Sayings you dont understand

[Jodah]

I don't get how "candy ass" is supposed to be an insult. I hear that and think "My ass is candy. Candy is sweet. Hence, my ass is sweet. You think I have a sweet ass; that's a flirtatious compliment."

I smell a summer (user of 4chan) .

Seriously, the words on 4chan that appear in colour, like "newt grinch" and "candy ass" are in fact, cover ups from a swear filter. In this case, Candy ass, means fag.

If someone genuinly called you a candyass, and you've never heard of 4chan, please write back to me and tell me about it. Just write a short message on the back of a £50 note and mail to me.

Anyone who watched wrestling in the 90s probably used it from time to time. The Rock used it all the time in his promos.

 

[ACman]

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

It's from an ancient legal term "the exception confirms the rule in cases not excepted" (exceptio probat regulam in casibus non exceptis). It means that if there is an exception to something it means that there is a rule that demands the opposite.

Say I say the all people called Alice are allowed to not wear hats. That is an exception to a rule that people must wear hats.

The loss of "in cases not excepted" does leads to confusion and misuse of the term.

 

[rokkolpo]

"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?

Because it is.
Being broken is better than not been touched at all.

 

[The Cheezy One]

A bit off topic, but 'Alls well that ends well' is supposed to be a kind of optimistic, happy feeling thing, whereas 'The end justifies the means' is some kind of evil way of saying that you sacrifice anything for your own end, though when you think about it, they both mean the same thing - that if everything has worked out by the end of the day, then the events of the day don't matter.

 

[Grouchy Imp_v1legacy]

What the hell does "Can't see the forest for the trees" mean? Can someone help me out on that?

Forests are made up of large numbers of trees, so basically it means that you can't see the bigger picture because you're obsessing over the small details.

 

[Grouchy Imp_v1legacy]

What the hell does "Can't see the forest for the trees" mean? Can someone help me out on that?

Forests are made up of large numbers of trees, so basically it means that you can't see the bigger picture because you're obsessing over the small details.

I think I get it. Is it possible to be provided with an example where this would be applicable?

Just think of any problem where the solution is quite simple, but people are overthinking the answer, leading themselves into believing that the solution is very obscure when in fact it is incredibly easy. If you watch Scrubs then JD's 'dime and nickel' riddle with the Janitor is a good example.

 

[Fusionxl]

New and Improved.

That phrase simply doesn't work.

New things aren't necessarily better. For instance, if I were to take regular Coke and make a cheaper version of it called "Economic Cola" with less expensive ingredients then the taste would be similar and you couldn't really argue that it's not Coke, but the new cheaper Economic Cola is hardly an improvement over the regular.

"New and improved" is mostly one of those buzz phrases they use in Top Shop or whatnot and you shouldn't honestly read too much into that

"Mr. glass half-full" never got what that means

Well, there is an old way to differentiate between optimists and pessimists. If you fill a glass half-way with water then optimists will say that the glass is half-full and pessimists will say that the glass is half-empty. My guess is, "Mr Glass Half-full" is supposed to mean the person is overly pessimistic, but in that case they're using it wrong.

Oh, personally I've always wondered what's in The Escapist's basement.

 

[The Funslinger]

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

This one always baffles me. Other than that, I generally get most sayings. One commonly misspoken saying repeatedly gets me, though. "I could care less".

It's "couldn't care less"! "Could care less" implies you care!

 

[viking97]

"Greatest thing since sliced bread." What the hell's so great about bread slices???

i'm guessing cuz before that ppl had to slice their own bread and it was a pain in the ass

awesome cryptospiridium avatar btw

 

[silasbufu]

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

It's exactly what I wanted to say. I don't fucking understand it and whenever someone uses it during an argument it drives me insane.

 

[Avistew]

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

If it's an exception, then there is a rule, is what it means. If there is only ONE thing that is different, then that means all the rest is following the rule. If there was no rule things would be all over the place, and not with just one thing that's different.

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

I struggled with that one too. The French equivalent is "to have the butter and the butter's money", which is easier to understand. The English expression means to eat your cake and still have it complete even though you've eaten it.

"A bird in the bush is worth two in the hand."

It's the other way around. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. That means a bird you already have is better than two that might still escape.

What the hell does "Can't see the forest for the trees" mean? Can someone help me out on that?

You obsess so much on individual trees that you don't notice they make up a forest. I think it would count if someone proposed to you and you didn't notice what they said because you were too busy correcting their grammar.

 

[spielburg]

"There's more then one way to skin a cat".......There is?!?!?! if so i really don't want to know how....

Well... you can first cut off the head and then just strip the fur off the body of the cat OR you can tie a grenade to a cat and just pick up the pieces of fur afterwards.

 

[aba1]

"Sells like hotcakes."

What are hotcakes and why do they sell so well?

fairly certain they are pancakes always figured it was a U.S term

 

[aba1]

A bit off topic, but 'Alls well that ends well' is supposed to be a kind of optimistic, happy feeling thing, whereas 'The end justifies the means' is some kind of evil way of saying that you sacrifice anything for your own end, though when you think about it, they both mean the same thing - that if everything has worked out by the end of the day, then the events of the day don't matter.

Its means that you can do somthing the wrong way as long as in the end it's worth it

so like if I had to give up 10 dollers to make a 100 the end justifies the means I lost 10 but gained a 100

 

[Cyd0n1a]

"Break a leg!"

Makes no fucking sense. Breaking a leg is not fun nor is it something that one usually has a good time doing.

 

[ACman]

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

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It's from an ancient legal term "the exception confirms the rule in cases not excepted" (exceptio probat regulam in casibus non exceptis). It means that if there is an exception to something it means that there is a rule that demands the opposite.

Say I say the all people called Alice are allowed to not wear hats. That is an exception to a rule that people must wear hats.

The loss of "in cases not excepted" does leads to confusion and misuse of the term.

 

[instantbenz]

I understand the meaning of "six-one-half-a-dozen-the-other" as "it doesn't matter either way"; however, it's more syllables and thus it takes more time.

 

[Danny Ocean]

Figures of speech aren't really meant to be understood, just acknowledged.

You stole my icon you bastard.

Captcha:

What the fuck!?

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

"No Parking on weekdays"

You can park there on weekends, proving that you can't park on weekdays.

 

[Sizzle Montyjing]

Shut up, sit down and be quiet.
I seriously have no clue to what that means, but it usually is said halfway through one of my riveting speeches.
Can anyone explain?

 

[Danny Ocean]

Shut up, sit down and be quiet.
I seriously have no clue to what that means, but it usually is said halfway through one of my riveting speeches.
Can anyone explain?

It means close your book/laptop, sit down, and stop making noise. It's an order to listen.