonna, y'all, gotta,
Phrases: "old as the hills", "raining cats and dogs", "dead as a doornail", "kicked the bucket", "rubs me the wrong way", "say what"
Aphorism (a short pithy expression) : "It ain't over till the fat lady sings", "There's more than one way to skin a cat", "A good man is hard to find", "A friend in need is a friend indeed"
Here is an example of colloquial language in literature:
Excerpt from Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Mark Twain
"I didn't want to go back no more. I had stopped cussing, because the widow didn't like it; but now I took to it again because pap hadn't no objections...but by-and-by pap got too handy with his hick'ry and I couldn't stand it. I was all over with welts. He got to going away so much, too, and locking me in. Once he locked me and was gone three days. It was dreadful lonesome."
If you listen carefully, you will recognize the use of colloquial language every day. See how many words or phrases you can pick up today!
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