Around here, that is often quickly followed by "Why do you gotta be like that?"
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Around here, that is often quickly followed by "Why do you gotta be like that?"
It's cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey.
When Navies used sailing ships and cannons, they piled the cannon balls in brass frames, called monkeys, fastened to the deck. The triangles were made from brass so they would not corrode. When it got very cold, the brass would contract much faster than the iron cannon balls, causing them to spill out of the frames.
When Navies used sailing ships and cannons, they piled the cannon balls in brass frames, called monkeys, fastened to the deck. The triangles were made from brass so they would not corrode. When it got very cold, the brass would contract much faster than the iron cannon balls, causing them to spill out of the frames.
"A shot of whiskey" In the Old West the average bullet was worth about $0.18
roughly the price of a whiskey. A broke cowboy could lay down a bullet for a whiskey.
roughly the price of a whiskey. A broke cowboy could lay down a bullet for a whiskey.
slobake
resident ... something
Edit: "Dumber than a bag of hammers" is a good alternate that my gruff old boss used to like to throw around
Going balls to the wall. A WW2 U.S. fighter jock term ... The throttle levers on most U.S. fighters had balls at the end of the throttle. There was usually a a wire that would act as a stop to keep the throttle from being pushed all the way forward to prevent overreacting the engine. If you pushed past that wire .. as in full throttle you were going Balls to the wall...
The whole 9 yards. Another WW2 fighter pilot term. Most ammo belts were about 9 yards long .... So going the whole 9 or giving them the whole 9 was using all the ammo you had.
The whole 9 yards. Another WW2 fighter pilot term. Most ammo belts were about 9 yards long .... So going the whole 9 or giving them the whole 9 was using all the ammo you had.
What up, rather than what's up is very common with people I know in my age group from queens and long island. I don't know why, but that's how it is.
"That boy couldn't get laid in a whorehouse with a fist full of twentys." (Not so good with the ladies!)
"Horny as a 3 peckered billygoat". I haven't the slightest idea where it came from!
I know this one as "Colder'n a 3 peckered billygoat in a snowdrift"....but then I'm from Kentucky. Others from the fatherland include "Slicker'n snot on a glass doorknob" and "that boy is ate up with dumbass".
There's also "More nervous than a long tailed cat in a room full of rockers", which is pretty self explanatory.
In keeping with the cold analogies, you ever hear "It's colder than a witches t!t in November!" (Can i say that here? Apologies, if not! Tit for tat
)
Skyscraper - originally, the tallest mast on a sailing ship.
Coasting - originally, a style of sailing that didn't need any navigational skill. You'd just 'coast' along coast.
Three sheets to the wind - too drunk to walk, or keep a ship on course. 'Sheets' is another name for mainsails.
Touch and go - originally, perhaps a glancing blow to the seabed - not enough to scuttle the ship, she can still sail away. 'Kissing' has a similar meaning boaties still recognise today.
Blockbuster - originally, a bomb big enough to level a whole block.
Bikini - originally a coral atoll in the South Pacific.
Let the cat out of the bag - to whip offenders, as a punishment, with a cat o' nine tails.
Dancing on nothing - gallows humor meaning getting hung.
Go walkabout - disappear. Get outta Dodge.
Blue moon - the second moon in the same month.
Dead ringer - before death was scientifically understood people would sometimes be buried alive so a bell attached to a line into a coffin could be rung by the 'dead ringer'.
One-eyed jack - a wildcard.
Coasting - originally, a style of sailing that didn't need any navigational skill. You'd just 'coast' along coast.
Three sheets to the wind - too drunk to walk, or keep a ship on course. 'Sheets' is another name for mainsails.
Touch and go - originally, perhaps a glancing blow to the seabed - not enough to scuttle the ship, she can still sail away. 'Kissing' has a similar meaning boaties still recognise today.
Blockbuster - originally, a bomb big enough to level a whole block.
Bikini - originally a coral atoll in the South Pacific.
Let the cat out of the bag - to whip offenders, as a punishment, with a cat o' nine tails.
Dancing on nothing - gallows humor meaning getting hung.
Go walkabout - disappear. Get outta Dodge.
Blue moon - the second moon in the same month.
Dead ringer - before death was scientifically understood people would sometimes be buried alive so a bell attached to a line into a coffin could be rung by the 'dead ringer'.
One-eyed jack - a wildcard.
"tide you (or me or us, etc) over" e.g. I have to eat a little something to tide me over until supper.
comes from nautical language because tide determines when you can sail out of port. If the tide "tells" the ship captain No (so to speak), you stay until the tide is right to leave.
comes from nautical language because tide determines when you can sail out of port. If the tide "tells" the ship captain No (so to speak), you stay until the tide is right to leave.
I worked in a printing shop back in the 70s and 80s and one of the older workers used this phrase when something needed to be oiled. "That's drier than a popcorn fart!"
"I'm sweating harder than a whore on nickel night." One of my co-workers said this to me at a UPS hub one hot August night.
slobake
resident ... something
Some people (including me) say "whazzzzzup" in a gravelly voice. It's from an old commercial.
It used to really annoy the singer in our band.
She moved to Africa.
