A colloquialism is an expression not used in formal speech, writing or paralinguistics. Colloquialisms denote a manner of speaking or writing that's characteristic of familiar "common" conversation; informal colloquialisms can include words (such as "y'all" or "gonna"), phrases (such as "ain't nothin'", "dressed for bear" and ""), or sometimes even an entire aphorism. (""). Dictionaries often display colloquial words and phrases with the abbreviation colloq. Colloquialisms are often used primari… (More on Colloquial)