# Really weird phrases that you never think about **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 2, 2008, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-weird-phrases-that-you-never-think-about/475357 "2008-12-02T16:41:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-weird-phrases-that-you-never-think-about/475357/1 "2008-12-02T16:41:37Z")
You know what’s really weird? The phrase “at once” meaning “immediately.” The word “once” means “one time” yet doing something _at_ it means to do it without delay. Weird. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-weird-phrases-that-you-never-think-about/475357/2 "2008-12-02T16:45:48Z")
“Used to be.” As in “I used to be a brown puddle of goo.” What did you use, and how long did you use it? To be? Doesn’t that imply a present or future act? “I employed future act brown puddle of goo.” ---
**Author:** ![Hi\_Neighbor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hi_neighbor/32/494_2.png) [@Hi\_Neighbor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hi_Neighbor)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-weird-phrases-that-you-never-think-about/475357/3 "2008-12-02T16:47:23Z")
In the English expression to kick the bucket, a listener knowing only the meaning of kick and bucket would be unable to deduce the expression’s actual meaning, which is to _die_! I love idioms. ---
**Author:** ![Hi\_Neighbor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hi_neighbor/32/494_2.png) [@Hi\_Neighbor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hi_Neighbor)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-weird-phrases-that-you-never-think-about/475357/4 "2008-12-02T16:52:28Z")
“Better.” Yea, it has a simple meaning, like, greater in excellence or higher in quality, but what about in the following sentences: He had better make his bed, or I’ll lay the beats on him. I better walk the dog, or he will doo-doo all over the new Afghan. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-weird-phrases-that-you-never-think-about/475357/5 "2008-12-02T16:59:17Z")
> [@Hi\_Neighbor](#): > > “Better.” > > Yea, it has a simple meaning, like, greater in excellence or higher in quality, but what about in the following sentences: It sort of implies the better of two choices, I guess. He’d do better to make his bed than play video games. You’d better believe I used to kick the bucket at once. ---
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-weird-phrases-that-you-never-think-about/475357/6 "2008-12-02T18:26:17Z")
Slim chance and fat chance are the same! ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-weird-phrases-that-you-never-think-about/475357/7 "2008-12-02T18:29:27Z")
> [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](#): > > Slim chance and fat chance are the same! So are sit up and sit down. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-weird-phrases-that-you-never-think-about/475357/8 "2008-12-02T18:30:27Z")
“And how!” as emphatic agreement always made me scratch my head in perplexity. ---
**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:** [December 2, 2008, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-weird-phrases-that-you-never-think-about/475357/9 "2008-12-02T18:38:01Z")
> [@winterhawk11](#): > > “And how!” as emphatic agreement always made me scratch my head in perplexity. Was that ever said by someone outside of an “Our Gang” short? My contribution: “Look out!” Not a recommendation to check out the scenery, but to take cover. ---
**Author:** ![Neverender](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/848f3c/32.png) [@Neverender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neverender)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-weird-phrases-that-you-never-think-about/475357/10 "2008-12-02T18:38:02Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > So are sit up and sit down. Not really - you sit up from lying or slouching into a more straight backed ‘sit’ and you sit down from a standing position. Though i suppose in effect they both mean assume a sitting position, i just wanted to have a go at being a snarky tit like everyone else gets a chance to do on here 😛 ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-weird-phrases-that-you-never-think-about/475357/11 "2008-12-02T19:02:18Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > So are sit up and sit down. What Neverender said. If you’re standing, you can’t sit up; if you’re lying down or slouching, you can’t sit down. ---
**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:** [December 2, 2008, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-weird-phrases-that-you-never-think-about/475357/12 "2008-12-02T19:03:53Z")
A house burns up. A house burns down. What is the freaking difference?😕 ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-weird-phrases-that-you-never-think-about/475357/13 "2008-12-02T19:09:49Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > A house burns up. A house burns down. What is the freaking difference?😕 Because things that aren’t buildings can’t burn down, but they can burn up. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-weird-phrases-that-you-never-think-about/475357/14 "2008-12-02T19:20:57Z")
> [@matt\_mcl](#): > > Because things that aren’t buildings can’t burn down, but they can burn up. Flammable. Inflammable. Non-inflammable. Why are there three? Either the thing flams, or it doesn’t. ---
**Author:** ![1stFusilier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/58956e/32.png) [@1stFusilier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/1stFusilier)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-weird-phrases-that-you-never-think-about/475357/15 "2008-12-02T19:35:12Z")
Here in Scotland, when we’re going shopping, we say ‘we’re going to get the messages’. A tad confusing for the non-Scots. Hey! Maybe that’s why we do it…? ---
**Author:** ![Trepa\_Mayfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@Trepa\_Mayfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trepa_Mayfield)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-weird-phrases-that-you-never-think-about/475357/16 "2008-12-02T20:00:16Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > Flammable. Inflammable. Non-inflammable. > > Why are there three? Either the thing flams, or it doesn’t. Because inflammable came first, from the word “inflame”. Only after the word was in use did people notice it looked like it meant the thing couldn’t burn. So they changed it to ‘flammable’, only not everyone did, making some signs clearer but others more confusing. Non-inflammable was made to clear up the mess, only some poeple saw it as a double negative, and some poeple didnt’ get it, and some poeple did but couldn’t explain it and now it’s just a huge mess. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-weird-phrases-that-you-never-think-about/475357/17 "2008-12-02T20:04:25Z")
> [@pedescribe](#): > > Because inflammable came first, from the word “inflame”. Only after the word was in use did people notice it looked like it meant the thing couldn’t burn. So they changed it to ‘flammable’, only not everyone did, making some signs clearer but others more confusing. Non-inflammable was made to clear up the mess, only some poeple saw it as a double negative, and some poeple didnt’ get it, and some poeple did but couldn’t explain it and now it’s just a huge mess. Boy, the thread subject and pedantry make for a sour mix. :rolleyes: 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-weird-phrases-that-you-never-think-about/475357/18 "2008-12-02T21:26:32Z")
“I could care less” somehow now means the same as “I couldn’t care less”. My mom grew up in rural south central Wisconsin and will sometimes bust out the phrase “Who’s she from?” meaning ‘who are her people’ or ‘who would I know that she knows’. ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-weird-phrases-that-you-never-think-about/475357/19 "2008-12-02T21:43:55Z")
> [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](#): > > My contribution: “Look out!” Not a recommendation to check out the scenery, but to take cover. I confused my husband once with something similar. He was getting something out of the bottom of the fridge, and I reached in over him to get the water pitcher, and said “Head’s up!” to tell him that I was passing over his head and to watch out. Of course, he lifted his head up according to my instructions, and bumped the water pitcher, thereby getting soaked. A mild argument ensued about whose fault it was. Being francophone, he had never heard that expression before in his life. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-weird-phrases-that-you-never-think-about/475357/20 "2008-12-02T21:48:52Z")
> [@mnemosyne](#): > > I confused my husband once with something similar. He was getting something out of the bottom of the fridge, and I reached in over him to get the water pitcher, and said “Head’s up!” to tell him that I was passing over his head and to watch out. > > Of course, he lifted his head up according to my instructions, and bumped the water pitcher, thereby getting soaked. “Heads up” at softball practice once meant a guy looking up and getting his nose smashed by the oncoming ball. “Have your cake and eat it too” is one I have to say “eat your cake and have it too” or it bugs me. > [@Sitnam](#): > > “I could care less” somehow now means the same as “I couldn’t care less”. Don’t get me started. 😉 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-weird-phrases-that-you-never-think-about/475357.md?page=2)