Rational behind appropriate and inappropriate deviation from the idiom phrase norms

Abstract

Any language is an artificial construction that constantly develops incorporating the changing realities. At the same time, languages accumulate pearls of wisdom in the form of idioms, which tend to stand throughout the ages and seem to be less flexible for changes in contrast to other word expressions. However, nowadays the globalizing world affects languages greatly universalizing them through trendy expressions, on the one hand, while the expanding journalism and scope of mass media resources establish a huge room for creativity when people attempt to modernize or reformulate some idiomatic phrases. The number of those people who try to match global ideas into the form of locally shaped idioms is growing; however, not all idiom-updaters are capable to make new versions attractive as they could «fall» into a rhythm, rhyme with purpose to enrich a particular stylistic coloring. In this regard, the article focuses on abnormalities, which may challenge the rationality and beauty of idiomatic phrases. Usage of ‘appropriate’ and ‘inappropriate’ deviations correspond to the terms of ‘relevant’ and ‘irrelevant’ ones, respectively, as well as to ‘justified’ and ‘unjustified’ deviations. The processes of globalization and localization are conceptualized in the term of ‘process of occassionalization’.