Sayings you dont understand

[Pyroguekenesis]

I've never understood what it meant to "have one's cake and eat it too".

You don't understand it because that's the wrong way to use the saying. The correct way is 'You can't eat your cake and have it too'.
If someone gives you a slice of cake and you eat it, you no longer have it.

But... it's still in your stomach ... =_=;

 

[lumenadducere]

"Same difference". Huh?

This one, along with "I could care less," drive me insane. Why? Because they're not the actual sayings - they've somehow been twisted into what they are now, and what they are no makes no sense whatsoever.

"Same difference" is a combination of "same thing" and "big difference." I have no idea what smacktard decided that it was a good idea to go around saying it, but I do know that I first began hearing it several years ago and had never heard it beforehand. Somebody started it, it spread like the plague, and that person needs to be backhanded.

"I could care less" also originally was "I couldn't care less" but likewise some monkey decided to remove the negative in the sentence and yet retained its current meaning. Everyone uses it to convey "I couldn't care less" but the statement itself doesn't actually say that. Whoever first said that should be smacked as well.

 

[Merkavar]

i had a black one once but the wheels fell off.

i think this is a reply to someone saying with a whole lot of jargon. is that right? also is it a saying?

 

[Ironic Pirate]

I've never understood what it meant to "have one's cake and eat it too". I mean, what else are you going to do with a cake? A cake is functionally useless if you can't eat it. Unless, of course, you're going to throw it at someone, and I'm sure not going to do that. It's my cake! I have it and I'm going to eat it, too!

Maybe it's eating the whole cake, as opposed to just eating a slice and sharing?

 

[Sgt. Dante]

One that always gets me is 'head over heels' when referring to love... Isn't just standing about a head over heels situation?

 

[Phantomess]

"It's better to have loved and lost, than to have never loved at all."

Sorry hon, but I've seen what happens to people who love and lose. It ain't pretty!

Thoroughly agree. Worst saying ever. Honestly, since when has getting your heart broken been better than not having it broken at all?

 

[Ironic Pirate]

"Same difference". Huh?

This one, along with "I could care less," drive me insane. Why? Because they're not the actual sayings - they've somehow been twisted into what they are now, and what they are no makes no sense whatsoever.

"Same difference" is a combination of "same thing" and "big difference." I have no idea what smacktard decided that it was a good idea to go around saying it, but I do know that I first began hearing it several years ago and had never heard it beforehand. Somebody started it, it spread like the plague, and that person needs to be backhanded.

"I could care less" also originally was "I couldn't care less" but likewise some monkey decided to remove the negative in the sentence and yet retained its current meaning. Everyone uses it to convey "I couldn't care less" but the statement itself doesn't actually say that. Whoever first said that should be smacked as well.

Except that "I could care less" still makes sense as a saying, just a different meaning. It's for when you have a tiny little bit of caring, but not much. For example, a tv show you watched a couple times and moderately enjoyed gets cancelled. You care very slightly. You could care less, but not much.

 

[BanicRhys]

Someone saying "me three" or "me four" in response to someone saying "me too".

They didn't say "me two" fools.

 

[Griffolion]

There's no such thing as a free lunch. Yes there is, it's called a board meeting.

 

[vxicepickxv]

Not so much a saying or anything, but I get mightily confused when black americans call me "cracker" on ventrillo. No amount of googling has lead me to any understanding as to what the hell they're calling me. Down here a "cracker" is such a fuckin' good joke that it makes you laugh so hard you cry, spit drink everywhere and nearly suffocate from being unable to draw breath.

Any explanations as to WTF??!?! this means in yank-speak would be appreciated. Don't you lot call savoury biscuits crackers?

The term cracker in the American lexicon is a reference to a white person who could be a descendant of a slave owner. Slave owners used whips, and they would crack the whip. A cracker would be someone who cracks the whip.

"The exception that proves the rule". What the fuck does that mean? If its an exception, it doesn't prove anything!

Thank you. I've been thinking for years that it ought to be "The exception thta DISproves the rule".

The only rule that has no exceptions is that there's a exception to every rule. That would be the rule they're proving.

"I've had it up to here"
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- I dunno....somewhere around that distance? I still don't get it..

This one doesn't work outside of a face to face meeting, where one can actually imply where here is with their hand.

 

[FluxCapacitor]

To all you folks wondering about the exception that proves the rule, stop speculating if you're unsure - it's just muddying the water.

It is a legal concept that boils down to 'if we had to make an exception explicit, it means the opposite is usually true'. For example, a sign that states 'No Parking 8am - 6pm', it implies that parking is usually allowed. The rule here is that you can park on the side of the road - the fact that signs prohibit parking in certain areas proves that rule.

 

[FluxCapacitor]

There's no such thing as a free lunch. Yes there is, it's called a board meeting.

Back in the Depression bars had to entice customers with the promise of a free lunch - but the cost of the lunch was of course subsidised by the beer the depressed punters drank once inside. The idea is that there's always a catch somewhere.

 

[countrysteaksauce]

Near miss

Usually said when something was actually a near hit

 

[Buzz Killington_v1legacy]

The use of swagger as a noun. Stop it, swagger is a verb and the context people use it as a noun in makes anyone with a basic understanding of the English language cringe in disgust.

You might want to talk to the people at Random House [http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/swagger?show=1&t=1309261116] about that.

 

[DrDango]

"to have one's cake and eat it" what else can i do with it.

 

[Chairman Miaow]

"Same difference". Huh?

This one, along with "I could care less," drive me insane. Why? Because they're not the actual sayings - they've somehow been twisted into what they are now, and what they are no makes no sense whatsoever.

"Same difference" is a combination of "same thing" and "big difference." I have no idea what smacktard decided that it was a good idea to go around saying it, but I do know that I first began hearing it several years ago and had never heard it beforehand. Somebody started it, it spread like the plague, and that person needs to be backhanded.

"I could care less" also originally was "I couldn't care less" but likewise some monkey decided to remove the negative in the sentence and yet retained its current meaning. Everyone uses it to convey "I couldn't care less" but the statement itself doesn't actually say that. Whoever first said that should be smacked as well.

Except that "I could care less" still makes sense as a saying, just a different meaning. It's for when you have a tiny little bit of caring, but not much. For example, a tv show you watched a couple times and moderately enjoyed gets cancelled. You care very slightly. You could care less, but not much.

No, it isn't. I could care less could be any amount of caring >0. You could care a great deal and care less, or you could care a tiny bit and care less. It's a saying that only tells us that you do care about something, but not how much you care.

 

[jaketheripper]

"Sells like hotcakes."

What are hotcakes and why do they sell so well?

hotcakes are pancakes, and we 'mericans do love our pancakes!

In all honesty i can grasp the meaning of most sayings.

 

[gbemery]

"You can't go home again." It is usually always preceded with "They say" who the hell says that? I know the meaning of it. The meaning that once you grow up and experience life that you can never go back the your childhood views of home, but this phrase makes it so dang vague. I mean if you went up to somebody and said "You can't go home again." I bet they would look at you odd for a second then most likely GO HOME...if only to make sure you didn't rape their family and burn their house down.

 

[Chairman Miaow]

"I've had it up to here"
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- I dunno....somewhere around that distance? I still don't get it..

This one doesn't work outside of a face to face meeting, where one can actually imply where here is with their hand.

Even so. Had enough of what? How did it get up to there? Everyone knows what it means and accepts it but even so it's gibberish.