Popular "sayings" that make no sense

[OlleHedkvist]

also quitting "cold turkey"

[PsychoLoco]

Originally Posted by OlleHedkvist

speaking of "you can't have your cake and eat it too" the chinese version is "you can't have a fish and a bear paw" arguably even more confusing.

You can't have your cake and eat it too, but you have to spend money to make money. Wouldn't it be great if you had to eat cake to get cake?

[Cretaceous Bob]

Originally Posted by NobleRot

Since we've entered into the realm of the grammar nazi, does anyone else get irritated by the common misuse of the word hopefully?

When you hear/read this word, it it typically used to mean something like "I hope" or "it is to be hoped" rather than what it actually means -- an adjective meaning "in a hopeful manner."

Just sayin'...

I know this is a super old post, but just in case anybody reads it (like I have) due to the extreme inactivity of this forum, let me quote the Merriam-Webster website, which has salient points that I would call to attention:

Originally Posted by Merriam-Webster

In the 1960s the second sense of hopefully, which dates to the early 18th century and had been in fairly widespread use since at least the 1930s, underwent a surge in popularity. A surge of criticism followed in reaction, but the criticism took no account of the grammar of adverbs. Hopefully in its second sense is a member of a class of adverbs known as disjuncts. Disjuncts serve as a means by which the author or speaker can comment directly to the reader or hearer usually on the content of the sentence to which they are attached. Many other adverbs (as interestingly, frankly, clearly, luckily, unfortunately) are similarly used; most are so ordinary as to excite no comment or interest whatsoever. The second sense of hopefully is entirely standard.

Considering if you've ever read a book not written today, you should be familiar with how old that sense of the word is, so it kind of surprises me anybody would have a problem with it in a grammar nazi sense.

[OlleHedkvist]

yeah, that'd be sweet

[Lord of the Cock Rings]

I didn't go back and read the whole thread but wtf is up with the saying "shit eating grin"?!?!

If I was eating shit, I sure as hell wouldn't be grinning.

[andsoitgoes]

Originally Posted by Lord of the Cock Rings

I didn't go back and read the whole thread but wtf is up with the saying "shit eating grin"?!?!

If I was eating shit, I sure as hell wouldn't be grinning.

I find Metafilter to be an interesting resource for information:

Etymology/definition of "shit-eating grin?" - etymology shiteatinggrin words | Ask MetaFilter

Although it doesn't give a direct answer to its source, like many, it clearly dates back to the pre 1950s era.

One that I find makes complete sense and that I quite like is "A stitch in time saves 9". And of course "People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones"

It also doesn't hurt that I got great enjoyment of hearing Karl Pilkington try and define the meaning of each on the Ricky Gervais podcast. Seeing them animated on the HBO special was EVEN better.

[Bucho]

"I give a shit" to mean "I don't care". Makes more sense to say "I don't give a shit".

Not that I give a shit.

[OlleHedkvist]

I think it's more of a "I wouldn't even give a shit", as in something of little value. The swedish equivalent translates to "I shit on it".

[DWarrior]

"You'll catch more flies with honey than vinegar"

Lies. First saw it debunked in xkcd. Then when I had a fruit fly problem, I conducted a test. Set a glass of water+vinegar and another glass of water+honey. A day later, the vinegar glass was full of dead flies and had a few sitting on the rim. The honey glass had nobody.

[Bucho]

Adults starting sentences with "So ..." or "Okay, so ..." makes no sense.

Reminds me of when we were kids and we had to speak in front of the class and we'd always start with "Well ...". It's like a comfort blanket and adults don't need it.

Originally Posted by OlleHedkvist

I think it's more of a "I wouldn't even give a shit", as in something of little value. The swedish equivalent translates to "I shit on it".

Kind of. Literally giving a shit or fuck takes some amount of effort. When you say "I give a shit/fuck" you're metaphorically saying "I care enough to take the time and effort to give a shit/fuck for it". But to not even care enough to give that amount of effort is the least you can care. So "I don't give a shit/fuck" means I don't care enough to even give a shit or a fuck about it.

"Like I give a fuck" and "I don't give a fuck" mean the same thing though.

As a bunus, in KATG-ese we also have the saying "I shit on you", which makes perfect sense and is one of the greatest sayings in the English language.