# Meanings of words and phrases to you as a child **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 27, 2006, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meanings-of-words-and-phrases-to-you-as-a-child/346312 "2006-02-27T14:23:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2006, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meanings-of-words-and-phrases-to-you-as-a-child/346312/81 "2006-03-05T02:03:41Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > I had trouble with Pontius Pilate, too. Only I just always pictured him looking like Eric Estrada. Yay! Chalk up another to the Pontius Pilate mystery. I thought he was “Punches Pilot”, and I pictured this superhero-like guy with boxing gloves and a cape and aviator goggles. I had a vivid imagination. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2006, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meanings-of-words-and-phrases-to-you-as-a-child/346312/82 "2006-03-05T02:15:29Z")
Ah, sue me for posting twice in a row but I just thought of another one: Those signs that say “XING” and have a picture of an animal, like a deer or bear: well the first one I saw happen to be in a park where there were ducks, and had a little duck family on it. (like [this one](http://www.flickr.com/photos/mobacana/61776756/in/pool-63395786@N00/)) I got the idea that XING, which I pronounced “ZING”, was a rare and exotic species of bird. I knew about Ducks, but I just thought they looked similar to Xings, and I had yet to see a Xing. Whenever I saw a sign that had “XING” on it in any capacity, I immediately got excited and thought “Yes, there are xings around!” and started looking. I was very disappointed when my father eventually explained to me that there were no xings. To this day, I still think of that whenever I see a Xing sign. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2006, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meanings-of-words-and-phrases-to-you-as-a-child/346312/83 "2006-03-05T03:10:54Z")
I thought that a “Post No Bills” sign meant you weren’t allowed to mail any bills there. Even at the time it didn’t make that much sense to me (I wondered how the shop paid their rent), but IMYouthfulO the world of adults was an inscrutable place. These signs were quite common in my neighborhood which had a rather collegiate feel in those years and people were always posting handbills for free puppies or garage sales or lessons in Mandarin or whatever on any available surface unless otherwise instructed. If I see a “Post No Bills” sign it still makes me giggle a bit. heh. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2006, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meanings-of-words-and-phrases-to-you-as-a-child/346312/84 "2006-03-05T04:45:51Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > I was very disappointed when my father eventually explained to me that there were no xings. To this day, I still think of that whenever I see a Xing sign. Which reminds me of something my husband still teases me about: hidden drives. I thought hidden drives were hidden, like disguised, perhaps by magic. I would always look for the supersecret hidden magic driveway, and, of course, could never find them because they were so well hidden! I won’t even mention how old I was before I realized what those “hidden drive” signs were supposed to be telling me. ---
**Author:** ![SurrenderDorothy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/surrenderdorothy/32/1221_2.png) [@SurrenderDorothy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SurrenderDorothy)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2006, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meanings-of-words-and-phrases-to-you-as-a-child/346312/85 "2006-03-05T08:23:40Z")
> [@Sir Rhosis](#): > > I used to think that a baseball hitter who was called out when he “got cuaght looking,” was thrown out for looking to see what pitch sign the catcher was making to the pitcher. > > Sir Rhosis so what does it actually mean? I thought it meant he was looking at the catcher/pitcher signs too. 😕 > [@jsgoddess](#): > > Which reminds me of something my husband still teases me about: hidden drives. > > I thought hidden drives were hidden, like disguised, perhaps by magic. I would always look for the supersecret hidden magic driveway, and, of course, could never find them because they were so well hidden! > > I won’t even mention how old I was before I realized what those “hidden drive” signs were supposed to be telling me. I umm… thought the same thing until just now. Now I have to go look it up to see what it really means. I always had trouble with “beeline” and “a sight for sore eyes.” I still have a little trouble keeping them straight. I thought “make a beeling for” meant to walk around a lot before actually getting to the place you’re going, like that kid in the Family Circus. I guess it was becuase drawings of bees always had dotted lines behind them. I thought “a sight for sore eyes” meant that something looked bad, but not ugly. Like someone looking sick or tired or disheveled. I’m still not totally confident about the meanings for either of those, so feel free to laugh at me if I’m still confused. Most of these phrases, I still picture literally, even though i know what they actually mean. Heart on the sleeve (although I picture someone wearing a long-sleeved shirt with a little red heart printed near the wrist) think tank (I picture presidents and such sitting in a safe and discussing important issues) the Cold War (people in big parkas sitting by gigantic missiles) etc. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2006, 9:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meanings-of-words-and-phrases-to-you-as-a-child/346312/86 "2006-03-05T09:27:57Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > I thought hidden drives were hidden, like disguised, perhaps by magic. I would always look for the supersecret hidden magic driveway, and, of course, could never find them because they were so well hidden! > > I won’t even mention how old I was before I realized what those “hidden drive” signs were supposed to be telling me. Well, if it makes you feel any better I’m 20 and have never seen a sign that says “hidden drive”, and if I did, I’d be looking for a magical hidden driveway too. So what _is_ it supposed to tell you? ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2006, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meanings-of-words-and-phrases-to-you-as-a-child/346312/87 "2006-03-05T12:03:09Z")
The street sign: “Dip In The Road”. I was always worried my Father would run over the poor fellow. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2006, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meanings-of-words-and-phrases-to-you-as-a-child/346312/88 "2006-03-05T12:48:03Z")
When _Don’t cry for me Argentina_ was out, I thought that the words “All through my wild days, My mad existence” was “All through my wild days, My matic zistens” I thought “matic zistens” were something like automatic systems, but possibly slightly rude, perhaps to do with ladies’ underwear. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2006, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meanings-of-words-and-phrases-to-you-as-a-child/346312/89 "2006-03-05T13:00:26Z")
> [@SurrenderDorothy](#): > > I always had trouble with “beeline” and “a sight for sore eyes.” I still have a little trouble keeping them straight. I thought “make a beeling for” meant to walk around a lot before actually getting to the place you’re going, like that kid in the Family Circus. I guess it was becuase drawings of bees always had dotted lines behind them. I thought “a sight for sore eyes” meant that something looked bad, but not ugly. Like someone looking sick or tired or disheveled. I’m still not totally confident about the meanings for either of those, so feel free to laugh at me if I’m still confused. . To make a beeline for something means you are going directly to it, and a “sight for sore eyes” is something nice to look at. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2006, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meanings-of-words-and-phrases-to-you-as-a-child/346312/90 "2006-03-05T14:50:09Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > Well, if it makes you feel any better I’m 20 and have never seen a sign that says “hidden drive”, and if I did, I’d be looking for a magical hidden driveway too. So what _is_ it supposed to tell you? It’s just a sign that says that you can’t see an upcoming driveway from where you are. When you get a little further along, you’ll see it, but it’s currently hidden by a curve or a hill or some other feature. The signs look like this: [http://www.fotosearch.com/SUE114/rscl0071/](http://www.fotosearch.com/SUE114/rscl0071/) Maybe it’s just an Ohio thing. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2006, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meanings-of-words-and-phrases-to-you-as-a-child/346312/91 "2006-03-05T14:58:48Z")
> [@SurrenderDorothy](#): > > so what does it actually mean? I thought it meant he was looking at the catcher/pitcher signs too. 😕 Getting caught looking just means that the batter is struck out on a pitch that he didn’t swing at. He just looked at it. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Rhosis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@Sir\_Rhosis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Rhosis)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2006, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meanings-of-words-and-phrases-to-you-as-a-child/346312/92 "2006-03-05T17:50:30Z")
^^Thanks, **js** , fellow Ohioan. That is it–just looking and doing nothing. I think my kid theory was best. Sir Rhosis ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2006, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meanings-of-words-and-phrases-to-you-as-a-child/346312/93 "2006-03-05T20:30:52Z")
> [@Susie Derkins](#): > > Not me, but my daughter: I’m not at all sure how she knew the word, but my six-year-old told me that men’s privates were called nuts. As in, “Women have vaginas, men have nuts”. I explained to her that if she wanted to be accurate, she should use the word penis. She thought for a minute, and said, “Peanuts?” I was laughing too hard to correct her. My son (now 7) called it a “peanut” for a couple of years. He was very excited at first to show people that he knew the “grown-up” word for it. Once, we were at the polling place waiting in line to vote, when out of the blue he told the poll worker “I have a peanut!”. The gentlemen looked a bit surprised, and then replied, “Oh, I love peanuts! They’re my favorite!” I could barely control myself, and to this day he probably has no idea why I find peanuts so hilarious. When I was a child, I thought “prosecuted” was the same thing as “executed”. I thought it was a bit over the top for our local grocery store to \*kill \*anyone caught shoplifting. ---
**Author:** ![Cardinal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal/32/4000_2.png) [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2006, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meanings-of-words-and-phrases-to-you-as-a-child/346312/94 "2006-03-06T06:30:55Z")
> [@Eleanor of Aquitaine](#): > > Thanks to Mr. Spock, for years I thought “approximately” meant “exactly”. > > “Captain, the probe is approximately 17.63692 light years from here.” Ditto. ---
**Author:** ![MartinL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ebca7d/32.png) [@MartinL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MartinL)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meanings-of-words-and-phrases-to-you-as-a-child/346312/95 "2006-03-08T11:18:55Z")
If I encountered a “Hidden Drive” sign, I would probably look out for a harddrive with some weird partitioning on it. I spend too much time with computers! ---
**Author:** ![DooWahDiddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9bcb4/32.png) [@DooWahDiddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DooWahDiddy)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2006, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meanings-of-words-and-phrases-to-you-as-a-child/346312/96 "2006-03-08T17:59:18Z")
> [@Suburban Plankton](#): > > When I was a child, I thought “prosecuted” was the same thing as “executed”. I thought it was a bit over the top for our local grocery store to \*kill \*anyone caught shoplifting. Me too! I would see a sign on a brick wall that said “No Graffiti. Violators will be prosecuted” and I would imagine someone being tied up and blindfolded in front of the very wall they just defaced! ---
**Author:** ![Roadfood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9fc348/32.png) [@Roadfood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roadfood)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2006, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meanings-of-words-and-phrases-to-you-as-a-child/346312/97 "2006-03-09T01:02:11Z")
When I was a kid, most watches and clocks were of the variety that had hands. I was very excited when I got a watch with a “sweep second hand”, but couldn’t figure out why they called it that because, clearly, it was the THIRD hand . . . [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meanings-of-words-and-phrases-to-you-as-a-child/346312.md?page=4)