Functional classification of phraseological units

The functional classification of phraseological units, suggested by prof. I.V. Arnold, is based on their ability to perform the same syntactical function as words. According to this approach the following principal groups of phraseological units are distinguishable:

a) substantive phraseological units or noun equivalents, e.g. a thorn in the flesh ‘a source of irritation’, butterflies in your stomach ‘tremors in the stomach region due to nervousness’, a nest-egg ‘savings’, the movers and shakers ‘the people with power and influence’, bullet train ‘superhigh-speed train in Japan’, a latchkey child ‘a child who has to let himself in at home on returning from school, as his parents are out at work’;

b) verbal phraseological units or verb equivalents, e.g. to catch red-handed ‘in the act of committing a crime or doing something wrong or shameful’, to sink through the floor ‘feel ashamed’, to knock one’s head against a brick wall ‘to be persistent in doing smth.’, to be on the beam ‘be correct, relevant, or appropriate’, to make headlines ‘to become prominent in the news’;

c) adjectival phraseological units or adjective equivalents, e.g. penny wise and pound foolish ‘petty in small affairs and wasteful in big business’, wise after the event ‘having good ideas after the mishap’, too close to the knuckle ‘realist’, of the same kidney ‘of the same class, type, or disposition’;

d) adverbial phraseological units or adverb equivalents, e.g. by fair means or foul ‘tooth-and-nail’, up to the elbows in ‘busily occupied with; deeply immersed in’, hand over fist ‘steadily and quickly; with rapid progress’, with a bump ‘immediately, abruptly’, in the soup ‘in trouble or difficulties’, like a dream ‘without an effort’, like a dog with two tails ‘very pleased and enthusiastic’;

e) interjectional phraseological units or interjection equivalents, e.g. Well, I never! ‘an exclamation of surprise’; Hear! Hear! ‘an exclamation used to show approval of something said’; Come, come! ‘an exclamation used to express order, approval or disapproval’; Oh, my eyes! ‘an exclamation used to show surprise, annoyance, admiration’; Catch me! ‘No way!’;

f) conjunctional phraseological units or conjunction equivalents, e.g. as long as, on the other hand;

g) prepositional phraseological units or prepositions equivalents, e.g. in the course of, on the stroke of.

In I.V. Arnold’s classification there are also sentence equivalents: proverbs, sayings and quotations, e.g. The sky is the limit, What makes him tick, I am easy.