The English language is a weird thing, and
we are constantly inventing new ways to
express ourselves. Unfortunately,
sometimes we try to get a bit too creative,
and don’t realize that the expressions we’re
saying make absolutely no sense when you
boil them down. Here are ten everyday
phrases we’ve all said that don’t actually
mean what you think they do.

1 “Head over heels”
Aren’t we already head over heels every day? As in, when you’re standing up, your head rests over your heels? Though the expression refers to somebody falling down, or falling in love, etc., it might make more sense to switch it to “head over behind,” or something along those lines.

2 “Slept like a baby”
Babies never sleep through the night, do they? Or if they do, it’s a rare occurrence that’s celebrated by new parents with all the fanfare of a World Series win. Sleeping like a baby infers that you woke up every hour on the hour and screamed your head off until somebody changed your diaper.

3 “Easy as pie”
Pie is actually really hard to make. Making the crust and filling taste right to begin with is no small task, and don’t even get me started on making those top dimples just right. Eating pie isn’t even that easy either – have you ever had a bash at one with no fork and your hands tied behind your back, country fair style? Definitely not easy.

4. “Clean as a whistle”
Clean as a whistle? What on earth is that
about? Whistles are FILTHY. Full of spit, dirt,
and who knows what else. Whistles should
not be your go-to cleaning barometer. If it’s
clean as a whistle, wash it again.


5.“I’ve got a bone to pick with you”
The phrase refers to needing to settle an
argument with somebody, but what does
picking at a bone have to do with it? It
would make sense if we were talking about
a group of vultures who wanted to spend
some quality time with one another over a
nice bone, but it doesn’t really work in the
human context.

6. “Beat around the bush”
Beating around the bush means you’re
putting off doing something, or not getting
to the point in an argument. But since
when is beating a bush, or even running
around a bush, if that’s what you take from
it, a stalling tactic? Imagine being in a
disagreement with somebody, and rather
than make a salient point, they run off and
start jogging circles around some
shrubbery. You’d just walk away.

7. “Have your cake and eat it too”
You would assume that if you’re eating
cake, it was yours. And isn’t eating your
cake the same thing as having it? If this
phrase wanted to be more accurate, it
would be something more like, “Keep your
cake and eat it too.” Which just makes you
a Fatty Fatty No Friends.

8.“It’s a dog-eat-dog world”
Basically, we’re likening a competitive
atmosphere to cannibalism. That seems a
bit excessive, even in capitalistic societies.
When have you ever seen a dog eat a dog,
even in the wild? They’ll ruthlessly go after
squirrels or rabbits, sure, but they usually
leave their own kind well enough alone.

9. “I could care less”
If you could care less, you’re saying that
you care a certain amount, and it’s possible
for you to care less than you currently do.
To be fair, this is kind of a
misinterpretation of the actual saying,
which is, “I couldn’t care less,” but enough
people get it wrong that it makes the list.

10.
“I don’t give a rat’s a**”
For those who have tired of the
aforementioned phrase, “I could care less,”
they’ll sometimes throw in a “I don’t give a
rat’s a**,” to express the depth to which
they really don’t care about something. But
does that mean that if you did care about
it, you would give a rat’s behind to
somebody to demonstrate that? That’s a
weird way of showing your commitment,
to my way of thinking.

i better stay

IKJ66:
► γφυ got M̶̲̅ε lolz

even when you didnt smile...lolz

Number 7 got me confused when i was younger...i just didn't understand the rationale for the quote

The rat's a** gets me. I mean if I so cared and really wanted to show it by giving an a**, why that of a rat?

What happened to rabbits and squirrels?


#notorat'sa**

#keepthea**toyourself

#okthanks

#okbye

Lmao ooooo. Rotfl.

"I slept like a baby"

This particular one refers to the calmness on their faces while they sleep. No depression, no worries, no snoring. This isn't common for adults, is it?

@OP, it's actually " I couldn't care less" which makes perfect sense

Oh sorry. Just saw you already stated that. Great observations by the way.

English hard ooooo. Lol
anyways that No. 7 is always confusing us.

Reminds me of a poem called plurisy, one line said- "though we say brethren we never say methren"
Abeg no mind engris jare

OP so na dah one dey pain you now?

Am present

you are telling us it doesn't make sense by making no sense too.

Truth unleashed

OP....pls lemme book space

Even the supposed correct saying "I couldn't care less" is also arguable to a certain extent. It could actually mean that you already care a great deal and couldn't care any lesser, even if you wanted to. It's like saying I want to care less about something or someone, but I couldn't.

Best to say "I don't care", if you really have to use that phrase

OP u are very right jare.

lightking99:
6. “Beat around the bush”
Beating around the bush means you’re
putting off doing something, or not getting
to the point in an argument. But since
when is beating a bush, or even running
around a bush, if that’s what you take from
it, a stalling tactic? Imagine being in a
disagreement with somebody, and rather
than make a salient point, they run off and
start jogging circles around some
shrubbery. You’d just walk away.

The example you gave here rather emphasizes the point instead of ridiculing it.
If someone who is in a disagreement with you starts jogging round some shrubbery and that makes you walk away, the fact is that that person has achieved his aim of postponing or stalling your argument.
By beating around the bush,(and making u walk away) he has put off arguing with you.

Op all I can say is......ur madness is lyk glo UNLIMITED

Nice one op,...but the no7 is a bit confusing.

Dannylux:
"I slept like a baby"

This particular one refers to the calmness on their faces while they sleep. No depression, no worries, no snoring. This isn't common for adults, is it?

LMAO,the mere thought of a barrow pusher or brick layer sleeping calmly makes me laugh.

I was here.

Abi e no make sense

Clean as whistle doesn't mean the wistle it self but the sound that comes outter it

astronautog:
Op all I can say is......ur madness is lyk glo UNLIMITED

some people shaa... smh

lmao....funny as hell!


did I just say that

Have you really heard about idioms?

I've always imagined hunting when I hear the expression 'beat around the bush' so it always made sense to me. Here is what it means :




Beat around the bush
Meaning
To prevaricate and avoid coming to the point.
Origin
The figurative meaning of the odd phrase 'beat
around the bush' or, as it is usually expressed in
the UK, 'beat about the bush', evolved from the
earlier literal meaning. In bird hunts some of the
participants roused the birds by beating the bushes
and enabling others, to use a much later phrase, to
' cut to the chase' and catch the quarry in nets. So
'beating about the bush' was the preamble to the
main event, which was the capturing of the birds. Of
course, grouse hunting and other forms of hunt still
use beaters today.
So basically they are saying go straight to capturing the animal. Enough with the preamble. Go straight to the point.