Phrases you've never understood.

Racecarlock

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Dude, you were ninjad by yahtzee. http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/zero-punctuation/93-Haze

That's gotta be worth some kind of badge or honor.
 

Slangeveld

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Jun 1, 2010
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That cake eaten thing is supposed to me from 'Like having your cake eaten'. The reason why this is bad is because it's 'your' cake, that got eaten by somebody else. Meaning you can't eat it yourself.
 

Dracowrath

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Jul 7, 2011
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Instant K4rma said:
_____ Was all but ____

Example: The village was all but destroyed.

Translation: The village was destroyed.

But wait, I thought it was all but destroyed? No?

What is this I don't even....
I think it's supposed to mean the village had everything bad happen to it that could have happened, but it wasn't completely destroyed.
 

KaizokuouHasu

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May 19, 2011
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Rarhnor said:
"stop, or I'll file a restraining order against you"
I've heard this one countless of times. I also don't get it.

Here's one; "It's on the tip of my tongue." - what? No it's not. It's in your head and you're trying to get it out into words!

Round two; "It's raining cats and dogs." - How do you come up with something like that?! A rain droplet is nothing like the size or shape or colour or anything at all in the way of a cat or dog. If it was raining domestic pets the neighbourhood would be covered with flattened cretins and blood and gore.

Final round; "You're is on fire!" - What? No! If I was on fire I would be flailing for the nearest water source or a fire extinguisher!
 

Baneat

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Jul 18, 2008
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Dracowrath said:
Baneat said:
New phrase not understood

Spitting image.
I think that's supposed to be that someone looks so much like another person, that those viewing the two people spit whatever they were drinking in shock.
The phrase would have to be quite new for that, I think it runs older because the whole spray drink in shock trope is like 50 years old at most.
 

Byere

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Jan 8, 2009
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Phrases have never bothered me... it's wording that bothers me.

Prime example has already been said "I could care less". As rightly stated, it's supposed to be "I couldn't care less".
Something that really bugs me though is when people don't even pronounce the words correctly in real life. Like when people say "pacific/pacific-ly" instead of "specific/specifically" or "perfec" instead of "perfect". (my mother always drilled it into my head to pronounce my t's every time). yea, I know, it's a minor pet peeve, but it does my head in when people constantly do it... my sister being a worst-case-offender...
 

chronicfc

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Jun 1, 2011
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retyopy said:
"have your cake and eat it too." If I have a cake, it's because I'm going to eat it.

So... Go crazy.
I think it means that you can't eat a cake while still having the cake, if you eat a cake you no longer have it, which still makes no sense, I've eaten the cake, it has served its purpose, why do I need to have the cake if I'm not going to eat it?!?
 

Dracowrath

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KaizokuouHasu said:
Round two; "It's raining cats and dogs." - How do you come up with something like that?! A rain droplet is nothing like the size or shape or colour or anything at all in the way of a cat or dog. If it was raining domestic pets the neighbourhood would be covered with flattened cretins and blood and gore.
I remember a video that explained this somewhere on youtube (I think it may have been that HotForWords chick) but it's something to do with animals hiding in or on rooftops and when it rains hard enough they fall off said roof. Or it could be a reference to that strange phenomenon where an updraft will pull up small animals into the cloud before raining them down again.
 

dorkette1990

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the spud said:
I still don't see the connection between whining and tiny violins. It isn't like it makes a difference.

Somebody's been maiking lots of threads.
It's because of sad music - it's usually played on the violin. So when someone whines, you give them the world's smallest violin (since you don't really care).

OT: "Sick as a dog". To my knowledge, dogs are not known for being terribly ill...
 

Draitheryn

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Jan 20, 2010
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dex-dex said:
Kurai Angelo said:
Soxafloppin said:
INB4 "I could care less"

Umad?

Edit: Head over Heels, My head is generally over my heels, regardless of mood.
That's because retards say it wrong.

It's "I couldn't care less."
YES!
anytime I correct people with the phrase " I could care less" telling them it makes no sense
I go into this type of rant
Same here, I feel the same way with "Same difference" as well.

A bit off topic but when I was living in America I was criticised all the time for pronouncing H in herb. Pronounce it that way if you want, but don't change the language and get indignant because the rest of the world doesn't follow suit.
 

mornal

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Korolev said:
4) "It's always darkest before dawn". This makes no sense at all - it's equally dark before 1 hour before dawn as it is 4 hours before dawn (at least in most parts of the world). In fact, juuuuuuust before dawn, the sky starts to get a little brighter. Whoever came up with this phrase obviously never saw a sunrise.

As for the cake expression, why can't you eat part of the cake? If I have eat half of a cake I still have another half of a cake left.
 

Jakub324

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Jan 23, 2011
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"Yeah, but the Chinese, like, bombed Pearl Harbour."
"Uhh no, that was the Japanese."
"Same difference."

That just makes no sense.
 

dex-dex

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Draitheryn said:
dex-dex said:
Kurai Angelo said:
Soxafloppin said:
INB4 "I could care less"

Umad?

Edit: Head over Heels, My head is generally over my heels, regardless of mood.
That's because retards say it wrong.

It's "I couldn't care less."
YES!
anytime I correct people with the phrase " I could care less" telling them it makes no sense
I go into this type of rant
Same here, I feel the same way with "Same difference" as well.

A bit off topic but when I was living in America I was criticised all the time for pronouncing H in herb. Pronounce it that way if you want, but don't change the language and get indignant because the rest of the world doesn't follow suit.
Did you ask them if they were french?
I so want to see a throw down over the H in Herbs.
 

Squarez

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Apr 17, 2009
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lotr rocks 0 said:
In sports when commentators say "He's as good as anyone at _____" If he's as good as anyone then what's so great about him?
It means that there's no-one better. Like how even if someone was absolutely amazing at a sport, this player would be as good, if not better than them.
 

kalt_13

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Sep 14, 2008
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"yeah....no" well mate which is it yes or no? Make up your bloody mind.


"I didn't do nothing" ok so what DID you do and should I be mad about it?
 

Jodah

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Aug 2, 2008
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Death God said:
"You can ____ 'till the cows come home."
Why aren't the cows already home? And why would I do something until my cows come back? Also:
"You can go tell that to Joe Blow down the street for all I care!"
????
Its meant that the cows are out in the pasture and it takes them all day to make it back home. *I'm a cattle farmer*
 

Blue2

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Mar 19, 2010
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A women holding a sign said "I'm not a sex object" while nude (or partly nude)

So... As a male, i don't know if I should feel ashamed or aroused.
 

jay622

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Oct 14, 2010
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"I go there every now and again." "This makes no sense since because to be somewhere every now and again, you would be trapped there for eternity... and again." - Ben Bailey
 

Phlakes

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Mar 25, 2010
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"Dead as a doornail".

Mind, I don't mean to say that I know, of my own knowledge, what there is particularly dead about a doornail. I might have been inclined, myself, to regard a coffin-nail as the deadest piece of ironmongery in the trade.

Byere said:
Phrases have never bothered me... it's wording that bothers me.

Prime example has already been said "I could care less". As rightly stated, it's supposed to be "I couldn't care less".
Something that really bugs me though is when people don't even pronounce the words correctly in real life. Like when people say "pacific/pacific-ly" instead of "specific/specifically" or "perfec" instead of "perfect". (my mother always drilled it into my head to pronounce my t's every time). yea, I know, it's a minor pet peeve, but it does my head in when people constantly do it... my sister being a worst-case-offender...
And "expecially". +500 points if they even spell it that way.