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23-06-2006, 02:57 PM
|  | Officer of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 906
| | | The origins of sayings
Passed two ponies in a field on the outskirts of York this pm and both had their head tilted to the side and were scratching one another with their mouths. Do you think it could be the origin of the saying - 'You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours'?
Can you think of any more sayings which might have originated from observation of wildlife?
Tink |
23-06-2006, 03:20 PM
| | Officer of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 906
| | | Re: The origins of sayings
Obviously 'Don't put the cart before the horse' is another!!! Could have catastrophic consequences.
Tink |
23-06-2006, 03:27 PM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Sunny Doncaster
Posts: 4,328
| | | Re: The origins of sayings
Word has it that chap had his head bitten off whilst inspecting a horses teeth, despite the fact the horse was given him gratis. Serves him right. Ungrateful swine. |
23-06-2006, 03:48 PM
| | Active Member | | Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Exmouth Devon
Posts: 3,039
| | | Re: The origins of sayings
I know some one who can : Talk the hind legs off a donky 
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23-06-2006, 04:25 PM
| | Officer of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 906
| | | Re: The origins of sayings
And who might that be Beryl?
The saying 'The worm has turned' suggests that a person who has been browbeaten in the past has retaliated and is no longer prepared to put up with the situation. But where does the reference to the worm come from in this saying?
Tink |
23-06-2006, 04:30 PM
|  | Dame Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: North Kent
Posts: 6,113
| | | Re: The origins of sayings
Does 'Moves like a butterfly, stings like a bee' count Tink? ww
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23-06-2006, 06:06 PM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Sheffield
Posts: 4,838
| | | Re: The origins of sayings
Quote: |
Originally Posted by Tinkerbell Passed two ponies in a field on the outskirts of York this pm and both had their head tilted to the side and were scratching one another with their mouths. Do you think it could be the origin of the saying - 'You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours'?
Can you think of any more sayings which might have originated from observation of wildlife?
Tink | More like - 'two heads are better than one'  |
23-06-2006, 06:13 PM
| | Officer of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 906
| | | Re: The origins of sayings
Heh, heh - nice one Fungi. And yes, Wild-Woman why not your example (it's used often enough these days).
Tink |
23-06-2006, 06:17 PM
| | Active Member | | Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Exmouth Devon
Posts: 3,039
| | | Re: The origins of sayings
Quote: |
Originally Posted by Beryl I know some one who can : Talk the hind legs off a donky | I have a neighbour.....................................
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23-06-2006, 06:22 PM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Sheffield
Posts: 4,838
| | | Re: The origins of sayings
Can we have less of this horse play please |
23-06-2006, 06:23 PM
|  | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Horsham W Sussex
Posts: 1,474
| | | Re: The origins of sayings
Quote: |
Originally Posted by Beryl I know some one who can : Talk the hind legs off a donky | Is that Alan ?................Jon |
23-06-2006, 06:24 PM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Sunny Doncaster
Posts: 4,328
| | | Re: The origins of sayings
Can we have less of this horse play please
Why? Is it bothering you.
Frankly I could not give a monkies  |
23-06-2006, 06:25 PM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Sheffield
Posts: 4,838
| | | Re: The origins of sayings
Quote: |
Originally Posted by Jonny Is that Alan ?................Jon | No, if it was Alan, the front legs would go too |
23-06-2006, 06:28 PM
| | Active Member | | Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Exmouth Devon
Posts: 3,039
| | | Re: The origins of sayings
Quote: |
Originally Posted by Tinkerbell And who might that be Beryl?
The saying 'The worm has turned' suggests that a person who has been browbeaten in the past has retaliated and is no longer prepared to put up with the situation. But where does the reference to the worm come from in this saying?
Tink | Ons who can persuade even a donkey/horse to sit on its hunkers - a very unnatural posture.
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23-06-2006, 06:32 PM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Sheffield
Posts: 4,838
| | | Re: The origins of sayings
Quote: |
Originally Posted by Boddie Can we have less of this horse play please
Why? Is it bothering you.
Frankly I could not give a monkies | Nay Nay Lad ... Don't you just love Friday's |
23-06-2006, 06:35 PM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Horsham W Sussex
Posts: 1,474
| | | Re: The origins of sayings
Quote: |
Originally Posted by FungiJohn No, if it was Alan, the front legs would go too |  ...............Jon  |
23-06-2006, 06:38 PM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Sheffield
Posts: 4,838
| | | Re: The origins of sayings
Quote: |
Originally Posted by Jonny ...............Jon |
Stop pulling the wool over our eyes |
23-06-2006, 06:46 PM
| | Active Member | | Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Exmouth Devon
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| | | Re: The origins of sayings
Quote: |
Originally Posted by FungiJohn Stop pulling the wool over our eyes | Why? Are you feeling sheepish?
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23-06-2006, 06:50 PM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Sheffield
Posts: 4,838
| | | Re: The origins of sayings
Quote: |
Originally Posted by Beryl Why? Are you feeling sheepish? | Yes Beryl, I'm always feeling tired these days It must be those mushrooms. I'm always looking for a toadstool to sit on and rest |
23-06-2006, 06:54 PM
|  | Officer of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Banbury, Oxfordshire
Posts: 551
| | | Re: The origins of sayings
The true origin of this saying is from when people would get whipped on ships, the officer would get the persons mate to do the whipping so they would have the saying 'you scratch my back i'll scratch yours'. Another one from sailers is 'not enough room to swing a cat', rffering to not being able to whip a cat'n'nine tails below deck.
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23-06-2006, 06:55 PM
| | Officer of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Banbury, Oxfordshire
Posts: 551
| | | Re: The origins of sayings
Quote: |
Originally Posted by pheonix The true origin of this saying is from when people would get whipped on ships, the officer would get the persons mate to do the whipping so they would have the saying 'you scratch my back i'll scratch yours'. Another one from sailers is 'not enough room to swing a cat', rffering to not being able to whip a cat'n'nine tails below deck. | i meant this as a follow up from tinks original message!
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23-06-2006, 07:06 PM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Sheffield
Posts: 4,838
| | | Re: The origins of sayings
On a serious note here's another
‘Straight from the horses mouth’
Means you have privileged, 'inside' information. It derives, I think, from racing, in which one might get the likely winner 'from the horse's mouth'.
Or
from the fact that a horse's age can be deduced by looking at its teeth (which is why it's bad manners to "look a gift horse in the mouth") |
23-06-2006, 07:12 PM
| | Commander of the Wild Empire | | Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Sheffield
Posts: 4,838
| | | Re: The origins of sayings
Oh .. and the saying 'Made a pigs ear' of something
To make a silk purse out of a sow's ear." If you mess up, you've made a pig's ear out of a pig's ear. |
23-06-2006, 07:53 PM
| | New Member | | Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 14
| | | Re: The origins of sayings
Quote: |
Originally Posted by pheonix Another one from sailers is 'not enough room to swing a cat', rffering to not being able to whip a cat'n'nine tails below deck. | Damn you!
You ruined my entertaining visions of poeple hurling cats around aboard a boat! |
23-06-2006, 07:57 PM
| | Active Member | | Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Exmouth Devon
Posts: 3,039
| | | Re: The origins of sayings
Well the catdidn't get ones ones toung there, then
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