How about a fun thread.
I love military jargon:
SNAFU
FUBAR
TARFU (Things are really effed up!), or the Brit’s version (Totally and royally fouled up!)
Totally unrelated…
Chiffarobe
Always liked the way in ‘Wayne’s World’ where, as a retort to a person saying “No way” to a statement, would say “Way!”.
Brilliant.
I used to think some military slang was interesting until my workplace became overrun with management who are ex-military authoritarian jerkoffs. Now I like to piss them off by saying things like “Oh Seven Hundred…PM” for Seven PM, even though I know it’s 1900. Bothers the hell out of them, but gives me strength to live on and fight the fascists.
“Ladran, luego cabalgamos”: “they bark, therefore we ride on”. One of a zillion sayings found in either El Quijote or Conde Lucanor (in this case, El Quijote), and still getting mileage 5 centuries later. It means “they don’t want us here? Their loss.” Also used to mean “good riddance to bad garbage” (another favorite of mine).
When someone complains to me that “the computer isn’t doing what I tell it to do!” I tell them “oh no, it’s much worse: the computer is doing what you TELL it to do, not what you WANT it to do! Very rude, computers!”
‘Wherever I go, there I am!’
Interesting: I’ve seen (don’t remember where) and been struck by, a close equivalent – English-language, but clearly applicable to a general Africa / Middle East / Central Asia setting: “The dogs bark, but the caravan moves on.”
“Honi soit qui mal y pense” or “Shamed be he who thinks evil of it.” It is the motto of the Order of the Garter.
The inhabitants of the city of Liverpool, England, have long been renowned for their vivid, inventive, and often downright surreal way with words. Two Liverpudlianisms which I love: context of both being – addressed to, or about, annoying / bumptious kids.
“Act soft, lad, and I’ll buy yer a coalyard.” (“Soft” as here, in northern English parlance, = foolish.)
“E’ll be biting 'is nails and riding a bike next.”
For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled.
- Richard Feynman in the Challenger report.
If what you’re doing isn’t working, do something else. - I think this was from Crichton’s Sphere.
As for words:
persiflage
callipygian
“As the actress said to the bishop”.
I sometimes wonder if I’m the last person alive still saying this. A humourous addition. Explanation of it’s use:
In the case of an accidental double entendre - for example, if I were at my allotment, and someone said of one of my splendid pumpkins: “Good lord, you’ve a big one there!”, I might reply, as the actress said to the bishop.
Similarly, if I caught myself saying something of that ilk, I might add, as the actress said to the bishop, as an acknowledgement of my slip. And, as appropriate, I might reverse the phrase - as the bishop said to the actress.
j
And here’s something in French that I love:
l’heure entre chien et loup or the shorter form entre chien et loup.
Literally: “(the hour) between dog and wolf”; meaning: twilight.
j
Great responses! Another favorite of mine…
frangipani
When something goes wrong, I have a phonetically perfect Gene Wilder impression ready to swing into action:
“Son of a BITCH!”
No one ever gets it.
(My bolding above): Alive and well in our family – in the UK, like yourself – I can promise you !
My Daddy had a million of them:
‘Hold her head, Sadie she’s headed for the peapatch’ in other words, ‘coming on fast and strong’
“Say egg and I’ll give you one” in other words 'just ask, I’ll help you out"
'Slap me and paint me green" in other words 'I’m shocked"
“Pull in your line, those fish ain’t biting” in other words ‘Give it up’
As far as I know he made these up.
My favorite word is ‘Persnickety’
When someone, say at Walmart, is having computer/register problems, I say to them (in a voice dripping with sarcasm), “Computers are our friends.”
Wilder sure said “Son of a bitch!” in a lot of movies. Was it when he kept getting thrown off the train in Silver Streak?
You get me. 
Not Wilder, but do you remember this one?
“You order shit, you eat shit. Who you think you are? Buster Brown?”
Diabolical
Does anyone still say “Illegitimus non carborundum”? Fake Latin meaning “Don’t let the bastard grind you down”.