# 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:** 4
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2009, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-youd-think-people-would-know/510178/61 "2009-09-16T12:23:05Z")
> [@Cazzle](#): > > “I don’t have a dog in this fight”. > > I thought it was a phrase everyone knew, until I used it at a party (in the City) and no one knew what I meant. Once I explained it, they were all delighted by my quaint country turn-of-phrase. > > I still think I must have been in a room full of halfwits. Everyone’s heard “I don’t have a dog in this fight”, right? It’s not even an Aussie expression! It’s travelled internationally to get here, I hardly think it bypassed the metro areas and only caught on in these rural parts. I’m well aware of the expression and its variation, “I don’t have a dog in this hunt”. I’m pretty sure it’s an English term originally. What’s interesting is that Australian English employs a bit of Cockney Rhyming Slang which can often confuse people, too. The ones I hear the most often are “Dog & Bone” (Telephone) and “Trouble & Strife” (Wife), but there’s a few others that pop up from time to time that are fairly easy to work out from context (or an understanding of how CRS works), but they still seem to baffle a lot of younger people. I’ve also been known to use “Tally Ho!” too, but I’ve also been accused of being born in the wrong century several times so that’s probably to be expected. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![What\_s\_That\_Smell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/3bc359/32.png) [@What\_s\_That\_Smell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_s_That_Smell)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2009, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-youd-think-people-would-know/510178/62 "2009-09-16T12:28:50Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > Years ago someone used the, I presume Aussie, phrase “black catter” to describe someone. I had never heard it, even though he assumed it was in common use, but because the explanation was so perfect I started using it. I don’t think I have ever used it when anyone has known what it means. > > The meaning: he’s the kind of guy that if you have a big house his house is bigger; if you have a fast car his car is faster; if you have a black cat… Australian here also. Never heard this one. ---
**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 16, 2009, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-youd-think-people-would-know/510178/63 "2009-09-16T12:34:55Z")
> [@Blake](#): > > I have used two expressions the last couple of weeks that have been met with puzzlement: “Stickybeak” and “Long in the tooth” > > Are these really such obscure phrases? I’ve only ever heard ‘stickybeak’ on Monty Python. ‘Long in the tooth’ is an old standard. ---
**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 16, 2009, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-youd-think-people-would-know/510178/64 "2009-09-16T18:30:00Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > I always thought “The bee’s knees” was how a hep cat might pronounce “the business,” e.g. “That song’s the business!” would become “That crazy tune is the bee’s knees!” It’s much more likely a reference/comparison to dancer, Bee Jackson’s legs/knees. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2009, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-youd-think-people-would-know/510178/65 "2009-09-16T19:10:18Z")
> [@Blake](#): > > I have used two expressions the last couple of weeks that have been met with puzzlement: “Stickybeak” and “Long in the tooth” > > Are these really such obscure phrases? I’d call “long in the tooth” downright common. I’ve heard it all my life, and even know the etymology. “Stickybeak,” on the other hand, is a new one to me. What does it mean? ---
**Author:** ![Jumpbass](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jumpbass/32/147_2.png) [@Jumpbass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jumpbass)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2009, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-youd-think-people-would-know/510178/66 "2009-09-16T19:16:45Z")
I get strange looks when asked “How ya doin’?” and I reply either “Peachy” or “Just ducky”. I also tend to use a lot of jive slang from the 40’s. Cab Calloway’s autobiography had a copy of his “Hepster’s Dictionary” in the back and I took it to heart. I still can’t take any one named Jeff seriously. That used to be a term for an unhip person. ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2009, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-youd-think-people-would-know/510178/67 "2009-09-16T22:34:41Z")
> [@Martini\_Enfield](#): > > I’m well aware of the expression and its variation, “I don’t have a dog in this hunt”. I’m pretty sure it’s an English term originally. I’ve never heard “I don’t have a dog in this hunt” but I’ve heard, “That dog won’t hunt” as in, “Your idea is ridiculous” or “That will never work” or “Ain’t no freakin’ way.” ---
**Author:** ![Charger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df788c/32.png) [@Charger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charger)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2009, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-youd-think-people-would-know/510178/68 "2009-09-16T22:59:28Z")
My first girlfriend, back in high school circa 1992, used to sit there quietly on our dates. It was like trying to have a conversation with the wind. One day, I said, “Every time we go out and you sit there, not giving a rat’s ass.” She responded, “That doesn’t even make any sense!” I explained that “to give a rat’s ass” means “to care,” or “to give a shit,” as it were. ---
**Author:** ![gurujulp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ba9def/32.png) [@gurujulp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gurujulp)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2009, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-youd-think-people-would-know/510178/69 "2009-09-16T23:48:00Z")
> [@BiblioCat](#): > > I’ve always heard it as ‘\*\*nibbled \*\*to death by ducks.’ AH-HA! Now that one I have heard! ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-youd-think-people-would-know/510178/70 "2009-09-17T00:14:18Z")
> [@InvisibleWombat](#): > > “Stickybeak,” on the other hand, is a new one to me. What does it mean? It means to be curious or inquisitive. From the Macquarie Dictionary: > [@](#): > > verb (i) 1. to pry; meddle. > –noun 2. someone who pries. > 3. an inquisitive inspection: have a bit of a stickybeak. [from the phrase stick one’s beak in] The shortened form “to have a sticky” is also common in Australia e.g. I had a sticky at that new building yesterday as I walked past. ---
**Author:** ![kapri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4491bb/32.png) [@kapri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kapri)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-youd-think-people-would-know/510178/71 "2009-09-17T00:33:22Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > Until a few months ago, I would have thought more people would know what “teabagging” is. I had never heard the phrase until John Waters came to the university where I teach and used it a few times in his Q&A session. My friend and I, both around 50 y.o., rushed home afterwards to google it and were–well, not surprised that it was racy, because Waters had used it in the kind of context you’d expect–but surprised that neither of us had heard of it before, since we’re readers and voracious Internet surfers. ---
**Author:** ![Fuzzy\_Dunlop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/848f3c/32.png) [@Fuzzy\_Dunlop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuzzy_Dunlop)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-youd-think-people-would-know/510178/72 "2009-09-17T01:00:58Z")
> [@Gorgon\_Heap](#): > > All I’m saying is for toothless waterfowl, ducks sure have a reputation for being mean bastards. Speaking of ducks, I was in a business meeting once and an older gentleman repeated over and over that he really wanted to accomplish a lot at the meeting because getting everyone together was “like making duck soup”. Actually, I have no idea if that’s what he said. He may have said that getting us together was “not like making duck soup”. It could have gone either way and made as much sense to me. His point was that it was hard to get us together but as far as I remember he may have said getting us together is “like making duck soup, because duck soup is incredibly hard to make” or getting us together is “not like making duck soup, because duck soup is a great example of something easy to do”. I have no idea. Has anyone ever heard the expression? Is duck soup easy to make or hard to make? ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-youd-think-people-would-know/510178/73 "2009-09-17T01:11:16Z")
> [@Fuzzy\_Dunlop](#): > > …because getting everyone together was “like making duck soup”. > > Has anyone ever heard the expression? Is duck soup easy to make or hard to make? Never heard that one, but I’ve heard “getting all your ducks in a row.” ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-youd-think-people-would-know/510178/74 "2009-09-17T01:16:22Z")
“Duck soup” was once a common enough expression that it became the title of a Laurel and Hardy short film and a much more famous Marx Brothers feature. It means “piece of cake.” ETA: I admit I had to look up the meaning. But I knew it was once a common expression! ---
**Author:** ![Indygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@Indygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indygrrl)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-youd-think-people-would-know/510178/75 "2009-09-17T01:41:29Z")
> [@BiblioCat](#): > > I’ve never heard “I don’t have a dog in this hunt” but I’ve heard, “That dog won’t hunt” as in, “Your idea is ridiculous” or “That will never work” or “Ain’t no freakin’ way.” Just yesterday, Michel Martin of NPR’s “Tell Me More,” made great use of “That dog won’t hunt,” in her weekly commentary about Joe Wilson’s outburst during the President’s speech. [http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=112810126](http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=112810126) > [@](#): > > Some conservatives argue Democrats did the same thing during President Bush’s term, **but that dog won’t hunt**. While it is true that booing and cheering are now and have always been heard in the House chamber, no one can point to a Democrat who, during a public address, verbally attacked or personally vilified President Bush during a public occasion despite intense disagreement over his policies, especially on national defense. I had to bring it up because I just love what she said. On another note, I like to use, “For the love of Pete,” and often get weird looks about it. I think it’s funny and I plan to keep using it when appropriate. ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-youd-think-people-would-know/510178/76 "2009-09-17T02:12:31Z")
Born and raised in the midwest, I had never heard of any dogs unwilling to hunt nor any dogs in fights until my new supervisor was a transfer from S. Carolina. He had all kinds of these quaint phrases that only sound good with a suth’n drawl. ---
**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:** [September 17, 2009, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-youd-think-people-would-know/510178/77 "2009-09-17T04:30:17Z")
So, have “we” heard “That dog won’t hunt”? I’m really wondering, considering the usage of phrases a very well read person has never heard. ---
**Author:** ![Spud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spud/32/347_2.png) [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-youd-think-people-would-know/510178/78 "2009-09-17T04:51:17Z")
> [@Heckity](#): > > My youngest son was blessed with abundantly curly hair. He also went through a phase of dyeing said locks in outrageous (unnatural) colours. Apparently one of his grade 7 buddies called him a sno-cone. My suggested response, “Well I may be a sno-cone, but I can lick you”. > > It was perfectly acceptable back in the forties. Clearly not so advisable in the school yard now. It doesn’t take much to move it to today’s times. “You think I’m a sno-cone… why don’t you just lick me.” ---
**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 17, 2009, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-youd-think-people-would-know/510178/79 "2009-09-17T16:37:26Z")
Oh! I’d heard of and I think even seen the Marx Brothers’ “Duck Soup” film, but just thought it was nonsense. Nice to know it actually was a phrase. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-youd-think-people-would-know/510178/80 "2009-09-17T17:04:44Z")
> [@Blake](#): > > I have used two expressions the last couple of weeks that have been met with puzzlement: “Stickybeak” and “Long in the tooth” > > Are these really such obscure phrases? Is a “stickybeak” anything like a “nosy parker”? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-youd-think-people-would-know/510178.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-youd-think-people-would-know/510178.md?page=5)