English language & interesting phrases

[bernard]

Hi Frank

Nice avatar,hope its not the bottom half of your last avatar.

Regards Bernard

[frank]

Now that would be telling Bernard.

Are they going up or down????

[bernard]

Hi Frank

Most definately off

Regards Bernard

[US Iceman]

You need to watch your P's and Q's!

I heard this a lot when I was a lot younger, but could never figure out what the P & Q stood for.

At the present time, I would rather watch Frank's avatar continue to change.

[nh3wizard]

Going to drop the kids off at the pool!!!!!

[Brian_UK]

P's and Q's

Several meanings I think..

1. To be on your best behaviour, mind your Please and Thank (Q) You's.

2. “Mind your Ps and Qs”

There are few of us who have not at one time or another been admonished to "mind our Ps and Qs", or in other words, to behave our best.

Oddly enough, "mind your Ps and Qs" had nautical beginnings as a method of keeping books on the waterfront.

In the days of sail when sailors were paid a pittance, seamen drank their ale in taverns who's keepers were willing to extend credit until payday. Since many salts were illiterate, keepers kept a tally of pints and quarts consumed by each sailor on a chalkboard behind the bar. Next to each person's name, a mark was made under "P" for pint or "Q" for quart whenever a seaman ordered another draught.
On payday, each seaman was liable for each mark next to his name, so he was forced to "mind his Ps and Qs" or get into financial trouble. To ensure an accurate count by unscrupulous keepers, sailors had to keep their wits and remain somewhat sober.

Sobriety usually ensured good behaviour: hence the meaning of "mind your Ps and Qs".

[US Iceman]

Hi Brian,

Thanks for that explanation. That makes very good sense for an exact definition.

Next to each person's name, a mark was made under "P" for pint or "Q" for quart whenever a seaman ordered another draught.
On payday, each seaman was liable for each mark next to his name, so he was forced to "mind his Ps and Qs" or get into financial trouble.

I doubt however, that is exactly what my grandmother meant when she would shake her finger at me.

As this thread continues to grow, it will be interesting to see how many of these old sayings were in fact based on some truth that has since been distorted to fit a modern world.

It's amazing what gets passed down as common language from so many years ago.

I am familiar with the one MRCoolingMagic mentioned quite well.

Speaking of holes in the ground, here is another:

During an extremely cold weather condition you might hear someone mention it is colder than a well-diggers arse.

[US Iceman]

"Whipping a dead horse with a stick". No matter what you do, it won't work.

[abdulazman]

Some old remnants saying, ''Don't teach your brother how to f**k''

Meaning ''Don't teach me how to run my life''

No offence guys.

[Argus]

He doesn't have a pot to p*ss in!

... it goes on and concludes, ".........or a window to throw it out of".


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[US Iceman]

HI Argus,

Now that's interesting. I have never heard that part of the phrase before.

Thanks for sharing that.

[Argus]

HI Argus,

Now that's interesting. I have never heard that part of the phrase before.

Thanks for sharing that.

It?s symptomatic of the current European Union policy on waste disposal.

You are indeed in dire straits if you have the waste to hand, but not the means of disposal.

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[Lc_shi]

All these are good English lessons for me especillay it's for free

thanks
LC

[US Iceman]

Here is one I have always liked. It's not exactly a saying, it's a quote.

"Those that do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it."

[Abe]

All these are good English lessons for me especillay it's for free

thanks
LC

See, its not only refrigeration.......
RE is a great place to "brush up" on your English.........

Lc Shi, China has some great sayings as well........you know.......Confucious say.........


Care to share some??

[Paulajayne]

See, its not only refrigeration.......
RE is a great place to "brush up" on your English.........

Lc Shi, China has some great sayings as well........you know.......Confucious say.........


Care to share some??

Confucious say:-

Man who walk sidways through airport turnstyle going to Bangkok

Man who make love on side of hill not on level.

Man who take girl on camping holiday have evil intent.

War does not determin who is right only who is left.

Man who loses key to girlfriends apartment get no nukey.


Paula

[Peter_1]

Some Funny I found on the net

That's about as useful as a trap door on a canoe!

You look about as happy as a tick on a fat dog.

I'm finer than frog hair split four ways.

She was so tall if she fell down she would be halfway home.

Hell, she could even depress the devil.

You could start an argument in an empty house.

That coffee's strong enough to float an iron wedge.

You look as happy as a dead pig in the sunshine.

He’s so useless if he had a third hand he would need another pocket to put it in!

She's so clumsy she could trip over a cordless phone!

He's so dumb, he could throw himself on the ground and miss.

[bernard]

Hi Never really understood what this ones all about.


" Going Dutch"

Regards Bernard

[frank]

Hi Never really understood what this ones all about.


" Going Dutch"

Regards Bernard

I know what it means but I don't know the origins

[US Iceman]

Peter,

A bunch of good ones.

Here are some more.

I'm as full as a tick.

I'm getting the hang of this. (I'm not sure where that one came from?)

Dressing a pig in a silk dress (It's still a pig, for goodness sakes!)

Making a sow's ear into a silk purse (very thrifty with money)

Dumb as a box of rocks.

[Abe]

Hi Never really understood what this ones all about.


" Going Dutch"

Regards Bernard

Going Dutch means you split costs in half. Equal half shares. You refer to it when you take a girl out for dinner. Going Dutch you each share the bill half

[Argus]

Going Dutch means you split costs in half. Equal half shares.

It's another term for a cheapskate.

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[Josip]

Hi, all

maybe this one doesn't belong here but...it's good to know

"Don't ever underestimate the power of stupid people when they are in the large groups"

Best regards, Josip

[US Iceman]

Hi Josip,

Another one similar to yours might be;

You cannot make something idiot proof.

Hi Argus,

Do you have any idea of how the word cheapskate was started?

[Argus]

Hi Argus,

Do you have any idea of how the word cheapskate was started?

No idea.

I've always assumed that it was an Americanism.

Am I right?

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[Josip]

No idea.

I've always assumed that it was an Americanism.

Am I right?

.

LOL

Best regards, Josip

[monkey spanners]

Here's one from my mate Gordon

Tits or tyres, nothing but trouble.

or how about

You can't polish a turd.

[US Iceman]

No idea.

I've always assumed that it was an Americanism.

Am I right?

I don't know. If it is, I am going to keep my mouth shut.

[giovanni]

"Even a broken clock is right twice a day."

as compared to an idiot

[Brian_UK]

"Rarer than rocking horse sh*t"

Self explanatary I think.

[Brian_UK]

More on cheapskates.....

http://www.inforesearchlab.com/cheapskates.chtml

also something on the origin..

http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_b...ssages/97.html

So its not an American so don't panic Ice, you're not to blame.

[frank]

Been there - done that - got the Tee Shirt

[nh3wizard]

Even a Blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while

[US Iceman]

I looked at the second link you posted Brian. You hit the mother lode of this whole thread.

http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/index.html

I will be spending some time there reading those. Thank you for sharing that. I find these sort of things fascinating as to how the language has developed.

I have always suspected a lot of words and terms used in the English language were a large mixture of Saxon, Celtic, Norman, etc. (with just a pinch of French thrown in)

Also, thanks for getting me out of trouble on the cheapskate thing. That was a close one!

[Perseus]

A pot calling the kettle black...


Careful what you say it may apply to you.

[Brian_UK]

Somewhat off topic, but don't you get amazed at the amount of information that is on the web ?

The time that has been expended by individuals, never mind corporates, getting the info together and typing into their machines is amazing (well it is to me anyway!).

[The MG Pony]

yes, yes it is amazing to me as well


You can only patch the haul so many times befor your in a paper boat.

An old fishing village type saying, after so maney repairs the haul is weakend no matter how good the repair and the simplist of this can sink the vessle, So the saying goes don't be so cheap as to use worren tools, goes hand in hand with it, when it is time it simply must be replaced. It all so can be considerd as an insult implying the person is extremely cheap, or is a lousy fisherman by saying he has a paper boat.

and then there are a million and one ways to say it and mixes there of to cover every thing.

[US Iceman]

There is no sense in crying over spilled milk!

Must have been from a wise person on a dairy farm...

[Temprite]

As slippery as a butchers prick.

As full as a doctors wallet.

Off like mums undies on fathers day.

Sucks like a well worn hoover.

[giovanni]

Girls who eat sweets take up 2 seats

[mswinman]

Just a couple more

"You can always tell when he's lying........His lips move".


and


"He's the only bloke I know that can open his mouth and fart".

[Peter_1]

English beginners

NL:

Drie heksen kijken naar 3 swatch horloges, welke heks kijkt naar welk swatch horloge?

ENG:

Three witches watch three swatch watches. Which witch watch which swatch watch?

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English Intermediate

NL:

Drie transsexuele heksen kijken naar 3 swatch horloge knoppen.
Welke transsexuele heks kijkt naar welke swatch horloge knop?

ENG:

Three switched witches watch three swatch watch switches.
Which switched witch watch which swatch watch switch?


____________________________________________



English experts:

NL:

Drie zwitserse krengen van heksen, die transsexuele zwitserse krengen
van heksen wilden zijn, willen naar drie Zwitserse swatch horloge
knoppen kijken. Welk zwitsers kreng van een heks, die een transsexueel
zwitsers kreng van een heks wilde zijn, wilde naar welk zwitsers swatch
horloge knopje kijken.

ENG:

Three Swiss witch-bitches, which wished to be switched Swiss
witch-bitches, wish to watch three Swiss Swatch watch switches. Which
Swiss witch-bitch which wishes to be a switched Swiss witch-bitch,
wishes to watch which Swiss Swatch watch switch?

[Temprite]

English experts:

NL:

Drie zwitserse krengen van heksen, die transsexuele zwitserse krengen
van heksen wilden zijn, willen naar drie Zwitserse swatch horloge
knoppen kijken. Welk zwitsers kreng van een heks, die een transsexueel
zwitsers kreng van een heks wilde zijn, wilde naar welk zwitsers swatch
horloge knopje kijken[/QUOTE]

I think I would have more chance of saying it this way than the english version.

[Toosh]

You could not have spat two more alike = like two peas in a pod

[Paulajayne]

"I will be two shakes of a lambs tail" ---- Quick



Paula

[US Iceman]

I'm transferring this one from another thread.

Don't kick a sleeping dog.

Curious about this meaning??? I don't recommend it if you want to keep all of your body parts!

[benncool]

English is a funny language. How come you can say, "I'm getting up at the crack of dawn." But it is inpolite to say, "I'm getting up at Dawn's crack." ?????????

[benncool]

..................

[bernard]

Hi


Or when we say "" cut a tree Down and then chop the wood UP "


Regards Bernard

[arcticmonkey]

i prefer "its not life or death its only a fridge"

i use that one a lot.