iheartskins Posted May 12, 2006 Author Share Posted May 12, 2006 "For God sakes."Shouldnt it be "For God's sake"? :whoknows: Yes. And it shouldn't it be "shouldn't," you grammar correcting SOB. The more I think about it, the more I feel that certain phrases are so ingrained in my vocabularly that it would take someone else pointing them out before I were even conscious of their usage. "Rule of thumb" is a good example. I use that phrase somewhat regularly, but it didn't even occur to me to bring up. I really like the "sharp as a marble" type idioms--especially if they are said with British understatement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PleaseBlitz Posted May 12, 2006 Share Posted May 12, 2006 Yes. And it shouldn't it be "shouldn't," you grammar correcting SOB. The more I think about it, the more I feel that certain phrases are so ingrained in my vocabularly that it would take someone else pointing them out before I were even conscious of their usage. "Rule of thumb" is a good example. I use that phrase somewhat regularly, but it didn't even occur to me to bring up. I really like the "sharp as a marble" type idioms--especially if they are said with British understatement. I wasnt correcting grammar. Almost everyone i know says "for God sakes." I do too. What really gets me :redpunch: is when instead of "idea" they say "idear." WTF???? Oh, sorry, on topic....right. :thumbsup: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iheartskins Posted May 12, 2006 Author Share Posted May 12, 2006 Re: Indian Giver: Growing up, I'd always thought that was because somebody was claiming that Indians would give people things, then take them back. (That was back when Indians, to me, were people on TV with feathers and paing who said "ugh" a lot. Among other things, before I found out that I am one.) Now, I'm convinced that it references the way the US would give things to the Indians, and then take them back. I'm sure you're right Larry--but how could that saying endure for so long with such thick irony attached for so long. When I said it as a small boy, it didn't occur to me that the underlying reference was to white-people-with-small-pox-blankets-as-gifts, it was more like be careful if an Indian takes something from you, because he'll likely take it back. Does this kind of logic apply to something like "let's call a spade a spade"--which I also say regularly. And PB, why do people say Warshington instead of Washington? What is that? How did that "r" get stuck in there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dreamingwolf Posted May 12, 2006 Share Posted May 12, 2006 I want to edit this after reading another definition of its origin at another places. Call a spade a spade is not racist in its origins, however since racists have used "black as the ace of spades" it does have the potential to be interpreted as racist. Really its saying why call the tool a spade when its really a form of shovel, however someone who might not understand that or if your intention is not clear it can be misinterpreted. I would say use it if you feel that you will not be misinterpreted, but be prepared for someone who likes to call anyone a racist at the drop of a hat to call you on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PleaseBlitz Posted May 12, 2006 Share Posted May 12, 2006 And PB, why do people say Warshington instead of Washington? What is that? How did that "r" get stuck in there? All those "r"s are leftover from the people in Boston that say 'caa' for 'car' and "beeya" for beer. In college i lived with a guy from Boston. His accent was so thick we actually called him Boston Chris or BC. Every Friday it was "C'mon ****as, lets go to the baa and drink some beeya's. We can take my caa!" :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dfitzo53 Posted May 12, 2006 Share Posted May 12, 2006 I never understood "He bought the farm." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dreamingwolf Posted May 12, 2006 Share Posted May 12, 2006 I never understood "He bought the farm." I think the popular consenus on that one is that it refers to life insurance soldiers have, and when he dies his survivors are able to pay off their mortage on their farm. So in essence him dying has bought the farm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The 12th Commandment Posted May 12, 2006 Share Posted May 12, 2006 I really like the "sharp as a marble" type idioms--especially if they are said with British understatement. I am afraid when I say it, it's with a little bit of twang. :laugh: Really, some of the western/cowboy idioms contain more wisdom in less words than any I've run across. Don't squat on yer spurs. That's always been one of my favorites when we're up in the mountains hunting. Edit: Now they're starting to come to me. Never follow good whiskey with water, unless you're out of whiskey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twa Posted May 12, 2006 Share Posted May 12, 2006 Knee high to a duck's butt Poorer than a church mouse drunk as a skunk? Three sheets to the wind Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The 12th Commandment Posted May 12, 2006 Share Posted May 12, 2006 lower than a snake in a wagon rut colder than a witches tit in a brass bra busier than a cat covering crap on a tile floor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PleaseBlitz Posted May 12, 2006 Share Posted May 12, 2006 ****faced. Ive gotten awfully drunk on occassion. :pooh: and faces still dont go together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Posted May 12, 2006 Share Posted May 12, 2006 I think the popular consenus on that one is that it refers to life insurance soldiers have, and when he dies his survivors are able to pay off their mortage on their farm. So in essence him dying has bought the farm. Correct. The reference was to the farm boy who died in the war, whose family used the death benefits to pay off the mortgage on the family farm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-Prime Posted May 12, 2006 Share Posted May 12, 2006 want in one hand. **** in the other. life by the drop dumb as a box of rocks Not the sharpest knife in the drawer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJ_Skins Posted May 12, 2006 Share Posted May 12, 2006 Dead as a doornail. ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonef1de Posted June 2, 2006 Share Posted June 2, 2006 Hot as the Dickens.WTF is the Dickens? How and why is it so hot? Is the Dickens a perfect combination of...oh I don't know...Beyonce Knowles, Jessica Alba, and Stacy Keibler by any chance? Ever since I moved to Hawaii I like to pass out free Dickens to all hot Canadian tourists. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PleaseBlitz Posted June 2, 2006 Share Posted June 2, 2006 drunk as a skunk? They dont mean the smelly rodent. Its actually a reference to the Skunk family of Cambridge Mass. Bunch of ****ing alcoholics they are, just look at 'em, even granny is pounding the scotch: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PleaseBlitz Posted June 2, 2006 Share Posted June 2, 2006 Never follow good whiskey with water, unless you're out of whiskey. It means only p***ies need a chaser, but after you drink all the whiskey and pass out, you are going to need to rehydrate in the morning so you can start drinking the bourbon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PleaseBlitz Posted June 2, 2006 Share Posted June 2, 2006 red sky at night sailors delight, red sky in morning sailor take warning This is in reference to Red Sky, the chick on the left: It was sailors delight at night, because she's really hot and premiscuous. But it was take warning in the morning because she was, well, annoying and clingy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drums and skins Posted June 2, 2006 Share Posted June 2, 2006 "go pound sand" I always thought this was a sexual euphamism. Like "you're pathetic... go hump sand" or something like that, but I looked it up once and... The origin of the expression go pound sand is from a longer expression, not to know (have enough sense to) pound sand down a rathole. Filling rat holes with sand is menial work, and telling someone to pound sand down a hole is like telling them to go fly a kite. The expression dates to at least 1912 and is common in the midwestern United States. (wordorigins.org) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Om Posted June 2, 2006 Share Posted June 2, 2006 http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/7/messages/364.html "Dickens" is a euphemism for "devil" as in "'what the dickens,'.an expression common centuries before Charles Dickens was born, having been used by Shakespeare in 'The Merry Wives of Windsor'." "Morris Dictionary of Word and Phrase Origins" by William and Mary Morris (HarperCollins, New York, 1977, 1988). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonef1de Posted June 2, 2006 Share Posted June 2, 2006 http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/7/messages/364.html"Dickens" is a euphemism for "devil" as in "'what the dickens,'.an expression common centuries before Charles Dickens was born, having been used by Shakespeare in 'The Merry Wives of Windsor'." "Morris Dictionary of Word and Phrase Origins" by William and Mary Morris (HarperCollins, New York, 1977, 1988). No wonder they call me the Devil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taylor 36 Posted June 2, 2006 Share Posted June 2, 2006 a stitch in time saves nine its darkest before the dawn every dark cloud has a silver lining The stitch in time is in reference to taking care of a problem when it is small and manageable, rather than waiting too long and it gets really big. It comes from Old English, and represents a bring an article of clothing to a taylor to fix a small tear or hole right after it aaccurs, rather than waiting and letting the tear grow larger and needing more "stitches" to patch up. Darkest before dawn is Colonial American, in reference to problems always seeming the worst right before they get better. Every dark cloud represents the idea that in every bad situation, there is some good that comes from it. What can I say; I'm an English teacher. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henry Posted June 2, 2006 Share Posted June 2, 2006 The whole nine yards This is NOT a football expression. From what I've heard, it refers to the length of the ammo belt gunners had in WWII bombers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iheartskins Posted June 2, 2006 Author Share Posted June 2, 2006 The whole nine yardsThis is NOT a football expression. From what I've heard, it refers to the length of the ammo belt gunners had in WWII bombers. William Safire takes a different position in saying it refers to the capacity of concrete trucks (i.e., nine cubic yards of concrete). But according to this website, there isn't a definitive entomology. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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