Stupid Sayings/Expressions

[PeckhamRose]

Everyone seems to begin their sentences with the word, "So.." these days specially on Radio when answering questions from the interview. Madness! But to answer to the OP, "Buck yer ideas up" / "Buck yerself up". Said by my grandmother who had no sensitivity whatsoever!

[Pugwash]

All fur coat and no knickers was another of old aunt's sayings. Also was informed when young, that respectable girls/women did not wear patent shoes as their underwear could be reflected in the shine of the shoe!!!

As far as I am aware, none of the family were from 'the north' and going back to my great grandparents - they lived in ED all their lives (Pellatt/Landells Road)

[prit]

I was just talking about this with my son today. My fave, which still makes me laugh, is my grandpa's "I've seen more fat on a butchers pencil!"

[teddyboy23]

The grass is always greener on the other side. The other side of what.

[Robert Poste's Child]

The fence.

[teddyboy23]

Who's fence

[Robert Poste's Child]

Parking 'who's' for now, it's the rest of the saying. At a guess, it comes from observing animals grazing in a field: however big it is, they'll strain to reach the grass outside the fence once they've had the best of what's inside the field. We're not satisfied for long with what we've got.

[SpringTime]

In any food outlet etc. the patronising and vile instruction:

"Enjoy."

No, dimwit. It is I who decides whether it's enjoyable AFTER I have tried it or finished.

[teddyboy23]

Sorry RPC just playing with you .don't take a fence .

[Robert Poste's Child]

It's only 6 Jan - pacing myself.

[rendelharris]

SpringTime Wrote:

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> In any food outlet etc. the patronising and vile

> instruction:

>

> "Enjoy."

>

> No, dimwit. It is I who decides whether it's

> enjoyable AFTER I have tried it or finished.

Just a tiny bit over the top? It's just short for "hope you enjoy your meal", it's not an instruction but an expression of goodwill; if I say enjoy your weekend, enjoy your trip etc I'm not giving you an instruction, I'm just expressing a hope that you will enjoy it. There's enough rudeness about without going looking for it in inoffensive good-natured pleasantries, life's too short.

[DulwichFox]

We must get to the bottom of this and make sure it NEVER happens again.

[ianr]

> Who's fence

Could of been.

[malumbu]

Blah Blah Wrote:

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> Pot calling the kettle black. What if the pot is

> purple, or silver, or copper, or any number of

> colours that pots seem to be.

It would be more fun actually finding our the derivation. I expect for example this is one about cooking on open fires, both implements would be black with soot. "you think I have a problem, take a look at yourself". Enriches our language. I come out with stuff at times and people look at me blankly - so please do continue using these phrases.

If you want to go into stupid expressions you can mine a deeper vein across the pond

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-14201796

I can see more clearly, "clearer"

It is more cheap "cheaper"

It is less fast "slower"

You've given me an inch, so I have taken a mile

And truly there is nowt as queer as East Dulwich folk

[Sue]

ianr Wrote:

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> > Who's fence

>

> Could of been.

:))

[Sue]

Actually a lot of expressions which on the face of it sound stupid have interesting origins, but because times have changed they no longer make sense to us.

We know the intended meaning, but not the underlying meaning.

Like pots and kettles - these days we rarely boil kettles or cook food on an open fire, yet we still know the meaning of the saying.

Letting the cat out of the bag is another one.

Pigs (presumably small ones) used to be sold in markets in sacks/bags, and unscrupulous sales people replaced the pigs with cats.

If you were wise to this, you opened the bag at the point of sale to check that you were in fact getting a pig and not a cat.

Hence, letting the cat out of the bag.

[rendelharris]

Sue Wrote:

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> Pigs (presumably small ones) used to be sold in

> markets in sacks/bags, and unscrupulous sales

> people replaced the pigs with cats.

>

> If you were wise to this, you opened the bag at

> the point of sale to check that you were in fact

> getting a pig and not a cat.

>

> Hence, letting the cat out of the bag.

Also "don't buy a pig in a poke" - poke being a small bag (derived from French poque). Always been slightly confused by these expressions, simply because how much of a chump would one have to be to hand over the cash on the seller's assurance that there was a piglet in the bag without having a gander first?

[Sue]

rendelharris Wrote:

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Always

> been slightly confused by these expressions,

> simply because how much of a chump would one have

> to be to hand over the cash on the seller's

> assurance that there was a piglet in the bag

> without having a gander first?

I'm sure there were as many chumps in those days as there are these days, only these days they give out their bank details on the phone to all and sundry claiming to be their bank, or send money to complete strangers who email them out of the blue with ridiculous stories ......

[rendelharris]

Fair point.

[FJDGoose]

The Co-Op used to have a slogan ... "We go further so you don't have to" ...... eh? :)

"At the end of the day".... AAARRGHHH !

"hit the ground running" .... ARRGHHH ! feck!

[DulwichFox]

What really gets me, is the saying. "What's not to like ?' Grrrh

[FJDGoose]

"literally"

"can I get?"

New use of the word 'like' eg, 'I had to wait, like, half an hour for a bus!'

[teddyboy23]

Plenty more fish in the sea . who wants to go out with someone who looks like a trout .

[Sue]

"Not a problem."

Er, it never crossed my mind that there would be a problem :))

[Sue]

FJDGoose Wrote:

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>

> "can I get?"

>

And then the answer, "Of course you can!"