Calis Beach and Fethiye Turkey Discussion Forum
General Topics => All things that have nothing to do with Turkey => Topic started by: Colwyn on November 15, 2015, 09:57:26 AM
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My mind is littered with phrases that I have found out I once misunderstood but now they won't go away. A lot of them I had only heard and not read which assisted misunderstanding. As a child I was mystified with the expression "fine-tooth comb" - I couldn't understand why anyone would want to comb their teeth no matter how delicate was that comb. "Hand raised pork pie" was another confusion. Did it mean a pie that was lifted up by hand? Surely not, that would be silly. So it must mean a delicacy made from the very finest piglet - one of those raised on milk in the farmhouse kitchen, possibly the runt of the litter. But no, my first thought turned out to be right. I am still not sure about whether it is "duct-tape" or "duck-tape" - it seems to be ape for ducts made by the Duck Tape company.
Other people seem to have the same problem given the number of people nervously awaiting news who tell me they are "on tender-hooks". Have you got any habitually misunderstood phrases? But I doubt they'll be as glorious as the classic hymn "Gladly, my cross-eyed bear".
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....a fine string player?
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I would hazard a guess that some 95%+ of English speakers misunderstand the proverb "The exception proves the rule". They suppose that something that breaks the rule thus demonstrates that the rule is correct - which would be a patently ludicrous assertion. But, of course, it doesn't mean that at all.
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I remember being devasted at the end of my first day at school; I was told to "sit there for the present" , but even by the end of the day, no present was forthcoming :(
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I would like to know what on Earth is going on when people think the World of someone and say they are "the apple of my eye". Eyes don't have apples, nor is one needed.
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I have often misunderstood the phrase “you’re right John, I’m wrong” to mean that Mrs H has actually conceded that I was in the right. :(
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For a long time I thought I was a human bean :-[
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"Give it up for....." when tv presenters want the audience to appauld the person they have just introduced, ;)
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Send three and fourpence, we're going to a dance ? ;)
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Where do I send it to, and what shall I wear.? ???
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Do you have Paypal?
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Evet, paypal kullanın . Ama bunu kullanmak için bir indirim alamadım .
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My lesbian neighbours misunderstood my request when they asked me what I wanted for Christmas.
They bought me a Rolex.
I didn't say I wanted a watch.
I said I wanted wanted TO watch.......
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Didn't understand that phrase KKOB.?? ;)
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Lotty - go ahead. Use Paypal - but there's no discount for using it! (or something like that, I think).
(I was baffled - "Google Translate" sort of gave me that translation).
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My son, aged around 7, in tears before the school's Halloween disco and refusing to wear the mask that went with his devil costume even though he desperately wanted to.
When I asked why he wouldn't put it on, he said: "Because the headteacher says it's 50p a head to get in. I've only got a pound so if I wear my mask I'll have no money left for a hotdog."
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When we moved to our place in the countryside in Scotland. I got some hens and then ducks. The dinner lady in the school said she would sell me a drake. I went to her house to collect it. She handed it to me and I asked how much and she said £2.00...Do you think that is muckle?? I said yes. Then she asked me again did I think it was muckle and I again said yes. I wondered why she did not look happy. I paid her and left. It was only after I spoke to my neighbour I found out when the lady was asking me was that muckle, she was asking me did I think that was that too much.. I thought muckle had meant fine. I had to go to the school the next day and explain.