Reader Opinions
Angelo I Leon – (burn the midnight oil) May 12, 2022
It does not make any sense about the candles. The oil lamp used back then.
Peter Marsh – (cut and thrust) May 8, 2022
That, as any Britisher will tell you, is a lot of cobblers. The term originates in battle; specifically it was a means by which Royal Navy landing parties made their way through hostile groups. That is, by steadily moving forwards, alternately cutting and thrusting with their cutlasses.
Anonymous – (black sheep) May 7, 2022
Black sheep don’t go along with abusive stuff, bullies whom lie, slander and deem themselves good as they coverup, because if you go along, many others will be injuried, harmed by abusive control freaks
M Cioffi – (get your goat) May 4, 2022
In the book “Life in Sing Sing” by Number 1500, published in 1904, in the chapter “Slang among convicts” on page 248, “Goat” is defined as “Anger; to exasperate.”
Lydia – (the devil is beating his wife) May 2, 2022
If we do away with this saying then we must do away with “the rule of thumb” which was an English law that allowed a husband to use a rod no bigger around than his thumb to beat his wife. So, Anonymous (coward) remember folklore is not always nice.
Candy Darlington – (lights are on but nobody is home) April 29, 2022
Slight alteration usage: the subject person has gone crazy/insane or is longer themselves. ie. personality change.
Example: yes he snapped. Both of his kids belonged to either the milkman or pool boy. Or both. It drove him over the Edge. Since then Clarence has lost his marbles in a pile of bat shit. I mean, the lights are on.. but nobody’s home.
Justin Norine – (all is fair in love and war) April 27, 2022
All is fair in love and war. So some garbage pail kid who’s jealous of you is justified in lying about you and making everyone believe the opposite. It doesn’t matter that they corrupt and destroy everyone’s lives by making everyone believe what’s good is bad and what’s bad is good. However, all is fair because that causes the majority of people to live self destructive lifestyles as they ignorantly oppose someone who could be either a great benefit as a friend or a great threat as an enemy. Every great soul faces violent oppression from mediocre minds. People are just dumb as AF.
Jonathon Smith – (a house divided against itself cannot stand) April 26, 2022
It’s also ironic that Jesus said a house divided can not stand seeing that the jewish religious leaders were divided between Saducees and Pharisees. Israel also had fallen as a nation because they were also divided between the southern and northern kingdoms. There was also the history of Ishmael and Isaac which were boyh sons of Abraham but Ishmael’s ancestors still despise Isaacs to this day!
Smith – (good egg) April 26, 2022
I grew up in LA and I heard the phrase all the time. But my parents came from New York so maybe they brought it with them!
Anonymous – (southpaw) April 25, 2022
The term probably originated from baseball, where fields are positioned facing eastward to avoid the sun interfering with the game. Because of this, left-handed pitchers tend to face southward when taking the mound.
