5 Idioms I Only Picked Up After Moving to America

[@SeanSinclair821]

It never occurred to me that "ten-foot pole" needed a literal meaning. I always thought of it as, "If I had a pole that was ten feet long, I still wouldn't want to come close enough to [whatever objectionable person / thing] to touch them with it." P.S. - Yay, Pittsburgh! I'm glad yinz guys are giving us some love. :)

[@bobbyspain905]

Just looked up the length of a barge pole and it can be ten feet long.

[@dennismokry258]

There were canals in early America but fairly rare so while the phrase could have come over as barge pole the relative scarcity could have helped cause the switch. As a bit of a geek myself I wanted to mention a renaissance of the phrase occurred due to a ten foot wooden pole being a popular item in early dungeons and dragons to inspect things from a “safe” distance lol. Think many a character had 9’, 8’, even 5’ poles due to mishaps.

[@SeanSinclair821]

@@dennismokry258 and then of course there's the Grinch. No one would want to touch him with a "thirty-nine-and-a-half-foot pole"! 😃

[@violet_broregarde]

It never really occurred to me how specific "ten-foot pole" is. The fact that there's a British expression "I wouldn't touch that with a barge pole" makes me think that maybe a Brit just used it, we said "what's a barge pole," the Brit said "it's like a 3-meter long pole," and then we Americanized it. Honestly I like "barge pole" better now that I know what it is. The imagery is a lot more vivid.

[@SeanSinclair821]

@@violet_broregarde Speaking of which, I'm not sure if this is just coincidence, but in the "39.5-foot pole" line from the Grinch -- 39.5 feet is almost exactly 12 meters. Interesting.

[@JimmyEatDirt]

My grandfather had one where he called the mayor a "post turtle", which bewildered everyone in the town hall meeting. He said afterward that it's a joke, because a turtle didn't climb to his position, he was put there, and will still proudly act like he accomplished something. For those of you who don't speak rural farmer, the mayor was riding on his family name and possibly nepotism, and thought that his success was a reflection of his "hard work". Also, as a point of clarification, by post i mean fence post.

[@dancampbell189]

I have never heard that allegory adapted into a descriptive phrase, love it!

[@boadiceameridionalis3732]

Love this. I'll put into regular use, as post turtles are becoming a dime a dozen these days. The longer I live near a city, the more thankful I am for my rural upbringing. Lots of common sense in those idioms.

[@icarusbinns3156]

I’ve seen (and rescued) post turtles! Those poor little guys

[@AlleluiaElizabeth]

I understood that reference, but I have no idea why. lol

[@eligebrown8998]

Ive heard that Post turtle befor. Sure fits our politicians perfectly.

[@traceypasko8606]

My dad’s favorite “ you make a better door than you do a window” usually said to my brother as he was standing in front rod the tv.

[@cynicalrabbit915]

In the same vein, we have: Your father wasn't a glass blower!

[@timvandenbrink4461]

My Mom would say that for the same reason.

[@FM-qq2kk]

Close the Door- We're not heatin the whole neighborhood!!

[@MamaMOB]

My parents used to yell DOOR at my if I stood in front of the TV too long. Hahahaha

[@kkampy4052]

Your father wasn't a glass maker, but you are a pain(pane).

[@parryboucher9789]

I started teaching a coworker from Iraq American idioms a couple of years ago, and it was only at that time that I realized how ubiquitous they are. "Standing in the shadow of his father", "Just give me your John Hancock here", " He's bitten off more than he can chew",. There are literally hundreds. I was very excited to see this post today (I'm still working through the backlog", but I swear you could do an hour just on them. "I've got two left feet", "He's batting a thousand", "That's a real ace in the hole". I could go on and on. Thank you Laurence for your top-notch program!

[@insanitycubed8832]

forced my hand, unfaithful, baked, fried, over the moon, struck dumb, pea-brain, chopped liver, a handful, highway robbery, slippery slope, short end of the stick, wrong end of the barrel. Oh man no wonder we don't learn shit at school, we spend all our time learning idioms and getting fried

[@TheAttacker732]

The very first one, 'standing in the shadow of his father', I suspect it has analogues in other languages & cultures, just by its nature and humanity's nature. It's just a matter of finding its equivalent.

[@superzova]

@@insanitycubed8832 reading your comment and the parent comment has made me realize just how much of my vocab is idioms...

[@Ghryst]

none of those saying are restricted to america, almost all of them are in common use worldwide in english speaking countries, and european languages usually have their own languages equivalent. americans arent special, theyre vanilla as fuck, and usually "behind the ball"

[@Ghryst]

@@TheAttacker732 all of them do. get out from "under your rock" once in a while. none of these idioms are localised.

[@onetruedodd]

Sometimes, you just have to play it by ear and fly by the seat of your pants. After it’s all said and done, hindsight is 20/20, but nobody likes a Monday morning quarterback. Remember, there’s more than one way to skin a cat.

[@pacosninjatacoteam2884]

I love how precisely meaningless this is

[@jeanmm2996]

@@pacosninjatacoteam2884 it makes total sense. I like the Monday morning quarterback the best.

[@u4goturchange]

@@jeanmm2996 that's the best part, it all makes perfect sense. It all flows and you can derive the general idea, but it's all fluff. Don't you just love English? An entire language dedicated to saying what you're not saying, or not saying anything at all when you use every word in the dictionary

[@LugborG]

It sounds like something from a corporate meeting, and I hate every syllable.

[@lorraineforster8164]

Love it 😊

[@craigbenz4835]

One favorite idiom of mine is "He's as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs."

[@BloodyBay]

Imagine how stoked I was hearing Rogue say that to Cyclops in an X-Men cartoon back in the early 90's! :-D

[@-overdooo-]

Lol yes! I forgot that was a thing. It just instantly makes so much sense hahaha.

[@terrybyrd3738]

ouch

[@SuperVstech]

I first heard that one in the Michael J Fox movie Doc Holiday.

[@jimmyday656]

Or a one legged man at an ass kicking contest.

[@melissasaint3283]

I was always so amused by the way authors of British literature (especially Edwardian lit from Arthur Conan Doyle Doyle to Agatha Christie) always show that a character is American by having them pepper pretty much every sentence with colorful idioms 🤣

[@shinobi-no-bueno]

Leaping grasshoppers my good man!

[@TommyTheCat_05]

Literally the entire character of Ted lasso for like the first season

[@HomeDefender30]

Honestly, most of our day to day interactions (especially in work place settings) are all just meaningless fluff, it’s essentially going through the motions of communicating because we know we are supposed to communicate without doing any actual communication.

[@Broomer52]

I never read the original Dracula but their was a character that was supposed to be from America that a KZbinr I like described as “proof the author has never spoken to an actual American” he talked in very colorful language, constantly using idioms and was basically a caricature of an American.

[@melissasaint3283]

@@Broomer52Yes, that's Quincey Morris😂 😂 he's a great character and also the most extreme version of what I was thinking of! (Though he is slightly earlier, a Victorian example) If Bram Stoker ever spoke to an actual American, they had to be a traveling performer capitalizing abroad on being a "real life Cowboy/cowgirl, yeehaw", because ....holy cow. Yes, Americans have and had some very colorful idioms, especially regionally. But Quincy is the verbal equivalent of a rainbow confetti factory exploding.

[@tobascoheat6582]

The American expression, "a dime a dozen" is similar to the British expression, you can get those "ten a penny". Love it Laurence! Your sense of humor always picks me up!

[@MarcosElMalo2]

Also, a penny is the lowest denomination of money. A dime (10¢) for ten would mean that a single thing cost a penny (1¢), meaning that the thing was worth the lowest amount you could pay for a single item. Dime a dozen signifies an item is worth less than a penny. There’s a blend of two ideas: a thing being worthless in general, and a thing being so common as to be worthless. “Ideas are dime a dozen”, the true measure of worth is when you try to implement an idea (when the rubber meets the road).

[@BWolf00]

A money based idiom that no longer works as it was used "Dollars to donuts". This was back when you used to get a dozen donuts for less than a dollar. Now even the plainest donut is about one dollar.

[@BWolf00]

LOL..I thought I had the words backwards so I looked it up, turns out I've never used it "appropriately". I've always used it as a value comparison of dollars vs donuts. Whereas according to the "research" they say it's an expression of wagering dollars against donuts to signify a sure bet.

[@Mephilis78]

​@@MarcosElMalo2 a dime a dozen mean it's less than a penny each, because a dozen is 12. At least in the US

[@Mephilis78]

​@@BWolf00 i think you can still get Krispy Kreme for 79 cents.

[@k.y.6148]

Now we need a video about British idioms that haven't made it to the US.

[@senyart890]

Yes, please.

[@lauraainslie6725]

One of the better ones I've heard of is "mutton dressed as lamb." Meaning, this woman* has arrived at an age where she should stop dressing like her daughter, for cripesakes. *In the UK it's apparently only aimed at women; stateside, though, I think it could be equal opportunity. I've seen too many middle-aged guys looking silly in below-the-knee shorts.

[@LambentLark]

@@lauraainslie6725 I love it! It really fits the mom of my kids best friend. . . . I don't know why that sentence was so hard to construct? The first iteration was "my kid's, friend's, mom" I looked at that and thought, "I am a college educated adult, I have the ability to be able to be more eloquent than that!" Lol The bar is only higher by comparison though.

[@butternutsquash6984]

My favorite is one I picked up in Scotland: "teaching your granny to suck eggs" meaning teach someone a thing they've known forever. No translation into American.

[@n.d.m.515]

@@butternutsquash6984 that would be "thanks Captain Obvious."

[@joec.9591]

My favorite idiom is a reference to being a small child. Back when I was "knee-high to a grasshopper."

[@orphansparrow2]

cute :)

[@Quarton]

You might ask me, "A penny for your thoughts", but I'd just give you my "2 cents' worth" - and that's more "bang for your buck"!

[@protorhinocerator142]

Wasn't bang for your buck originally a military thing? The generals want to get the most bomb for the best price, or the most power for a jet or something like that?

[@shindari]

But I'd never "Buy that for a dollar," because that would be a massive ripoff for me.

[@gnarthdarkanen7464]

"Every time I give my two cents worth, people want change!" ;o)

[@shindari]

@@protorhinocerator142 I mean, if you apply that to Prostitution, you can really get a good "Bang" for your buck, you know what I mean??

[@whiterabbit75]

@@shindari Not even a SUX 6000?

[@Tiger_Simple]

The way “a dime a dozen” was explained to me is: if there is 12 of something but in total it costs 10 cents, that means that each singular item is worth less than a penny.

[@rev.davemoorman3883]

A ten-foot pole is either a Barge Pole, or a really tall person from Warsaw.

[@eamonquinn5188]

In the UK it would be a barge pole, as in I wouldn't touch that with a barge pole, which may have been of similar dimensions x

[@eamonquinn5188]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Setting_pole

[@nunyabidness674]

@@eamonquinn5188 Warsaw... Poland... a Polish person is a Pole or Pollack... Went over your head like a 747

[@eamonquinn5188]

@@nunyabidness674 As there is no such thing as a ten foot polack I think I am happy with the definition of a barge pole or the American version, a ten foot pole which were used for navigating canals and tunnels

[@eamonquinn5188]

@@nunyabidness674 You really thought a ten foot pole referred to an extremely tall person from Poland, are you a moron or are you having a laugh? x

[@karenmartin7978]

I've known many of these idioms since I was knee-high to a grasshopper.

[@R.M.MacFru]

Good god....I'm older than dirt.

[@lizlee6290]

@tristan stanley Wait, weren't you wet behind the ears?

[@YaNevrNo]

😂😂😂

[@ozywomandius2290]

tristan stanley wait-you were green behind the ears?! Sounds like you were ridden hard and put away wet! 😂

[@gingerelainefrodsham831]

😆👏

[@autocon2002]

“Like a bat out of hell” “That dog won’t hunt” “Barking up the wrong tree” “Screen door on a submarine” “Play the hand you’re dealt” “Got the short end of the stick” “All that and a bag of chips”

[@janettamcgee8124]

You listed my favorite: that dog don't hunt.

[@thewelderdude]

To be fair, if you flex-seal the screen door on the sub, it will be fine. lol

[@nunyabidness674]

Getting knocked up... means something TOTALLY different across the pond, there it's a wake-up call

[@onemercilessming1342]

Ironscythe--You didn't mention "sh*t end of the stick" which traces back to ancient Roman public latrines and the bit of sponge on a stick to wipe their behinds with. If you picked it up the wrong way, you got the sh*t end of the stick.

[@baylorsailor]

In 7th grade 1996, a boy said I "was all that and a bag of chips" lmao! I laughed because I wasn't sure what he even meant at the time. 😂😂

[@mud213]

I have become fascinated with mixed-metaphors that have taken on a life of their own. My favorite is "we'll burn that bridge when we come to it".

[@angelcollina]

A friend I have says, “That’s a whole nother kettle of monkeys.”

[@joshiahayash]

You were close to the origins of "out of left field" when you referenced the Cubs. Back in the early 20th century there was a mental hospital located a few blocks north of Wrigley Field, behind left field. An idea "out of left field" came from the direction of the "mental hospital". Thus, seemingly out of nowhere, bizarre, mental.

[@sallymount3979]

Wow!

[@tomheineman4369]

Didn't the Wackos yell random comments.

[@davewilliams1157]

And here, I thought it was because left field is typically the least active position.

[@MarcosElMalo2]

@@davewilliams1157 I’d go with your explanation. Josiah’s explanation is overly specific and incredibly obscure-it has the sound of an explanation invented after a phrase entered common usage. Basically, the sort of thing someone would say as a put-on, a tall tale. There is a tendency for some to bullshit for the sake of bullshitting.

[@anintellectualcarrot]

When I was on the grounds crew at Wrigley, we used the old locker room behind left field and the door out in left field. We were of bunch of mad lads that quite literally came out of left field.

[@smagurugals]

One I use all the time is , “that ship has sailed”...

[@theloseph]

I prefer "that horse has left the barn, cowboy"

[@BloodyBay]

I never really heard that idiom before _The Incredibles_ hit the cinemas. _After_ that, I started hearing it all the time! Syndrome was socially influential like that. :-D

[@scottbilger9294]

"missed the boat"

[@thehegdes1305]

The ship has sinked :(

[@samjordan8800]

@The Hegde's That's like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.

[@KelsaRavenlock]

When someone would say "I wouldn't touch that with a 10 foot pole" my father would always ask them "how about a 8 foot Italian?".

[@vh6307]

First time hearing about the Italian!! My older cousin would jokingly say " an 8ft Scott"!! 😉🤭

[@ANGeLEk1_89]

Ha!!!😁

[@KairuHakubi]

oh dad jokes

[@princesslisamarie7860]

😂😂😂

[@quonietamurphy9511]

How about two 5 ft. Checoslavakia

[@MikeDCWeld]

The "don't count your chickens before they hatch" is actually a warning that things may not go according to plan. Essentially, some of the chickens won't hatch, so you'll have fewer chickens than you anticipated, not more.

[@lamenwatch1877]

Exactly. I couldn't tell, but maybe the "twins" thing was a joke?

[@cacogenicist]

It's a warning against making some not-yet-safe assumption, where something could still go wrong to prevent your assumption from being true.

[@auldfouter8661]

Two terms - " incubator clears" are eggs that don't develop and can be detected by candling ( shining a bright light behind them) . If this is done at 7 days ( large fowl eggs take 21 days to hatch) the eggs used to be deemed still usable. "Dead in shell" are those eggs that fully developed but the chick was unable to hatch.

[@thefacelessmannn]

R/wooosh

[@barbaramatthews4735]

​@lamenwatch1877 have you ever seen an egg with two yokes. They are rare but they exist.

[@crazydougfam]

“All hat no cattle” is my favorite idiom

[@unaBRIDGEd32]

This is one I didn’t hear until I moved to Texas, and people always meant it literally. 🤦🏾‍♀️

[@carolethorn3211]

"All hat and no cattle"!!! Ha ha ha ha! I heard that for the very first time recently! It's perfectly brilliant in its simplicity and clarity!

[@maryfrederickson9400]

Used a lot in Texas.

[@stefanfrankel8157]

They used to use that when talking about W.

[@Heartwing37]

Love it! This is our world today….posers everywhere!

[@davesunhammer4218]

You still need to learn the difference between "out of left field" and "out in left field". It is subtle but important. Are you picking up what I am putting down?

[@ricoludovici2825]

@@MChevalier13 Sorry man, but that was a swing and a miss. Out in left field means 'at sea'. The other means something like 'out of the blue.'

[@willar1338]

Yes, out in left field means you haven’t got a clue. Out of left field is the answer to “where did that crazy idea come from?”

[@KelsaRavenlock]

Out of left field = unexpected , random, non sequitur, not accounted for, or sudden catching you off guard. Out in left field = daydreaming, not paying attention, doing or proposing something that doesn't make sense to the situation, Offering advise or guidance when you don't have a proper veiw or knowledge of an issue. These are the ways they have been used in my life. Also occasionally in some situations I have seen "out in the weeds" substituted for "out in left field" for the last example of usage.

[@russirish89]

@@KelsaRavenlock which as most batters are right handed, right field would make more sense

[@whoahanant]

XD I like how you included a third idiom there

[@clrobinson1776]

Good Lord willin’ and the creeks don’t rise.

[@rellman85]

My Mom's family is from Appalachia, so I grew up hearing that one all the time.

[@catherinewhite2943]

It doesn't reference watercourses, but rather the Creek Indians.

[@lics01]

Growing up I always heard "crick" instead of creek even from folks who would never use the word crick any other time.

[@jsapcakrrow]

I still use this one. :)

[@mikefranklin1253]

Dates from the very early 1800s when the Creeks(not water courses) were a real problem.

[@shellyfitzgerald3243]

A turn of phrase I use regularly is "herding cats" - it applies to so many situations, especially when working with people across different departments.

[@avalerie4467]

It can be in one's family. Say, before an important event, like getting in the car ! 😂 Getting our group together is like herding cats. It's impossible to round them up. Each and every time !

[@ah5721]

​@@avalerie4467 my inside joke to my mama is that I gotta herding my cats because getting my family out the door is like herding on bunch of cats!

[@thy1fallen]

As someone who lives in the south "If it was a snake it would have bit me"

[@JustPlayTheGame76]

When I worked retail I used to tell customers "They need a first aid kit in this area from all the snake bites people get." lol

[@thy1fallen]

@@JustPlayTheGame76 lol

[@AmyAndThePup]

lol. I use that one all the time. xD

[@hartubmoses6645]

Nowadays some of us just calmly say "snake", when someone overlooks something.

[@carlablair9898]

Or, good thing it wasn't a snake.

[@s.d.703]

"let's table that" I always thought was a bit interesting between the two. If we "table it" in America, we are setting it aside. If you "table it" in Britain, you are dealing with it now.

[@jjohn4874]

I believe in America it means putting it to rest.

[@s.d.703]

@@jjohn4874 By "setting it aside" I mean the same as put it to rest albeit temporarily. Whenever I have seen it used, it is a temporary state. The topic/issue is not "put to bed" or permanently let go. It is temporarily set aside "Let's table this discussion for now." At least that connotation is how I have always seen it used and have used it myself.

[@DawnDavidson]

Yes, to “table it” means setting it aside for right now. But something is “on the table” if it’s being considered.

[@Razzy-sr4oq]

Very interesting debate, but let's put a pin in it for now, shall we? ;)

[@dcarbs2979]

There is the "Tabling a motion" in UK parliament. Where someone proposes a law framework to be voted on before the law gets drafted.

[@Leon-wz1js]

"A lot of American idioms are about money, and that makes cents."

[@TheHTAA]

aaaaaand then we have THIS^^^ GUY!

[@Leon-wz1js]

@@TheHTAA Hey! I resemble that remark!!!

[@sailorcaramel]

the door is on your right. lol

[@ironcrapprgaming]

Ba-dum-pa-tisss. Not the comment we wanted, but the comment we needed....

[@eljefescientist5726]

million dollar pun

[@DaltonKevinM]

As an American who enjoys learning other languages and cultures, I was shocked to learn how full my speech was with idioms. My friends in Japan who were studying English had a hard time understanding me. But I'm from Minnesota; if you really want to wallow in American idioms, take a trip down south. In fact, you might enjoy doing an episode on southern American idioms. Even we find those idioms amusing

[@peachykeen7634]

Legit. I just realized we have to code switch to eliminate idioms from southern speech 🤣 southern hyperbole + idioms… people’s be up the creek without a paddle.

[@ronhutcherson9845]

Mel Blank gave the cartoon character Foghorn Leghorn a Southern accent and then they filled every sentence with funny idioms.

[@boadiceameridionalis3732]

@@peachykeen7634 Naw, sis, go with it. They think we're short a sheet anyway down here. 🙂 Laughing because I don't know how that last sentence connects to thinking someone is mentally deficient or crazy.

[@fnors2]

@@boadiceameridionalis3732 That last one is easy to explain. "Missing a sheet" or "Missing a few pages" is basically about not having a full book, missing chapters/instruction, etc. The book is incomplete. And well, here book = brain. So yeah, missing a few pages means the person didn't learn everything one is expected to have learned or lost/forgot basic things.

[@boadiceameridionalis3732]

@@fnors2 Thank you so much! It is nice to have that fleshed out, it had long been something to say without thinking of its origin. I feel a bit silly not having caught on to it, but that makes perfect sense. I thought it might have had something to do with bedsheets, as many folks were so poor their things were mis-matched or incomplete sets (bringing on another idiom that people didn't "have a pot to piss in," which is common saying and occurrence in my home area).

[@daniellogan-scott5968]

I'm American who has lived in Glasgow, Scotland for over 20 years. I have found that the American idioms and the British idioms (plus the uniquely Scottish ones) have all mixed in my brain as if it were a giant bin and I forget which is American and which is British. So I find myself using the idioms and words interchangeably like synonyms.

[@smurphy5033]

Playing hardball. Piece of cake. Costs an arm and a leg.

[@emzkoe3904]

I have a friend from the Philippines and she had never heard "break the ice" before.

[@allanrichardson1468]

emz koe Ice? What’s ice? I was just reminded of the musical “The King and I” (which I saw performed by a community theater some years ago). The play is based on the true story of an English nanny hired (via mail order) by the King of Siam (Thailand) in the mid-19th century to teach the king’s children about the outside world and how to speak English. One of the scenes toward the end of the play is a performance of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” by the children, as THEY understood it. The child narrator had no idea that a river could freeze, so they acted out something like the crossing of the Red Sea, with the slaves praying to Buddha to make the water turn hard so they could walk across. I don’t remember the exact details, but the play within the play had a number of examples of Thai children not understanding something written about Americans living in a very different culture from their own.

[@emzkoe3904]

@@allanrichardson1468 I remember her telling me how excited she was to see her first snow. I was like..snow is the worst, dude. Lol. She still loves it. I don't know if it was coming across that I was like belittling her or anything because she actually knows most idioms I have I used. That was just one she didnt. I remember reading something where this guy said his daughter asked why we "hang up" the phone since kids are raised on cell phones now which you just "end call" lol. Just like we use "roll up" windows even when you have auto ones. 🤯🤯

[@familybills2908]

Allan Richardson I remember the play in the movie ‘The King and I’ - many funny misunderstandings in that play by the children.

[@whiterabbit75]

That's no cake walk.

[@cajuncraftysue]

“He’s just whistling Dixie” meaning he’s not paying attention to what’s going on in the world, at the time, etc. In his own little world.

[@BODUKE3201]

I do that all the time lol. I am always in my own little world.

[@ronhutcherson9845]

I think it has multiple applications. I like when it’s used for pretending nothing is wrong. Which reminds me of a different one, “Whistling past a graveyard.”

[@jayaskme2942]

My dad's side of the family all said "your father wasn't a glass maker" if anyone was standing in front of the TV

[@ellemueller]

​@@ronhutcherson9845 to whistle past a graveyard is to act or speak as if one is relaxed and not afraid when one is actually afraid, nervous, or intimidated in a way that they feel threatened. "He shows a confident manner, but he may just be whistling past the graveyard." The idiom whistling past the graveyard is believed to have originated in the United States, though the roots of the sentiment expressed in the idiom may be found in a poem called The Grave, written by the Scottish poet, Robert Blair, in 1743: “Oft in the lone church-yard at night I’ve seen, By glimpse of moon-shine, chequering through the trees, The school-boy, with his satchel in his hand, Whistling aloud to bear his courage up […]” Surely the idea of whistling to bolster one’s courage is an old one, and whistling while one passes a graveyard is probably equally as old. Some have said whistling was in use because it was improper to sing in the presence of the dead, though I've no proper idea whether that is what led so many to whistle past the dead for so many years of history.

[@vicroc4]

And then of course you have the opposite, "He ain't just whistlin' Dixie." Meaning that the person in question isn't making things up, or that they have a good point.

[@trerro8339]

I was working in a warehouse where to unjam an overhead belt, we'd poke between the rollers with a really long pole to save having to go up there. Someone who had just started made an "I'm not touching that with a 10' pole" remark in response to something, and the nearest person immediately grabbed it, passed it to him and said, "No problem, here's a 12!" The look on his face was priceless.

[@sherieffiong853]

😂😂😂😂

[@janiesippel225]

A few of my favorites: Easy as pie, drop of a hat, barking up the wrong tree, best thing since sliced bread, burning the candle at both ends, hold your horses, elbow grease, when pigs fly, right as rain, speak of the devil and from the horses mouth. 😁

[@donnabelvin2201]

Does anyone besides Texans say "haul ass" for going really fast?

[@scottreynolds3565]

Janie Sippel, I know you made this comment months ago but when pigs 🐖 fly is favorite saying of mine. One day I realized that the only time pigs fly is during a tornado 🌪

[@dizzylizzy6839]

Easy as pie... But actually, making a perfect pie... Isn't really easy without practice....

[@azurephoenix9546]

@@donnabelvin2201 we always did.

[@dennyj8650]

@@donnabelvin2201 We did, in Illinois and Wisconsin.

[@MsNovemberDaisy]

I used the phrase "hit me like a mack truck" to describe my emotions overwhelming me and my friend from the east coast (of the us) said that until she moved to Idaho for grad school she had never heard that phrase.

[@peterdean8009]

Now tell us non-Americans what a mack truck is

[@MsNovemberDaisy]

@@peterdean8009 Mack is a brand of semi trucks. Mack Trucks, Inc is the company name. The grill has the uppercase M A C K in a rectangle and sometimes includes their logo, a bulldog. There's a good wiki page about it, if you'd like to know more. :)

[@angiebee2225]

Strange, because I had a coworker in NY state who loved saying, "it's like a Mack truck hitting a Yugo."

[@meliponalord8892]

Here in Texas, we just say "Hit me like a semi truck."

[@Mick_Ts_Chick]

I'm from NC and have definitely heard this used.

[@snarkycard]

Oh, and don't forget, according to the song, 'You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch' ; "I wouldn't touch you with a thirty-nine-and-a-half foot pole! ". That's almost 4 times longer than your standard 10 foot pole. That's just how foul Mr. Grinch really is. Yep.

[@daviddavid9837]

Snark, size isn't everything.

[@joeruth123]

I came to the comments just for this

[@dobiebloke9311]

snarkycard - Actually, I think it was a '39 and a 'one' half foot pole', but your point is taken.

[@BakedRBeans]

@@dobiebloke9311 i agree with snarkycard: "a thirty-nine and-A-half-foot pole" I will wait until Christmas to check.

[@ginger1549]

I'm from Pittsburgh but now live in Florida. Recently I was food shopping and the young man at the deli said, as we were leaving "Yinz have a nice day." OMG how fun it was to hear! I was married to a brit who had a cockney accent - then after many years living in Pittsburgh his accent was a combo of yinzer and cockney. No one knew what he was saying most of the time.

[@llamasugar5478]

“You’re a sight for sore eyes!” “I haven’t seen you in a month of Sundays!” (A long time) “It’s six of one, half a dozen of the other.” (There’s no real difference between two choices) “He’s gettin’ too big for his britches.” (Has an overinflated view of his importance/authority)

[@lestermount3287]

get off your high horse.

[@weekendmom]

Comparing apples to oranges.

[@normahogarth6695]

How about "it's the same difference"?

[@robertgary3561]

Also heard it abbreviated as “it’s 6’s”.

[@IceMetalPunk]

I'm American (from Florida), and I've never in my life heard the phrase "month of Sundays". Maybe it's a regional thing?

[@rachelleyeung]

I'm a Canadian living in America, and I've just discovered your channel. The content could not be more relevant to my experience.

[@valerielansford565]

"That dog don't hunt" has to be my favorite.

[@Bacopa68]

"I got no dog in this fight" is another good one.

[@iamblackthorne]

Or "Hit dog hollers."

[@robertgary3561]

That’s limited to the south though. You’d get strange looks in California with that.

[@philhatfield2282]

We had a governor that used to use that idiom while speaking about budgets presented by the state legislature. He also used a heated branding iron with the word VETO on it to veto the various bills. He was a "kick in the pants".

[@davidbeaulieu4815]

Never heard that one.

[@jeanjones3364]

An idiom regional to Massachusetts is " Light dawns over Marblehead" another one often used is " you're skating on thin ice". Keep making your shows, I enjoy watching them, thank you.

[@vicroc4]

The "thin ice" one isn't unique to Massachusetts. In fact I'm not entirely sure that's uniquely American.

[@oldsguy354]

Thinking of Massachusetts the words "wicked blinkuh" come to mind lol

[@kennethepps3425]

The American south is a treasure trove of idioms. "That dog'll hunt"(that will do), "cursed a blue streak"(a rant), "madder than a wet hen"(visibly upset), just to name a frew.

[@jamesgarlick4573]

That's why cartoons and sitcoms make fun of the trope of "big book of southern senseless idioms" in one form or another (one example is in Spongebob Squarepants, Plankton pulls out a massive "book of texas idioms" and read off a fake idiom lol)

[@geeman215]

How about- "Hit dog will holler"? You throw a rock in a pack of mad dogs. The ones that's hit, will let out a yelp...

[@Moonchilling]

One of my favorites that I learned living in Texas... “Build a bridge”

[@Annie_Annie__]

"Crooked as a dog’s hind leg" is one of my favorites.

[@kennethepps3425]

@@Annie_Annie__ That was one of my grandmothers go to idioms

[@mainstay.]

Talk about the idiom " To Table" something. And how it means the complete opposite in the UK as to in the USA. And how this was a dangerous misunderstanding during WW2. When the Alies ( (UK and US ) were discussing plans and ideas, and one side said " I think we should table that" the other side completely understanding it to mean the opposite of the original intent.

[@AmyAndThePup]

Oh my. I didn't know that. Now, of course, I have to go read up on this.

[@wessexdruid5290]

Or, more recently, in Iraq, where US & UK troops both agreed entry to a building should be via the first floor... (In the UK, it's ground floor, then UP to the first floor. They brought ladders.)

[@Kumquat_Lord]

Reminds me of a story from the LA riots: the national guard were helping the police at a house where the father had taken the mom and kids hostage. The officer yelled "COVER ME" which in police lexicon means 'keep your guns pointed on that point and be ready to help me if things go south". In military terms, it means "provide a covering base of fire", AKA, start fucking shooting to keep the bad guy's head down. It was rather fortunate everyone survived.

[@desperateambrose5373]

"My doctor said I look like a million dollars - green and wrinkled." ~ Red Skelton

[@CaptainFrost32]

"and then I saw his bill - for a million dollars."

[@patriciagerresheim2500]

I grew up with the phrase 'to throw a monkey wrench in the works', perhaps a regional variant. I learned about the British version thanks to the pun in the title of John Lennon's book 'A Spaniard in the Works'.

[@vicroc4]

I'm going to guess the version without the "monkey" in it is the regional variant, because I can't recall a time before this video that I heard the phrase without it.

[@handysmurf7183]

“The bus finally hit you”or “you got the message” - meaning the person with whom you are speaking finally understands something. There is a Portuguese equivalent to this idiom which roughly translates as “ and now arrives to you a sausage” - which my dad said all the time.

[@danielleking262]

We've shortened it to "and there it is" when we see it finally "clicks" with that person, lol

[@juliewhite7469]

Hold your horses, for crying out loud, can't see through mud, don't let the screen door hit you, pretty as a picture, smart as a whip, hell or high water, apples and oranges . . .

[@garycraig6506]

“If I never see you again it would be too soon!”

[@BloodyBay]

"She's uglier than a mud fence." "His walls don't go all the way to the ceiling." "He's a few fries short of a Happy Meal." "You're as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs."

[@raveousone]

i prefer don't let the door hit you where the good lord split you...

[@Melissa-wx4lu]

Pushing up daisies. Bought the farm Kicked the bucket bite the dust Gone belly up Cashed in his chips

[@Lost_n_Found_1]

Punched his ticket

[@dannyp2267]

When I worked as a police & fire dispatcher we used “10-7 no phone.” 10-7 is code for “out of service.” Also you could use the term “priority 4.,” both mean the same thing. And then here in NJ one could say “sleeping with the fishes.”

[@JudgeJulieLit]

Swim with the fishes. Assume room temperature.

[@shannonleigh9982]

"ti%s up"

[@SaltyPirate71]

Taking a dirt nap

[@Saezimmerman]

We have loads of regional idioms. Some of my favorites are from the south (Southernisms): "Lord willing and the creek don't rise" "That boy don't know come 'ere from sic'em." "That's about as useful as socks on a rooster" "That dog don't hunt!"

[@vicroc4]

Southern idioms are probably my favorite regional variations. And Lord A'mighty there's a lot of 'em!

[@SwellOnWheels]

My Mawmaw (OK/MS) used to say "It'll be a pig's foot in the morning", which meant that something that seems like a big, upsetting thing will seem much less important after a good sleep, or that literally a wound or booboo will be all healed by morning. I never did figure that expression out though!! 🤔

[@oldsguy354]

Some of my favorite southernisms: "She ain't hard to look at" or "Easy on the eyes" (a very good looking lady) If you looked tired, worn out, beat up, or dirty/disheveled you could expect to hear "Dam, you look like a hundred dollars" (quite a bit less than the million you had hoped for lol) "He lit up outa here faster than a scalded dog" (pretty self explanatory) "He passed me like I was going the other way" (quite a bit faster than if I was standing still) "He was going faster than sh*t through a goose" "Sweating like a whore in church" or "It ain't hot enough to be breaking that kinda sweat" (very nervous and edgy implying guilt of something and knows judgement is nigh) "If it's got webbed feet, a bill, and quacks alot, that's probably a duck." (Sometimes things really are what they appear to be, even when we don't want it to be so) I knew I was a real southerner when someone described the color of something as 'bass boat red' and I knew exactly what color they were talking about.

[@alexandercruz3796]

Hilarious 🤣 As English being my second language I can relate to the initial confusion of learning the meaning behind all of these idioms. When I first joined the military, I didn't go through an English language school. Imagine my frustration when introduced to so many that could make anyone's head spin. I took everything literally and folks would just laugh at my baffled expressions. On top of that, I mostly went to training with southerners, which made it extra juicy with idioms. Great content 🙌🏾

[@allanrichardson1468]

At one point in the (second) time travel Star Trek movie, First Contact, the inventor of warp drive, in the process of setting up his first test flight, commented to Data, the android crew member, “I need to go take a leak.” Data responded, “why are you leaking?”

[@christelheadington1136]

Oo, ooo, were you a Buck Private ?

[@Rocketboy991]

@@allanrichardson1468 go see a man about a horse

[@dobiebloke9311]

Alexander Cruz- I don't know what your first language is, but welcome aboard. As to being raised by southerners, language-wise, you could have done worse.

[@alexandercruz3796]

@@dobiebloke9311 thanks man 🙏🏾 As a matter of fact, my first language is Spanish.

[@carrieswank]

I’m so glad you’re doing this 😊 I used to teach English as a Second Language, it was so difficult to explain idioms. (Okay, I wrote that comment BEFORE you gave me a shout-out! So I had to edit my comment.) I’m way more excited than I probably should be...

[@sherridillavou7055]

When something smelled bad my grandfather used to say it could “knock a buzzard off a shit wagon”🤷‍♀️

[@lizlee6290]

Interesting! My grandma used to say something smelled so bad it could "knock a dog off a gut wagon".

[@dobiebloke9311]

@@lizlee6290 - I get it. My grandgather had a parakeet. He called him 'Fluffy', then he called him 'Flutter', then, he called him 'Stinky', then he callled him 'Bones'.

[@user-dm1zs3xr5u]

Lmao!

[@shannonleigh9982]

mine would say that it would "puke a buzzard off a gut wagon"

[@spiffyspits3605]

LOL!!!

[@meliponalord8892]

Here's a Southern favorite: "Bless your heart," similar to "Oh, you sweet summer child." Essentially calling someone naive or foolish. Some more idioms that I know, which according to some websites are American in particular (Although I'm not certain) are "Hold your horses", "Got your goat," "Blowing up a storm," "To have a crush," "Spill the beans," "Jonesing," "Until the cows come home," and "As all getout."

[@vicroc4]

Wouldn't be surprised of most of those have a Southern origin as well. Southerners do tend to be fond of a good turn of a phrase.

[@thudthud5423]

Okay, I got really curious when I thought the title of this video was: "5 Idiots I Picked Up After Moving to America."

[@avatar997]

That would have been a fascinating study...

[@maryclarafjare]

Thud Thud 😂😂😂

[@protorhinocerator142]

Melvin, Gus, Gus Jr., Zeke, and Irving Fussbudget III. There were 6 but Jeff died.

[@annep.1905]

😂😂😂😂

[@PTFVBVB]

He picked up a side gig as a Lyft driver

[@gailplacko3197]

My mother used to say " it's raining cats and dogs " referring to a heavy downpour.

[@garylangley4502]

Maybe she stepped in a poodle....

[@steevenfrost]

We called them "the dancing fairies" because when the rain drops landed they splashed up and looked like that.

[@ElbowPatchKing]

One of my dad's favorite: "As lost as an Easter egg in August". Always makes me chuckle 🤭

[@wessexdruid5290]

More use than a chocolate teapot, certainly.

[@DawnDavidson]

Never heard that, but that certainly would be VERY lost! Also, I wouldn’t touch that egg with a ten-foot pole!!

[@denniskaminski7006]

Great video as always. Only one minor thing, chickens never have twins. It would be impossible for 2 embryos to develop in one egg. Just not enough room. Although, we do get double-yokers from time to time. Our hens will set on a nest of usually 12 or so eggs. But not all will hatch for a variety of reasons. Nothing is for certain! I love your videos. I wish you would do one with literal words. I used to teach my classes things like spanner vs. wrench, lorry vs. truck and nappy vs. diaper. I'd love to hear more of these.

[@vicroc4]

That was always how I figured it, that you never know if all of your eggs are going to hatch. And some chicks aren't going to make it all the way out even if they get close to hatching, so don't count 'em until they've all come out.

[@WaltzingAustralia]

It was when I spent a semester in England, long years ago, that I came to understand the word play in the title of John Lennon's book, "A Spaniard in the Works." So this goes both ways -- our not understanding British idioms, such as one involving a spanner. But thanks as always for the fun and thoughtful video.

[@joshoreilly4880]

Interesting! Here in Ireland, we (or in my experience) use a combination of the barge pole expression, saying : i wouldn't touch that with a ten foot barge pole!

[@alakani]

How about an 8 foot barge pole, or a 10 foot cat pole?

[@crazykhespar8487]

Ill touch you with my 10 foot barge cat pole

[@nemaru]

“You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink” “Don’t burn you bridges” “I’ll cross that bridge when I get there.” And my fave: “I’ll burn that bridge when I get to it”

[@andycofin6983]

You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink. But you can salt his oats, lol

[@carolgage4569]

Like rocket surgery.....

[@MelaniePoparad]

“Kick the can down the road”

[@bland9876]

my dad said he heard someone say "kiss my brown noes" Malaphor is an informal term for a mixture of two aphorisms, idioms, or clichés (such as "We'll burn that bridge when we come to it"). Also called an idiom blend. www.thoughtco.com/malaphor-word-play-1691298#:~:text=Malaphor%20is%20an%20informal%20term,Also%20called%20an%20idiom%20blend.

[@3DPDK]

" ... lead a horse to water, but ... " has been around for quit a while. It is found in Old English writings as far back as late 1100s, long before America was a glint in Queen Isabella's eye. "don't burn your bridges" may go back even further than that since it was the practice of the Imperial Roman Army (Biblical times) to destroy bridges and paths leading into a city they were attacking. This had the effect of leaving the town's defenders no route to escape, but also meant the Roman soldiers had to win the battle since they had no route to retreat, either. The thought is that the development of the Holy Roman Empire also brought with it a less brutish method for fighting it's wars and leaving a means of escape was more ... prudent for the sake of the Roman soldiers. Long before it was a common every day idiom it was "military strategic wisdom" and certainly not of American origin. " ... cross that bridge ... " is believed to have been originally penned by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow which does make this an American idiom. " ... burn that bridge ... " is a typical Americanized, sarcastic combining of the two previous idioms.

[@anepicotter4595]

I like the old meaning off picking yourself up by your bootstraps. It’s a pretty clever way to knowingly tell somebody to accomplish the impossible

[@nasanasa3]

And here I am in Canada saying "ten-foot barge pole"

[@pudder68]

typical Canadian trying to be polite and make everyone happy hahaha

[@damonwilliams7899]

Exactly the same expression we have in British English.

[@jamesgarlick4573]

Trying to play both sides of the pond, I see... well played, sir

[@TheHTAA]

one more reason to think Canadians are adorable.

[@moi01887]

Shouldn't you be saying "a 3.048-meter barge pole"?

[@christinestockman7042]

Made husband told a French friend "You are pulling my leg. The friend looked at his legs and said "no I'm not ".

[@samanthab1923]

I think the same goes for all the slang we use too. My sister in law is from the DR & she only learned English at 18 when she came here. I once said shades, about sunglasses & my brother said she doesn't know what that means.

[@webbess1]

Damn, you've got Great Courses sponsoring you? Congratulations!

[@michaelsmith-iu1be]

He really snuck that in quite well.

[@soraos21]

my favorite thing about idioms is that you can mix and match them. my two favorite ones to throw together are "opening a can of worms" and "you made your bed, now lay in it". the first is usually used to refer to something as not just odious to handle, but also something used to attract possibly unwanted persons(because a can of worms is usually used as bait for fishing, and the best worms to have are still living ones). and the other saying means that a scenraio that someone is experiencing is of their own design, and since this happened because of them they need to live with the consequences. which makes the mashed up phrase of "you opened this can of worms, now lay in it" really fun to say to someone.

[@cynicalrabbit915]

To me "Opening a can of worms" Means you've made something more complicated than it needed to be.

[@jnharton]

Opening up a can of worms has, afaik. the meaning of having gotten into something (or things) unpleasant that you are unable to easily back out of. A literal can of live worms seems like a plausible explanation for that thrn of phrase.

[@cynicalrabbit915]

Soraos21 You pretty much described my life with those 2 sayings and even the combination fit all too well. Sometimes we unknowingly open a can of worms, not meaning to and by not doing anything wrong but doing something someone else took exception too and set out to make your life miserable. Sometimes when crap like that happens there is little to do but try to survive or find a way out of the immediate toxic environment, letting them kinda win but actually end up in a better place doing your best to just live a good life and hope karma catches up to them at some point.

[@Mike-rf5tz]

You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him lay in it.

[@Lukestaaaa]

I thought to "open a can of worms" means to start a conversation or perform an action that will likely lead to multiple other uncomfortable conversations / situations . "Let's not open that can of worms" = "let's not go there, it's more trouble than it's worth" 😅

[@quinntech7254]

"one card short of a full deck" "a stitch in time saves nine" "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure"

[@danielleking262]

That reminds me "two birds with one stone" lol

[@coyotech55]

We can thank Ben Franklin for a lot of those!

[@oldsguy354]

My favorite "He's one basket short of a picnic" lol

[@tiffanyethilda]

I grew up in MN. It’s cold for like 9 months of the year. One idiom that was used often: slower then molasses in January. 😂🤷🏻‍♀️

[@anapexartist5702]

My best friend's mom often said, "That's the way the cookie crumbles." Here's one I'm pretty sure they haven't heard in the UK or most likely have no idea its reference: when someone says they plead the fifth.

[@skyden24195]

Have you seen Disney/Pixar's series, "Forky Asks A Question," In particular Forky's question about leaders? I ask because its relationship to the idiom you mention, "That's the way the cookie crumbles."

[@anapexartist5702]

@@skyden24195 No I haven't. It seems it's become obsolete as I never hear anyone say it anymore. It was said more in the 60s and 70s.

[@skyden24195]

@@anapexartist5702 in short summary, Toy Story 4's "Forky" becomes obsessed with the phrase, "That's the way the cookie crumbles." Which becomes the only thing Forky will say much to the annoyance of the doll & toy leader "Sally."

[@anapexartist5702]

@@skyden24195 😄

[@allanrichardson1468]

Maybe the British say, “That’s the way the BISCUIT crumbles?” I remember hearing a comedian say, in reference to an auto accident, “That’s the way the Mercedes bends.”

[@JudgeJulieLit]

A "wrench in the works" is not a repairman's tool inserted to fix it; it is a sabot (French for "shoe," as a peasant clog) flung by a disgruntled worker into machinery to sabotage it. You really wrenched the primordial meaning of that old chestnut !

[@normanhosford2506]

"Wrench in the works" is needed instead of "sabotage" when the works are powerful enough to grind up a sabot.

[@petuniabloom]

A similar one is "threw a stick in the spokes" (Ow!)

[@terrybyrd3738]

similar to bringing something to a 'screeching halt'

[@taraa3456]

“All bets are off” is used in the UK quite often.

[@thrakkorzog75002]

Yeah, there's a bit in Snatch where some guys try to rob an OTB place, and are told that all bets are off. The lady working the window then has to explain to the robbers that because all bets are off, there isn't anything to rob, aside from maybe some loose change.

[@kimharding2246]

I’ve always heard “I feel like a million bucks.” “Throwing a monkey wrench in the works.” My grandmother used to say “A stitch in time saves nine.” Then there’s always “Passing the buck.” And my favorite, “23 Skidoo!” 🤣

[@JeanieD]

Kim Harding, “23 skidoo.” Popular in the 1920’s.

[@kimharding2246]

GingerJeanie Yes.. and to this day I always say “I’ve got to skidoodle”... probably because of that 1920 expression.

[@protorhinocerator142]

I have since upgraded to 25 skidoo. 24 was a HUGE mistake. Don't go there.

[@jamiefries4427]

@@kimharding2246 omgosh. I say, "scadaddle," and at least atm it's kinda mind blowing to know there are other versions. Cool.

[@kimharding2246]

Proto Rhinocerator LOL! 23 was from 23rd Street in NYC. So I guess you’re traveling away from Times Square. Ha!

[@richardbarber5911]

My friend, you are absolutely hilarious. I have tears in my eyes. I LOVE your dry humour! Cheers from an Aussie living in Florida :)

[@DravenGal]

Well. I learned something today. Ain’t that a hoot! You could knock me over with a feather, I’m so surprised at some of these tidbits. But don’t get a swelled head, just because you taught me something. But you can smile like the cat who ate the canary because your videos are both entertaining AND educational!

[@davidwise1302]

My father's favorite which he had learned in Texas was, "Then I'd have to explain to you how the cow ate the cabbage." I grew up hearing it, but it never failed to confuse my son.

[@RepentfollowJesus]

We in Texas say , I told him how the cow ate the cabbage! Telling someone off is what we mean.

[@jnharton]

Curious. I assume it's about very deliberately explaining how something happened, which should have been obvious, in a tone suggesting the listener is an idiot.... Presumably if cows get loose they may devastate any nearby vegetation that looks tasty...

[@Purpless_ON]

​@@jnharton In the south it's like double speak, we insult people kindly. There's the literal meaning, and then there's what we all know it means. Bless your heart.

[@Levacque]

I'd ask what it means, but I'm pretty sure you would just repeat the idiom at me every time I ask for an explanation.

[@Levacque]

​@@Purpless_ONwhen I learned that your final line is typically an insult, my whole view of the South had to be re-evaluated. There are some deep layers to the communication, for sure.

[@bretsheeley4034]

I never thought there was a literal 10-foot pole whenever the idiom was used. I just thought it meant, "Not only am I not touching that, I'm not touching it with a stick; and not just any stick, but a long one. One that still requires me to be a good distance away. Even then, I'm not touching that." Hell, I've heard people follow-up the saying by using "I'm not touching that with a hundred-foot pole."

[@sojoboscribe1342]

Reminds me of when I was sending a message to someone in the Netherlands and he emailed back asking what I had meant by my computer being "on the Fritz". It literally never occurred to me that wasn't a universal expression in English.

[@rachelburgin1160]

In the UK “ten a penny” would mean the same as “dime a dozen”.

[@SarahLizDoan]

Very interesting

[@ftumschk]

I'm more familiar with "two a penny". I guess that's inflation for you :)

[@tc2882]

Oh-h-h-h-h... you and your fancy metric system, idn't it?

[@cazharris5581]

@@tc2882 We are supposed to be metric but still use Miles(+per hour) Go figure...as I think you say in the US 😜

[@cazharris5581]

Plus my OH measures in inches but I use centimetres - he’s a bit older than me though

[@MikeDial]

I didn't understand the title of John Lennon's book "A Spaniard in the Works" until I found out decades later that the Brits call a wrench a spanner and that he was playing on the word spanner.

[@TrekBeatTK]

Further variant on the wrench thing is “monkey wrench”. As in, “boy, that throws a monkey wrench in things!”

[@urmorph]

What the Brits call an adjustable spanner.

[@LaundryFaerie]

That's the way I always heard it. Or, as my high school poetry teacher put it, "Then someone threw a monkey wrench in Paradise and everything went to hell." He was fun.

[@jenniferpanther2979]

Yep. That's the way I always heard it. In fact, I used to say about my late first husband, "He's always throwing monkey wrenches!" 😂

[@HEllis-qu5nn]

That's how I know it

[@ronniechilds2002]

Same thing when we go over there or watch Brit movies and TV. Brits make fantastic use of idioms: In for a penny, in for a pound; chalk and cheese; Bob's your uncle; bog standard....countless. There are enough cool idioms in a single Jeeves and Wooster episode to fill a book.

[@laumay7364]

" Cat got your tongue" is one of my favorites referring to the fear of the cat 'o nine used to discipline.

[@WyattRyeSway]

lau May ...I wondered why that was a saying! Cats don’t have your tongues. Now I get it. Brilliant!

[@victorwaddell6530]

There's not enough room in this comment section to swing a cat .

[@christelheadington1136]

@@victorwaddell6530 "a dead cat"...a live one would be cruel.

[@victorwaddell6530]

@@christelheadington1136 Same cat o' nine .

[@dobiebloke9311]

lau May - Interesting. I always thought I understood that phrase, but in a more literal sense, as cat's like to mess around, particularly with anything moving. I never thought of it in terms of a 'cat of nine tails', which of course I have heard of, but that's an interesting understanding.

[@indy_go_blue6048]

"My friend lost his job, his wife broke her arm, and now his car broke down. He's up s--t creek without a paddle."

[@Kashanta]

Kick the bucket. A lot grimmer than it sounds when you learn what it came from.

[@Markle2k]

That's English, Uncle Toby.

[@dobiebloke9311]

Rosemont - where did it come from?

[@lynnpehrson8826]

I'm American by upbringing and citizenship, but was born and raised in North Yorkshire. This was interested, because I've been saying both American and British idioms all my life. I never heard the barge pole thing though. The thing I noticed while living there is that the u.s was linguistically be colonised by america terms, slang idioms.

[@RJ-hx5nb]

---Don't look a gift horse in the mouth. ---Sweep it under the rug. ---Preaching to the choir. ---Pinching pennies

[@richdobbs6595]

I always have thought that the Trojan's messed up by not looking at their gift horse in the mouth.

[@blindleader42]

Penny wise and pound foolish... In for a penny; In for a pound... Why are those still American idioms (At least they were fifty years ago)? And are they current in Britain?

[@nickimontie]

Sharp as a tack. Sharp as a sack of wet mice. Sharp as a bowling ball. The last two courtesy of Foghorn Leghorn.

[@protorhinocerator142]

@@blindleader42 The penny is British money. When we first introduced cents here, they looked like pennies and had about the same value. People call them pennies all the time but they're really not. 50,000 Frenchmen can't be wrong.

[@blindleader42]

@@protorhinocerator142 I can't imagine why you think I, and just about everyone else, doesn't know all that, already.

[@jenniferbrockel8151]

"6 of one, half a dozen of the other" is one of my favorites. "Don't know whether to shit or go blind" is one my husband didn't know before I said it one day, and we grew up about 30 miles away from each other, so I am curious if there's a British equivalent...

[@cynicalrabbit915]

Some idioms are specific to areas populated by those with the same or similar backgrounds. Which if a family.moves from one place to another, it can become more of a family saying than a popular idiom.

[@gnarthdarkanen7464]

Growing up in the Appalachian Mtn's, I've picked up on some pretty "colorful" language... If I tell you a piss-ant can pull a plow, just get the harness! (don't doubt my word) Dumber than a whole bag of hammers. Not the sharpest tool in the shed... (not necessarily stupid, but certainly not quick or "bright") Quicker on the trigger than the draw... (clumsy, usually to self destructive degrees) It's a gunfighter phrase, if you're quicker on the trigger than the draw, you'll tend to shoot yourself in the foot... alot... until you rectify the technique... It's also related to "impulsive" to a degree of getting yourself into trouble. Dumber 'n a mud post... (Have YOU ever tried to construct a fence post out of mud???) A few cards short of a deck. A few tacos shy of a combination platter. A few shrimp shy of a surf-n-turf. A biscuit away from a breakfast sandwich. An egg or two short of an omelet. ...... mostly all approach the same thing, either not bright, or just "off" a bit in the head. The lights are on but nobody's home... (glassy-eyed vacant stare but no mind behind it) His elevator don't reach the top floor... (not altogether thoughtful... could be stupid, or just insane... an idiot) Going off "half cocked"... (Impulsive to an egregious degree) This is another antiquated gunfighter phrase. Half-cock was the original "safety" for old muzzle-loading firearms, and was continued all the way to cap-lock six-shooters. The hammer would have two positions that "clicked" and held the thing. Half-cock would NOT allow the trigger to release it. Full-cock, was the only position for actually firing the weapon... Thus, going off "half-cocked" was thinking you'd prepared, even trying to be prepared, but in too much of a hurry to be SURE you were prepared... squeeze that thing at half cock all day long, and you're still just as dead as if you didn't have it at all... so impulsive to the point of utterly useless. Dubiously more recently, from a Cop (Officer 401's channel on YT) to be exact... is where I ran across possibly my favorite "gunfighter phrasing"... It's more "instructional" but in a colorful urgency that certainly bears repeating : "Just put your booger-hook on the bang-button and let 'em have it! Damnit!" (basically means "if you're going to shoot, SHOOT!") ;o)

[@kateburcroff5209]

I'm from Michigan and I know most of those, so idk if my family is weird or if they're pretty common.

[@gnarthdarkanen7464]

@@kateburcroff5209 Well, I may have grown up in the Appalachians, but I've traveled quite a bit. It gets easy to randomly pick up colorful descriptions from all over... I'm just kinda glad I'm not the only one in the world who's heard 'em. ;o)

[@BakedRBeans]

In the first Terminator film, someone says, "This guy's a couple cans short of a six-pack"

[@emmajumet7367]

Never heard of wrench in the works but I've heard wrench in the plan. My favorite idiom would have to be "beating a dead horse" though.

[@Nick29917]

“Every Tom, Dick and Harry” “Everybody and their brother”

[@fearsomefawkes6724]

I'm a fan of "everyone and their dog"

[@YaNevrNo]

"Casting pearls before swine", and "making a silk purse out of a sow's ear".

[@sbritton1313]

I believe that casting pearls before swine came from Europe/middle east...

[@YaNevrNo]

@@sbritton1313 I am not terribly surprised that it didn't originate here. So much of our language etc. comes from all over. Rack you for letting me know where it probably came from.🤗🌺

[@pen64]

Pearls before swine is from the Bible. Matthew 7:6, the sermon on the mount: “Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.".

[@YaNevrNo]

@@pen64 Cool.😎 Thank you very much. 🤗

[@greyblob1101]

Sounds like things Rolph would say...

[@zelliatorsema9579]

I would have bet a dollar to a doughnut that you would have mentioned the phase of horse feathers or as graceful as a pig on ice.

[@valerief1231]

I was waiting for the one my dad used to describe me, Bull in a china cabinet

[@whiterabbit75]

When pigs fly, maybe.

[@baxtercol]

speaking of pigs, you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. It means that you can't turn a country bumpkin into a sophisticated gentleman/lady. how about happy as a pig in mud or sh*t?

[@baxtercol]

My mom says dollars to Donuts

[@alisoncowan9522]

I used to work at a dried flower wholesaler, and we did a lot of drying ourselves. The bundles of flowers/grains/whatever would be hung from cables just under the ceiling, and we lifted them up and got them down using a pole. A ten foot pole, as it happens.

[@DJK3115]

One of my faves is "to make a long story short", followed by a parenthetical "too late".

[@protorhinocerator142]

I help them with their lie by saying, "Or to make a boring story tedious..." Please continue with your lie.

[@roughrdr]

Used to hear this growing up in regards to someone that wasn't all there . Lights are on, but no ones home.

[@Sabbathtage]

The "Out of left field" idiom saved me so much suffering! When I was forced to play baseball in grade school I would always take the left field position just because the saying indicated left field never saw much action. I had vicious, untreated asthma and any amount of exertion around meant I'd get an attack. Any left field ball that I would, inevitably, miss it was easy to say "I wasn't expecting it" or "It was too far for me to get there in time". It how I survived.

[@RepentfollowJesus]

Smart kiddo.

[@geeell1917]

That's not quite correct in practice though, because left field gets more action due to the greater number of right-handed batters, and they will tend to hit the ball that direction. Right handers make up 88-90% of the worlds population, and even in pro baseball, where batting left handed is an advantage, lefties only make up 24% of all players. You usually put the weaker or slower fielders into right field because they would see less action.

[@martingusdegr8]

During my last visit to New Orleans, I took one of those guided tours. NOLA was celebrating her tricentennial. Anyway, so we were told by the guide that the 10foot pole directly corresponds with how long the pole must be to deposit bags of bones (human remains) into the back of the family crypt. Since NOLA is below sea level, traditional burial is problematic. In most cases, the family will have a crypt in a cemetery. A typical crypt can hold 2 coffins in the front, one above the other, with the entire rear of the interior reserved for the remains of the deceased. Another fun fact- There are more dead people in New Orleans than the living. Let that bake your noodle for a bit.

[@Dracomandriuthus]

That last one isn't hard to grant. There's a lot of dead people.

[@SwellOnWheels]

🤔 I'm pretty sure that 10ft pole thing isn't true. They pushed the bodies back with a tye or rake or pusher, not a pole. And as he says, other places have similar expressions that don't mention "poles" at all. Those tour guides are shameless about making up interesting stuff! (Like the crypts and All Saints Day isnt interesting enough already!! 😅)

[@allanrichardson1468]

Knowing the importance of barges in early American history, I wouldn’t be surprised if the “ten foot pole” originally WAS a “barge pole.”

[@rustyshaklferd1897]

I’d imagine there are more dead people than living people pretty much everywhere on earth.

[@Gottaculat]

"You are what you eat," and "I'm only human," should never be juxtaposed. More of common sayings than idioms, I suppose, but it's a joke I made I really like. Thought I'd share. :)

[@J4H3AD]

If you are what you eat, doesn't that make cannibals the only *real* humans?

[@IcanhearClemFandango]

I always thought that "out of left field" referenced the baseball trick play in which, the left fielder sneaks up behind the runner leading off of second base to set up a pick off.

[@merfyndafydd]

I just used one the other day while driving. "Hold your horses!"

[@ozzietadziu]

One of my favorite idioms is "Facing a Niagara of troubles". Living near Buffalo, NY explains it all.