Idiomatic expressions in Feigned, Jargon-like Colloquial Orality

This study investigates the use of idiomatic expressions—defined as multi-word combinations with fully or partially non-compositional meanings—in colloquial, jargon-like language within Emil und die Detektive (Kästner, 1929). Idiomatic expressions are shown to support key functions of feigned orality and sociolectal features, contributing to dynamic and realistic text passages, clearly characterizing the characters, and rendering the style more creative, ironic, and colloquial. Additionally, idiomatic expressions help to establish in-group identity and are often pragmatically significant. The protagonists exhibit varying degrees of language variation and formal modifications of their idiomatic expressions. As hypothesized, the main features of the analyzed idiomatic expressions overlap with strategies employed for the acquisition of phrasemes.