Clichés and Idioms: A Theoretical Study of Language, Pragmatics, and Society

Author: (French) Amosy (French) Piero; Ding Xiaohui
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2003-01-01
Features: Some Germans like to tell this joke: "What is the shortest book in the world? — A 4,000-year-old book of German humor." This joke may not make everyone laugh, but it vividly raises the issue of mental stereotypes and prejudices toward others. Similarly, fixed expressions like "defeat" are also seen as clichés, a kind of automatic language that people mock. Some Germans like to tell this joke: "What is the shortest book in the world? — A 4,000-year-old book of German humor." This joke may not make everyone laugh, but it vividly raises the issue of mental stereotypes and prejudices toward others. Similarly, fixed expressions like "defeat" are also seen as clichés, a kind of automatic language that people mock.