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Colloquialisms

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"Take control and deal with something: shxt or get off the pot, put on your big girl panties and grow some balls, man up,

Turn a negative situation around: "Make lemonade out of lemons," "find a silver lining," "When one door closes, another opens"

Something good you weren't expecting: "A blessing in disguise"

Getting out-kicking up your heels, (getting out-feeling a sense of freedom) foot loose and fancy free; (said when someone is funny)-barrel of laughs,

Looks: (similar looking person-doppelganger) the spitting image of (person's name)-like you are the spitting image of Anthony,

Health Good: Fit as a fiddle, a picture of health, in the pink of health, rosy cheeks (imply healthy), right as rain, healthy as a horse,

Health bad: Sick as a dog, death warmed over, death warmed up (heard it both ways), on death's door, kick the bucket (to die), dead as a doornail, a frog in one's throat (sore throat/irritated throat), a little sick-under the weather

To wait: "Hold your horses"

Fooling around: "Horsing around"; "monkeying around"

Something that won't likely happen: "When pigs fly"; "In your dreams"

Raining Hard: "Raining cats and dogs"

Talking a lot: "Chew the fat."

Can't speak or think of something to say: "Cat got your tongue"

Stop talking: Put a sock in it (referring to put a sock on one's mouth-shutting up)

Hypocritical: "The pot calling the kettle black"-I really like this one....and use it

That's all I got tonight. That was fun.
 
I heard about a Japanese lady who was newly working in the USA and after listening to the conversation going on between her co-workers she finally had to ask "What does this 'pissed off' mean? No one had any way to reply ...
 
I heard about a Japanese lady who was newly working in the USA and after listening to the conversation going on between her co-workers she finally had to ask "What does this 'pissed off' mean? No one had any way to reply ...
We wouldn't have any problem with replying, here in Australia, for the most part. I would just say it means angry.
 
We wouldn't have any problem with replying, here in Australia, for the most part. I would just say it means angry.
They may not have wanted to embarrass her. The Japanese culture is very proper from what I have noticed with my adult ESL students...particularly the older folks. I would have pulled her aside, where no one could hear, and explain it.....that's just from a teachers viewpoint.
 
Some UK ones:
Put the wood in the hole (shut the door)
Yorkshire version- pt wood int ole (pronounced oil)
Beggars belief ( cannot believe it / its unbelievable)
By eck its parky (its very cold)
One brick short of a wall (stupid)
As much use as a chocolate tea pot (useless)
Couldn’t organise a piss up in a brewery (couldn't organise / plan anything)
Not enough room to swing a cat (cramped or small room)
Were you born in a barn ( you’ve left the door open)

im giggling while im typing this . Fun thread.
 
Here are more animal and food/eating related idioms (I just ate.....who knew?)


Something that is easy: A cake-walk, a piece of cake, easy as pie
Getting something extra: icing on the cake
Someone who pretends to be someone he's not: A wolf in sheep's clothing
Going crazy: Going bananas
To be calm when you are stressed: Cool as a cucumber
In trouble: In hot water
An issue or problem someone is trying to avoid: An elephant in the room
Two people are usually together, alike or similar: Two peas in a pod
Can't make everyone happy: Can't make an omelet without breaking some eggs
Always being sensitive or on guard and being cautious what you do/say around someone (because they are reactive) Walking on eggs: walking on egg shells
You can't make someone do what you feel is the right decision: You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink

Eat a lot: Pig Out
A stubborn person: A bull in the china shop (my mother called me this when I was younger.....only made me more stubborn. ;)
Leftover food taken home: A doggie bag
In trouble or "caught": Your goose is cooked!
 
Here are more animal and food/eating related idioms (I just ate.....who knew?)


Something that is easy: A cake-walk, a piece of cake, easy as pie
Getting something extra: icing on the cake
Someone who pretends to be someone he's not: A wolf in sheep's clothing
Going crazy: Going bananas
To be calm when you are stressed: Cool as a cucumber
In trouble: In hot water
An issue or problem someone is trying to avoid: An elephant in the room
Two people are usually together, alike or similar: Two peas in a pod
Can't make everyone happy: Can't make an omelet without breaking some eggs
Always being sensitive or on guard and being cautious what you do/say around someone (because they are reactive) Walking on eggs: walking on egg shells
You can't make someone do what you feel is the right decision: You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink

Eat a lot: Pig Out
A stubborn person: A bull in the china shop (my mother called me this when I was younger.....only made me more stubborn. ;)
Leftover food taken home: A doggie bag
In trouble or "caught": Your goose is cooked!
I never thought Of bull in a china shop as stubborn but clumsy, breaking things without meaning to. I have a real clear image of that one. I’ve had it all my life, I see the bull standing there in a china shop surrounded by glass things on glass shelves.
 
Put your head between your legs and kiss your ass goodbye, means if whatever it is happens, it’s all over.

I think of these quite a bit and forget them since I posted this. It’s surprising though how much of our speech is made up of them. The title is wrong btw or not quite right, I knew that when I wrote it but I didn’t bother looking it up. A colloquialism technically is regional I’m pretty sure, like in greater Boston when we were young, fifty years ago, we called soda tonic.
 
I never thought Of bull in a china shop as stubborn but clumsy, breaking things without meaning to. I have a real clear image of that one. I’ve had it all my life, I see the bull standing there in a china shop surrounded by glass things on glass shelves.
I agree....but it can be taken further to mean someone who is stubborn who doesn't realize the damage they can do to others/things around them.....so they just bulldoze through and not realize the consequences. I was the black sheep in my dysfunctional family......I made them uncomfortable with the truth......and I wasn't shy about calling a spade a spade....my father a drunk.....my mother playing favorites or blind to the truth....
 
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