I think that one of the trickiest things about idioms, slang and informal vocabulary for non-native speakers is that you never know if the idiom (word) is still in use or if it is outdated. The first reaction to tackle the situation is to consult a good dictionary, but it doesn't always help. For example, many native speakers feel that the idioms like "rain cats and dogs" or "it's a piece of cake" are absolutely otdated but many dictionaries do not mark them as outdated or old-fashioned. Moreover, I believe there are idioms which are likely to appear in the speech of middle-aged people that would sound unnatural and pretentious in the speech of younger people and vice versa. Additionally, there might be idioms (probably, older ones, such as the idioms from the Bible, Shakespeare's works, etc.) which might be used on special occasions to impress the audience and produce a certain stylistic effect. It goes without saying that the choice of idioms and slang is also influenced by one's social standing, professional background, etc.
I'd like to invite both students and native English speakers to discuss what students of English could do to learn to use idioms in a natural way, in the way they are used by native speakers.
In practical terms, I'd also appreciate if you native English speakers could give examples of idioms which would sound inappropriate in the speech of a woman in her mid-fourties, or, on the contrary, would be typical for this age group.
Thank you!
