Don't we have some delightful sayings in the English language

[expat]

Us iceman and Frank were discussing interesting sayings in the English language and their origins. They suggested starting a thread in this section but don't seem to have got round to it.

Us iceman, if you read this, I think I know where don't stare a gift horse in the mouth might come from.
I believe, in the past, the way to guage the age of a horse you were thinking of buying would be to look at the state of its teeth.

So if someone were to offer you a free horse you would accept curtiously rather than see if the gift was good enough for you.

[Gary]

Machine gun ammunition comes in belts that are nine yards long. If you squeeze and hold the trigger, you are giving it the "whole nine yards".

[Brian_UK]

Interesting Gary, I always thought that it was something to do with a sports field distance.

[multisync]

Us iceman and Frank were discussing interesting sayings in the English language and their origins. They suggested starting a thread in this section but don't seem to have got round to it.

Us iceman, if you read this, I think I know where don't stare a gift horse in the mouth might come from.
I believe, in the past, the way to guage the age of a horse you were thinking of buying would be to look at the state of its teeth.

So if someone were to offer you a free horse you would accept curtiously rather than see if the gift was good enough for you.

It's don't look a gift horse..

Multisync
London

[expat]

It's don't look a gift horse..

Well I'm soree!

I stand corrupted.

U.S. said it would make a great book. He's probably right and my interest in this actually comes from the fact that when I moved to France I was given a book on translations of English expressions into French.
What I found fascinating was that so many of them were (if not the same) of the same meaning.

eg
English Skating on thin ice
French Walking on eggs

English Pigs will fly
French Chicken will have teeth

English Taking someone up the garden path
French Taking someone for a boat trip

But one of the things I most enjoyed over here was, in English classes, teaching them ****ney rhyming slang. Now that really lost them!

[expat]

I just noticed that my post was edited by the serveur or something. So for those who are not from England the letters missing are
c
o
c
k
and finished off by ney, they mean someone born in the east end (of London) within hearing distance of the beaubells!

[multisync]

It's don't look a gift horse..

Well I'm soree!

I stand corrupted.

U.S. said it would make a great book. He's probably right and my interest in this actually comes from the fact that when I moved to France I was given a book on translations of English expressions into French.
What I found fascinating was that so many of them were (if not the same) of the same meaning.

eg
English Skating on thin ice
French Walking on eggs

English Pigs will fly
French Chicken will have teeth

English Taking someone up the garden path
French Taking someone for a boat trip

But one of the things I most enjoyed over here was, in English classes, teaching them ****ney rhyming slang. Now that really lost them!

You lead up the garden path

Multisync
London

[multisync]

I just noticed that my post was edited by the serveur or something. So for those who are not from England the letters missing are
c
o
c
k
and finished off by ney, they mean someone born in the east end (of London) within hearing distance of the beaubells!

Bowbells

Multisync
London

[expat]

You lead up the garden path

And why not. It was very funny. I had all these French people talking about current buns and two and eights and boat races.

It was hilarious, although I don't think they believed me.

Apologies for the Bow Bells. I'm losing my English.

[frank]

Us iceman and Frank were discussing interesting sayings in the English language and their origins. They suggested starting a thread in this section but don't seem to have got round to it.

The thread is here http://www.refrigeration-engineer.co...nglish+sayings

[Brian_UK]

If you want to write certain words then with a bit of practice it can be done...

Such as cockney...

If you see what I mean, but please don't too extreme.

Note to self, How did I do it again??

[expat]

Thanks Frank, I had a lot of fun reading that thread.