Okay, I have a thing about cliches. I think they're hilarious! I use them a lot. Most of the time I don't even know what they mean. I think it's especially funny to hear old people using them. I used to work for an orthodontist that would say things like..."boy, does she have a bee in her bonnet" - which would mean..."she's upset today".
Lately I actually learned the meaning of two cliches that I used all the time and it cracked me up to hear them in their REAL sense of the words! For example:
"I'm gonna wring your neck"... Well, I have a friend who lives on a farm (their last name is McDonald too by the way, to make the story EVEN better!:) She was telling me about her chickens getting sick and if they didn't get better, she was going to have to "wring their necks"! I just looked at her like...who, whu, huh? That's a REAL statement??? I just laughed. Then I thought about wringing a chicken's neck and got a little grossed out. But, that's how they do it on the farm!
"Pick of the litter"...A few months ago we were looking into getting a puppy. I went to look at a batch that had just been born. The lady was describing them to me and she said, now I can't promise you the little white one because I told someone else they could have the "pick of the litter". Again...I just stood there, a little dazed. Lightbulb moments for me folks. Light bulb moments.
I've started to learn, they all come from an ACTUAL experience or meaning, so "letting the cat out of the bag" - I'd LOVE to know where that came from! Or if you know any of these other ones...FILL ME IN - (wait is "fill me in" a cliche too? see what I mean, I can't help myself!) Now, here's a list of some that I have NO IDEA what they mean, but I've said them...
"Play it by ear"
"Gilding the Lily"
"Let the cat out of the bag"
"Pipe it down" (I say this to the boys - ha! I'm laughing at myself for even sharing that!)
"Up for grabs"
"You're not just whistling Dixie"
"Shoot myself in the foot"
"Eat your heart out" - (Oh, dear, I hope that one doesn't have a LITERAL meaning!)
"Whatever tickles your fancy"
"Get a handle on it"
"This takes the cake"
"Open up a can of worms"
"Last straw"
"You've got another thing comin'"
"Get your act together" (another one I've said to my boys - no wonder they look at me confused a lot!)
"No skin off my nose"
"Now we're cooking with grease"
"Break a leg"
"In the nick of time"
"Chomping at the bit"
"This is right up your alley"
Okay, I could keep going. Seriously. But you "catch my drift"!
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6 comments:
Don't even get my started on this,,,,I have let this fascination slowly exit my life after years of daily consumption. Even thinking about jumping back into the world of cliche's makes me more nervous then a cat with a long tail in a room full of rocking chairs!
Jack Leahy
Well today "I'm 'finer' than frog's hair!"
I can only help with one..."play it by ear" literally refers to playing music without benefit of musical notation. Some people have a natural knack for hearing a melody and being able to "pick it out" on keyboard or another instrument.
So in any situation, if you "play it by ear" you don't have a guidebook, instructions, rules, etc.
Here's another one for you:
"Flying by the seat of your pants!"
Angela you are SO funny! There was an email I received a few years ago that had the meanings to ALL KINDS of cliches. They were so neat to read. I'll see if I can find it for you, because you'd like it.
I'm not just whistlin' Dixie! HAHA ! THat's funny!!!
OK - after you and Paul and Jack spent a few days playing the "cliche' game" he brought it to our extended Leahy family and we had and still to this day have so much fun trying to use as many clishes as possible when talking. It is so hilarious that we will all be crying becasue we've laughed so hard!!!!
There is a great book somewhere that has all those explanations. It has a pig on the front - but I can't find it anywhere. I thumbed through it years ago. There are some really funny ones in there. I'll "keep my eyes peeled" for it. :)
When you find out about some of these, please let us know. Interesting stuff, Angela!
There are a set of books I've always bought for my kids (for supplementing our homeschool curriculum) called the "Core Knowledge" books. Their titles are worded like, "What Your First Grader Needs to Know." I think they have books through sixth grade. Anyway, they ALL have a section in the Language chapter called "Sayings" where they explain the use and meanings behind several cliches. Love those books!
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