Tickling the negativity - intentionally setting off people who often go on a rant.
“Didja hear that Ellis called that radio show this morning and made the DJ yell for 20 minutes? He’s a master at tickling the negativity!”
Open ear policy.
Open ear policy: A boss who sits there patiently as you talk but does nothing substantive in response. Syn. with “In one ear, out the other.”
“Mr. Jenkins has an open ear policy. Yammer as long as you want, but you’ll just be wasting your breath.”
Clapping the sandbar.
Trying to warn somebody with unlikely success, like a dolphin clapping it’s tail on a sandbar, similar to a ‘Hail Mary’.
“Yelling for the cops was useless in this area of town, just a way of clapping the sandbar.”
Doing the Tevye Dance
Doing the Tevye Dance - celebrating because your kid is finally engaged.
“I heard that Mark finally proposed to Suzie. Her parents must be doing the Tevye dance!”
Shredding the diary.
Shredding the diary- getting rid of potentially harmful personal information.
“When Franklin down in accounting was fired for watching porn on his work computer, Louis quickly began deleting his browser histories, any files from his computer whose contents he wasn’t sure of, emails that weren’t work related, and otherwise shredding his diary.”
“Adding sugar to the quiche”
Adding sugar to the quiche: Putting in something that’s good in other things, but not in that.
“When Roger wanted to read his own poem at the wedding reception, he was just adding sugar to the quiche.”
Dissing the maestro.
Dismissing an expert’s facts by stating it’s an opinion: John Douglas states that most serial killers are adopted. He’s head of the FBI Serial Killer and I’m anti-abortion and believe adoption jas no negative effects, so I’ll be dissing that maestro."
Eating your snot.
Eating your snot: Doing something you were told as a child not to, but you persist.
“Ted keeps crossing his eyes because he knows it annoys me. I wish he’d stop eating his snot.”
Flapping the burger.
Waving your hand in front of someone who is lost in Cyberspace to get their attention.
Freezing cold in hell.