Pages

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Sayings

I'm not really one for sayings (that don't make sense).
My mum is though!
She would come out with what I thought were the most ridiculous sayings when I was a kid.
I remember asking her why she said things that made absolutely no sense.
But it wasn't just her, my uncle did it, my Nan did it.
I'm pretty sure it's an old country folks' way of talking.
All I know is it used to annoy the hell out of me, and at so many moments they still keeping popping into my head.

Here are some I heard often...

Age before beauty.
As sure as eggs.
At the drop of a hat.
As straight as a die.
Bandied about.
Barking up the wrong tree.
Be-all and end-all.
Beating around the bush.
Beggars can't be choosers.
Beggars belief.
Bend over backwards.
Blind leading the blind.
Bob's your uncle.
Bury the hatchet.
By the skin of your teeth.
Cleanliness is next to godliness.
Cost an arm and a leg.
Crocodile tears.
Dead as a doornail.
Dead ringer.
Donkey's years.
Down in the dumps.
Dressed to the nines.
Ears are burning.
Face the music.
Fair and square.
Far cry from..
Feather in your cap.
Few and far between.
Fit as a fiddle.
Fly off the handle.
Foot the bill.
Fresh as a daisy.
Full of beans.
Gift of the gab.
Give up the ghost.
Gives you the willies.
Happy as Larry.
Hard up.
Have a bone to pick with someone.
Having a field day.
In a nutshell.
In the bag.
Jack of all trades.
Jump the gun.
Kick the bucket.
Knuckle down.
Last ditch effort.
Lead up the garden path.
Leave in the lurch.
Let the cat out of the bag.
Load of codswallop.
Mad as a march hare.
Make no bones about it.
Mind your p's and q's.
Mum's the word.
Namby pamby.
No two ways about it.
Not on your nellie.
Not to be sneezed at.
On tenterhooks.
Out on a limb.
Over the top.
Pardon my French.
Pay through the nose.
Pipe down.
Pot calling the kettle black.
Pulling your leg.
Putting your foot in it.
Rough and tumble.
Round the bend.
Save for a rainy day.
Scot-free.
Sleep tight.
Smart Alec.
Spick and span.
Stick in the mud.
Straight from the horses's mouth.
Take the cake.
Tit for tat
To a T.
Touch and go.
Under the weather.
Up your sleeve.
Up to scratch.
What the dickens.
Wild goose chase.
Willy-nilly
With flying colours.


Do you love 'em or hate 'em?
I'm probably guilty of still saying a few.

Exactly how fit is a fiddle, anyway??

7 comments:

  1. Yep, I use heaps of this. OMG. I have stopped a little since the aspy in the house takes things so literally!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Great list! What about "a wigwam for a goose's bridle"? I've heard this around the place but have never been able to determine what it means!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Wow what a list Thea!!

    How bout "Like a bull at gate", "Worse things happen at sea" and "It all comes out in the wash?". Oh, and the "Bee's Knees" or "cat's pyjamas".

    ReplyDelete
  4. U love them and am guilty of using about three quarters of these! In fact have now found a few new little beauties to add to my repertoire!

    ReplyDelete
  5. As sure as eggs.
    As straight as a die.
    Beggars belief.

    Please explain?

    I was actually quite chuffed that I knew most of these, not having grown up in this hemisphere and all.

    How about "up the creek without a paddle", "three sheets to the wind", "a few sandwiches short of a picnic" and "the whole nine yards".

    Great list!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Brilliant list lovely girl! I used loads of them. Cliche after cliche, me. Including some other Yorkshire ones that made "nowt a sense."

    ReplyDelete
  7. I have to say I'm guilty of using a few of those..my mum uses alot of those too I just put it down to being a country thing!

    ReplyDelete

Just one little comment will make my day.