flat5

A German young woman once told me in 1983 (translated) something her grandmother said was an old expression.

"You could always nail a meatball to your knee".

Meaning, if all else fails, you could try this.

I still think it is funny and wonder what other expressions/sayings are out there.
This one is obscure. So much the better for posting.

Tophat665

"There's a heartbeat in every potato." I have no idea what it means.

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Light a man a fire, and he will be warm while it burns.
Set a man on fire, and he will be warm for the rest of his life.

Blackthorn

Around Cincinnati there's a funny expression that people use when they didn't hear what you said. They reply with "Please?" in the form of a question. It's the damndest thing. I grew up saying it because ... well ... everyone else said the same thing.

Fast forward to a road trip to St. Louis to where I am set to watch my beloved Reds play the lowly Cardinals. I am sitting at a restaurant, I think it was Mike Shannon's (or something like that - a former Cardinal hero), and the waitress comes over to our table about mid way through the meal and mumbles something I couldn't understand. I respond with "Please?"... and you won't believe the NERVE of this woman ... she reaches down and takes my plate and walks away. I was about HALF finished! Apparently she asked if she could take my plate, or get that out of my way, etc. Anyway ... this little episode cured me of that expression.

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What are you willing to give up in order to get what you want?

themisfit

~s~ poor baby...

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At length my cry was known:
Therein lay my release.
I met the wolf alone
And was devoured in peace.

ESVM

Blackthorn

Well I know...but the least you could do is show a poor lil mid-western boy a little sympathy when he's had his dinner just flat STOLEN right from under his nose!!!

welcome back here misfit!

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What are you willing to give up in order to get what you want?

flat5

you were too shocked to say "WAIT. Bring it back!"?

Here in Amsterdam, NL, you hear "Sorry?" "Pardon"?
It's a shortcut.

Quite often, people hear what they want to hear .

tnx for the story :-)

Catmandu

This is so funny. I lived in Cincy for 2 years, and that is exactly what I remember. That and the hordes of Proctor & Gamble workers going to work in the morning all wearing their identical London Fogs.

WillyPete

It's funny but for a brutal language like afrikaans and the associated thoughts of Apartheid, it has a certain poetic feel to it, particularly when it comes to cursing people.
I picked up most of these when drafted into the military, as most of the permanent military were Afrikaners.

The one I talks about taking ajoke too far and translates to:

tropple

That's great! Militaries evolve so many specialze oddball phrases.

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themisfit

Next time instead of saying "please?" say "do what?" like we southerners do...and your food won't get stolen ~s~

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At length my cry was known:
Therein lay my release.
I met the wolf alone
And was devoured in peace.

ESVM

maleficent

I have a friend who hails from Tennessee-- one of her favorite expressions when she is describing someone who's a few cards short of a deck...

Why, that person is just as dumb as Kudzu... (I know kudzu is some sort of weed, but for the life of me, I can't figure out why it's dumb.)

A client of mine, who's a North Carolina gal, says, when she's in a hurry to do something-- that she'll be "haulin' 'taters' to get that done...

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rockogre

Even a blind hog finds an acorn occasionally.

Unknown

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Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you,
Jesus Christ and the American G. I.
One died for your soul, the other for your freedom

byesman

When I was growing up, anytime there was a loud noise, such as a dropped pot, my dad would say "There ain't no joy in our house, since Nellie got the gong." He also would say "Had for the round house Nellie, they can't corner you there."

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If after I depart this vale you ever remember me and have thought to please my ghost,
forgive some sinner, and wink your eye at some homely girl.

H.L. Mencken

Hash_Browns

My grandma's favorite 'warning' is "You better pick that up, or I'm gonna take my shoe off!!"

We laugh about it now...but that shoe hurt...

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