What uncommon phrases, sayings, adages, idioms and/or cliches have you spoken more than once IRL?

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One of my dad's that I'm fond of - and used the other day to a rection of gales of laughter. Someone's doing something annoying (making a noise, tapping a pen, whatever). You say "is that hard to do?" they go uh no why and you say "BECAUSE ITS HARD TO LISTEN TO, HAR!"

... maybe it isnt that funny.

ABBAcab (Trayce), Saturday, 6 March 2010 02:40 (fourteen years ago) link

A lot of poker jargon, lately.

"wtf, everybody on xxx thread is on tilt"

Hervé Grillechaise (WmC), Saturday, 6 March 2010 02:50 (fourteen years ago) link

Ha, Trayce, it used to be whenever I was singing a song, my brother would ask, "Oh mna, who does that song?" And of course being a big dork I'd answer w/great enthusiasm, after which he'd say, "Well let them sing it!"

How to Make an American Quit (Abbott), Saturday, 6 March 2010 03:31 (fourteen years ago) link

Do BWP lyrics count?

Kevin John Bozelka, Saturday, 6 March 2010 04:35 (fourteen years ago) link

Haha Abb I like that variation! :D

ABBAcab (Trayce), Saturday, 6 March 2010 05:07 (fourteen years ago) link

deader than a whippet on a pikestaff

Aimless, Saturday, 6 March 2010 06:43 (fourteen years ago) link

six of one, half-dozen of another.

Joint Custody (ian), Saturday, 6 March 2010 06:45 (fourteen years ago) link

Actually, I grew up in the western USA, born to parents who fully partook of the more colorful phraseology of the common folk, who were raised in an era when radio and movies were still novelties and where barber shops were still a common gathering place where men came to get their ears lowered, to hear dusty old jokes trotted out and the Police Gazette beckoned to waiting customers.

Therefore I have always felt at ease using a huge number of corny old sayings. More corny old sayings than you can shake a stick at. I am a walking compendium of this stuff.

Aimless, Saturday, 6 March 2010 06:50 (fourteen years ago) link

to dine out on something (i.e. a story)

noted schloar (dyao), Saturday, 6 March 2010 06:51 (fourteen years ago) link

well pull down my pants and call me swamp thing

mandible corrective (latebloomer), Saturday, 6 March 2010 07:05 (fourteen years ago) link

that's an old appalachian saying

mandible corrective (latebloomer), Saturday, 6 March 2010 07:08 (fourteen years ago) link

"X is like a lingerie store without a display window."

...where "X" can be pretty much anything you're discussing about. My friend taught me this when we were kids, the basic idea is that it sounds deep but doesn't really mean anything.

Tuomas, Saturday, 6 March 2010 15:33 (fourteen years ago) link

My husband has lots of these. 'Dryer than a buffalo fart in July' is one that comes to mind.

franny glass, Saturday, 6 March 2010 16:53 (fourteen years ago) link

"Great hairy swinging ballsack" - usually when irritated at work.

"It was so dark I couldn't see a carrot" - when describing a dark place.

"Fuckin' bone in here" - ie. it's a bit cold. My brother coined this when we were teenagers, as a contraction of stone cold and chilled to the bone and it stuck.

Bill A, Saturday, 6 March 2010 19:10 (fourteen years ago) link

maybe on the common end of uncommon phrases
― 69, Friday, 5 March 2010 19:45 (3 days ago)

I realize I put "that's what she said" in the original post. I never heard yours "I don't have a dog in that fight" so you are all cool there.

The point I'm trying to make is that there can be some common ones in this thread. For different regions they might actually be uncommon

CaptainLorax, Monday, 8 March 2010 16:51 (fourteen years ago) link

"how's tricks?"

― Pontiac Driving Excitement (Z S), Friday, March 5, 2010 8:01 PM (3 days ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

I've only ever seen this before in a 'Nam-era Doonesbury!

Jamie Bulgur Wheat (kingkongvsgodzilla), Monday, 8 March 2010 16:58 (fourteen years ago) link

six years pass...

tilting at windmills

pissing it down (i've never heard anyone but a friend and i say this in north america)

F♯ A♯ (∞), Wednesday, 2 November 2016 17:25 (seven years ago) link

I've been teaching various English language idioms to an Italian woman I work with, her favourite being "What did your last slave die of?"

Millions of species Faye Dunaway (Tom D.), Wednesday, 2 November 2016 17:45 (seven years ago) link

I want to bring back "independent as a hog on ice"

ELECTION (no comey I) (El Tomboto), Wednesday, 2 November 2016 17:46 (seven years ago) link

no one says "pissing it down" surely

Number None, Wednesday, 2 November 2016 20:38 (seven years ago) link

ya sorry remove that it

F♯ A♯ (∞), Wednesday, 2 November 2016 20:40 (seven years ago) link

I have said, in regard to heavy rainfall, "it's coming down like a cow pissing on a flat rock". Also, "gullywasher".

a little too mature to be cute (Aimless), Wednesday, 2 November 2016 20:44 (seven years ago) link

no one says "pissing it down" surely

Yes they do.

Millions of species Faye Dunaway (Tom D.), Wednesday, 2 November 2016 20:46 (seven years ago) link

yeah that's common

did we ever get wizz sorted (wins), Wednesday, 2 November 2016 20:47 (seven years ago) link

vulgar, even

mark s, Wednesday, 2 November 2016 20:51 (seven years ago) link

It's pissing it down here, lots of thunder & lightning too!
― PinXor (Pinkpanther), Thursday, 12 August 2004 11:50 (twelve years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

thought it was always pissing it down in schotland.
ALso, what do Scottish people call these?

http://sigve.holmen.cc/Nature/image/blomst2.jpg

― Tev, Friday, 26 May 2006 09:29 (ten years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I've been looking at the weather forecast, and it's nice to know that some things don't change and it will be pissing it down as usual.
― Vicky (Vicky), Thursday, 19 August 2004 11:22 (twelve years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Although it has just started pissing it down in London so if it doesn't stop all week across the whole South of England we could be fucked.

― Matt DC, Tuesday, 19 June 2007 17:11 (nine years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

&c

did we ever get wizz sorted (wins), Wednesday, 2 November 2016 20:53 (seven years ago) link

haha

my english is sometimes a mix of vernacular and vulgarity

wouldn't be surprised if i made "mistakes" like that

F♯ A♯ (∞), Wednesday, 2 November 2016 20:53 (seven years ago) link

Showing results for site:ilxor.com "pushing it down"
No results found for site:ilxor.com "pishing it down"

did we ever get wizz sorted (wins), Wednesday, 2 November 2016 20:56 (seven years ago) link

i failed to bant any bantz with carl, it was pishing doon, i was at the bus stop whimpering and wondering just how wet my shoe with the hole in it could get, he was boldly striding east with not even a hood to protect him from the rain. LAD.

― Shane Richie Junior (Merdeyeux), Wednesday, 19 December 2012 23:39 (three years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Millions of species Faye Dunaway (Tom D.), Wednesday, 2 November 2016 20:59 (seven years ago) link

Oops, sorry, that's "pishing doon" not "pishing it doon".

Millions of species Faye Dunaway (Tom D.), Wednesday, 2 November 2016 21:00 (seven years ago) link

lol

did we ever get wizz sorted (wins), Wednesday, 2 November 2016 21:01 (seven years ago) link

Me, to the rescue:

"Fuckin' pishin' it doon, so it wis, an' blawin' a gale an' aw. Ah looks oot the windae an' next hing ye know ma fuckin' gazebo's daein' certwheels acroass ma gairden, ah'm like, "Whit! Here! This must be the worst (britishes) summer ever!"

Is that any better?

― FYI Macedonia (Tom D.), Monday, 18 August 2014 14:27 (two years ago) Permalink

Millions of species Faye Dunaway (Tom D.), Wednesday, 2 November 2016 21:01 (seven years ago) link

fair enough, only heard "pissing down" myself

Number None, Wednesday, 2 November 2016 21:18 (seven years ago) link


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