Has anybody heard this idiom before?

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I grew up a lot in the south, all my family is southern. It is a very colorful language. It has served me well in learning how to interpret things. Some trip me up though. That classic question about if you understood "Wears his heart on his sleeve" actually is something I had to have explained to me because I could not make heads of tails of it. But this one really stumps me.....

This is the quote. The colloquialism or idiom is italicized.

"At the end of it we've got a message that is going all around the world right now. It's going off like a frog in a sock telling people that if you come into this nation and you don't obey our laws, you're in trouble. That's what this is about."

"going off like a frog in a sock?"
WTF?!?!?

I've not heard it. But I'm assuming if you put a frog in a sock it would be bouncing around in it trying to get out. Like when a cat gets stuck in a bag and goes crazy. I'm assuming that's what it's getting at.

I thought of something like that, but a frog would just get stuck or, possibly still because it would be dark and give a sense of safety.

This is what urban dictionary says about it:

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.p ... +in+a+sock

Apparently it's Australian slang.

The frog's reaction could depend on the color of the sock

Also, if it's an autistic frog, it might go off even more in the sock if it doesn't like how the seams feel

To address the OP's question, no I have never heard that idiom before. But I like it!

A quick Google revealed this:

https://www.italki.com/question/84770

Apparently it is Australian in origin and means to become very physically agitated or active, to the point of a panic or being out of control. Which can also be used in a good context apparently as well.

I've never heard it before, nor do I know what it means.

Duhhhh...I didn't think to google it. That lets you know where my brain is. First support group meeting today and I'm a bit knotted up going out and meeting new people too.

What is wrong with me? I didn't research it? oh man.........But it is a cool saying and I am filing it away for use at a later time.

Thanks for reminding me of google.....I shall slink to the isle of misfit Aspies now.....I now hear that cartoon of Beaky Buzzard playing my head now in that same dopey voice....

"I'm bringing home a baby bumblebee, won't my mommy be so proud of me..."
Starts at the 1:10 mark and the 2:08 mark for the dopey voice and song. It's pretty much how I feel about my attempts at life at the 2:16 mark.

It sort of makes sense. Though I'm curious how many frogs got put in socks for someone to come up with that phrase.

Never heard it before.



Imagine a dark narrow man's dress sock with a live frog trapped inside. You would see a bulge in the sock moving around with insanely emphatic motion as the terrified suffocating frog tries to escape.


To me its a rather vivid image.

The Aussies must be asleep LOL I'm sure a few would have chimed in by now.

Well, when you put it that way....

This

That's easy....as many as it took...

But who is putting frogs in socks. It's not like they come across each other that often (socks and frogs)

It only takes one dedicated, sadistic toader with a bizarre hypothesis to do it, get published in "Amphibian Today" and the cat's out of the bag.

Of course, they were grateful the cat was out of the bag or it would have eaten the frog first.