Odd sayings we still use that might not make sense...

[rhubarbodendron]

You think that's creepy? How about "There's more than one way to skin a cat"?

I've only heard that one with bears.

The phrase that puzzles me most is "go figure". I am aware that it's connected with "figuring out" - realizing / coming to an insight (presumably originating from mathematics), and that it means approximately "it was to be expected". But does anyone have an idea of the exact history of this phrase and its original structure? The current one seems to be shortened beyond recognition.
Who is supposed to go? The addressee or the figure? And where? Or should they go on instead of anywhere? And is figure in this phrase an order or rather a noun?

 

[Captain pl1ngpl0ng]

"it's the HUMANE thing to do"
it doesnt make sense because we are not humans, we are Aliens...
and we are put here on this PRISON PLANET to learn to behave ourself...!!!

yeah thats right... and dr Ellis says so!!!!

 

[Avro Arrow]

and we are put here on this PRISON PLANET to learn to behave ourself...!!!

Guess we failed.

 

[Captain pl1ngpl0ng]

Guess we failed.

lol yeah we probably did, i just found this pic online yesterday and i couldnt stop laughin:

 

[StarCruiser]

So, this is supposed to be a "scientist"?

Has he not observed that most animals are also violent?

Has he not noted that some animals can develop bone conditions and yes - even bad backs (check out a very old Dachshund sometime)?

Oh, wait... This was from "The Mail"? Nevermind...

 

[Avro Arrow]

lol yeah we probably did, i just found this pic online yesterday and i couldnt stop laughin:

(I guess the alien smiley is somehow appropriate...)

So, this is supposed to be a "scientist"?

His doctorate is apparently in limnology.

Although it sounds wildly far-fetched, if this *were* true, there is actually an upside. In the future, when people ask me for directions, I'd be able to legitimately say, "Sorry, I'm not from around here."

 

[CorporalCaptain]

And is figure in this phrase an order or rather a noun?

Yes, "go figure" is an order/imperative.

 

[M'Sharak]

The phrase that puzzles me most is "go figure". I am aware that it's connected with "figuring out" - realizing / coming to an insight (presumably originating from mathematics), and that it means approximately "it was to be expected". But does anyone have an idea of the exact history of this phrase and its original structure? The current one seems to be shortened beyond recognition.
Who is supposed to go? The addressee or the figure? And where? Or should they go on instead of anywhere? And is figure in this phrase an order or rather a noun?

I don't know its exact history, but it generally means the opposite if "it was to be expected". It's used to refer to a thing or situation or condition which has defied or contradicted expectation — which had every reason to be expected to be a certain way, and yet inexplicably isn't.

"Factors A, B and C logically ought to have combined to produce result D, but the result instead--for no reason we can determine--was a completely unexpected form of Q. Go figure!"

It's an expression of puzzlement or exasperation. And a complete sentence.

 

[rhubarbodendron]

IC. Thank you!

His doctorate is apparently in limnology.

A colleague of mine? How embarassing. Btw, cows, pigs, cats, dogs, rabbits and whales get sunburn, too (I suspect every mammal can get it). Horses can catch the measles, and cats (including the big sorts like lions etc) and dogs get covid2. Humans can catch swine flu, avian flu and anthrax, mad cow desease and psittacosis, to name only a few. So, sadly, my colleague couldn't be much wronger if he tried.
Maybe he bought his title. I am told in some US states that's legal.

 

[Silvercrest]

"it's the HUMANE thing to do"
it doesnt make sense because we are not humans, we are Aliens...
and we are put here on this PRISON PLANET to learn to behave ourself...!!!

Tongue-in-cheekiness aside, I'm not seeing the connection. Even if all the tinfoil hat theories in the world were true and we really were placed here by aliens, that doesn't mean we aren't human. The word "humane" still applies.

 

[TrickyDickie]

I get very tired of Ann the historian.

Seems like she is everywhere, these days.

"An historian...." "An historical... " Etc.

The h is not silent. It's not the sound of 'an iss'....

It sounds so awkward....and, 40 years ago when I was in grade school, this was quite basic and not difficult to learn.

Today, a lot of people are also saying things like 'a analogy' and 'a owl'.

What is being taught in schools, to get the usage of a and an turned backwards like this?

And....why don't people notice how awkward it sounds when they say these things?

 

[StarCruiser]

Well - I've heard that a lot of schools don't want to "hurt the kid's feelings" so...they let them pass. Even if they can't read/write/speak etc...

 

[TrickyDickie]

'Thunder in the outhouse'. A lot of young people these days would have no idea what that is.

Although....with the coming of Covid-19, perhaps outhouses will make a comeback. Maybe they will be the new man cave / she shed.

Coupled with the article that suggests smelling farts may help prevent cancer....

OMG, how did things go so wonky...

Or is it 'hinky'?

 

[Gary Mitchell]

Coupled with the article that suggests smelling farts may help prevent cancer....

 

[Kor]

...

"An historian...." "An historical... " Etc.

...

An interesting read on this, including American vs. British usage:
https://aelarsen.wordpress.com/why-an-historian/

Kor

 

[TrickyDickie]

An interesting read on this, including American vs. British usage:
https://aelarsen.wordpress.com/why-an-historian/

Kor

Cool....thanks for posting.

Do you have anything for people replacing 'have' with 'of' these days?

Could have.
Could've.
Could of.

That last one, when written, seems so....

 

[Kor]

Cool....thanks for posting.

Do you have anything for people replacing 'have' with 'of' these days?

Could have.
Could've.
Could of.

That last one, when written, seems so....

Anecdotal evidence, but I remember teachers having to correct kids in my elementary school class for writing "could of" way back in the days of TNG's first run. There is a certain poster around here who insists on writing it that way, because "that's what it sounds like."

Kor

 

[Qonundrum]

Less is More. One of the most moronic, idiotic things I've ever heard.

Less is not more, less is less. If less was more it would be called more, but it's not, it's called less and the reason for that is because it's less.

Ah. Deep breath.....

That depends on which literal interpretation and end result you're referring to. The additional context of, let's use a cliche, adding salt to an entree where a little salt is good and a lot of salt is bad... if you really want more, dump a few grams onto it. For a more palatable blend, using a few milligrams will suffice.

Now if you want a fun oxymoron, try getting some of that tasty "jumbo shrimp".

 

[Mojochi]

I get very tired of Ann the historian.

Seems like she is everywhere, these days.

"An historian...." "An historical... " Etc.

The h is not silent. It's not the sound of 'an iss'....

It sounds so awkward....and, 40 years ago when I was in grade school, this was quite basic and not difficult to learn.

Today, a lot of people are also saying things like 'a analogy' and 'a owl'.

What is being taught in schools, to get the usage of a and an turned backwards like this?

And....why don't people notice how awkward it sounds when they say these things?

I've gotten a bit less bothered by it over the years, as the language gets relaxed to the extreme... except for one example that still gets me, people who say "A whole nother". WTF is a "Nother"? You don't need to be a linguistics scholar to figure out the word another is a combination of an & other, 2 words we still use separately, so it shouldn't take too much brain power to manage separating them back that way if you intend to interject something between them, and if you interject a word beginning with a consonant, like whole, you say "A whole other" That's an altogether other topic though lol. It's just lazy minded... like people who say "Your guys's" pronounced like guises.

 

[TrickyDickie]

Hmm....reminds me of "You guys"....which is used as a catch-all these days for two or more people, regardless of gender and even of age.

How many young people, today, if they....receive a birthday gift from their grandparents, for example, will say "Thanks, you guys!"

"Guys", as a generic, unisex term wouldn't be so bad, except that it is a male-based word, like "man-kind".

Time for a change.

And yeah....I know....if they thank their grandparents at all, it's a wonder.