Is this an idiom!?

Question

"Stick to it", pls explain why it is an idiom

Answer 1

Yes it IS an idiom, because it's meaning cannot be understood by merely knowing the definition of the individual words. It isn't a literal translation. You are not literally sticking to something, as in adhering to it. Idioms are also known as "sayings," by the way, to non-linguists. :)

Answer 2

The definition I think you're talking about here is

A speech form or an expression of a given language that is peculiar to itself grammatically or cannot be understood from the individual meanings of its elements, as in keep tabs on.
(from dictionary.com)

Figuratively, you know "stick to it" means "perservere," "be unswerving," etc. But the individual words mean something like "adhere to the object," which conjures up an image of GLUE. "Stick to it" doesn't literally mean STICK to something; it means "perservere at something." So if a phrase has a figurative meaning that's different from its literal one, as this phrase does, it's an idiom.

P.S. ianr1984 is wrong. He's talking about an OXYMORON, not an idiom. He got the two terms mixed up.

P.P.S. All the people who say it's not an idiom are wrong; I got the actual definition of "idiom" off of dictionary.com and I know that I'm right. People who think "idiom" means "dialect" or something are just flat out wrong.

Answer 3

Yes it is.
An idiom is an expression whose meaning is not compositional—that is, whose meaning does not follow from the meaning of the individual words of which it is composed. For example, the English phrase to kick the bucket means to die. A listener knowing the meaning of kick and bucket will not thereby be able to predict that the expression can mean to die. Idioms are often, though perhaps not universally, classified as figures of speech.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idiom

Answer 4

No that's not an Idiom, and Idiom by definition is a sentence of phrase where both parts opose one another. "A Colorless Rainbow" is a good example, or "a silent sound." These are idioms, your phrase "stick to it" is just that, a phase, or expression, nothing more.

Answer 5

NO that's not an idiom... an idiom is the specific grammatical, syntactic, and structural character of a given language.

Answer 6

No that is not, It may be an adage, but thats all,
Idiom, can be the language of a certain region, as it is spoken in New Orleans. As in Cayjun.
It can also mean a language that isn't understandable, with the more general language spoken in that region.
It's all about language.

Answer 7

stick to it is a good idiom... Idioms are sayings that are not taken literally, like stick to it. You are not glueing yourself or anything like that it just means staying or keeping up with it. Another example is nose to the grindstone. That just means to work hard not literally put ur nose to a grindstone.

Answer 8

An idiom is described as "the language peculiar to a person or group".

"Stick to it" is more of an adage or motto.

Answer 9

it is because an idiom is a speech form or an expression of a given language that is peculiar to itself grammatically or cannot be understood from the individual meanings of its elements

Answer 10

Because you are not actually sticking like glue or tape. It is a figurative meaning of the word 'stick'.