# Phrases you'd think people would know **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 15, 2009, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-youd-think-people-would-know/510178 "2009-09-15T15:19:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Gorgon\_Heap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f475e1/32.png) [@Gorgon\_Heap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorgon_Heap)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2009, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-youd-think-people-would-know/510178/21 "2009-09-15T17:49:55Z")
All I’m saying is for toothless waterfowl, ducks sure have a reputation for being mean bastards. ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2009, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-youd-think-people-would-know/510178/22 "2009-09-15T17:52:57Z")
> [@stretch](#): > > I am familiar with bee’s knees because I use it and I’m only 43. > > I am trying to bring back “Oh my stars and garters!” Because I really got tired of my just-turned-5 grandson running around saying Oh My God! I’ve been working on this project for about a year now with limited sucess. Won’t someone jump on my bandwagon with me? Ah, what a Beast. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2009, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-youd-think-people-would-know/510178/23 "2009-09-15T18:21:53Z")
A number of the phrases that have been put forward here as “should be common knowledge” are archaic and are NOT common knowledge, and would require a fairly literate younger person or an older person to understand and put in context. Being too clever for the room is an occupational hazard of throwing these out of date phrases into everyday conversations. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2009, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-youd-think-people-would-know/510178/24 "2009-09-15T18:36:25Z")
Until a few months ago, I would have thought more people would know what “teabagging” is. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2009, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-youd-think-people-would-know/510178/25 "2009-09-15T19:08:40Z")
> [@BiblioCat](#): > > I’ve never heard this one. 44, female. > I’ve always heard it as ‘\*\*nibbled \*\*to death by ducks.’ I, also, have only heard nibbled. Has anyone had the cockles of their heart warmed lately? My father used to say that something or other had warmed the cockles of his heart. Not sure which part the cockles are. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2009, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-youd-think-people-would-know/510178/26 "2009-09-15T19:11:32Z")
Ah. [World Wide Words](http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-coc2.htm)has a listing for it. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2009, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-youd-think-people-would-know/510178/27 "2009-09-15T19:12:13Z")
> [@Yllaria](#): > > Has anyone had the cockles of their heart warmed lately? My father used to say that something or other had warmed the cockles of his heart. Not sure which part the cockles are. I’d tell you, but it’ll cost you a few clams. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2009, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-youd-think-people-would-know/510178/28 "2009-09-15T19:30:33Z")
> [@teela\_brown](#): > > I read a lot more old books than I speak to living people, so my speaking style reflects it. I can’t name any one incident of antique-speak, but I know that I’m forever getting odd looks for phrases that I use that aren’t the parlance of our times. > > I guess I should leave off the Patrick O’Brian and go hang out at a mall to learn how to speak properly. No, no, keep up the POB-isms! I try to use “You astonish me” and “Give you joy sir!” whenever possible. And “May no new thing arise” is a great way to end a conversation. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2009, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-youd-think-people-would-know/510178/29 "2009-09-15T19:48:52Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > Until a few months ago, I would have thought more people would know what “teabagging” is. When the teabagging movement first began, everyone was falling all over themselves to tell me that everyone in the world knows what teabagging is and that it’s naive of me to think some people don’t know. ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2009, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-youd-think-people-would-know/510178/30 "2009-09-15T19:56:23Z")
> [@](#): > > Not sure which part the cockles are. The ventricles and atria, from what I’ve heard. Granted, the justifying information (that cockle can mean the chamber of a kiln) I’ve both never heard, nor can I find a dictionary with that usage listed as archaic, so take that for what it’s worth. I’ve recently been getting people to use “nautical” as radical was used, oddly enough no one has looked at me funny or gotten confused yet. Anyway, once I was late to class and my friend was running alongside me, we had to run through a bunch of people and I yelled “gangway! Coming through!” And my friend just yelled “what the hell? We’re not a gang! Do you want to get arrested?” This seems especially odd since I recall it being used in both the Lion King and Scooby-Doo (which is still played), and I’m sure elsewhere. Though I do have a habit of giving people crap for using archaic slang, usually in the form of retorting with “verily, mine good lady/man.” (But not ladyman… usually) So it’s entirely possible she was just screwing with me. > [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > When the teabagging movement first began, everyone was falling all over themselves to tell me that everyone in the world knows what teabagging is and that it’s naive of me to think some people don’t know. Before the Teabagging thing began we had a mock election in AP Government, one of the parties was the T-party (propaganda involving Tea, Mr. T, and other things that begin with T, they got the least votes). Two of their members were er… very innocent, very religious. When they distributed the platforms in the AP US History classes (the Juniors, who voted), they were attached to tea-bags with a yelled “you got teabagged,” they knew this was funny, but didn’t know why, and they were the ones doing it. We asked them if they knew what it meant, “oh yeah, it probably has something to do with drugs, right?” :smack: We didn’t have the heart to tell them… So I wasn’t surprised people didn’t know, especially the more sheltered type that probably make up a lot of the more religious conservatives in that movement. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2009, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-youd-think-people-would-know/510178/31 "2009-09-15T20:06:20Z")
> [@Gorgon\_Heap](#): > > All I’m saying is for toothless waterfowl, ducks sure have a reputation for being mean bastards. Well, they _do_ participate in necrophilia. ---
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2009, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-youd-think-people-would-know/510178/32 "2009-09-15T20:15:01Z")
I learned “warm the cockles of your heart” from Dennis Leary’s song Asshole when I was in 8th grade. I think that “new rope” saying is pretty self explanatory even you hadn’t heard it before. Try “23 skidoo” to confound someone. Or 86. > **[Urban Dictionary: 86](https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=86)** > > To remove, end usage, or take something out or away. Despite ALL other posts suggestion the origion of this phrase there is only one true answer: Chumley's, a famous and OLD New York speakeasy, is located at 86 Bedford St. During Prohibition, an... ---
**Author:** ![hobscrk777](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a6a055/32.png) [@hobscrk777](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hobscrk777)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2009, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-youd-think-people-would-know/510178/33 "2009-09-15T20:31:19Z")
> [@drastic\_quench](#): > > Try “23 skidoo” to confound someone. Actually, if they’re young enough (early 20s like me) they may very well know what it means from the former show “Hey, Arnold!” on Nickelodeon. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2009, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-youd-think-people-would-know/510178/34 "2009-09-15T20:52:04Z")
I, too, only know it as nibbled to death by ducks. Ick. I once used the phrase, “honest to Pete” or some such on the Dope and was mildly heckled by someone in New Zealand or Oz, can’t remember which. Seems that it is not said down there, honest to Pete! I once greeted my teenage daughter with “Heigh Ho” (as in Snow White) and she accused me of calling her a whore. :rolleyes: Honest to John, honest to Pete, Heavens to Besty, Mercy Maud, JesusMaryandJoseph–I grew up on these phrases. When my kids were quite small and I wanted to yell “goddammit”, I substituted “godblessAmerica”, which (my daughter now tells me) has forever colored the way she hears that phrase. Oops… I think colorful speech is the bee’s knees and all good eggs use it. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2009, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-youd-think-people-would-know/510178/35 "2009-09-15T20:57:54Z")
> [@eleanorigby](#): > > I once greeted my teenage daughter with “Heigh Ho” (as in Snow White) and she accused me of calling her a whore. :rolleyes: When I was in 6th grade (1991-1992ish) it was a joke amongst all the kids to say “Heigh ho, heigh ho…” and then stop in front of a girl you wanted to buy and finish with “Hi ho!” (note the change in spelling). ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2009, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-youd-think-people-would-know/510178/36 "2009-09-15T21:00:35Z")
I’ve heard it as “pecked to death” and I use “archaic” phrases a lot. I think they’re fun! ---
**Author:** ![Randydeluxe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Randydeluxe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Randydeluxe)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2009, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-youd-think-people-would-know/510178/37 "2009-09-15T21:01:33Z")
I had a co-worker who was incapable of correctly producing common complex phrases. But for some reason, he insisted on using them… in e-mails to customers. Examples: “It’s a doggie dog world, you know.” “For all intensive purposes…” “Then we saw it was a blessing in the skies.” “We’re not going to take it for granite that you trust us with your business.” I’m not sure how I didn’t snap. Of course, he was repeatedly promoted and given raises and more authority. ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2009, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-youd-think-people-would-know/510178/38 "2009-09-15T21:14:22Z")
> [@astro](#): > > \Being too clever for the room is an occupational hazard of throwing these out of date phrases into everyday conversations. This made me giggle. I’m soooo going to use this the next time I say something that falls flat…wellp, guess I’m just too clever for the room. > [@Randydeluxe](#): > > I had a co-worker who was incapable of correctly producing common complex phrases. But for some reason, he insisted on using them… in e-mails to customers. Examples: > > “It’s a doggie dog world, you know.” > > “For all intensive purposes…” > > “Then we saw it was a blessing in the skies.” > > “We’re not going to take it for granite that you trust us with your business.” > > I’m not sure how I didn’t snap. Of course, he was repeatedly promoted and given raises and more authority. This made me literally laugh out loud. A “doggie dog world” \ “take it for granite” \. I would have a hard time taking this person seriously let alone trusting him with my business! ---
**Author:** ![Gorgon\_Heap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f475e1/32.png) [@Gorgon\_Heap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorgon_Heap)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2009, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-youd-think-people-would-know/510178/39 "2009-09-15T21:24:48Z")
Hee-har! A friend (a singer with a clear voice and good diction) once accidentally said, “my sediments exactly” in my presence. Considering the laughter I got out of it before explaining the mistake, I really hope she never did it again. ---
**Author:** ![Kingspades](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecae2f/32.png) [@Kingspades](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kingspades)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2009, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-youd-think-people-would-know/510178/40 "2009-09-15T21:26:52Z")
> [@BiblioCat](#): > > I’ve always heard it as ‘\*\*nibbled \*\*to death by ducks.’ I use “nibbled” as well, though to be honest I can’t hear it anymore without thinking of the [Centauri version](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZ66wHRhe2U). I really hope that YouTube link works. I can’t pre-check it from work. ☹ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-youd-think-people-would-know/510178.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-youd-think-people-would-know/510178.md?page=3)