What idioms of speech annoy you?

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MacFromOK

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'Pitcher' for photograph.
Ha! I seem to remember a story somewhere that mentioned "little pitchers have big ears" (meaning little "pictures" have big ears - i.e children - which is an old saying used to caution other adults about children being present during an adult conversion), and the kid couldn't figure out why pitchers of any size would have ears... :D
 

mightymouse

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"Whatya doing, boss man?" "Thanks, boss!" Unless you are stupid enough to believe that my parents could have, or would have, named me either "boss man" or "boss", it is time to get off the plantation and grow up. I am not your boss if I'm asking you if I can help you.
 

Rumur

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"Sittin there".....So we were standing around talking the other day and I was sittin there thinking about something else.
So which is it? Were you standing or sitting?
I pretty much quit listening at that point.
 

MacFromOK

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"Sittin there".....So we were standing around talking the other day and I was sittin there thinking about something else.
So which is it? Were you standing or sitting?
I pretty much quit listening at that point.
A nephew of mine was terrible about using "sittin' there" when he was a teenager.

At a family Christmas gathering, he started a story by saying, "I was sittin' there walkin' across the floor," and my Dad (probably around 70 or so at the time) looked around and said loudly, "WHAT DID HE SAY?"

Everybody cracked up and laughed for a good bit. The kid is in his fifties now, and I don't remember him ever saying that again. :D
 

gerhard1

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Indeed. A friend of mine worked with a guy from China. He said when he first came over, folks would greet him with, "What's up?"

And he'd look up to see what they were talking about. :D
In the UK, I understand that it is very common to say "I'll ring you up" when we say "I'll call" and our "I'll drop by" to the Brits is "I'll knock you up".

A New Testament Greek prof told us one time in class about a Chinese gentleman newly arrived in the USA, who, upon seeing a sign advertising hot dogs was delighted at first because dog is at its' best when it is piping hot.
 

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