Sayings you dont understand

[Tdc2182]

"At the wrong place at the wrong time"

Never really got it. If your at the wrong place at the wrong time then you should be fine because its the wrong time. What it should be is,

Wrong place at the right time.

or

Right place at the wrong time.

Or just in the place at the wrong time.

 

[conflictofinterests]

"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 earlier time when the scientific method wasn't as common as it was today. In a more philosophical context, a rule would be something that pretty much always happens, except when something really fucking strange happens, and that really fucking strange thing may be an exception, but it doesn't mean that the thing that pretty much always happens doesn't pretty much always happens. In fact, the lack of a gradient between the aforementioned things that pretty much always happen and the aforementioned exception serves as a stark contrast, making the exception one that reinforces, or proves, the rule.

 

[conflictofinterests]

"At the wrong place at the wrong time"

Never really got it. If your at the wrong place at the wrong time then you should be fine because its the wrong time. What it should be is,

Wrong place at the right time.

or

Right place at the wrong time.

Or just in the place at the wrong time.

It's a double negative, and this usage is quite common to exaggerate the negativity of the subject matter.

 

[brinvixen]

"Irregardless"

I know it's not a saying, just a word, but I hate when people use it. One - it's not a word. Two - if it were a word, it would be redundant. Regardless is already a negative term, so to put "ir", a negative prefix, on it, you've made it a double negative. Which makes it a positive. Which makes (the way people use the word) pointless. Three: the fact that most people who use the term "irregardless" are those people who want to appear smart, and since its a pointless, non-existing word, they look even dumber.

Stop saying it. NOW.

 

[thedoclc]

"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 earlier time when the scientific method wasn't as common as it was today. In a more philosophical context, a rule would be something that pretty much always happens, except when something really fucking strange happens, and that really fucking strange thing may be an exception, but it doesn't mean that the thing that pretty much always happens doesn't pretty much always happens. In fact, the lack of a gradient between the aforementioned things that pretty much always happen and the aforementioned exception serves as a stark contrast, making the exception one that reinforces, or proves, the rule.

No. Actually, the original meaning comes from an obsolete meaning of prove, as in "test." As in Aberdeen Proving Grounds, where the military tests things, or the Provings of Dragon Age: Origins. As this meaning of prove has become more obscure, the saying's meaning is changing.

Edit: That's US military.

 

[CATS FTW]

"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!

Hey ma! Don't disprove this saying I'm living by it right now! My girlfriend is going off to college in two months and I'd rather get a little time with her than having never told her how I felt, I'll take a little loving over none at all any day of the week.

 

[loc978]

"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 earlier time when the scientific method wasn't as common as it was today. In a more philosophical context, a rule would be something that pretty much always happens, except when something really fucking strange happens, and that really fucking strange thing may be an exception, but it doesn't mean that the thing that pretty much always happens doesn't pretty much always happens. In fact, the lack of a gradient between the aforementioned things that pretty much always happen and the aforementioned exception serves as a stark contrast, making the exception one that reinforces, or proves, the rule.

Eric Ninja'd me there, and even after your explanation, it still seems incredibly stupid, to my way of thinking. "The rule" obviously encompasses a wide range of possible outcomes, whether the people who accept it realize such or not... but the exception in no way reinforces said rule... it disproves the rule in any discipline outside of statistics.
But, like you said, that was before the scientific method was very widespread... I can only call the people who accept such a thing ignorant at this point.

 

[King Toasty]

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

Scythes, butcher knives, hooks, bare hands, carefully-placed lasers, incineration, acid melting the inside flesh...
The list goes on.



OH. You don't want to know. Sorry.

OOOOH GAWD NO LALALALALALA NOT HEARING IT LALALALALALALA......[sub]*hides in the corner and starts crying*[/sub]

Biting, propellers, razors, dinosaurs or fire. All of them help.

It's really, a very versatile phrase.

I think i'm gonna be sick ;_;

You know what? I'mma make a DIY video for this. I'll send you a link.

Anything in Momento.

Oh no no no no no NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!?!?!?!?!?!?!

I know, Momento was confusing.

.....confusing indeed ;_;

Too many cats.

Now dogs. Those are things I can support.

Wow....we have reaaaaaallly gone off topic

Yeah...


...What was this topic about?

I think it was about monster trucks or something

But you can't skin a cat with that. D:

Oh dear your right......maybe we were talking about dio! his voice is so awesome that it rips the skin right off the cat!

I'll pretend to know who dio is. ;~;

*GASP*you poor poor thing......heres some dio to make you feel better

Ew ew ew Black Sabbath.
Put that away and put on some OKGo.

Good idea...heres some OKGo instead

Spoiler

Mmmmm, music to my ears.



STILL OFF TOPIC. Quick, the mods are looking!
OT: Replace any phrase with "lion". Makes more sense.
Example: Don't look a gift lion in the mouth. Common sense!

 

[King Toasty]

"Irregardless"

I know it's not a saying, just a word, but I hate when people use it. One - it's not a word. Two - if it were a word, it would be redundant. Regardless is already a negative term, so to put "ir", a negative prefix, on it, you've made it a double negative. Which makes it a positive. Which makes (the way people use the word) pointless. Three: the fact that most people who use the term "irregardless" are those people who want to appear smart, and since its a pointless, non-existing word, they look even dumber.

Stop saying it. NOW.

Almost as bad as guesstimate. Almost. *shudder*

 

[thedoclc]

"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 earlier time when the scientific method wasn't as common as it was today. In a more philosophical context, a rule would be something that pretty much always happens, except when something really fucking strange happens, and that really fucking strange thing may be an exception, but it doesn't mean that the thing that pretty much always happens doesn't pretty much always happens. In fact, the lack of a gradient between the aforementioned things that pretty much always happen and the aforementioned exception serves as a stark contrast, making the exception one that reinforces, or proves, the rule.

Eric Ninja'd me there, and even after your explanation, it still seems incredibly stupid, to my way of thinking. "The rule" obviously encompasses a wide range of possible outcomes, whether the people who accept it realize such or not... but the exception in no way reinforces said rule... it disproves the rule in any discipline outside of statistics.
But, like you said, that was before the scientific method was very widespread... I can only call the people who accept such a thing ignorant at this point.

Actually, I'd earlier pointed out the original meaning was based on a secondary definition of prove. Prove is also synonymous with test or challenge, as in the Provings of Dragon Age: Origin.

As in the proof (test) of the pudding is in the eating.

As in Aberdeen Proving Grounds, a site used to test military hardware.

The meaning used to be, "this is the exception that challenges the rule," but as this secondary definition of prove is becoming more and more obscure, the meaning of the saying is changing.

 

[thedoclc]

I don't understand any of the sayings my best mate says. He has a hilarious habit of mixing sayings, such as "Ah, now the table's on the other foot." or "Now the cat's out of the bottle."

This one should be, "cat's out of the bag." I've heard this one comes from the Middle Ages, when it was a common con to sell a suckling pig in a bag (a pig in a poke) and conmen would swap that bag for one with a much less valuable animal, a cat. So, cat's out of the bag meant the secret is out, with an implication someone has egg on their face.

Same source for "bought a pig in a poke," bought the merchandise without eyes on and inspecting the goods and screwed as a result.

 

[tseroff]

"it's raining cats and dogs" never made a lick of sense to me. anyone care to explain?

This saying originates in medieval Europe, specifically in the peasant villages. Roofs were made of thatch, which was apparently quite attractive to pets, such as cats and dogs, who liked to lounge on the low roofs, presumably sunbathing. (Or maybe the dogs were chasing the sunbathing cats. Sunbathing seems like more of a cat thing anyways.) When it rained hard enough, any significant weight on the thatch would fall through, hence "raining" cats and dogs. Hope that helps.

OT: I'm head over heels. Umm... aren't we all? Unless we're laying down, of course, but still. Being deeply in love should not have to share a qualifier with, say, walking. Or perambulating, if you're feeling fancy.

 

[captaincabbage]

I don't understand any of the sayings my best mate says. He has a hilarious habit of mixing sayings, such as "Ah, now the table's on the other foot." or "Now the cat's out of the bottle."

This one should be, "cat's out of the bag." I've heard this one comes from the Middle Ages, when it was a common con to sell a suckling pig in a bag (a pig in a poke) and conmen would swap that bag for one with a much less valuable animal, a cat. So, cat's out of the bag meant the secret is out, with an implication someone has egg on their face.

Same source for "bought a pig in a poke," bought the merchandise without eyes on and inspecting the goods and screwed as a result.

y-yeah, you completely missed the joke, didn't you?

I understand the sayings themselves. The joke is the my mate mixes two sayings together to make one that is completely retarded.

 

[Red Albatross]

"Sleep like a baby."

What the shit? Most of the people I know that have kids describe in painful detail how horrible their life was until they could finally get their kid to sleep through the night, so apparently babies don't sleep very well.

 

[Llil]

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

As a maths major, this one really annoys me. An exception DISPROVES a rule dammit!

Anyway mine is "Third time's the charm". I know the number 3 comes up in all kinds of old stories and such, but why 3? Why not 2 or 4 for example?

 

[berettastorm88]

This is more just a mistake rather than an actual saying, but I *really* don't understand why some people feel that the phrase "I could care less" (rather than "I couldn't care less") actually makes sense.

David Mitchell explains it better than I.
<YOUTUBE=om7O0MFkmpw>

"i could care less", i get were you and that guy are coming from i never understood what that statement was implying either. but to my understanding, i could care less doesn't necessarily mean that you don't care at all, but could also mean that you don't have much of an opinion on the matter.

my example, i friend asks if you would like to go to chilies for lunch.
you think, "chilies is pretty good but I'm not to hungry" meaning it would be nice to go but you don't feel you really want to go. so you can reply "i could care less."
meaning i care that it would be good food, but you don't care to much because your not hungry.

but for the most part people use that statement to try to show that they do not care at all,
which is incorrect.

 

[Vykrel]

"a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush"

what?...

 

[berettastorm88]

"Sells like hotcakes."

What are hotcakes and why do they sell so well?

hot cakes are pretty much just pancakes (i have no idea who decided to name them differently)
pancakes I'm sure you have had so, i would assume most people love pancakes so now knowing what hotcakes are this one should be pretty self explanatory

 

[A Werewolf]

"It was in the last place I looked"

Well hopefully if you found it, you wouldn't continue looking for it...

"a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush"

what?...

That one confused me as well

I asked and was told it pretty much means 1 bird you have for sure is better than 2 bird you might possibly catch.

 

[DMac the Knife]

"As easy as pie"
I never understood that, pie isn't that easy. I mean, unless you're just filling a pie tin with cream, but that just seems like cheating.

Pie is the easiest meal to make. You just chop up the meat and veg, and pop it between two crusts. Viola!

The one I don't get is "She's no better than she should be." If you're no better than you should be, then you should be just as good as you should be. However, the implication is that you are less than you should be. Why not just say that?