# Post slang you don't understand **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 1, 2003, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-slang-you-dont-understand/192312 "2003-08-01T07:22:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Satisfying\_Andy\_Licious](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Satisfying\_Andy\_Licious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satisfying_Andy_Licious)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2003, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-slang-you-dont-understand/192312/1 "2003-08-01T07:22:17Z")
For me, it’s “take the piss out of (subject)”. If you take the piss out of someone, wouldn’t you be doing them a favor? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2003, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-slang-you-dont-understand/192312/2 "2003-08-01T07:25:38Z")
Depends on what you use to take it out. ---
**Author:** ![I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_can_t_believe_that_s_butter)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2003, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-slang-you-dont-understand/192312/3 "2003-08-01T07:26:01Z")
“Tomato can”, as in “I had some business with the tomato can”. I just don’t know what the hell it means. ---
**Author:** ![Odinoneeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/97f17d/32.png) [@Odinoneeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odinoneeye)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2003, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-slang-you-dont-understand/192312/4 "2003-08-01T07:31:53Z")
I find it funny when people have to compare everything to Hell. It’s cold as Hell It’s hot as Hell It’s windy as Hell It’s blue as Hell Hell must be a diverse place. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2003, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-slang-you-dont-understand/192312/5 "2003-08-01T07:59:50Z")
Even better is when people compare everything to Ass. It’s cold as Ass It’s hot as Ass It’s windy as Ass It’s blue as Ass And also use it as a modifier (a big ass truck, a crazy ass person…) ---
**Author:** ![AngelicGemma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/439d5e/32.png) [@AngelicGemma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelicGemma)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2003, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-slang-you-dont-understand/192312/6 "2003-08-01T12:51:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Satisfying Andy Licious \* > \*\*For me, it’s “take the piss out of (subject)”. > > If you take the piss out of someone, wouldn’t you be doing them a favor? \*\* LOL! Taking the piss out of someone means making fun of them. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_Wright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@Steve\_Wright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_Wright)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2003, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-slang-you-dont-understand/192312/7 "2003-08-01T13:03:38Z")
What _did_ “gag me with a spoon” mean, in the days when people said it? It sounds vaguely suspect (not to mention impractical) to me. ---
**Author:** ![miamouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ad7895/32.png) [@miamouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/miamouse)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2003, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-slang-you-dont-understand/192312/8 "2003-08-01T13:40:52Z")
I’m trying to figure out where my money maker is. As in “Make your money maker jump, ma.” ---
**Author:** ![auntie\_em](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@auntie\_em](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/auntie_em)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2003, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-slang-you-dont-understand/192312/9 "2003-08-01T13:44:46Z")
I didn’t understand “Never look a gift horse in the mouth” (does that count as slang?) until my mom explained it to me a couple of months ago, but since then I’ve heard an alternate explanation that one makes sense, too. So now I’m confused again. ---
**Author:** ![Blonde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Blonde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blonde)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2003, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-slang-you-dont-understand/192312/10 "2003-08-01T13:52:44Z")
I think “never look a gift horse in the mouth” means don’t question good fortune if it comes your way? I am equally clueless as to the meaning of “money maker!” ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2003, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-slang-you-dont-understand/192312/11 "2003-08-01T13:57:08Z")
Money maker means what a hooker uses to make her money! “Shake your money maker!” = “shake your ass.” ---
**Author:** ![fortytwo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f9ae1b/32.png) [@fortytwo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fortytwo)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2003, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-slang-you-dont-understand/192312/12 "2003-08-01T13:59:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by auntie em \* > \*\*I didn’t understand “Never look a gift horse in the mouth” (does that count as slang?) until my mom explained it to me a couple of months ago, but since then I’ve heard an alternate explanation that one makes sense, too. > > So now I’m confused again. \*\* I think it derives from telling a horse’s age from the number of teeth it has. So it would be impolite to look in the horse’s mouth when given a horse (which happens all the time of course:) ) V ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2003, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-slang-you-dont-understand/192312/13 "2003-08-01T14:00:39Z")
WAG on “tomato can:” I think this was originally used to refer to crappy boxers. “He’s just a tomato can.” I think the implication here is that it’s an easy target, and it spurts red stuff when it breaks open. From there, the term probably evolved to refer to other crappy sorts of people. ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2003, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-slang-you-dont-understand/192312/14 "2003-08-01T14:02:43Z")
Gift Horse in the mouth…The way to tell a horses age is to look at it’s teeth, so what this is saying is why query something that is a gift? One from the new Irvine Welsh novel: “Christopher Reeve” meaning alcoholic drink. I assume it’s a rhyming slang like Brittneys or Collies, but I cant think what it may relate to. Any ideas me old chinas? ---
**Author:** ![October](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@October](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/October)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2003, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-slang-you-dont-understand/192312/15 "2003-08-01T14:07:07Z")
I have some message board slang I don’t understand. What is YMMV? And who is this Og of whom everyone speaks? And what exactly does “Butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth” mean? Is it a cool character, who is so chilly and collected? That’s my own interpretation. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2003, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-slang-you-dont-understand/192312/16 "2003-08-01T14:15:51Z")
The latest on judging a horse’s age by its teefies: [http://www.equisearch.com/care/anatomy/eqteeth2503/](http://www.equisearch.com/care/anatomy/eqteeth2503/) ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2003, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-slang-you-dont-understand/192312/17 "2003-08-01T14:24:34Z")
**October** - YMMV = Your Mileage May Vary. Og = running joke from some old thread I can’t remember the title of. I think. I’m not real hip, so don’t hold me to that. 😃 “Butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth” - your interpretation is the same as mine. ---
**Author:** ![austen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b2d939/32.png) [@austen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/austen)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2003, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-slang-you-dont-understand/192312/18 "2003-08-01T14:27:13Z")
YMMV = Your Mileage May Vary. ---
**Author:** ![fortytwo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f9ae1b/32.png) [@fortytwo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fortytwo)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2003, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-slang-you-dont-understand/192312/19 "2003-08-01T14:29:47Z")
For years I was under the impression that “cold enough to freeze the ball off a brass monkey” referred to the metal plate on board a ship where they stowed the cannon balls during battles. But apparently not, so, what did it refer to? V ---
**Author:** ![verbenabeast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/c4cdca/32.png) [@verbenabeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/verbenabeast)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2003, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-slang-you-dont-understand/192312/20 "2003-08-01T14:48:57Z")
well… that’s the hizzel for shizzel, my brizzel. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-slang-you-dont-understand/192312.md?page=2)