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Sayings/phrases/idioms which make no sense

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  • 07-06-2018 1:13pm
    #1
    GM228
    Registered Users Posts: 8,925 ✭✭✭


    I'm curious, are there many sayings/phrases/idioms which actually make no sense whatsoever?

    An example is "by the skin of his teeth", yes I know it means barely or narrowly in modern use, it originates from Kings James "Book of Job", but it actually makes no sense (although there have been some theories) in reality as teeth have no skin.


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    #2
    demanufactured
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,756 ✭✭✭demanufactured


    Anything travellers say on their call out promos .

    "Didn't I bate you, adin in it"


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    #3
    begbysback
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,910 ✭✭✭begbysback


    "God bless you" after sneezing

    Who? and why!


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    #4
    Lorelli!
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,360 ✭✭✭Lorelli!


    You can't have your cake and eat it!


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    #5
    Mutant z
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,487 ✭✭✭Mutant z


    Its on the house.


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    #6
    begbysback
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,910 ✭✭✭begbysback


    Mutant z wrote: »
    Its on the house.

    Depends on the context - are we talking about a chimney here?


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    #7
    galvo_clare
    Registered Users Posts: 669 ✭✭✭galvo_clare


    begbysback wrote: »
    "God bless you" after sneezing

    Who? and why!

    Comes from the time of the great plague apparently. If you sneezed it was a sign you had the plague and were not long for this world.


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    #8
    locum-motion
    Registered Users Posts: 5,143 ✭✭✭locum-motion


    GM228 wrote: »
    ... in reality as teeth have no skin.

    Which is kinda the point, isn't it?

    It's a phrase used to describe a situation where the margin between success and failure is really thin.

    What could be thinner than a skin that is sooooo thin that it actually doesn't exist?


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    #9
    Chancer3001
    Registered Users Posts: 5,480 ✭✭✭Chancer3001


    Lorelli! wrote: »
    You can't have your cake and eat it!

    That makes perfect sense if you understand it properly.

    You can either eat your cake. Or keep on to it for later enjoyment.

    But you can't have both.

    You can't have/hold your cake and also eat it too


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    #10
    locum-motion
    Registered Users Posts: 5,143 ✭✭✭locum-motion


    Lorelli! wrote: »
    You can't have your cake and eat it!

    That one makes perfect sense!!


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    #11
    Lorelli!
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,360 ✭✭✭Lorelli!


    Chancer3001 wrote: »
    That makes perfect sense if you understand it properly.

    You can either eat your cake. Or keep on to it for later enjoyment.

    But you can't have both.

    You can't have/hold your cake and also eat it too

    What if you only eat half of the cake?


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    #12
    kiffer
    Registered Users Posts: 2,097 ✭✭✭kiffer


    Mutant z wrote: »
    Its on the house.

    I assume it comes from when people had tabs in their local drink supplying establishment.
    Rather than the mark being made on your tab... it's on the house's.


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    #13
    kiffer
    Registered Users Posts: 2,097 ✭✭✭kiffer


    Lorelli! wrote: »
    What if you only eat half of the cake?

    Then you only have half a cake and only ate half a cake...
    So you haven't eaten the whole cake, and you don't have the cake.


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    #14
    Lorelli!
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,360 ✭✭✭Lorelli!


    kiffer wrote: »
    Then you only have half a cake and only ate half a cake...
    So you haven't eaten the whole cake, and you don't have the cake.

    So it should be "you can't have the whole cake and eat it all" :)


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    #15
    chicorytip
    Registered Users Posts: 4,096 ✭✭✭chicorytip


    "Back in the day..."


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    #16
    Billy86
    Closed Accounts Posts: 23,495 ✭✭✭✭Billy86


    It's an Americanism and not heard often here but "I could care less" is the stupidest f*cking saying to ever be uttered.


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    #17
    Ten of Swords
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 22,462 CMod ✭✭✭✭Ten of Swords


    The darkest hour is just before the dawn.


    Em, no it isn't. The darkest hour is when the sun is directly opposite to your position on Earth, this occurs at midnight.

    Moderator: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender, Vegan & Vegetarian

    Category Moderator: Social & Fun



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    #18
    begbysback
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,910 ✭✭✭begbysback


    galvo_clare wrote: »
    Comes from the time of the great plague apparently. If you sneezed it was a sign you had the plague and were not long for this world.

    They didn't have hay fever back them times?


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    #19
    uch
    Registered Users Posts: 7,008 ✭✭✭uch


    Did someone mention Cake ??

    21/25



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    #20
    highdef
    Registered Users Posts: 6,171 ✭✭✭highdef


    Ten of Swords wrote: »
    The darkest hour is just before the dawn.


    Em, no it isn't. The darkest hour is when the sun is directly opposite to your position on Earth, this occurs at midnight.

    Except that it doesn't occur at midnight. In Dublin, it's usually between 01:15 and 01:30 during IST and between 00:15 and 00:30 during winter hours.


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    #21
    ixoy
    Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 17,990 Mod ✭✭✭✭ixoy


    Lorelli! wrote: »
    You can't have your cake and eat it!
    I'll always think of Ted Kaczynski now when I hear this.


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    #22
    setanta1000
    Registered Users Posts: 191 ✭✭setanta1000


    State of the Art

    As in: "That flanger wobbler 2000 is State of the Art; it even has a remote control mufter sprocket!"

    .....I just can't get my head around that one


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    #23
    uch
    Registered Users Posts: 7,008 ✭✭✭uch


    setanta1000 wrote: »
    State of the Art




    I always say that when I'm in the museum of modern art in Dublin

    21/25



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    #24
    Samuel T. Cogley
    Registered Users Posts: 10,684 ✭✭✭✭Samuel T. Cogley


    setanta1000 wrote: »
    State of the Art

    As in: "That flanger wobbler 2000 is State of the Art; it even has a remote control mufter sprocket!"

    .....I just can't get my head around that one

    The current state of the particular art to which is being referred.

    To negative something - always though it should be negate.


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    #25
    williestroker1
    Registered Users Posts: 227 ✭✭williestroker1


    'Back of the net' when talking about anything other than football.


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    #26
    Donald Trump
    Registered Users Posts: 19,136 ✭✭✭✭Donald Trump


    ixoy wrote: »
    I'll always think of Ted Kaczynski now when I hear this.




    Ted had it right though


    And people try to say he was the mental one


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    #27
    Lyndsey3000
    Registered Users Posts: 49 ✭Lyndsey3000


    It annoys me when people say "my sloppy seconds" when talking about an ex boyfriend or girlfriend who has moved on.

    sure, you're someone's sloppy seconds then too, are you not???


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    #28
    chakotha
    Registered Users Posts: 912 ✭✭✭chakotha


    Could care less.

    I think that was just b@lloxed up in the US and it stuck.


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    #29
    aaronjumper
    Registered Users Posts: 14,128 ✭✭✭✭aaronjumper


    Head over heels is another one. Isn't it usually?


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    #30
    RebelButtMunch
    Registered Users Posts: 2,378 ✭✭✭RebelButtMunch


    Billy86 wrote: »
    It's an Americanism and not heard often here but "I could care less" is the stupidest f*cking saying to ever be uttered.

    What the hell? is abbreviated nowadays to "The hell?" - Arseh0les


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    #31
    Franz Von Peppercorn
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,070 ✭✭✭Franz Von Peppercorn


    Lorelli! wrote: »
    You can't have your cake and eat it!

    Of course you can’t. Problem there is people see the first “have” as eat when it means keep.

    You can’t keep your cake and eat it.


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