odd sayings?

[binny]

I was thinking about this the other day.

Where do you suppose some of these sayings come from?


One that I use all the time is "Tail over tea kettle" Its used when someone falls. As in "Watch out or you'll go tail over tea kettle"








Cams teacher asked me about one my husband said to her the other day. We always say " Whose turn is it to flip the dishwasher?" meaning you need to take out the clean dishes and reload it. She thought that was hilarious and started using it at her house. I have no idea where it came from but there it is LOL



What are some odd sayings that you wonder about?

 

[Narnian_Princess]

I could never figure out why people say "I could care less" when they don't care about something. That seems to say that they do care some, because they could care less. Shouldn't it be "I couldn't care less", because they already care so little there's no lower they could go?

And I never heard of flipping a dishwasher! If you asked me to flip a dishwasher I'd take it out of its place and turn it on its side!

 

[binny]

LOL yeah I dont know how my husband came up with that one

 

[WDWAurora]

One that causes confusion to newcomers here is "I don't care to." For example, the pastor at my parents' church asked the deacons who could do something. My dad said, "I don't care to," meaning that he was fine with doing it. The pastor thought he was saying no, and just didn't get it. It's common here though.

I always got made fun of in college and grad school for "cut off/on the lights" One I've been hearing a lot lately that boggles my mind is "By crackies." Not sure where that one comes from...I understand the lights one a little, but not this one...

There are others that I can't think of. We're eating dinner with my parents tonight, so I may have a whole new crop of them tonight!

 

[The Mayor]

New England has a few ..."wicked" can be "wicked good", "wicked bad" or "wicked pissah"...

 

[bywheel]

ready for the all time winner?

Whenever myself or one of my six siblings would ask her for something that annoyed her, she would say "How are you fixed for spit?" She has been gone for 3 years now and my biggest regret was not finding out what the hell she meant.

 

[TheGoofster]

My wife and I do alot of teaching English. Try and explain some of our expressions to someone from another country. Many times the only explanation is "just because"

 

[minnieandme]

How about "that's the pot calling the kettle black".... as if the pot can talk

 

[mommiepoppins]

how about...it is what it is?

 

[phorsenuf]

Best thing since sliced bread. I really can't stand that expression! Don't know why but it grates on my nerves (hey, there's another weird expression. LOL)

 

[100 acre wood]

I had a resident at the LTC facility where I work tell me that the night shift girls fit this saying that I'd never heard but thought ilarious..."If their minds were water, their brains would be deserts!

 

[lg3]

One I never understood was when people, usually from the South say "I'm fixin to go to the store, etc." What in the world does that mean? I guess you have to "fix" to go to the store before you actually do it?

 

[doxdogy]

My mother had a quite a few she would use:

If you had a brain you would fly backwards
Lord willing and the creek don't rise
I got a crick in my neck
I am going to smack you so hard your children will be born silly (she really did not do this)
He doesn't have the brains God gave head of lettuce

 

[Tigger&Belle]

I could never figure out why people say "I could care less" when they don't care about something. That seems to say that they do care some, because they could care less. Shouldn't it be "I couldn't care less", because they already care so little there's no lower they could go?

They are saying it incorrectly if they say "I could care less"...


I have a book about sayings, which I love! I'll look up some of these in a few minutes.

I love sayings, much to the dismay of my children. I drive them crazy with sayings (which is fun since they drive me crazy with other stuff). When my sister was visiting I found that she was just like me and she was always reaching for my sayings book.

 

[Monte Cristo]

New England has a few ..."wicked" can be "wicked good", "wicked bad" or "wicked pissah"...

Yup...I say "wicked" all the time.

How about...."not for nothing."

For example, Not for nothing, but I don't really like that shirt you're wearing.

 

[Southern4sure]

One I never understood was when people, usually from the South say "I'm fixin to go to the store, etc." What in the world does that mean? I guess you have to "fix" to go to the store before you actually do it?

I'm fixin to go to the store, etc means I'm about to go to the store.

Fixin = about

Just ask away....I'll tell you what we are really saying.....lol

 

[Micca]

I had a boss that came up with some malapropisms. When recommending not to do something he would say "I wouldn't touch it with a ball and fork." When he was trying to encourage the sales people to become more agressive he would tell them to "...go get 'em like a big ugly stick."

 

[Southern4sure]

DH has one...It's colder than a witches . Not sure if I can post it but it rhymes with bity.

 

[grlpwrd]

Shake a leg

lol

My grandma from Hawaii used to always say that when she wanted to rush us to do something or go somewhere. I have no idea how it got created or who created it.

Color me confused... that's another one!

 

[LindsayDunn228]

DH has one...It's colder than a witches . Not sure if I can post it but it rhymes with bity.

I'll top that one. My mom always says "it's colder than a witch's ____ in a brass bra!"

I love it!