Would to be "taken aback" be a figure of speech or an idiom?

Question

im doing a paper andddd long story..so is it? any one know?

Answer 1

Figure of speech, mostly, but idiom as well.  It's possible to be both.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idiom

Being taken "all aback" referred to the wind blowing into the sails from the wrong direction in old square-rigged sailing ships.  The sudden change of wind direction caused the ship to slow down or even move backwards temporarily (until the captain steered a new course).