# Guess the horrifying proverb, metaphor, or aphorism **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 29, 2014, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-horrifying-proverb-metaphor-or-aphorism/684859 "2014-03-29T20:37:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2014, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-horrifying-proverb-metaphor-or-aphorism/684859/1 "2014-03-29T20:37:39Z")
I overheard in line today a man explaining a common expression to another man which would have been amusing until he uttered the phrase “I showed my kids”. Anyone care to take a guess which one it was? Feel free to offer your own examples of common expressions that you would be horrified to hear were demonstrated for real, and I’ll chime in later to reveal which one it was. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2014, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-horrifying-proverb-metaphor-or-aphorism/684859/2 "2014-03-29T20:47:06Z")
It’s a dog-eat-dog world. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2014, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-horrifying-proverb-metaphor-or-aphorism/684859/3 "2014-03-29T22:06:32Z")
Don’t shit where you eat. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2014, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-horrifying-proverb-metaphor-or-aphorism/684859/4 "2014-03-29T23:08:19Z")
Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me. Two heads are better than one. Speak of the devil and he is sure to appear. Once bitten, twice shy. Let the dead bury the dead. You might as well be hanged for a sheep as a lamb. The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. Money talks. The last straw broke the camel’s back. Give him enough rope, and he’ll hang himself. ---
**Author:** ![tonyfop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/85f322/32.png) [@tonyfop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tonyfop)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2014, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-horrifying-proverb-metaphor-or-aphorism/684859/5 "2014-03-29T23:11:37Z")
There’s more than one way to skin a cat? ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2014, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-horrifying-proverb-metaphor-or-aphorism/684859/6 "2014-03-29T23:13:57Z")
Tony is closest so far lol ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2014, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-horrifying-proverb-metaphor-or-aphorism/684859/7 "2014-03-29T23:42:34Z")
Live by the sword, die by the sword. ---
**Author:** ![turtlescanfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@turtlescanfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/turtlescanfly)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2014, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-horrifying-proverb-metaphor-or-aphorism/684859/8 "2014-03-29T23:50:25Z")
Curiosity killed the cat? ---
**Author:** ![Athabasca](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Athabasca](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athabasca)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2014, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-horrifying-proverb-metaphor-or-aphorism/684859/9 "2014-03-30T01:14:19Z")
Fools rush in where angels fear to tread? Just kidding…I’d go with: Bored to death Shotgun! Beats me Cat got your tongue? Dressed to kill ---
**Author:** ![Flywheel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Flywheel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flywheel)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2014, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-horrifying-proverb-metaphor-or-aphorism/684859/10 "2014-03-30T01:19:42Z")
Never bring a knife to a gunfight. Not enough room to swing a cat. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2014, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-horrifying-proverb-metaphor-or-aphorism/684859/11 "2014-03-30T02:31:43Z")
Raining cats and dogs Back to the old rat-race ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2014, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-horrifying-proverb-metaphor-or-aphorism/684859/12 "2014-03-30T10:01:25Z")
> [@bibliophage](#): > > Money talks. :smack: I can’t believe I forgot the second half I sometimes hear in impolite company. That would be truly distressing to see. Money talks, bullshit walks. ---
**Author:** ![usedtobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2014, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-horrifying-proverb-metaphor-or-aphorism/684859/13 "2014-03-30T23:41:29Z")
Kurt Vonnegut once related that he had demonstrated the fallibility of “The smallest worm will turn being trodden on”. He said he had demonstrated to his kids that it was possible to trod on a worm in such a manner as to preclude its turning. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2014, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-horrifying-proverb-metaphor-or-aphorism/684859/14 "2014-03-31T05:42:14Z")
If it was a snake, it would’ve bit you. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2014, 8:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-horrifying-proverb-metaphor-or-aphorism/684859/15 "2014-03-31T08:32:04Z")
A shit-eating grin Beating a dead horse ---
**Author:** ![TonySinclair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@TonySinclair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonySinclair)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2014, 9:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-horrifying-proverb-metaphor-or-aphorism/684859/16 "2014-03-31T09:39:08Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Raining cats and dogs Hailing taxicabs. ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2014, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-horrifying-proverb-metaphor-or-aphorism/684859/17 "2014-03-31T19:01:33Z")
don’t bite the hand that feeds you. dead cat bounce (regarding stock market) ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-horrifying-proverb-metaphor-or-aphorism/684859/18 "2014-04-01T03:48:55Z")
Great ideas! The actual expression was: If you throw a frog into boiling water it will jump right out, but if you heat it slowly it will stay in the pot until it dies For some reason he thought this was an apt metaphor for his claim that states want to tax the income of former residents when they move to another state an become employed there. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guess-the-horrifying-proverb-metaphor-or-aphorism/684859/19 "2014-04-01T05:49:56Z")
> [@jackdavinci](#): > > For some reason he thought this was an apt metaphor for his claim that states want to tax the income of former residents when they move to another state an become employed there. WTF??? 😕