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English Expressions That Sound Odd To You - Literature - Nairaland

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English Expressions That Sound Odd To You by Scopium: 8:21am On May 06, 2008
[size=13pt]There are some english expressions that sound odd to me sometimes. For instance; In Your Own Words. That means you have to invent your own words and not using the words everybody is already using. If there's any expression that sounds odd to you just spill it here.[/size]
Re: English Expressions That Sound Odd To You by naijadiva2(f): 6:12pm On May 06, 2008
in your own words does not mean literally in your own words, it just means basically how you would translate something without using the exact word usage.
Re: English Expressions That Sound Odd To You by Scopium: 7:51am On May 07, 2008
naija_diva:

in your own words does not mean literally in your own words, it just means basically how you would translate something without using the exact word usage.

[size=13pt]Yes I know you don't take it literally and that's odd thing about it. If somebody says; 'Come To My House' it's plain as it is, you don't have to dig beneath any literally layer to get the meaning[/size]
Re: English Expressions That Sound Odd To You by WallaceDon(m): 5:03am On May 08, 2008
To whom it may concern, lol
Say whatever you feel b'cos it's not your fault nor mine.
Re: English Expressions That Sound Odd To You by nanaboi(m): 6:52pm On May 09, 2008
Question - "Do you mind?"
Answer - "No"
And the answer gets the verything they said "No" (as in) I don't mind to.
Re: English Expressions That Sound Odd To You by WallaceDon(m): 9:28pm On May 10, 2008
Odd Expressions:

I wonder if you could help me get the idea with some of these expressions that I have come across through the learning process of the language and haven't found anwers yet.

Cupid cannon foder

I made up a story to try and get a rise out of him.

Be in digs.

On the rant.

Cut and lose.

Eye-in-the-sky.

Time shifted.

Slug.(in automotive terms)

Thanks in advance.
__________________
I got this thing for Nigerians.

"Eye in the sky" is a term that has been used by radio stations to describe their traffic-monitoring helicopters. London's Capital Radio still has one by that name, I believe.

I hope I have helped you. Although do wait for other opinions to elaborate more.


DJ WALLACE.
Re: English Expressions That Sound Odd To You by Scopium: 10:06am On May 13, 2008
[size=13pt]That was quite helpful.[/size]
Re: English Expressions That Sound Odd To You by wildbubble(f): 5:33pm On May 25, 2008
All work and no play makes JACK a dull boy

, and that makes me wonder, why jack?,

why not TOM DICK OR HARRY,

but then when they say

"Every Tom, Dick, and Harry"

i wonder again, why them?

why not Every Jack, sombody, and somebody.

you see? who can please the world?
Re: English Expressions That Sound Odd To You by Sisikill: 11:04pm On May 25, 2008
wildbubble:

All work and no play makes JACK a dull boy

, and that makes me wonder, why jack?,

why not TOM DICK OR HARRY,

but then when they say

"Every Tom, Dick, and Harry"

i wonder again, why them?

why not Every Jack, sombody, and somebody.

you see? who can please the world?

Bwahahaha! Wildbubble, I'm starting to like you.

Funny, Funny girl.
Re: English Expressions That Sound Odd To You by Sisikill: 11:30pm On May 25, 2008
Saved by the Bell.

Odd, very odd indeed and the origin is quiet interesting.

Apparently, in the days of yore. . .people used to get buried alive, guess they couldn't tell if someone was in a deep sleep, in a coma or just old fashioned dead. If you made the mistake of not budging when they tried to wake you up, let's say because you were hungover from drinking too much to avoid having intimate relations with your spouse or maybe you took too many sleeping pills to. . .err. . . avoid intimate relations with your spouse, it's off to the grave for ya.

When these graves were later dug up. . .don't ask me why they would dig 'em up again, they noticed fingernails scratching on the coffin walls and thought "Oh freak! From the looks of things, I think. . .and this is just me thinking and I could be wrong but we may have buried someone alive!" So to avoid that little mistake, they decide to bury people with bells hanging in the coffin, so you sleeping off an all nighter, wake up in a dark confined space, have nothing to fear. . .just ring the bell and they'll coming-a-running to get you out. Hence. . .Saved by the Bell.

Now, you are probably thinking, wouldn't it have been much easier to. . .oh I don't know make sure the person they are burying is actually dead before sticking 'em in a coffin, right? I suppose they could have done that. . .but then where would we be if we didn't have the words "Saved by the bell" to ponder upon? Okay, We'll probably still be here but would we have something interesting to talk about? Yeah. . .more than likely we would. Alright I give up, I've got no excuse for their stupidity.

Seriously though can you imagine waking up in a coffin after falling asleep on a satin feather bed? Yikes!
Re: English Expressions That Sound Odd To You by Sisikill: 11:49pm On May 25, 2008
Make a Killing

He made a killing in real estate last year or She made a Killing selling junk on ebay

Still unable to find the origin.
Re: English Expressions That Sound Odd To You by wildbubble(f): 4:08pm On May 26, 2008
Sisikill, I love it when smart people begin to like me.

wow! thank God i didn't live in the days of the bell, because those nights when i ate too much, and my phone couldn't wake me for midnight call, my friend would have called my family and told them to bury me.
Re: English Expressions That Sound Odd To You by Nobody: 2:47pm On May 27, 2008
I now pronounce you man and wife---> this just gets me fuming angry
Why can't it be man and woman or preferably husband and wife angry
Man and wife relay vibes that show some kind of superiority (and you know who the statement  tries to make feel superior). Nonsense!!!!!!! angry tongue cheesy
Re: English Expressions That Sound Odd To You by Dreloaded(f): 2:50pm On May 27, 2008
Most places do say "husband and wife"
Re: English Expressions That Sound Odd To You by Nobody: 3:34pm On May 27, 2008
Good to know tongue
Re: English Expressions That Sound Odd To You by lifeithink(f): 7:09pm On May 27, 2008
please let's not forget "you cant have your cake and eat it?", in the words of Jay Z "if i got cake what the f*ck am i supposed to do?", darling Nigerians got so irritated by it that it's been twisted to "you can't eat your cake and have it", hehehe much better grin
Re: English Expressions That Sound Odd To You by TrueBrit: 8:43pm On May 27, 2008
lifeithink:

please let's not forget "you can't have your cake and eat it?", in the words of Jay Z "if i got cake what the f*ck am i supposed to do?", darling Nigerians got so irritated by it that it's been twisted to "you can't eat your cake and have it", hehehe much better grin

Actually, the original expression is "you can't eat your cake and have it". Misguided and often confused people (failing to get the intention behind the saying) are known to misquote the idiom as 'you can't have your cake and eat it'. angry undecided lipsrsealed  Moreover, it was not Nigerians who reversed (or as you say, twisted) the idiom.
Re: English Expressions That Sound Odd To You by lifeithink(f): 9:11pm On May 27, 2008
"wolde you bothe eate your cake, and have your cake?" , yippeeeeeeee now i can say "you can't eat your cake and have it" without thinking Mrs. Ogbonna (my English teacher) is going to withdraw my certificate, thanks mate, wink
Re: English Expressions That Sound Odd To You by TrueBrit: 2:47am On May 28, 2008
lifeithink:

"wolde you bothe eate your cake, and have your cake?"

I do remember this from way back when. This was the earliest/original version of the idiom that wa traced to the 16th century [I think]. But yeah, in yesteryears language it is you can't eat your cake nad have it.

Thanks for the memory.

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