Reader Opinions
Anon – (ants in pants) May 18, 2021
I did the search here for the expression after recalling an incident some years ago when I worked in a grocery store. Back then, customers and employees used the same facilities. Anyway, not sure who was responsible for this, but ants were discovered on the toilet seat some time after a customer had used the facility.
Anonymous – (when it rains, it pours) May 17, 2021
Something to think about, this saying appeared in an 1855 publication, “The American Cotton Planter”, long before Morton Salt used it in 1911.
Anthony Joseph Fino – (the benefit of the doubt) May 17, 2021
Adding to the benefit of the doubt is actually feeling the body shaking someone’s hand and promising something against there wishes. Pumping fists is a sort of a contract that I don’t understand either . Spelling is the same way. The law states that your yard grass has to be no more than 3 inches high or you get fined.
Lotte – (hold your horses) May 14, 2021
I stumbled upon this when I was looking for an english idiom that has a similar meaning to a german idiom being “Immer langsam mit den jungen Pferden” [= “always slowly/careful with the young horses”] and it has a very similar meaning to this one, interesting how different idioms of different languages use a similar picture to convey a message.
Chriss – (tar with the same brush) May 13, 2021
I think the sheep idea won’t work because it’s about tarring sheep and maybe another herd, but the phrase is about shame, and you won’t shame a sheep. Now I’ll just wipe the spit up. The tar and feather idea works if you do the same to another person or group, and then they are getting tarred with the same brush.
Lql – (the devil is beating his wife) May 13, 2021
I grew up in New Orleans where we got this weather situation often. My mom (born in 1944) would say it, so I and all my siblings said it also. My ex-husband acted overly offended the first time he heard me say this. I had thought it was at least a national expression, but from his reaction, I gathered not. He had grown up in S. Dakota
Joseph Perera – (love is blind) May 11, 2021
Love may be blind. Normally this condition is mostly attributed to the young-at-heart. It might even be described as “foolish love” by third parties. However because this human emotion is so deep, so unconditional, the “blindness” can be detrimental to the beholder. On the positive side, it will be a blessing as it moves one’s resultant sentiment to become tolerant and forgiving of fellow humans and of Creation itself. True love emcompasses all dark dispositions. Love lights up your life!
Anonymous 2 – (under the radar) May 9, 2021
I think it is an idiom because the Oxford dictionary gives this definition for idiom:
a group of words established by usage as having a meaning not deducible from those of the individual words (e.g. over the moon, see the light )
What do think it is?
Uriarra Heap – (by the way) May 7, 2021
Uriarra BTW – This is a common use of BTW in gaming, especially when filling in your “Profile Name” say on Steam.
Paula Pearson Kaiser – (the devil is beating his wife) May 5, 2021
I grew up in Atlanta, born in 1959. My whole entire family is from Northwest Ga, from the middle 1800’s. I grew up hearing ‘The devil is beating his wife,” when it was the sun was shining but storming like hell at the same time. I also heard ‘The devil is beating his wife, when it was just sunshine with rain. Big difference!
