本书首先对习语的形成及其特性作了共时和历时的描述，进而对处理习语的不同方法和模式展开评述，最后从总体整合的视角集中探讨了以概念结构为依据的习语处理方法即整合处理法。
　　相对个体论而言的整体论注重整体而不偏重于将总体分解或分割成部分，并强调整体的重要性以及部分之间的相互依赖性，这是习语整合处理法的理论依据。
　　本书旨在抽读者展示在生成和解释习语时，如何通过通过整合处理法将思想映射到语言中使用形式与内涵匹配，并试图扩展这一研究用于语言学习，以最有效的方法来处理语言中的习语形象。

Chapter One Introduction
　1.1 Background of the Present Study
　1.2 Objective of the Present Study
　1.3 Data Collection of the Present Study
　1.4 Organization of the Present Study
Chapter Two Description and Characterization of Idioms
　2.1 Describing Idioms
　　2.1.1 Formation of Idioms
　　2.1.2 Types of Idiom Collections
　　2.1.3 Relationship : Idioms & Words
　　2.1.4 Relationships : Idioms & Other Fixed Expressions
　2.2 Characterizing Idioms
　　2.2.1 Distinct Properties
　　2.2.2 General Delineation
Chapter Three Idiom Studies: Different Approaches
　3.1 Formal Approaches
　　3.1.1 Brace Fraser (1970)
　　3.1.2 Adam Makkai (1972)
　　3.1.3 Rosamund Moon (1998)
　3.2 Functional Approaches
　　3.2.1 Jury Strassler (1982)
　　3.2.2 Cristina Cacciari & Sam Glucksberg(1991, 1993)
　　3.2.3 Chitra Fernando (1996)
　　3.2.4 Rachel Giora (1997)
　　3.2.5 Rosa Elena Vega-Moreno (2001)
　3.3 Psycholinguistic Approaches
　　3.3.1 S. Bobrow&S. Bell (1973)
　　3.3.2 D. A. Swinney & A. Cutler (1979)
　　3.3.3 Raymond W. Gibbs, Jr. (1980)
　　3.3.4 C. Cacciari & P. Tabossi (1988)
　　3.3.5 R.W. Gibbs, Jr. &N. P. Nayak (1989)
　　3.3.6 R. W. Gibbs, Jr. et al. (1990-1995)
Chapter Four Flexibility & Productivity of Idioms
　4.1 Lexical Flexibility
　　4.1.1 Structural Variety
　　4.1.2 Variation Generation
　　4.1.3 Variation Patterns
　　　4.1.3.1 Verb Variation
　　　4.1.3.2 Noun Variation
　　　4.1.3.3 Modifier Variation
　　　4.1.3.4 Miscellaneous Variation
　　　4.1.3.5 Variation between American andBritish English
　　　4.1.3.6 False Variation
　　4.1.4 Regularity of Variation
　　4.1.5 Variation Constraint & Comprehension
　　4.1.6 Case Study : Relevance-Driven Variation Comprehension
　4.2 Syntactic Versatility
　　4.2.1 Nominalization
　　4.2.2 Pronominalization
　　4.2.3 Passivization
　　4.2.4 Topicalization
　　4.2.5 Modification by Relative Clauses
　　4.2.6 There Construction
　　4.2.7 Comparative Construction
　　4.2.8 Other Transformations
　　4.2.9 Nonce Uses of Idioms
Chapter Five A Holistic Approach to English Idioms
　5.1 Developing Pragmatic Competence
　5.2 Developing Figurative Competence
　5.3 Developing Sociocultural Competence
　5.4 Integrating Processing Strategies
Chapter Six Conclusions
　6.1 Representation of Idioms
　6.2 Enlightenment from Previous Studies
　6.3 Compositionality and Flexibility
　6.4 Pedagogical Implications
　6.5 Suggestions for Further Exploration
References
Appendix Ⅰ List of Dictionaries Consulted
Appendix Ⅱ Tentative Classification of Fixed Expressions in English Lexicon
Appendix Ⅲ Figurative Patterns Underlying Current English Idioms
Appendix Ⅳ English Idioms with Respect to Fraser's Frozen Hierarchy
Appendix Ⅴ Makkai's Categorization of Idioms
Appendix Ⅶ Femando's Categorization of English Idioms
Appendix Ⅷ Representative Examples of Conceptual Metaphors