Sayings you never understand

[Stingray89]

This is a thread for old sayings or phrases you never quite understood growing up. It could be old sayings your parents said or just ones you heard. The one I never understood was "Dead as a doorknob". How can something be dead as a doorknob; it makes no sense to me. So share some of your sayings or explain the ones you do understand.

[bassteban]

I believe *dead as a doorknob* is a bad paraphrase(likely unintentional)of the phrase *dead as a doornail*
World Wide Words: Dead as a doornail
dead as a doorknob - Wiktionary
Is the saying ..Dead as a doorknob right? or is it dead as a doornail? - Yahoo! Answers

[Skitch it!]

The one that used to get me was "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush", I know it's about appreciating a small advantage rather than taking a chance on a big one now but for years, I wondered, and then I wondered some more about that one.

[Skitch it!]

And the classic confuser "How long is a piece of string",

Question - How long will that job take?

Answer - How long is a piece of string?

[Joe Nerve]

Chance a piece. Could very well be something my mother made up herself, but she used to say this when we were supposed to take turns at something.

[Stingray89]

I too never understood the "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush"

[bassteban]

Originally Posted by Stingray89

I too never understood the "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush"

OK- imagine you're a hunter, walking along w/a bird in your hand. Spying two more hiding in a bush, you might be tempted to try to snare them as well. The fact that you've already got one *in the hand* makes it worth more than the risk of losing it and not getting the other two(according, I think, to the phrase).

[bassteban]

Originally Posted by Joe Nerve

Chance a piece.

Having never heard this before, I'm guessing yo mama made it up. Can we get her input, Joe?

[stratovani]

Originally Posted by Stingray89

I too never understood the "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush"

This might help!

YouTube - Bird in Hand - GEICO Commercial

[stevetx19]

yea but that's so un-american.

[bassteban]

Originally Posted by Skitch it!

And the classic confuser "How long is a piece of string",

Question - How long will that job take?

Answer - How long is a piece of string?

My guess on this one is that one never really knows how long a job may take, similarly, a *piece of string* can be any length.
I worked for several years at a local bike shop- when a potential customer would call, vaguely describe a problem/broken/worn-out part & then ask if we had said part or how much it would cost/how long the job would take, we would often ask the person on the other end of the line *what color my eyes are* It was an attempt to illustrate the need to see the bicycle we were being asked to diagnose. Most didn't *get it*

[fmoore200]

I'm pretty sure my dad made this one up, but it used to get on my nerves:

Dad: son, you have to (insert any task)

Me: but why dad?

Dad: 'cause why (y?) Is a crooked letter.

What the Hell does that mean? Is it implying the letter y is crooked geometrically, or is it that the letter y is somehow not on the level?

Makes no sense either way. It says nothing about the original quiere.

[Skitch it!]

Originally Posted by bassteban

My guess on this one is that one never really knows how long a job may take, similarly, a *piece of string* can be any length.
I worked for several years at a local bike shop- when a potential customer would call, vaguely describe a problem/broken/worn-out part & then ask if we had said part or how much it would cost/how long the job would take, we would often ask the person on the other end of the line *what color my eyes are* It was an attempt to illustrate the need to see the bicycle we were being asked to diagnose. Most didn't *get it*

I can understand it in that context, you've got to be able to see it to be realistic about that answer.

The string question on the other hand, I have heard used in situ, subliminally meaning - 'it's my lunch break in an hour and I'm spending it in the pub, how long I'm going to be there for I don't know, so I'm going to hit you with this string thing and leave you with that'

[Skitch it!]

An old one here is, "Red sky at night; shepherds delight,
Red sky in the morning; shepherds warning", which is an old wives tale from back in the day as it goes, tis' an old myth.

The classic "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth" is still used a bit, meaning if someone gives you a horse, don't go looking to criticize by judging it's age and health by glancing it's teeth, - appreciate what your given in other words.

[TomA1234]

I don't understand the use of "all but (insert adjective here)" in the context of "The house is all but flooded" when you mean it is flooded. If taken literally that phrase implies everything BUT what you are implying. It annoys me.

[bigblondeafro87]

The saying "get your ducks in a row" never made sense to me. Ducks don't travel in a single file line.

"Cat got your tongue?" is another wierd one.

[bassteban]

Originally Posted by bigblondeafro87

The saying "get your ducks in a row" never made sense to me. Ducks don't travel in a single file line.

"Cat got your tongue?" is another wierd one.

Ducks in a row=one shot gets them all- IMO, it means having things going your way.
Cat got your tongue?=Is there a reason you are not respoding to my question?

[bassteban]

Originally Posted by Skitch it!

An old one here is, "Red sky at night; shepherds delight,
Red sky in the morning; shepherds warning", which is an old wives tale from back in the day as it goes, tis' an old myth.

I've heard this one w/*sailor* in place of *shepherd* I think it means a red sky at night indicates good weatehr on the morrow, whereas red sky in the AM would mean the opposite & a sailor/shepherd would be wise to be ready for such.

[MJ5150]

"I'll be a monkeys uncle" gets me. Really? Why would you be a monkeys uncle?

-Mike

[Pilgrim]

"Boy howdy."

Connotation is strong agreement...but the derivation has always escaped me.