Nonsense idioms!

[TheQsanity]

This thread is dedicated to common sayings that don't make sense!
I'll start us off:
In America "falling head over heels" has a similar meaning to being "swept off your feet" or falling in love.
Apparently the original saying was "heels over head" and means you are excited that you do cartwheels.

I am curious to hear what other people from around the world say as well as other sayings in and around America!

[rowdy]

A toast: Here's mud in your eye!

[clickclack]

Shoot the Sh1t
-casually talk

[keymaster]

"This is Amurrica! Speak English!"

[YoungMichael88]

"I like the cut of your jib"
Meaning I like your style/demeanor

Origin: the front most, triangular sails on old ships were called a jib.  Each country had a different style of jib.

[YoungMichael88]

Oh this one too
"Three sheets to the wind"
Meaning very drunk

Origin: again this saying originates from sailing. The ropes at the bottom corners of sails are called "sheets" if three of them are loose it causes the sails to move freely in the wind causing the ship to sway about like a drunken sailor.

[hashbaz]

A pet peeve of mine, similar to the one cited in the OP: "I could care less".  Its sense is the opposite of its literal meaning.  The "correct" version obviously is "I couldn't care less", but people often say and write the former.

[DamienG]

"Kill two birds with one stone."

Who the hell throws stones at birds. Why would you want to kill them?

And stones aren't exactly scarce so you're gaining what exactly?

[)amien

[rowdy]

Grouse.

(Something Victorians say - I was brought up in South Australia.  I still can't get used to it meaning "good" or "great".)

[Michael]

"Kill two birds with one stone."

Who the hell throws stones at birds. Why would you want to kill them?

And stones aren't exactly scarce so you're gaining what exactly?

[)amien

This might have been back when people needed to kill birds for food or something, and perhaps there was a shortage of rocks?

[sth]

"Kill two birds with one stone."

Who the hell throws stones at birds. Why would you want to kill them?

And stones aren't exactly scarce so you're gaining what exactly?

[)amien

This might have been back when people needed to kill birds for food or something, and perhaps there was a shortage of rocks?

i think you'll find it is derived from the original form of the phrase 'get two birds stoned at once'

[noisyturtle]

"As the actress said to the bishop." I heard this a few places and have absolutely no idea what it could possibly mean. Also "A stitch in time saves nine." I mean I get it, but that doesn't make me hate it anymore.

[TheQsanity]

Grouse.

(Something Victorians say - I was brought up in South Australia.  I still can't get used to it meaning "good" or "great".)

I know at least in California we say "sick" which means "cool". Other places say "ill"
"grouse" is a new one though

[quickcrx702]

"Kill two birds with one stone."

Who the hell throws stones at birds. Why would you want to kill them?

And stones aren't exactly scarce so you're gaining what exactly?

[)amien

This might have been back when people needed to kill birds for food or something, and perhaps there was a shortage of rocks?

i think you'll find it is derived from the original form of the phrase 'get two birds stoned at once'

Real badasses kill two stones with one bird.

[daerid]

"Kill two birds with one stone."

Who the hell throws stones at birds. Why would you want to kill them?

And stones aren't exactly scarce so you're gaining what exactly?

[)amien

This is from back when people used to go hunting with slings and rocks. Being able to kill two birds with one stone would then be a very fortuitous, but very rare event, as only killing one of the birds would cause the other to fly away, and you'd lose the opportunity for more food. Thus it also implies efficiency.

[bavman]

Not really an idiom, but something that was brought up a while ago is the phrase "over exaggerating". Exaggerating means to blow out of proportions, so over exaggerating just becomes redundant, yet is a very popular phrase

[YoungMichael88]

Not really an idiom, but something that was brought up a while ago is the phrase "over exaggerating". Exaggerating means to blow out of proportions, so over exaggerating just becomes redundant, yet is a very popular phrase

Don't even get me started on irregardless.

[davkol]

"Kill two birds with one stone."

Who the hell throws stones at birds. Why would you want to kill them?

And stones aren't exactly scarce so you're gaining what exactly?

[)amien

This might have been back when people needed to kill birds for food or something, and perhaps there was a shortage of rocks?

i think you'll find it is derived from the original form of the phrase 'get two birds stoned at once'

Real badasses kill two stones with one bird.

Angry Birds!

[Krogenar]

"holy smokes!"
- traditional Irish/Italian saying, used to express alarm, excitement or wonder -- it actually refers to the signal used by the Vatican to signal the selection of a new pope. I believe they cardinals deliberate, vote, and if they have no decision then they release a white smoke. If they do select a new pope, they release black smoke, and the crowds go wild in celebration. Hence, the term, holy smokes!

[fohat.digs]

A pet peeve of mine, similar to the one cited in the OP: "I could care less".  Its sense is the opposite of its literal meaning.  The "correct" version obviously is "I couldn't care less", but people often say and write the former.

This!

Also - "whatever" is a perfect response to certain questions, but when used wrongfully it becomes ridiculous

[mmmty]

whatever 

[esoomenona]

WHARRGARBL. I mean really, it's just a sound.
or
ASDF. That's just four keys on a keyboard right next to each other.

But isn't nonsense great?

[SpAmRaY]

"It is what it is"

This is said all the time at work.....I mean really....do we have to keep reminding ourselves it is what it is.....it's not like it isn't what its not would be any different.

[esoomenona]

"It is what it is"

This is said all the time at work.....I mean really....do we have to keep reminding ourselves it is what it is.....it's not like it isn't what its not would be any different.

Technically, if something isn't what it's not, then it actually is what it is.

[SmallFry]

"It is what it is"

This is said all the time at work.....I mean really....do we have to keep reminding ourselves it is what it is.....it's not like it isn't what its not would be any different.

Technically, if something isn't what it's not, then it actually is what it is.

I'll take that as it it what it is.

[fohat.digs]

"It is what it is"

This is said all the time at work.....I mean really....do we have to keep reminding ourselves it is what it is.....it's not like it isn't what its not would be any different.

I kind of like "it is what it is" because there are a lot of people who live in their own private worlds of denial and delusion.

[SpAmRaY]

"It is what it is"

This is said all the time at work.....I mean really....do we have to keep reminding ourselves it is what it is.....it's not like it isn't what its not would be any different.

Technically, if something isn't what it's not, then it actually is what it is.

I'll take that as it it what it is.

"oh the insanity"
is another that comes to mind

"It is what it is"

This is said all the time at work.....I mean really....do we have to keep reminding ourselves it is what it is.....it's not like it isn't what its not would be any different.

I kind of like "it is what it is" because there are a lot of people who live in their own private worlds of denial and delusion.

this is true....it just gets used way too often here, some people its almost every sentence 

[esoomenona]

"It is what it is"

This is said all the time at work.....I mean really....do we have to keep reminding ourselves it is what it is.....it's not like it isn't what its not would be any different.

I kind of like "it is what it is" because there are a lot of people who live in their own private worlds of denial and delusion.

this is true....it just gets used way too often here, some people its almost every sentence 

Technically, if that is what their sentence is, then... well, you get the picture.

[chewyfruitloop]

I could care less about....

I hear that a lot from Americans

....so you care about it then?

where as in the Englands we say

I couldn't care less about....

the other good one is

I ain't seen nothing...

...so you saw something then

[clickclack]

Lucked Out
-you got lucky (generally not the sexual type of lucky)
Sometimes it trips up younger generations in it's use.

Balls To The Wall
-to go all out, expend all energy on a task.

[esoomenona]

Lucked Out
-you got lucky (generally not the sexual type of lucky)
Sometimes it trips up younger generations in it's use.

Balls To The Wall
-to go all out, expend all energy on a task.

What about if your balls go from the window to the wall, then sweat drops down them? At that point, you might luck out, and get lucky.

[clickclack]

you killed it

[TheQsanity]

Reference:

feature=youtube_gdata_player

[rowdy]

A pet peeve of mine, similar to the one cited in the OP: "I could care less".  Its sense is the opposite of its literal meaning.  The "correct" version obviously is "I couldn't care less", but people often say and write the former.

I usually just say something like "I could care less, but that would involve the expenditure of energy that I could better use on something else".

[sth]

Balls To The Wall
-to go all out, expend all energy on a task.

I actually just recently heard the background of this. Here's an article about it: http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/explainer/2006/02/balls_in_the_air.html

[sth]

A pet peeve of mine, similar to the one cited in the OP: "I could care less".  Its sense is the opposite of its literal meaning.  The "correct" version obviously is "I couldn't care less", but people often say and write the former.

I usually just say something like "I could care less, but that would involve the expenditure of energy that I could better use on something else".

thereby expending more energy than the addition of two letters and an apostrophe

[clickclack]

I actually just recently heard the background of this. Here's an article about it: http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/explainer/2006/02/balls_in_the_air.html

You know, I had a feeling that it was going to be a military derived phrase. Honestly though, I always thought it had to do with you pressing the gas pedal so hard or so much that your dangly bits were against the fire wall. Not too far off actually. Haahaa, thanks for the link.

[TheQsanity]

I know skaters use the term "balls out"

What about "**** hits the fan"

[rowdy]

Put the pedal to the metal, your balls against the wall, and see if you can still reach the steering wheel.

[rowdy]

Nose to the grindstone?

[fohat.digs]

I know skaters use the term "balls out"

What about "**** hits the fan"

The fan atomizes whatever hits it, and sprays it in an all-covering mess onto everything within range.

[eth0s]

One of my personal favorites is:  "I don't give a rat's ass."

which means of course:  "I don't care at all."

etymology?  I have no idea.  But the internets say the following:

The OED gives the first citation of the phrase from the Leon Uris novel, "Battle Cry" in 1953.  If it appeared in a novel, there is a good chance the author picked up an expression that had been around for a while before that.

Some suggest that it came from a possibly related phrase "don't give a dead rat" from the incomparable Mark Twain, "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" (1884).

Apart from a single occurrence in 1953, Google ngram sees it picking up from 1970, after sporadic use in the 60’s.   

Somebody even made a cool graph showing the popularity of the phrases "rat's ass" and "give a rat's ass":



From this graph however, comes the disturbing news that usage of my favorite idiom is now in decline.  So tomorrow, I urge you all to try to reverse that trend, and please tell somebody that really deserves to hear it, that you sincerely, and honestly, just don't give a rat's ass.

[clickclack]

Oh noes! I learned "Rat's Nads", I never say "rat's ass", though I hear it often.
I don't know if I can make the switch. Hmm... maybe if I do it for SCIENCE!

[whiskerBox]

I used to work with this guy who would always say "that just takes the bark right off the log" for some reason it would drive me crazy.

A personal favorite of mine is "You lie like a rug".

These are both very stupid and I am sorry for exposing you.

[davkol]

Ich verstehe immer nur Bahnhof.

[TheQsanity]

"That would be the bee's knees"

[clickclack]

cool beans
-cool, neato

the cat's meow
- it's all the rage, fantastic, envious, the best, cool etc.

the cat's pajamas
-the best, coolest

[SmallFry]

"By the skin of his teeth"
lucky little son of a gun.

[nar]

Hair of the Dog, drinking to cure a Hangover

Apparently come from when people thought you could cure rabies from a dog bite if you took the dog's hair and put it on the bite.