Strange expressions..

Subject: RE: Strange expressions..
From: Steve Parkes
Date: 05 Jun 01 - 12:10 PM

If you were more familiar with your Bible, you'd know the original expression was "saved by the hair of your teeth". (No, I know it's not verbatim, but I'm not that familiar either!)

"Whippet-Quick" is a favourite of my mother's, usually in the form "Oi, Whippet-Quick!", which can normally be understodd as "if you don't stop that, you'll get a clip round the ear!". When I finally asked her about it, there was some discussion with Dad, and they eventually decided it was a character from "Ray's a Laugh", which was comic Ted Ray's Sunday afternoon show on the BBC Light Programme. He was an upper-class con-man, or some such.

"Hold this while I call a cop" rings a bell; was it Groucho Marx?

And Sin is only ugly to them that (think they) don't do it!

Steve

Subject: RE: Strange expressions..
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 05 Jun 01 - 12:02 PM

These are called "idioms", expressions that are peculiar to a particular language because they don't mean what they mean, so to speak.

I remember being rather amused when I was learning German, reading that someone went to see Herr Professor Schmidt, and asked the maid to see him.

She replied, "Es tut mir leid, er is nicht zu hause."

Transliterated, this would be, "It does me heavy, he is not home."

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: Strange expressions..
From: Bagpuss
Date: 05 Jun 01 - 11:56 AM

I always liked "keep your eyes peeled".

Bagpuss

Subject: RE: Strange expressions..
From: sian, west wales
Date: 05 Jun 01 - 11:45 AM

I've never understood, "ugly as sin". Surely sin has to be drop-dead-gorgeous or it wouldn't be so attractive (to SO many of us.)

sian

Subject: RE: Strange expressions..
From: mousethief
Date: 05 Jun 01 - 11:29 AM

Do our teeth have skin?

It's called "gums" -- mine have it. Do yours? :-)

Alex

Subject: RE: Strange expressions..
From: GUEST
Date: 05 Jun 01 - 11:18 AM

My folks used to say, as they handed you something when they were busy, "Here, hold this while I call a cop."

Subject: RE: Strange expressions..
From: Arnie
Date: 05 Jun 01 - 11:18 AM

Cheers Lyndi-loo - I didn't even know there was a phrase finder website but it will sure prove useful in the future! Even the phrase-finder doesn't seem too sure of the origin of the expression, and as a boxing term it seems a bit weak. However, unless someone comes up with anything more original I'll settle for that!

Subject: RE: Strange expressions..
From: Scabby Douglas
Date: 05 Jun 01 - 11:13 AM

Whenever anyone snatches a proffered item out of another's hands, my mother-in-law (aka Crazy Nancy) always says "Oooh, Whippit Quick, the ratcatcher"

But then she is mad.

Sd

Subject: RE: Strange expressions..
From: Arnie
Date: 05 Jun 01 - 11:12 AM

Thanks kat/katlaughing but I don't think that's the answer. I have a feeling it might have a naval background but I'm not sure. As for 'by the skin of his teeth, I don't think that teeth have any skin so the expression probably indicates that success seem improbable but was narrowly achieved -that's what I think anyway....

Subject: RE: Strange expressions..
From: Lyndi-loo
Date: 05 Jun 01 - 11:09 AM

Have a lookhere

Subject: RE: Strange expressions..
From: katlaughing
Date: 05 Jun 01 - 11:04 AM

Maybe it is in reference to winning a race by a nose and not losing any skin while doing so?

How about "hanging on by the skin of his teeth?" Or am I remembering that one wrong? Do our teeth have skin?:-)

Subject: Strange expressions..
From: Arnie
Date: 05 Jun 01 - 11:01 AM

Not really a folk question but I wonder if anyone can help. I've just been doing a crossword and one of the solutions was 'No skin off my nose'. Now this is a common expression but it got me thinking - where on earth does it originate? Why should it be used to mean that someone isn't too bothered about something. Anyone out there know the answer as it's just bugging me today!!