phrases that puzzle me

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12-03-2009, 12:49 PM

#261

Moonpi

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Location: Central FL

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Quote:

Originally Posted by bearisgray

"built like a brick ----house"

Ever see one made out of brick?

Yes!!! It was beautiful, with shutters and a windowbox. A two-holer, if I remember right. It was at an old colonial house in upstate NY - do not remember the town, but it set the standard in my mind for brick ****houses!

12-03-2009, 01:19 PM

#262

Edie

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Location: St. Paul, Minnesota

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I learned it -
"Oh, Dear, Gin and Beer.
If it wasn't for my father
I wouldn't be here!

Hadn't thought about that one in a long time! Edie

12-03-2009, 01:28 PM

#263

bearisgray

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nincompoop

gump

In my mother's vocabulary, neither of these was a compliment

12-03-2009, 02:54 PM

#264

Lisanne

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Location: East Coast

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Quote:

Originally Posted by jojo47

LOL, bear! The brick ----house was/is a favorite of one of my brothers to describe anything huge!

I remember hearing a DJ on the radio explain that the pause between "brick" and "house" in the Commodores(?) song Brick House was because that middle word had to be edited out. LOL, for years I'd thought they paused to keep the rhythm! (Some of us are just too innocent!)

12-03-2009, 03:11 PM

#265

Izy

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Location: Halifax, W. Yorks, U.K.

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Quote:

Originally Posted by bearisgray

"built like a brick ----house"

Ever see one made out of brick?

That is a very common phrase in England, where most of the buildings are brick built, when we first moved down to Manchester from Scotland, we had a brick built outside loo!! You had to cross the 'back yard' to just a loo with a horrible wooden seat which had a crack in it so you got your bum pinched when you got up...ouch!! We used to have newspaper cut up in squares threaded on string......it was awful, I bet there were alot of bottoms with tattoos from the print!! In some areas you would have one brick sh1t house for a row of houses...anybody watch 'Coronation Street'??? Well if you do thats the type of terraced housing I am meaning

:shock: :( :-) :shock:

12-03-2009, 03:23 PM

#266

Izy

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Location: Halifax, W. Yorks, U.K.

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Loretta, you cannot imagine how it felt!! Full of ice on the seat OMG lol!! Thank God for central heating too!! :lol:

12-03-2009, 03:24 PM

#267

MadQuilter

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How about comments we use all the time that really have a dubious background: Like "the whole nine yards" - that is supposedly the length of the gun belt in a WWII machine gun.

Or my personal favorite: "Rule of thumb" that supposedly has to do with the size of a rod or switch a husband was allowed to beat his wife.

12-03-2009, 03:26 PM

#268

Rhonda

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Good ones Mad!

12-03-2009, 03:32 PM

#269

MadQuilter

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Loretta

I believe "the whole nine yards" originally is the number of yards needed to make a kilt. It is a very old saying in Scotland.

I found a lot of possible origins on that one. I like this one the best.

12-03-2009, 05:55 PM

#270

Quilt Mom

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Quote:

Originally Posted by ERhausfrau

I was listening to an audio book this AM and heard the word "dew-lap"! Sounds nice doesn't it? Something about dew being lapped up! Ha! It's that fat thing the jiggles around under your chin!

Edie

I thought a dewlap was the extra fold of skin under the chin of a doe rabbit.