# "Pissing In Paris" -- The Colloquialism Game **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [February 8, 2011, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pissing-in-paris-the-colloquialism-game/570693 "2011-02-08T21:12:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![KinkiNipponTourist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e9bcb4/32.png) [@KinkiNipponTourist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KinkiNipponTourist)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2011, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pissing-in-paris-the-colloquialism-game/570693/101 "2011-02-18T04:24:08Z")
working in chimp mode: doing a repetitive task on auto-pilot Drive-in Lobster Theater ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2011, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pissing-in-paris-the-colloquialism-game/570693/102 "2011-02-18T05:42:32Z")
Drive-in Lobster Theater: An ambitious business concept that sounds like it could earn millions but is totally unfeasible. “Did you hear about that IPO proposal? It’s about renting big-ticket toys to wealthy kids for a monthly fee.” “Oh, man. That’s so ‘Drive-in Lobster Theater.’” Feeling the silken fountain pen. ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2011, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pissing-in-paris-the-colloquialism-game/570693/103 "2011-02-18T05:55:09Z")
Feeling the silken fountain pen: being reamed by unscrupulous lawyers. Have you heard about Jimmy’s divorce proceedings? Oh yeah, he’s feeling the silken fountain pen alright. Walking through the spiderweb. ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2011, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pissing-in-paris-the-colloquialism-game/570693/104 "2011-02-18T06:36:28Z")
“working in chimp mode” - taking on a mundane, repetitive task for low pay, because you need the food. decking the halls with holly ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2011, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pissing-in-paris-the-colloquialism-game/570693/105 "2011-02-18T06:42:35Z")
Ooops, Doh! “Walking through the spiderweb” - a project getting caught up in irritating, inconvenient details The rocket was tested and ready to launch but we kept running into QA issues, it was like walking through the spiderweb. decking the halls with holly ---
**Author:** ![tumbleddown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tumbleddown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tumbleddown)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2011, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pissing-in-paris-the-colloquialism-game/570693/106 "2011-02-18T08:37:15Z")
Doing something cosmetically pleasing but potentially quite harmful. “Did you see those guys with the body paint for the football game?” “Yeah, but it’s gonna be -5° today, that’s decking the halls with holly, man.” _Stealing auntie’s lunch._ ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2011, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pissing-in-paris-the-colloquialism-game/570693/107 "2011-02-18T14:33:33Z")
Doing something illegal to someone because you know they can’t do anything about it. “Yesh, my boss is stealing auntie’s lunch by making me work overtime with no overtime pay. But if I complain, I’ll lose my job.” _Acting like an OJ_ ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Q](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/898d66/32.png) [@Johnny\_Q](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Q)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2011, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pissing-in-paris-the-colloquialism-game/570693/108 "2011-02-18T23:26:09Z")
Letting your emotions get away from you, causing you to do something utterly stupid. Priming the spackle ---
**Author:** ![KinkiNipponTourist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e9bcb4/32.png) [@KinkiNipponTourist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KinkiNipponTourist)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2011, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pissing-in-paris-the-colloquialism-game/570693/109 "2011-02-19T00:43:28Z")
Priming the spackle: heating up massage oil in the microwave in preparation for sexy times. yellow snow slurpee ---
**Author:** ![HardlySanguine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HardlySanguine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HardlySanguine)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2011, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pissing-in-paris-the-colloquialism-game/570693/110 "2011-02-19T02:09:48Z")
Doing something people find gross because you think your friends will find it funny but in reality… well, that’s not the case. “Did you see Lars eat that yellow snow slurpee yesterday?” “Yeah, I can’t believe he chugged a whole gallon of ketchup!” “What a loser!” Miming a dead badger ---
**Author:** ![KinkiNipponTourist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e9bcb4/32.png) [@KinkiNipponTourist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KinkiNipponTourist)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2011, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pissing-in-paris-the-colloquialism-game/570693/111 "2011-02-19T03:02:47Z")
Miming a dead badger: lying quietly under the covers when your husband comes to bed, pretending to be both dead asleep and physically untouchable, so he won’t try to have sex with you. Monster mash ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2011, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pissing-in-paris-the-colloquialism-game/570693/112 "2011-02-19T03:32:34Z")
Pretending to work by rearranging things into a pattern unrelated to their purpose. The phrase originated with the time-honored tradition of sculpting monster faces out of mashed potatoes one does not wish to eat, and was perpetuated by later association with the wageslaves’ zombie-like shuffling around the office. “I guess he’s sorting that spreadsheet by text color to make it more readable…” “Nah, he’s just monster mashing.” Painting the cobbles ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2011, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pissing-in-paris-the-colloquialism-game/570693/113 "2011-02-19T03:57:25Z")
Painting the cobbles: Doing something extremely time-consuming even though no one will notice it. “These big catering jobs suck. The boss had me put exactly three dots of gold on each of those 800 chocolates. Now _that’s_ painting the cobbles!” Primping the wombat. ---
**Author:** ![KinkiNipponTourist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e9bcb4/32.png) [@KinkiNipponTourist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KinkiNipponTourist)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2011, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pissing-in-paris-the-colloquialism-game/570693/114 "2011-02-19T04:23:31Z")
Primping the wombat: getting all dressed up, then staying home. “John called to cancel our date just as I was getting ready to leave the house. Bastard left me primping the wombat again!” Humpty Dumpty fart ---
**Author:** ![ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2011, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pissing-in-paris-the-colloquialism-game/570693/115 "2011-02-19T05:02:40Z")
One of those gaseous moments that you think will just be brief and business as usual, but by the time it is finished the proverbial dam has been broken and an exit to the restroom is needed, post haste. Fuzzy pickles ---
**Author:** ![KinkiNipponTourist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e9bcb4/32.png) [@KinkiNipponTourist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KinkiNipponTourist)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2011, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pissing-in-paris-the-colloquialism-game/570693/116 "2011-02-19T05:32:32Z")
Fuzzy pickles: nonstandard name for boys beginning to display secondary sex characteristics. Romancing the stone ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2011, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pissing-in-paris-the-colloquialism-game/570693/117 "2011-02-19T19:07:40Z")
Hey, “Romancing the stone” is already a slang phrase! But I’ll come up with a new one… Romancing the stone: Doing everything you can to win over someone, but being doomed to failure from the outset. “I laughed at all of my boss’s jokes, always picked up the tab at lunch, worked overtime whenever he asked, but I STILL didn’t get that raise. Asshole. I was romancing the stone all along.” Parsing the lemon. ---
**Author:** ![ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2011, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pissing-in-paris-the-colloquialism-game/570693/118 "2011-02-19T21:49:05Z")
For use when ‘peeling the onion’ doesn’t apply due to the object being considered having only a single sour/painful layer. Chasing your elbow ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2011, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pissing-in-paris-the-colloquialism-game/570693/119 "2011-02-20T04:09:27Z")
Going to a lot of effort when you really don’t need to. “I thought Judy would never go out with me, and I worried about it and lost sleep and struggled to find just the right way to ask, but she said yes right away! Guess I was really chasing my elbow.” Betting on the Yankees. ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2011, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pissing-in-paris-the-colloquialism-game/570693/120 "2011-02-20T06:35:39Z")
“Betting on the Yankees” it may be the best bet to put where all the money is, but feeling dirty about it even if you win. Yeah, I voted for Bubya in 2004, but it was like betting on the Yankees. Waltzing Matilda [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pissing-in-paris-the-colloquialism-game/570693.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pissing-in-paris-the-colloquialism-game/570693.md?page=7)