tell me your strange sayings?

Question

such as "acting the goat" and "stop talkin and tell me whats up?" who comes up with these and what do they mean?

Answer 1

give up the ghost
your face rings a bell
don't come running to me if you fall off that wall and break your legs
if I don't see you through the week I'll see you through the window
put a sock in it
pigs might fly
waste not want not


A lot of sayings come from years ago and often have a totally different and interesting reason

Answer 2

Many a true word said in jest - meaning people making jokes may actually have some truth to it
Beware of strangers bearing gifts - meaning its odd a stranger should turn up giving gifts be aware of their motives
Self praise is no recomendation - people who give themselves credability and tell you they are great and well educated - capable means nothing

Answer 3

“It’s cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey”
On old ships cannon balls while positioned on deck on a brass plate call a “monkey”. The monkey had dimples on it so that the cannon balls could sit on it without rolling all over the deck. When the temperature drops brass contracts, the dimples flatten out and the cannon balls roll off of the brass monkey. Hence the fraise, cold enough to freeze the balls off of a brass monkey.

Answer 4

I think they just come from people who say them and they end up sticking, passing through families and friends and become part of the language!

My own saying is "tough chesse" when someone moans something hasn't gone how they wanted - slightly obscure!
XxX

Answer 5

Whatever floats your bloat.
I had a teacher who used close but no cigar.
Thats about it for anything strange.

Answer 6

Wanting your cake & eating it too - means you want the best of both worlds & most of the time thats not possible

Answer 7

with all due respect(if i might say)up the apples and pears(stairs)dog and bone (phone) plates of meat(feet)never look a gift horse in the mouth(dont refuse) theres loads but i cant think of them all now

Answer 8

You know what thought did. He thought he saw Icky the Fire Bobby, and it was a dust cart! An old, old Liverpudlian expression whose origins are probably lost in the mists of time. (Why the 'mists' of time?)

Answer 9

if a river makes noice it is bringing stones... Meaning if you here a rumor or something like that it will usually bring trouble along with it

Answer 10

There's never a slip twixt cup and lip!
What the hell does that mean?