Decoding idiom change: Root form and frequency analysis of transformed idioms in American mass media

This paper examines the evolution of three idioms – ‘seen better days’, ‘spill the beans’ and ‘kill two birds with one stone’ – and their transformations within the landscape of American mass media. Drawing upon a vast collection of examples from newspapers, magazines, television programs and social media platforms, this article provides an extensive analysis of linguistic transformations and their cultural implications. The occurrences of both the original and the transformed idioms, their frequency and their contextual usage were all analyzed utilizing resources such as COCA, Sketch Engine, Ngram Book Viewer and dictionaries. The findings offer researchers and professional linguists valuable insights into the evolution of the English language, which could have an impact on professional training globally.