Idioms or Idiots

I don't know how non-english or shall I say non-american speakers master our language.  We speak in constant idioms.   I've been on a mission to eliminate idioms from my speech for a while now, but I find the task completely daunting.  NCIS has a great way of pointing out our American-centric speech quirks by having the character Zeva confuse idioms regularly. 

I was just watching a TV show in which one of the main characters used the phrase "throw in the towel."  It sounds innocuous enough, but the connotation means completely give up.  When thinking literally about the phrase, the true meaning sounds unrelated and random.  How are non-English speakers ever expected to master our language?   I predict that idioms will be a recurring theme here on this blog.  I find them both fascinating while at the same time baffling. 

The Big Boy Update:  Super Snot.  When will the snot end?  He's had snot issues for two weeks now.  Hopefully he'll conquer the cold demons and get over his congestion issues soon.  He's not thrilled (read ticked off and mad) about any brain suckering activities and will let you know how much he hates it quite loudly. 


The Tiny Girl Chronicles:  Making new friends.  She keeps trying to make friends with the ceiling fan.  She is smile central when she thinks there is something to smile about.  It's, without a doubt, adorable.