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Well? Enquiring minds need to know!

This thead is intended as a discussion about the phrases used in everyday lives that, when think about it, don't actually mean anything really. Title is an example 'I was happy as Larry'

Who is Larry? Why is he Happy? Just how Happy? Are we talking about a general, sustained level of happiness, or a specific time in Larry's life that he was particularly Happy, or perhaps it's a constant comparisson. Ergo if Larry were to feel positively suicidal one day, saying you're as Happy as him isn't much of an endorsement.

Any others? No? What about....'Open a Can of Whoop Ass'

Is that a Ring Pull Can, like say Coca Cola to name a popular carbonated beverage, or what we in Britain refer to as a Tin, as in 'Tin of Beans' which would require either a Tin Opener/Can Opener, or otherwise a Popeye like ability to simply squeeze the Tin neatly ejecting the contents through the pressure ruptured lid. And what is Whoop Ass? When I was a kid, I had Whooping Cough, and although I don't remember it (I was a Toddler, what do you expect?) I'm told it's quite a sucky thing to have, despite being quite common. And are you refering to a Donkey/Horse hybrid, or a persons Rear End (also called Arse in proper English). And if this Whoop Ass is a necessary aid to you performing several acts of violence upon me, do you have to check that it hasn't been shaken up, if it's a canned carbonated beverage? Other wise you'll open it and inadvertantly spray yourself with Whoop Ass, which seemingly would prevent you from beating me up. And if it's the other kind of Can (again, the one soup comes in) whats to stop me legging it whilst you endeavour to open the blessed thing? Also, assuming it hasn't been shaken or I've decided to be polite and take whats coming to me, who consumes the content of the Can? Me or You? It's not entirely clear. In fact, surely if you have a tinned or canned good of any kind, a far more practical application of said grocery would be to just beat me round the head with it instead of fannying around opening it? See. Silly statement to make.

Also see, threatening to kick someones ass.

Taken literally, it could mean you intend to kick my bottom, or inflict random misery on my non-existent (unless of course you bought one for me especially) Donkey/Horse hybrid. If it's the former, surely I can vex you through the simple act of just sitting down, thus neatly hiding my Bum from your toes. As for the Donkey/Horse hybrid related violence, I single handedly fail to see how that teaches me anything, except that perhaps it has a meaner kick then yourself, and yes, human testicles can indeed come in just two dimensions. But, say I am doing my best to avoid you kicking my ass (assuming you are after my solid waste disposal area and not a Donkey/Horse Hybrid) you could always just wait until I need to go to the toilet, at which case a war of wits and nerves develops as I try to walk up the stairs backwards, thus preventing any kind of brief foot/rectum unison. And if I fail, you did say 'kick' as in singular. So perhaps all this trying to hide my Rusty Sherrifs badge from you malarky just isn't worth it, as I genuinely doubt I'd learn all that much from a single punt up the ring.

Well, at the last store I saw that sold it, whoopass came in six packs and was pop/tab only

"It is what it is."
Why?

Well, what is it?

I mean, I know what 'It' is in terms of Stephen King. It's a creepy arsed Clown that has an ultimately quite disappointing true form that just wasn't a Scary as the Clown. Well, I say the Clown was scary then you remember it's Tim Curry and he played Frank N Furter and really isn't all that scary at all. A bit like the Wizard of Oz, except instead of a harmless old man, it's a sex maniac wearing stockings and a basque!.

So, if the initial 'it' is refering to a poorly defined object of some sort, it is in fact the above rather creepy Clown/Pervert/Crap sort of spidery thing mentioned above. Not sure I'll be calling anything it from now on. I have a funny feeling that the world can only tolerate a finite number of clown/pervert/crap sort of spidery thing, and I have an inkling said finite number is around the one mark. Though seeing as the original one gets knacked in the end of the film (I think. It might not die properly) I guess there is an opening. Though quite how any poorly defined object can take over the reins from the original I don't know. Surely the object in question will just be a mere shadow of an imitation of the original. Things deadlight thingy probably wouldn't be all that bright. I get the feeling the newcomer would start of small, probably with a candle meant for a birthday cake.

Oh thats a good book. Happy memories there MDG.

Built like a brick 5h!thouse.

What does this mean? Now luckily I've only ever lived in the era of indoor toilets but from what I've been lead to believe it’s a small, cramped, ugly, freezing cold and rather smelly sort of construction. I'm not sure I'd like to be compared to that!

funny you should mention opening a can of whoop-ass MDK. A friend of mine used to attend Blood Bowl tournaments and whenever he went he would purchase a multipack of Dr Pepper a few days beforehand and spray the cans Chaos Black. He would then write Whoop-Ass! in big letters on each of the cans using a Tippex pen.

Thus at the start of each of his games he could quite literally "Open a can of Whoop-Ass" much to amusement of his opponents.

Indeed. Brick Outhouse.

So, the person in question isn't in fact made of muscle, fat, bone, hair, teeth and veins and stuff, but instead completely of man made materials, is ultimately hollow (usually with a flimsy wooden panel door) and has a toilet inside them. Not to mention no arms or legs with which to enact grievous injuries to anyone. Forgive me for not being particularly scared. Well, then again, perhaps if said Brick Outhouse had run out of Toilet Paper, with just the merest scrap clinging forlornely to the inner cardboard tube, and the previous evenings dinner of Curry was coming out in much the same state as it went in, thats quite a bad situation. Especially when the Flies (which seemingly teleport in) start to gather...

'Fit as a fiddle' is one that I have always found somewhat confusing.

Indeed, so confusing I can't think of a daft extrapolation of my own thoughts.

It just makes that little sense.

Also, describing something highly enjoyable or of a high status as the 'Bee's Knees'.....whats so great about Bees and their Knees? Do they even have them, strictly speaking, seeing as how they have an exoskeletal carapace, rather an endoskeletal..umm...Skeleton.

It appears someone out there set up a website just for this purpose:
http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/the-bees-knees.html

Cant say I'm satisfied with many of their answers but I can singlehandedly kill this thread with boring research instead of amusing anecdotes

This thread might just be the Dog's Bollocks

But certainly not the Cats Pyjamas.

Felines aren't my biggest fans at the best of times, so I dread to think what would happen if I tried to put one in jimjams....I don't think my face would survive said escapade.

No, not the Dog's Bollock's, but certainly said Dog's Dangly Bits; a.k.a the Mutt's Nuts.

Same thing I'm afraid.

Well, to quote the late George Carlin:

'Fine and Dandy' (As how can one be both fine and dandy at the same time?)

'Takes the cake', or 'Easy as pie'

'Badaboom, badabing'

'Down the tubes' ("Hey Joey, look at the ***** tube")

Among many others.

Piece of Cake could, in theory, relate back to the English Witch Finders.

If a member of the Order was accused, he'd get trial by cake. Essentially, three slices of cake. If he could eat all three without choking, he was innocent....

Only a theory though.

why do we drive on a parkway, and park on a driveway?

Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:Piece of Cake could, in theory, relate back to the English Witch Finders.

If a member of the Order was accused, he'd get trial by cake. Essentially, three slices of cake. If he could eat all three without choking, he was innocent....

Only a theory though.

CAKE OR DEATH?

similar to larry's happiness, is the phrase "happy as a clam"


really now... clams are sentient beings that can feel emotions such as happiness?

The cake is a lie.

"I felt like I was siting at the kiddy table."

I can see that it means that your are most likely being treated with respect and as though you are a mature person. But how the hell did the ref. to a kiddy table come about? What if someone doesn't have kids? Or is poor and can't afford two tables?

Larry is probably as happy as a sandbag.

One of my cousins is called Robert, so to my daughter, Bob really is her uncle.

The bee's knees.

Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:

Well, I say the Clown was scary then you remember it's Tim Curry and he played Frank N Furter and really isn't all that scary at all. A bit like the Wizard of Oz, except instead of a harmless old man, it's a sex maniac wearing stockings and a basque!.

.

A signature worthy quote, if ever Ive seen one.