Idioms, proverbs, formulas, clichés - all of this can be summarized under the title "Phraseology." With a deliberately broad conception of phraseology, which focuses more on the open transitions to other linguistic areas than on drawing boundaries, the book aims to raise awareness of how important phraseological phenomena are for today's language in all its domains. Basic concepts and a handy terminology are provided to give readers independent access to phraseology, its diverse forms, and functions. The goal of the presentation is to systematically convey the criteria with the greatest possible clarity. The introduced terms are largely explained with authentic examples from German texts, but the concepts are not tied to a single language.