The English idioms “memorized” and “by heart” refer to knowing something completely without gaps or being able to recite it perfectly. Idioms derive meaning from cultural usage and add color to conversations. The heart is a common figurative association in idioms, and “by heart” implies expertise and complete knowledge of a subject.
“Memorized” is an English idiom used whenever someone knows something completely without any gaps in their knowledge of the subject. This is an English idiom used whenever someone has such intimate knowledge of something that they can answer any question on the subject. The idiomatic expression “by heart” is also used when someone is able to recite something, whether it’s a song or a piece of writing, without missing a single word. It is one of the many idioms that use the heart as a figurative place where everything that is important to a person is stored.
Occasionally, a person might use an English word or phrase that means something very different from what someone might expect, based on the literal definitions of the words. Such a construction is known as an idiom, which actually takes its meaning not from predetermined definitions but rather from how the word or phrase has been used in a culture. It is, therefore, intended that way and speakers can use it to add color and impact to their conversations with others. An idiom that makes use of the figurative associations of the human heart is the phrase “by heart”.
When someone knows something well enough to warrant the use of this phrase, they can be considered an expert on the subject. While there is often some exaggeration at play when this phrase is used, the general implication is that anyone who knows anything in this way knows it without fail. For example, he considers the sentence: “I’ve lived in this area for so long that I know it by heart.”
In conjunction with this notion, the phrase is often used when someone is asked to recite or repeat a written passage or anything else that can be memorized. After working so long to learn something, the words in it can often be recited without any struggle. For example, someone might say, “The teacher said we’d have to memorize all those passages if we accepted.”
The heart is involved in many idioms. Since the heart is the figurative center of emotions and all things that are important to people, any sentence containing it has a certain impact on listeners. “By heart” indicates a complete knowledge of a subject, so complete that it resides in a person’s heart.
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