Abstract
Idiomatic expressions in English, such as “kick the bucket” or “lend a hand,” rely heavily on metaphor and metonymy to convey non-literal meanings, enriching linguistic expressivity. Metaphor involves cross-domain conceptual mappings, while metonymy operates through contiguous associations. This article explores their roles in English idioms, their cognitive foundations, classifications, and implications for language acquisition and computational linguistics, with comparisons to Uzbek and Russian phraseology. Drawing on cognitive linguistics frameworks, it argues that understanding these tropes enhances cross-cultural communication and language teaching.