Favourite idiom/saying?

NikoTopps

As the title suggests, what's your favourite Idiom or expression? Can be any language providing you give translation or rough meaning.

My personal favourite is "an rud a bhíonn, bíonn sé", I even have it tattooed on my arm and it means "that which is, is"

So simple, yet so much meaning in it.

biko

"Yeah? So is your face!"

kfallon

biko wrote: »

"Yeah? So is your face!"

'Thanked' by Your Face

padd b1975

Speak of a queer and he's sure to appear.

"do mháthair"...

NikoTopps

padd b1975 wrote: »

Speak of a queer and he's sure to appear.

Hey hunty

GerB40

"Two cheeks of the same arse" (generally referring to political parties).

MarkR

Ride me sideways

CountingCrows

Does a one legged duck swim in circles?

boobar

In response to the phrase "the early bird catches the worm"...."yes, but it's always the second mouse that gets the cheese"

Dirty Dingus McGee

Even a blind squirrel can find an acorn

diomed

When I win I want to get paid.
(I like big odds, not odds on shots)

The Backwards Man

It is what it is.

biko

"I never saw a wild thing sorry for itself.
A small bird will drop frozen dead from a bough without ever having felt sorry for itself."
D. H. Lawrence

Is fearr an tsláinte ná na táinte/Health is better than wealth.

There but for the grace of God go we.

Time and tide wait for no man.

Sic transit gloria mundi/Thus passes the glory of the world.

Ted111

Nothing is what it seems - xfiles voice over guy

diomed

biko wrote: »

"I never saw a wild thing sorry for itself.
A small bird will drop frozen dead from a bough without ever having felt sorry for itself."
D. H. Lawrence

How would you know if a small bird is sorry for itself?

CountingCrows

diomed wrote: »

How would you know if a small bird is sorry for itself?

When it's knee deep in a carton of Häagen-Dazs

Agricola

Shure lookit, isn't that it!


*credit to that radio show with them 2 annoying twats presenting!

padd b1975

NikoTopps wrote: »

Hey hunty

Afternoon.

biko

diomed wrote: »

How would you know if a small bird is sorry for itself?

Not sure, but D. H. Lawrence knows.

Mightydrumming

No bother to the boys!

Speedwell

My latest favorite is "the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak", because I can then respond with, "the flesh is willing if the spirit is strong... such as a good Scotch". Yes, I just said this in another thread. I'm proud of myself. :P

I've been liking to use various bits of American slang because they make Irish people laugh. I left the young cashier at the local grocery yesterday mumbling "cool beans" to himself and giggling. My mother-in-law says "awesome" to me in the worst imaginable Larne-flavoured fake American accent, which is cute.

MagicIRL

Dumber than a bag of wet mice

jossnjuice

still my favourite one liner, and forever will be

"a wasted youth is better by far, than a wise a productive old age".

agent graves

Boats and hoes

agent graves

Boats and hoes

Chijj

Chat Sh*t, get banged

NikoTopps

padd b1975 wrote: »

Afternoon.

SLAY MAMA YES GAWD. DO YOU LIVE????

"If you need something done quickly, ask a busy person to do it"

i.e. Busy people are busy because they're getting stuff done, unbusy people aren't doing anything.

everlast75

Ah heaooor - leaaavvvee ih rowt!

dennyire

He who walks along the seashore will see many waves.

boobar

For members of the Night's Watch...

Crows before Hoes

boobar

Candie wrote: »

"If you need something done quickly, ask a busy person to do it"

i.e. Busy people are busy because they're getting stuff done, unbusy people aren't doing anything.

My boss said that to me once...I replied....

Have you heard this one "If you need something done, ask Tom, he's scratching his arse most of the day"

MeatTwoVeg

We all partied.

The Backwards Man

Candie wrote: »

"If you need something done quickly, ask a busy person to do it"

i.e. Busy people are busy because they're getting stuff done, unbusy people aren't doing anything.

'Tis better to be idle than work idle'

Better to wait for a good job than doing all the jobs nobody else wants. :P

Speedwell

boobar wrote: »

My boss said that to me once...I replied....

Have you heard this one "If you need something done, ask Tom, he's scratching his arse most of the day"

I had a co-worker who used to respond with, "Because the busy person will point out that you could have had it half done in the time it took you to bother them".

The company motto was "Done Right the First Time", by the way. My boss once came by my desk when I was enjoying a few minutes of downtime. He asked why I wasn't still working on the data entry he had assigned me before he left to go to a meeting. "Did it right the first time," I joked.

NikoTopps

Another on as Gaeilge that I really love:

"Dúirt bean liom go ndúirt bean léi go ndúirt bean eile gur inis bean di."

"A woman told me that a woman told her that another woman said that a woman said to her."

endacl

Níl aon tóin tinn mar do thóin tinn féin.

endacl

endacl wrote: »

Níl aon tóin tinn mar do thóin tinn féin.

Creative!

Gwynplaine

If you're good at something, never do it for free
A bird never flew on one wing
I can't afford to buy cheap things

Bonzo Delaney

Say nuttin till Ya hear more.

Always liked the one
" what other people think of you is actually none of your business"

"I don't worry about nothing because worrying's a waste of my fukin time " - Izzy Stradlin.

And
Better to be looking at it than looking for it.

Arevaci

Have you ever heard a calm person with a loud voice?

Speedwell

Arevaci wrote: »

Have you ever heard a calm person with a loud voice?

Even better, I worked with an ice-cold German engineer who never raised his voice... more or less because it was humanly impossible to raise it much above his normally booming, resonant speaking voice. He sounded exactly like you'd expect a mountain to sound if it could talk.

endacl

Deleted User wrote: »

Creative!

Of course, at this point I must admit to having nicked it.

BabyE

Speedwell wrote: »

My latest favorite is "the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak", because I can then respond with, "the flesh is willing if the spirit is strong... such as a good Scotch". Yes, I just said this in another thread. I'm proud of myself. :P

I've been liking to use various bits of American slang because they make Irish people laugh. I left the young cashier at the local grocery yesterday mumbling "cool beans" to himself and giggling. My mother-in-law says "awesome" to me in the worst imaginable Larne-flavoured fake American accent, which is cute.

Awesome is just a normal word now, its still rare enough to hear but I wouldn't think anything of it, I use it if something is particularly good where 'class' just doesn't do it justice.

Also cool beans is the least cool slang term and I don't think I've ever heard it used except maybe in that 70's show

Widdershins

''what's meant for you won't pass you by ''

foxy farmer

He who dipeth his wick must payeth for the oil.

Widdershins

Better to be married than burn

GerB40

Where there's a will there's a relative.

maudgonner

A couple of ones as gaeilge:


Is minic a bhris béal duine a shrón -Someone's mouth often broke his nose.

Is maith an bhean í, ach níor bhain sí a bróga di go fóill - she's a good wife, but she hasn't taken her shoes off yet (i.e. she's still a newlywed, and hasn't settled into married life yet)

My favourite is the way to tell someone you love them. The direct translation for 'I love you' wouldn't really be used - instead there is: 'Mo cheol thú' - you are my music/you are like music to me. Gorgeous.