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Table 3 The idioms with the frequency of more than 1 per million

From: A thematic corpus-based study of idioms in the Corpus of Contemporary American English

Idiom

Theme

Frequency (per million)

Behind the scenes

Secrecy

4.71

Under fire

Critics and criticism

3.22

Set the stage for

Preparation and readiness

2.86

Out of your mind

Madness

2.77

Over the top

Excess and extravagance

2.72

Think twice

Caution

2.33

Round (or around) the clock

Time

2.13

Behind closed doors

Secrecy

2.03

Hit the road

Travel and transport

1.56

Play ball

Cooperation

1.38

Call the shots (or tune)

Power

1.21

On the same page

Cooperation

1.18

In a nutshell

Language, speech, and conversation

1.18

A slippery slope

Misfortune and adversity

1.14

Turn the corner

Crisis

1.12

On a roll

Success

1.10