Tagged Questions
9
votes
2answers
355 views
Origin of “for the birds” (Trivial; worthless; only of interest to gullible people.)
I really have looked, but the best I can come up with is this
To say that something is "for the birds" is to call it horse manure. Dating from the days of horse-drawn traffic, the expression is ...
6
votes
1answer
574 views
I have questions coming out the yin-yang about yin-yang phrases!
Yin Yang is the Chinese philosophy of Light and Shadow, often signifying the need for balance or that everything exists in balance.
But the (reasonably enjoyable to use) phrase
Up the Ying Yang
...
0
votes
1answer
315 views
“Pain in the neck” and similar expressions [closed]
Are there any other expressions equivalent in meaning to "pain in the neck" that mention another part of the body (e.g, "pain in the ass")?
How would you rate each of those expressions (including the ...
0
votes
1answer
352 views
“sit back and relax” vs. “kick back and relax”? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Why 'kick back' can mean 'get relaxed'?
I have seen so many times "Sit back and relax" while installing softwares. I understand that it means it will ...
1
vote
2answers
88 views
What is a “Dublin Castle Knight”?
I was reading Surtees' Young Tom Hall the other day, and came across this...
Sir Thomas, whose father had been a great army tailor, was a Dublin
Castle knight, but, like all truly great men, ...
3
votes
4answers
525 views
Meaning of “being sold as a silver-bullet”
I was reading an article about software developers and read that something is being sold as a silver-bullet. What does it mean?
2
votes
2answers
194 views
Meaning of “boosting cat food from someone”
In the 'The Panic in Needle Park' movie, one of the actors tell someone the following on the phone:
No, man. I didn't boost any cat food from you.
What does it mean? It doesn't seem to be a very ...
5
votes
4answers
1k views
Origin of the expression “Get stoned”
My daughter asked me a question in the car the other day, and I didn't have an answer. She asked me about the origin of the expression "get stoned" (i.e. with regards to drug use), and how it might be ...
1
vote
3answers
303 views
Two word phrase to refer to community of people who come together to exchange knowledge [closed]
I need a two word phrase to refer to a community of people (academia + non-academia) who come together to share/exchange their knowledge/ideas openly on topics of their interests/ specializations.
I ...
-5
votes
1answer
146 views
Origin of “Make someday today”
I guess there are other variations for this expression that one can google out on the Internet such as "Make today your someday" and "Make that someday today". However, is it possible to find out its ...
5
votes
2answers
10k views
Meaning and origin of “That dog don't hunt”
Is That dog don't hunt an American slang expression? What does it mean exactly and where does it originate? If possible, please give some examples.
0
votes
2answers
2k views
Full of (piss|pith) and vinegar
Re: the expression:
"Full of (piss|pith) and vinegar"
Are both correct/acceptable? Is one preferred?
1
vote
3answers
274 views
Is there an alternative expression for 'opening band' or 'opening act'? [closed]
The question says it all.
Together with a colleague we were looking for this. We both had the feeling that there's another way to say it.
0
votes
2answers
698 views
How about 'play cute' or 'play adorable'?
I wonder if 'play cute' or 'play adorable' is frequently used to stand for 'act cute/adorable' in spoken language. It seems easier to google out 'act cute/adorable' instead of 'play cute/adorable'.
0
votes
1answer
2k views
Common expressions of surprise in American and British English [closed]
I'm trying to learn English and I would like to know what are the expressions of surprise with positive meaning (slang or not, but not vulgar) currently used in spoken English for USA and Britain.
Is ...
3
votes
2answers
652 views
Is the expression “to float someone's boat” possible outside of “Whatever floats your boat”?
According to the Urban Dictionary, the expression "whatever floats your boat" means
[...] whatever "soothes your soul" or whatever "works best" Aka- Whatever you feel like doing.
Is it possible ...
0
votes
1answer
400 views
“pop bottles all night” - slang or valid term?
I know the meaning of "pop bottles all night" - drink all night long.
My question is - is this valid term, or slang invented by the person who wrote the song?
4
votes
2answers
276 views
What is the origin of “oh noodles!”
Noodles are tasty. I like them, but why are they also used as an exclamation of dismay in the following?
Oh Noodles!
5
votes
4answers
6k views
Meaning of “catch you on the flip side”
I received an email from a coworker, and we're not that friendly. Actually, we're not friends at all, just two good colleagues. In his email, he wrote as his last sentence
Catch you on the flip ...
2
votes
2answers
343 views
What is the origin of the expression “brassed off”?
Brass bands were being discussed today which naturally led to someone claiming to be brassed off about something, meaning disgruntled or annoyed. Does anyone know the origin of this expression? ...
37
votes
6answers
13k views
What is meant by “don't piss on my boots and tell me it's raining”?
I have heard a couple of times recently the phrase "don't piss on my boots and tell me it's raining", usually in the context of a heated argument so I've hesitated to ask speaker what exactly he meant ...
4
votes
6answers
3k views
What's the origin of “throwing someone under the bus”?
What's the origin of the phrase "to throw someone under the bus" or "so-and-so threw me under the bus?" (in the sense of betrayal)? It seems like a very specific phrase not to come from some specific ...
4
votes
3answers
2k views
What does it mean to “pay X on the dollar”?
When I hear money laundry lingo in TV crime-series, people sometimes fence stuff for so and so much "on the dollar". What does it actually mean? And where does the expression originate from?
3
votes
5answers
1k views
Why do they call a murder a “red ball” case?
Not being a native speaker, I wonder why they call a murder a "red ball" case ("redball" or "red-ball") in certain TV-shows and films. Specifically this expression is often heard in TV-shows like The ...
5
votes
3answers
633 views
Having some kind of grit
What does the expression, "You have got some kind of grit," mean?
Is it sarcastic, like being a bit crazy?
18
votes
8answers
2k views
Why do we “get cold feet”?
A sudden loss of nerve when embarked on a venture is called cold feet. Does anyone know why that should be? An etymology is suggested at englishdaily626.
If your 'feet' are 'cold', you can't walk ...
16
votes
4answers
3k views
Why do we “paint the town red”?
Why is the phrase "paint the town red" used to mean go on a colossal drinking spree? Does anyone know where it came from?
Green's Slang Dictionary tentatively suggests a famous toot by the Marquis of ...
3
votes
2answers
560 views
“Hot Diggity …”
Ok, perhaps the last one was too easy :) Here's one that a friend of mine uses, and I'd love to know if it's something he coined, or is it a more common expression than I think:
Hot ...
1
vote
2answers
191 views
Correct term or phrase for “unidirectional gaga”
I'm not sure if such a figure of speech exists in English, and "unidirectional gaga" is certainly not correct.
But which wording expresses that a person becomes dumber from having exercised/performed ...
