26 Clichés I Had Never Heard Before

I'm technically suppose to blog about my favorite clichés today, but there are so many! Clichés I mean, not necessarily favorites. Instead I have decided to explore the ClichéSite and find one cliché per letter of the alphabet that I like and was previously unfamiliar with. The goal is to learn something about the clichés and have a bit of fun while doing it!

Aa many chins as a Chinese phone book.

My first thought was "isn't that funny"… chins … Chinese. When I think of Asian names, I think of Hu's, Ho's and Heh's, but not necessarily chin. (Sorry, I don't know many Chinese-specific names.) Come to find out this cliché has absolutely nothing to do with last names at all! It's about being fat –
The fact that someone has a great amount of excess skin and flesh under their chin.
So depressing.

Box of fluffy ducks.

Ok, I admit it. I'm purposely choosing the funny sounding ones. A box of fluffy ducks sounds adorable!!
1. I am fine.
2. I am content or doing well.
   Used as a response to the question, How are you?
This cliché is from New Zealand, and now that I know it I reallllllllllllyyyyy want to use it.

To cowboy up.

This makes me think of a western movie. Or! Or! Or! How I Met Your Mother. Anyone else want to suit up? ;)


Neil Patrick Harris really pulled that one off well! So what does "to cowboy up" really mean?
To be tough but with honor and dignity.
Not what I was expecting! I don't necessarily think of "honor and dignity" when I think of cowboys. Hmm … Learn something new every day. :)

Dangle a carrot in front of him.

He's a horse, obviously. :)
To motivate someone by providing an incentive or reward.
Everything's copasetic.

Honestly I had no idea what copasetic meant when I chose this one. (It means "in excellent order".)
Everything is going according to plan.
Time to take over the world!


Fell off my plate.

I imagine someone that is sooo tired that they fall into their plate of spaghetti. And yes, it must be spaghetti. No other food will do.
Describes the situation of having forgotten to do one of many things that you were supposed to do.
And I was worried I'd never be able to use this cliché again!

 Garlic milkshake.

Ewww.
1. Very strong.
2. Very powerful.
Hide the salami.

Am I hungry? Salami, milkshake, carrot, plate?! ;)
sex.
Didn't see that one coming. :)

It's raining like a cow pissing on a flat rock.

Umm… What does a rock have to do with anything?
1. It is raining very hard.
2. There is a lot of rain coming down.
I'm still not sure what the rock has to do with anything?

Just fell off the turnip truck.


I admit I knew this one, but it was one of the more amusing 'j' clichés.
A derogatory expression used to describe someone who is not very smart or who is dumb.
Keep your hair on.

Thanks for the advice, but I'm not exactly wearing a wig…
Used to tell someone to stay calm or to be patient.
People must wear a lot more wigs in Australia…

Lord willin' and the creek don't rise.

How have I not heard of this? It sounds like something that would predominantly be said in the south!
 If nothing bad happens.
I can't imagine any situation when I would be comfortable saying this. I think I'll stick to the very southern "Bless your heart!" :) I know what that means and when to use it. ;)

Mony a mickle maks a muckle.

Can you say that five times fast?!
Many little things add up to something great.
As nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs.

Umm…
nervous
Didn't see that one coming! ;)

One taco short of a combination plate.

I feel like someone just made this one up. A real cliché? Come on! You make me sad!
A derogatory expression used to describe someone who is not very smart or who is dumb.
*sigh*

Pig dog.


Either someone can't make up their mind which animal it is or there is some weird inbreeding going on.
1. #sshole.
2. Used as an exclamation to communicate that you are very angry at someone.
Not sure what to think of the Germans at this point. :)

Quit horsing around!

Dang! There aren't many Q clichés! You know what this means, right?
Stop grabbing or tackling each other.
Hmm… I thought it meant stop fooling around/being silly/doing the opposite of what you are suppose to… I have decided that some websites need to do more research. :)

Raining pitchforks.

OUCH!!
Raining very heavily.
Slicker than snot on a door knob.

Ewwwwwwwww!!!!
Very slick or slippery.
That's exactly what you tell kids after mopping, right?

The technicolor yawn.

Did this saying come out in the 50s?
Describes the act of vomiting or regurgitating.
Awww… I really didn't see that one coming! I thought it meant to be rude or yawn in someone's face … not that.

Useless as tits on a boar hog.

That is pretty useless.
Not at all helpful or useful.
Like a virgin on prom night.

I feel like this saying may have been made famous by Madonna or Billy Joel
1. Very nervous. 2. Not calm or peaceful. 3. Paranoid. 

Ok, I guess Madonna was bit more high class than that. After all, she was in Venice…

What's cookin', good lookin'?

Awww. That is not a pick-up line, is it?!
1. What are you doing?
2. How are you?
I'm sure they meant to include "babe" or some such thing when writing the explanation; they just didn't think about it…

Your father wasn't a glass maker.

I knew it.
Often used by children, this is really a directive to tell someone to move out of the way because you cannot see what you are looking at.
Would a child really think of that? It seems a bit deep.

Zip it.

I needed a 'Z'. :)
Used as a directive to instruct someone to stop talking.
What are some of your favorite clichés? Did you learn any new ones from this post?

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