What Does "Modest Proposal" Mean?
"Modest proposal" is an English idiom. It means "a suggestion that is not modest at all." It is often used ironically. The term comes from Jonathan Swift's satirical essay "A Modest Proposal," where he suggested that the poor sell their children as food.Examples in Sentences
Here are three examples of the idiom "modest proposal" used in a sentence:- As a modest proposal, why don't we just sell the company?
- His 'modest proposal' was to simply eliminate all the regulations.
- Given the context of Swift's essay, the senator's 'modest proposal' was clearly meant to be taken ironically.
What Is an Idiom?
An idiom is a commonly used expression whose meaning does not relate to the literal meaning of its words. In other words, if you were to translate "Modest Proposal" word for word, there is no guarantee the translation would help you to understand the meaning.An idiom often includes a cultural or historical context that makes it difficult for non-native English speakers to understand. A phrase is classified as an idiom when a direct translation of the words does not reveal the meaning. Most idioms rely on shared knowledge or experiences known only to a specific community.
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