Phrases, sayings, quotes and cliches Discussion Forum

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He's talking through his hat - Ortin 02/02/02
Suns of the world may stain when heaven's sun staineth. - Word Camel 02/01/02
Nothing is cheap which is superfluous, for what one does need, is dear a penny - Marta 02/01/02
The Family Jewels - Word Camel 01/31/02
BRASS MONKEY - term origin - Bruce Clark 01/31/02
Can't died in a corn field - Susan Z 01/31/02
Meanig orgin - kimo 01/31/02
To "gee" someone up - Word Camel 01/30/02
The Whole Nine Yards: Indian Perspective - Smita 01/30/02
Loyalty card - ESC 01/30/02
- Loyalty card - Barney 01/30/02
Origin of "Want to come up and see my etchings?" - Phillip Cline 01/30/02
- Etchings - R. Berg 01/30/02
Mustard - Ronald Reston 01/29/02
- Mustard - Bob 01/29/02
Float it - Tiko 01/29/02
Generation X? - Jackson Crawford 01/29/02
Who said ? - Tmc 01/29/02
- Voltaire - R. Berg 01/29/02
  - Voltaire - masakim 01/29/02
"Had the biscuit" - B. Marlin 01/28/02
- "Had the biscuit" - ESC 01/29/02
Cheap at half the price. - Roger Eaton 01/28/02
- Cheap at half the price. - Bruce Kahl 01/28/02
Something rotten in Denmark - Sue Cutter 01/28/02
- Something rotten in Denmark - R. Berg 01/28/02
  - Something rotten in Denmark - masakim 01/28/02
Necessity is the mother of invention - Grace 01/28/02
- Necessity is the mother of invention - Word Camel 01/28/02
- Necessity is the mother of invention - ESC 01/28/02
"Pike" phrase - Patty 01/28/02
Wanna know origins of... - Billoud Nicolas 01/27/02
Cast Down Your Bucket - tom dewey 01/27/02
Lake Superior State University Issues 2002 List of Banished Words - Bruce Kahl 01/26/02
It's better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick - Word Camel 01/25/02
Holocaust quotes - ESC 01/25/02
Soup and Fish - James Briggs 01/25/02
Big smoke derivation - tom lloyd 01/25/02
Walking spanish - Angela Kilpatrick 01/25/02
I complained I had no shoes - Mark Perry 01/25/02
Wanna know the maning of the phrase " ballpark figure" - Vivek 01/24/02
Sunlight and shadow - Tony Zavaleta 01/24/02
Rocket Science - Hannah Hoag 01/24/02
Let the chips fall where they may - Pat 01/24/02
He had me in stitches...? - Jeni 01/24/02
Broom sayings: - Al Nancy Brown 01/24/02
Walking spanish - Angela 01/23/02
One fell swoop - Wesley 01/23/02
Busman's holiday - Leslie 01/23/02
Mustard gas - CRT 01/22/02
Mexican Wave - Leslie Slape 01/22/02
English Language - Tiko 01/22/02
Oxbridge and Oxbridge accents - Word Camel 01/21/02
Give 'em "what for". Show 'em "what for". - Word Camel 01/21/02
Science fiction - Marian 01/21/02
Pogey Bait - Jim 01/20/02
Found phrase - history division - ESC 01/20/02
Swears like a sailor - Nancy 01/20/02
Froofreraw, hullaballoo, kinnipshen - Chris 01/20/02
Phrase - Ann 01/19/02
WWJD - What Would Jesus Do? - ESC 01/19/02
Woman's name change after marriage - Michael 01/19/02
Seven Bells - dennis cox 01/18/02
"Take a number" - atcg 01/18/02
Bad Hair Day - Polly Hall 01/18/02
Shakespeare - Mari 01/18/02
Origin of the phrase "jump the gun" - Debbie Kuratko 01/17/02
Hat-racks in the desert - lydia 01/17/02
Keeping up with the Joneses - Marian 01/17/02
Phrase - Diane 01/17/02
An amazing followup - Bob 01/16/02
Name that walkathon - R. Berg 01/16/02
Complaining - marty 01/16/02
- Gripers get the vipers - ESC 01/16/02
  - Gripers get the vipers - James Briggs 01/16/02
Born With A Silver Spoon - Ron 01/16/02
- Born With A Silver Spoon - ESC 01/16/02
Ride the whirlwind - Wesley 01/16/02
Kotchel? Cottchel? - Word Camel 01/14/02
Offensive word F. *. *. * - T. Webb 01/14/02
US Equivalent for... - The Fallen 01/14/02
To wear one's heart on one's sleeve - Marian 01/14/02
Want to find out what a phrase means - liz Garside 01/13/02
Meaning of rhyme - John 01/12/02
Wind up at manager's - Niklas Hellgren 01/12/02
Searching for my golden fiddle? - K. Harris 01/12/02
Railroad Frog - Jim 01/12/02
- Railroad Frog, frog it - ESC 01/12/02
Tinker's dam - Phil Skogmo 01/12/02
Line up behind - Orbit 01/11/02
- line up behind - Word Camel 01/11/02
Pause for thought... irregularity. - The Fallen 01/11/02
Origin of the phrase "old ... never die; they just ..." - Becker 01/11/02
Bought the Farm - Jay Fields 01/11/02
Nodding vs Shaking one's head yes. - The Fallen 01/10/02
Jonesing (Valspeak?) and "mmm hmm" for "you're welcome" - The Fallen 01/10/02
"You Are What You Eat" - Douglas Becker 01/10/02
Subscription charges - casual phrase-seeker 01/10/02
Splendid Isolation - D. Hearn 01/10/02
Dropped H's - Word Camel 01/10/02
To beggar belief - Tracy Beasley 01/09/02
Nirvana mondegreen - Badeye 01/09/02
The balloon has gone up - Christine 01/09/02
"Whole nine yards" - Joseph Berry 01/09/02
Innit? - Word Camel 01/08/02
"If you will" origin - Aaron 01/08/02
- "If you will" origin - The Fallen 01/08/02
Phrase origin - Raquel 01/08/02
Thick As Thieves - Tony Zavaleta 01/08/02
- Thick As Thieves - ESC 01/08/02
  - Thick As Thieves - James Briggs 01/08/02
Wake up and smell the roses? - Ed Williams 01/07/02
- Wake up and smell the coffee - ESC 01/07/02
Who can tell me what this is? -Hey up a ree ... - Elith Chen 01/07/02
Phrase - Carol P. 01/07/02
"My Fair Lady" a pun? - Word Camel 01/07/02
Word Association explanation - Clive Hoggs 01/07/02
Sketch/flash in the pan - Marian 01/06/02
- sketch - masakim 01/06/02
  - sketch - Marian 01/06/02
- sketch/flash in the pan - Sauerkraut 01/06/02
  - sketch/flash in the pan - Marian 01/06/02
Sherriff - Brian Silverthorne 01/06/02
- sheriff - ESC 01/06/02
Sloane Rangers (posh, hooray henry types). - Jim 01/06/02
Meaning of "lay it on the line" - Roian Atwood 01/05/02
Will o' the wisp - Wesley 01/05/02
What does it mean to "turn a phrase"? - Raf 01/05/02
Waiting for the other shoe to fall - diogenes Bob 01/04/02
- waiting for the other shoe to fall - Bob 01/04/02
  - waiting for the other shoe to fall - masakim 01/06/02
Naff - The Fallen 01/04/02
Tow vs. Toe the Line - Mike Portwood 01/04/02
Off his rocker - James Briggs 01/04/02
Rock and a hard place - quiss 01/04/02
- rock and a hard place - R. Berg 01/04/02
  - rock and a hard place - The Fallen 01/04/02
Do it up brown - Stephen Davey 01/03/02
Ring the other one - Graeme Forbes 01/03/02
Bloody - Andreas 01/03/02
'Under the weather' - Rob Wallin 01/02/02
- 'Under the weather' - Bruce Kahl 01/02/02
Hogwash - sherry 01/02/02
- hogwash - R. Berg 01/02/02
Origin of a phrase - Jack Wilkinson 01/02/02
- Those who can, do; . . . - R. Berg 01/02/02
  - Those who can, do; . . . - masakim 01/02/02
"These colors never run." - Richard Slota 01/01/02
- "These colors never run." - ESC 01/03/02
Poem title and verse(s) - Brenda Bailey Little 12/30/01
- Poem title and verse(s) - masakim 12/30/01
  - Poem title and verse(s) - Brenda Bailey Little 12/31/01
  - Poem title and verse(s) - Brenda Bailey Little 12/31/01
Bend wookie - nrk 12/30/01
- bend wookie - Brownie 01/08/02
- bend wookie - Bruce Kahl 01/01/02
Technical term for phrases - john netherwood 12/30/01
- technical term for phrases - masakim 12/30/01
Lazy Susan - Jim 12/30/01
Monty python - Vickie 12/30/01
- Monty python - masakim 12/30/01
- Monty python - Bruce Kahl 12/30/01
Railroad Bull - Jim 12/29/01
- Railroad Bull - R. Berg 12/29/01
  - Railroad Bull - ESC 12/29/01
Red herring - Michael 12/29/01
- red herring - R. Berg 12/29/01
  - red herring - a bit more - James Briggs 12/29/01
How prisoner warders came to be called 'Screws' - James Briggs 12/28/01
- How prisoner warders came to be called 'Screws' - ESC 12/28/01
  - How prisoner warders came to be called 'Screws' - masakim 12/28/01
Mexican Standoff - RGM 12/28/01
Word that I can't finf in the dictionary - einat 12/28/01
Origin of "colder than a witches tit" - Roxann 12/27/01
Deadline - Cutter Sisson 12/27/01
Kilroy was here - Cutter Sisson 12/27/01
Back to "Thick as a brick" - Sylvie Tougas 12/27/01
Feminine form of "bull headed" - Maxwell 12/26/01
You are just playing word games - P 12/26/01
Hatred of clowns - Michael 12/25/01
Old sayings - Robin Gailley 12/23/01
Cry Havoc - Robert Weodababyeetzaboy 12/23/01
Coo coo ka choo - Pattie 12/21/01
"Works like a Charm" - Kirby 12/20/01
- "Works like a Charm" - R. Berg 12/21/01
  - "Works like a Charm" - ESC 12/22/01
Who Said This? - Brian Hendrickson 12/18/01
- Who Said This? - jkrall 12/18/01
"Don't blow smoke up my ass". - Jogger Runner 12/18/01
- "Don't blow smoke up my ass". - Bob 12/18/01
  - "Don't blow smoke - ESC 12/18/01
    - "Don't blow smoke - WordCamel 12/18/01
"Shaggy Dog Story" - Lee Wilson 12/18/01
- "Shaggy Dog Story" - jkrall 12/18/01
Hurts like the Dickens - Susan 12/18/01
- Hurts like the dickens - R. Berg 12/18/01
  - Hurts like the dickens - James Briggs 12/18/01
The world in a grain of sand - Migel 12/17/01
- The world in a grain of sand - TheFallen 12/17/01
Knick Knack - Skip 12/17/01
- Knick Knack - TheFallen 12/17/01
Taking the biscuit - TheFallen 12/16/01
- Taking the biscuit - Bruce Kahl 12/16/01
  - Taking the biscuit - James Briggs 12/17/01
Burnt offerings - Paul Taylor 12/16/01
- burnt offerings - ESC 12/16/01
Full Monty reprised - TheFallen 12/15/01
- Full Monty reprised - Door Number 1 12/16/01
- Full Monty reprised - ESC 12/15/01
"Whipping a dead horse" etc - Patty 12/15/01
Wedding tackle - Michael 12/15/01
Slang --snob - Q 12/14/01
Come undone - Olga 12/14/01
- Come undone - Bruce Kahl 12/14/01
  - Come undone - TheFallen 12/14/01
- Come undone - TheFallen 12/14/01
How do we get Dead Nuts On from accurate - jacob 12/14/01
- Dead Nuts On - R. Berg 12/14/01
  - Dead Nuts On - Barney 12/15/01
Where does Kitty Corner derive from - jacob 12/13/01
- Where does Kitty Corner derive from - Bruce Kahl 12/14/01
Vive la différence... -ce / -se - TheFallen 12/13/01
Thinning the blood - Morano 12/13/01
Spank the monkey - TheFallen 12/12/01
Cold as a witch's t i t (in a brass brassiere???) - Dj 12/12/01
- Cold as a witch's t i t (in a brass brassiere???) - Bruce Kahl 12/12/01
Momma had a baby.... - J. Dahling 12/12/01
- Momma had a baby.... - ESC 12/13/01
  - Jump-rope rhyme - R. Berg 12/13/01
I need to finish this sentance...PLEASE HELP!!! - Sarah 12/12/01
Lift that bale, tote that barge - Marian 12/12/01
"Up the dancers" - David Campbell 12/12/01
- "Up the dancers" - R. Berg 12/14/01
The better angels of our nature - Marian 12/12/01
Oopsy Daisy - Jess 12/11/01
Strike when the iron is hot... - Stoney 12/11/01
Ring around the Rosey - Bruce Kahl 12/11/01
Tradition - Ian 12/11/01
Putting on the dog - Maggie 12/11/01
- Putting on the dog - capable wingnut 12/11/01
Visa versa - Steven E. Kern 12/11/01
This was translated from spanish to english - A 12/10/01
Model T or Fit To A T - Indefual 12/10/01
- Fit to a T - James Briggs 12/10/01
Inform me; what is "keeping it on the QT" - KT Aull 12/10/01
What is a "backhanded compliment" ? - KC 12/10/01
Strange phone message re: "The Albatross flies low when headed in a southern direction" - Celestial 12/09/01
So quiet you could hear a pin drop - Nikki 12/09/01
- So quiet you could hear a pin drop - R. Berg 12/11/01
Origin of "Go pound salt" - Teresa DeSantis 12/09/01
- Archives on "Go pound salt" - R. Berg 12/09/01
The number three - mick 12/08/01
Thinking out of the box- where did it come from? - JJ 12/08/01
- Thinking out of the box- where did it come from? - Bob 12/08/01
Turn-up for the books - what does it mean? - andrew bremner 12/07/01
A Bottle In the Smoke - Scott Marsden 12/07/01
- A Bottle In the Smoke - ESC 12/07/01
Defintion/translation - SH 12/06/01
- Toe to toe - R. Berg 12/06/01
Kangaroo Court - Jim 12/05/01
- Kangaroo Court - ESC 12/05/01
  - Kangaroo Court - Bruce Kahl 12/06/01
Along the lines - R. Dixon 12/05/01
- Along/on the lines - R. Berg 12/06/01
Open space - Vic 12/05/01
- open space - R. Berg 12/05/01
Pardon my ignorance - capable wingnut 12/05/01
Cockney Rhyming sland X 2 - Paul Taylor 12/05/01
- Cockney Rhyming sland X 2 - Gary 12/05/01
  - Crash at your pad - Bruce Kahl 12/05/01
Counting sheep - nita 12/05/01
- counting sheep - R. Berg 12/05/01
  - counting sheep - ESC 12/05/01
Piker - Jim 12/05/01
What does "bocome an item" mean? - Charles Chen 12/05/01
What does this one mean? - D. 12/05/01
Xmas - origin - R. Newman 12/04/01
The etymological roots of marmalade - Paul Taylor 12/04/01
Africa-America phrase - Kim Soon 12/04/01
- African-American phrase - R. Berg 12/04/01
- Selling woof tickets - ESC 12/04/01
  - Selling woof tickets - Sauerkraut 12/16/01
Origin/meaning of "Rubber Chicken" - Edward Frost 12/03/01
Christmas words -- Three Wise Men - ESC 12/03/01
Seeing a man about a horse - Michael 12/03/01
Origin of "walking papers"? - John Blackmore 12/02/01
Little brother to the world - Denis 12/01/01
More on "animal vitality" discussion - Chet 12/01/01
Tilting at windmills - Marian 11/30/01
Gung ho - PM O'Donoghue 11/30/01
Simple question (I hope) - Chris Tembreull 11/30/01
Fighting talk - Gary Martin 11/30/01
Whats the meaning - Ali 11/30/01
Deadlier (not more deadly) than the male & Full Monty - PM O'Donoghue 11/30/01
True blue, through and through - Katie Madsen 11/29/01
Come up for air, other meanings of - Denis 11/29/01
- come up for air, other meanings of - P 12/01/01
  - Fish death mystery - R. Berg 12/01/01
- come up for air - R. Berg 11/30/01
  - come up for air - masakim 11/30/01
Found phrase - "indoor life" - ESC 11/29/01
- Found phrase - "indoor life" - Gary 11/29/01
Quotation - william isom 11/28/01
What is the meaning of this phrase? - Terry Wilkinson 11/28/01
Who was George? - Q 11/28/01
S**tload - Michael 11/28/01
Canary in a coal mine - JM Goethals 11/27/01
Latin quarter, French quarter, etc. - Marian 11/27/01
No quarter - M. Olzenak 11/27/01
Onomatopoeia - capable wingnut 11/27/01
- onomatopoeia - Barney 11/27/01
  - onomatopoeia - nita 12/05/01
The word junior - Heleno 11/26/01
Sleang word for obvoius/dubious product placement in films?? - Ben 11/26/01
What is a mullet? - ESC 11/26/01
- What is a mullet? - Aasvogel 11/26/01
  - What is a mullet? - Bob 11/27/01
    - Mullet site - ESC 11/27/01
Got the hump - line 11/26/01
- got the hump - James Briggs 11/26/01
  - got the hump - ESC 11/26/01
HELP ME...I need to know the origin of the word babe or baby - silkylongblkhair 11/26/01
- babe or baby - ESC 11/27/01
  - babe or baby or child - ESC 11/27/01
Questions tag - Heleno 11/25/01
- Questions tag - Scott Marsden 11/27/01
- Question tags - R. Berg 11/25/01
  - Question tags - Heleno 11/26/01
Phrase - bonnie 11/25/01
- Tongue in cheek - R. Berg 11/25/01
Liquidate - Jim 11/25/01
- Liquidate - Arthur Williams 11/25/01
  - Liquidate - masakim 11/25/01
    - Liquidate - Jim 11/26/01
  - Liquidate - Bruce Kahl 11/25/01
Questions tag - Heleno 11/25/01
- questions tag - R. Berg 11/25/01
"You make a better door than a window" - Dave 11/25/01
"Busting my chops" - R. Dixon 11/25/01
- "Busting my chops"--origin - R. Berg 11/25/01
  - "Busting my chops"--origin - masakim 11/25/01
How about "As Tight As Dick's Hat Band"? - Wade 11/24/01
- The archives on Dick - R. Berg 11/24/01
  - The archives on Dick - ESC 11/24/01
"For Pete's Sake" - Wade 11/24/01
- The archives on Pete - R. Berg 11/24/01
Round-Robin - R. Dixon 11/24/01
- round robin - ESC 11/24/01
"Read between the lines" - Robert Rust 11/23/01
- "Read between the lines" - ESC 11/23/01
  - "Read between the lines" - James Briggs 11/23/01
Origin of On Tenterhooks - Gareth Noakes 11/23/01
- Origin of On Tenterhooks - capable wingnut 11/23/01
Phrase - Dominick 11/23/01
- paying through the nose - capable wingnut 11/23/01
"How's it hanging?" - Ed lam 11/23/01
- "How's it hanging?" - R. Berg 11/23/01
  - "How's it hanging?" - masakim 11/23/01
"Freighted with meaning" - ESC 11/22/01
- "Freighted with meaning" - R. Berg 11/23/01
Paint the Devil on the wall - Hazel Rudd 11/22/01
The origin of 'cocked head' - Heleno 11/22/01
Happy Thanksgiving! - Bruce Kahl 11/22/01
- Happy Thanksgiving! - R. Berg 11/22/01
The meaning of cocked head - Heleno 11/22/01
- cocked head - R. Berg 11/22/01
Cost of a thing - Roger Fisher 11/22/01
- Cost of a thing - Gary 11/22/01
Collateral damage - julie sherriff 11/21/01
Practice Makes Perfect - Kevin 11/21/01
Mutton Dressed as Lamb - Tim Herbert 11/20/01
Origin of a phrase - Sara Enders 11/20/01
Beef Steak - Aasvogel 11/20/01
GO TO WORK ON AN EGG - fiona wylie 11/20/01
"Animal vitality" - Ortin 11/20/01
Phrase - Len Yancey 11/20/01
Sticking to his guns - Patty 11/20/01
French? - Tiko 11/19/01
Why? When? - Sharon Benson 11/19/01
- Why? When? - Benjamin levitz 11/19/01
Afghan - Dana 11/19/01
- Afghan - ESC 11/19/01
Doing a land office business - steve 11/19/01
- doing a land office business - ESC 11/19/01
Origin of "Wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole" - Jack Bonham 11/19/01
Boffin - Marian 11/19/01
... I would like my roses to see you - Richard Sheridan - Sunitha 11/18/01
Plausible deniability - R. Dixon 11/18/01
Piss like a race horse! - R. Dixon 11/18/01
Sucking wind - Rick Dixon 11/18/01
No. 1 - ESC 11/17/01
Piss like a race horse!
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