Phrases you've never understood.
- Thread starter retyopy
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It's a shorthand way of saying "all but a small amount." So it really means "almost entirely."Instant K4rma said:
I think that hearkens back to the days of the plague, when they were more (or just as) susceptible to it than humans. And it was their gait and general malaise that that expression arose from.dorkette1990 said:
"Cute as a button"
I don't think buttons are cute. :/
"Kicking ass and taking names"
If I had to kick someone, I would kick them in the balls. A kick in the ass wouldn't hurt as much. And why would I take names? THEY should learn MY name, if anything, shouldn't they?
"So hungry, I could eat a horse"
Why? I've heard people say "I could eat a cow". That's fine. But horses? Who would eat a horse? Is there such thing as roasted horse meat or something?
"___ as the day is long"
For example, I was watching Friends and someone said "As gay as the day is long". The day isn't that long; it ends eventually. So...it means whatever we're talking about will end? In Friend's case, being gay?
I don't think buttons are cute. :/
"Kicking ass and taking names"
If I had to kick someone, I would kick them in the balls. A kick in the ass wouldn't hurt as much. And why would I take names? THEY should learn MY name, if anything, shouldn't they?
"So hungry, I could eat a horse"
Why? I've heard people say "I could eat a cow". That's fine. But horses? Who would eat a horse? Is there such thing as roasted horse meat or something?
"___ as the day is long"
For example, I was watching Friends and someone said "As gay as the day is long". The day isn't that long; it ends eventually. So...it means whatever we're talking about will end? In Friend's case, being gay?
It's to do with steam train engines I think, and what happened to a certain valve when you went full speed. Though googling to check i remembered correctly i found that it could also be to do with the throttle's position in a full-speed jet fighter. Either way, there's no testicles involved. Hooray!BlakBladz said:
I've always had an issue with "A poor workman blames his tools." I sorta get the idea behind it, I just think that there has to be a better way to say it.[/quote]BlakBladz said:
Modern variant: "A poor player always blames his team"?
Cos there's always one leet player on a team of n00bs. If only everyone else was as good as him then he'd win. Of course.
"I could care less."
People say that. I've heard it. They use it when they intend the opposite. They try to say I'm incorrect whenever I correct it.
I can't tell if it's a misunderstanding on my part, or theirs?
People say that. I've heard it. They use it when they intend the opposite. They try to say I'm incorrect whenever I correct it.
I can't tell if it's a misunderstanding on my part, or theirs?
Not a phrase, but a word that never made sense to me is "oxymoron". The only thing my wife and I can come up with is that there are probably no morons studying at Oxford, therefore, if there were an Oxford moron, it would describe a contradictory thing. Anyone know how close we are to the truth?
It's not technically a phrase but I wonder why everyone likes to turn things into acronyms. There are so many three letters acronyms, just in my comp. sci. classes alone that its ridiculous. No more TLAs, no more!
I always kind of wondered where the expression to pull one's self up by the bootstraps comes from. Bootstraps, as far as I know, are basically buckles on the shoes like laces. Why would you be dangling from them, what is the implication?
I always kind of wondered where the expression to pull one's self up by the bootstraps comes from. Bootstraps, as far as I know, are basically buckles on the shoes like laces. Why would you be dangling from them, what is the implication?
Um...yes, they do eat horses some places.Beautiful End said:
But the saying just means that a horse is both very large and not something you would normally eat. So you would have to be extremely hungry to consider it.
"What's up?" That's the question that literally has no answer besides: the sky, the ceiling, the lights, birds, clouds, the sun, or anything that actually would be above you.
Wow, really? Man...can't say it sounds appetizing...probably because it's something I hadn't considered...but dang!EmperorSubcutaneous said:
I still prefer "I could eat a cow" better. Even "Bull" is okay. :/
Also, "When shit hits the fan" and it's related phrases.
Why would the shit hit the fan? Is it piling up in a room and it's about to reach the roof? Or is there a fan oscillating and the shit is slowly approaching? Or is someone gonna toss the shit at the fan and it will cause it to splatter everywhere?
Why would the shit hit the fan? Is it piling up in a room and it's about to reach the roof? Or is there a fan oscillating and the shit is slowly approaching? Or is someone gonna toss the shit at the fan and it will cause it to splatter everywhere?
The connection is that in plays (musicals, opera, etc) and movies, when things are all sad and super cereal, they generally play slow, sad violin music. It's mostly a reference to the cultural zeitgeist, where violins generally are used for the depressing moments.the spud said:
The "world's tiniest violin" is simply a way to state that whatever problems they think they're having really aren't much in the greater scheme of things.
I think it's meant to be you'd give someone a reason that's actually worth crying about.Rawne1980 said:
As in the shit would be sent flying everywhere by splattering off the fan.Beautiful End said:
Seriously, I think some of you are over thinking some of these in an attempt to find fault with ones that haven't been suggested.