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commonly used phrases that confuse you

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digger1
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17 Mar 2008, 12:56 am

"apple of my eye"
"don't throw rocks in a glass house"
"a friend in need is a friend indeed"
"cute as a button"



9CatMom
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17 Mar 2008, 8:04 pm

"Dead cat bounce" (also one of the phrases I detest the most. It's absolutely horrible.)

"Busy," as in "that article of clothing is just too busy."



werbert
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17 Mar 2008, 8:06 pm

"Same difference." 8O


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digger1
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17 Mar 2008, 8:17 pm

werbert wrote:
"Same difference." 8O


six of one, half a dozen of the other. You're talking about basically the same thing when you use that phrase.



werbert
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17 Mar 2008, 8:25 pm

digger1 wrote:
werbert wrote:
"Same difference." 8O


six of one, half a dozen of the other. You're talking about basically the same thing when you use that phrase.
Then why don't they just say "Same thing" or "There's no difference"?

I understand what the phrase means, but I was confused the first time I heard it.


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madam_mim
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17 Mar 2008, 8:56 pm

In response to digger1: "Apple of my eye"

This means that the person being described is the most special person in the speaker's life. Used in a sentence: "My nephew is wonderful; he's brilliant, charming, and articulate. We have a very close relationship. He's the apple of my eye!"



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17 Mar 2008, 8:57 pm

"Could care less" and "couldn't care less" meaning essentially the same thing.


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digger1
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17 Mar 2008, 9:00 pm

madam_mim wrote:
In response to digger1: "Apple of my eye"

This means that the person being described is the most special person in the speaker's life. Used in a sentence: "My nephew is wonderful; he's brilliant, charming, and articulate. We have a very close relationship. He's the apple of my eye!"


interested in more of the meaning behind the phrase.



Brittany2907
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17 Mar 2008, 9:36 pm

One that my mother always says is..."It's a trap for young players". I have no idea what that is supposed to mean.


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asperity
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17 Mar 2008, 10:22 pm

"It goes to show you never can tell"



MissConstrue
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17 Mar 2008, 10:36 pm

What comes around goes around.



marshall
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17 Mar 2008, 10:50 pm

"you can't have your cake and eat it too".

Can too! I will have my cake and I will eat it. Try and stop me! :P



lau
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17 Mar 2008, 10:52 pm

SilverProteus wrote:
"Could care less" and "couldn't care less" meaning essentially the same thing.

I find this one hard to understand. They always seem opposites to me.

"I couldn't care less" must mean I do not care at all, as only then would it be impossible to care to any lesser degree.

"I could care less" means I do care, to some degree, as only in that case would it be possible for me to care a lesser amount.


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marshall
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17 Mar 2008, 10:55 pm

SilverProteus wrote:
"Could care less" and "couldn't care less" meaning essentially the same thing.


"could care less" bugs the crap out of me!

I would interpret that to mean that the person DOES care about the subject, even though it is supposed to mean they don't. :huh:



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17 Mar 2008, 10:57 pm

lau wrote:
SilverProteus wrote:
"Could care less" and "couldn't care less" meaning essentially the same thing.

I find this one hard to understand. They always seem opposites to me.

"I couldn't care less" must mean I do not care at all, as only then would it be impossible to care to any lesser degree.

"I could care less" means I do care, to some degree, as only in that case would it be possible for me to care a lesser amount.


When people say "I could care less", what they mean is "I couldn't care less". They just don't realize that they are getting the phrase incorrect and saying something that doesn't make sense. It bugs me when people say it wrong.



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17 Mar 2008, 11:22 pm

The phrase that irritates me the most is "It is what it is."