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A Small Town Country Boy Trying To Survive In Todays World

Friday, May 8, 2009

Memorable Old Phrases

Do you remember any of these?

1. A Bone to Pick (someone who wants to discuss a disagreement)
2. An Axe to Grind (Someone who has a hidden motive. This phrase is said to have originated from Benjamin Franklin who told a story about a devious man who asked how a grinding wheel worked. He ended up walking away with his axe sharpened free of charge)
3. One bad apple spoils the whole barrel (one corrupt person can cause all the others to go bad if you don't remove the bad one)
4. At sea (lost or not understanding something)
5. Bad Egg (Someone who was not a good person)
6. Barking at a knot (meaning that your efforts were as useless as a dog barking at a knot.)
7. Barking up the wrong tree (talking about something that was completely the wrong issue with the wrong person)
8. Bee in your bonnet (To have an idea that won't let loose )
9. Been through the mill (had a rough time of it)
10.Between hay and grass (Not a child or an adult)
11. Blinky (Between sweet and sour as in milk)
12. Calaboose (a jail)
13. Catawampus (Something that sits crooked such as a piece of furniture sitting at an angle)
14. Dicker (To barter or trade)
15. Feather in Your Cap (to accomplish a goal. This came from years ago in wartime when warriors might receive a feather they would put in their cap for defeating an enemy)
16. Hold your horses (Be patient!)
17. Hoosegow ( a jail)
18. I reckon (I suppose)
19. Jawing/Jawboning (Talking or arguing)
20. Kit and caboodle (The whole thing)
21. Madder than an wet hen (really angry)
22. Needs taken down a notch or two (like notches in a belt usually a young person who thinks too highly of himself and needs a lesson)
23.No Spring Chicken (Not young anymore)
24.Persnickety (overly particular or snobbish)
25.Pert-near (short for pretty near)
26.Pretty is as pretty does (your actions are more important than your looks)
27.Red up (clean the house)
28.Scalawag (a rascal or unprincipled person)
29.Scarce as hen's teeth (something difficult to obtain)
30.Skedaddle (Get out of here quickly)
31. Sparking (courting)
32.Straight From the Horse's Mouth (privileged information from the one concerned)
33.Stringing around, gallivanting around, or piddling (Not doing anything of value)
34.Sunday go to meetin' dress (The best dress you had)
35.We wash up real fine (is another goodie)
36.Tie the Knot (to get married)
37.Too many irons in the fire (to be involved in too many things)
38.Tuckered out (tired and all worn out)
39. Under the weather (not feeling well - this term came from going below deck on ships due to sea sickness thus you go below or under the weather)
40.Wearing your 'best bib and tucker' (Being all dressed up)
41. You ain't the only duck in the pond (It's not all about you)

It is what it is

Rod

4 comments:

HermitJim said...

A lot of these are still in use today! I know, cause I use some of 'em!

Fun post!

Rod said...

Jim
Be careful you might be giving away your age here.
Thanks for stopping by.

Rod

Lydia said...

Those are great Rod. Like Hermit said(And NOT because of our age) a lot of these are still used today. A lot of them I've never heard of, but thought they were good, and some are so funny! :)

Thanks for these.
:)
lydia

Rod said...

Lydia
Glad to see you about again.
I never said anything about age. I just thought they were funny!
Thanks for stopping by.

Rod