Question of the Day, Sunday, May 15, 2016

good afternoon! 

i love idioms, just absolutely love them.      i think this is because i didn't really 'get' them until i was in my mid-40's. so now i find them fascinating, and i remember pretty much every idiom i've ever heard in my entire life.

here's one definition of an idiom:  a group of words established by usage as having a meaning not deducible from those of the individual words (e.g., rain cats and dogs, see the light).

i even receive a daily 'word of the day' email, which also includes an idiom each day and it's meaning.

so for today's Question of the Day, let's have some fun......

Let's see how many idioms we can think of!

i'll start!

in a (pretty) pickle -- which means, in a mess; in trouble.

okay, now it's your turn!

to hear it on the grapevine

I like to look up the origins of idioms.  I'm always thinking "Where on earth did that phrase come from?"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grapevine_(gossip)

People who are so alike, they are like two peas in a pod.

betsygee said:

 
to hear it on the grapevine

I like to look up the origins of idioms.  I'm always thinking "Where on earth did that phrase come from?"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grapevine_(gossip)

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That's a really good idiom! 

The last idiom I looked up the origins of was 'bats**t crazy', which my vet asked me where I'd heard it -- nothing to do with my cats, was talking about a neighbor. I rarely remember where I first heard an idiom, just remember the idiom. There are quite a few opinions on where this idiom originated, but I lean towards believing it has to do with the fact that the fungus Histoplasma capsulatum resides in bat guano, and, since the fungus infects the brain of the host, causes them to hallucinate or behave in a psychotic manner.

Denice said:

 
People who are so alike, they are like two peas in a pod.

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ahhh, that's a great idiom! 

 Cat got your tongue ?           *had to*

- when someone has become silent.

"6 of this, half a dozen of that".. meaning either or.

my mom said this once, and it stuck with me

Swings and roundabouts.

I had to explain this to one of my students the other day. It comes from an old poem and the full line is

"Losses on the roundabouts means profits on the swings."

Meaning an action that will result in no particular loss or gain.

Barking up the wrong tree

Curiosity killed the cat

One involving dogs, the other involving cats.

Seventhheaven said:

 
 Cat got your tongue ?           *had to*

- when someone has become silent.

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  love it!

Draco said:

 
"6 of this, half a dozen of that".. meaning either or.

my mom said this once, and it stuck with me

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oooooo!      i'm pretty sure i've heard that one before, but i didn't know it's meaning.

Norachan said:

 
Swings and roundabouts.

I had to explain this to one of my students the other day. It comes from an old poem and the full line is

"Losses on the roundabouts means profits on the swings."

Meaning an action that will result in no particular loss or gain.

Click to expand...

a totally new idiom to me!

Denice said:

 
Barking up the wrong tree

Curiosity killed the cat

One involving dogs, the other involving cats.

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really good ones! 

here's another idiom --

you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar, which means that it's easier to persuade others with polite requests and a positive attitude rather than with rude demands and negativity.

Another cat one

To pussyfoot around

Cat burglar

A Hot Potato

The meaning is something controversial is being talked about.

Mamanyt1953 said:

 
Another cat one

To pussyfoot around

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ahhh, a very good idiom! 

Meg Trema said:

Cat burglar

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that's a great one! 

blueyedgirl5946 said:

A Hot Potato

The meaning is something controversial is being talked about.

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oooooo! there's another idiom i'd heard before, but didn't know the meaning.