Where did this phrase come from ? Wouldn’t it be more logical to say leave a leak ?
The expression came into currency in the 1910’s.
I don’t think one can leave a leak. The leak is merely the means of egress in this example, it is not the fluid left after one has finished.
Even take a leak is not quite grammatically correct. Perhaps spring a leak would be more acceptable to grammmarians who are caught short.
Or orchestrate a leakage situation for those who like oscillating their genitalia whilst urinating.
Gee, and I was just going to ask if George Carlin had changed his routine. When I heard him do this joke, it was “Why do we say ‘take a shit’? If you do anything with a shit, you leave it!”
Nostradamus is right. I’d suggest “have a leak” or “initiate a leak” as well. “Piss” however, can be a noun or a verb as in “I desperately need to piss” or “I’ve got some piss on my hand.” Still, people shouldn’t “take” pisses, they should “spring” or “have” them.
Nostradamus is right. I’d suggest “have a leak” or “initiate a leak” as well. “Piss” however, can be a noun or a verb as in “I desperately need to piss” or “I’ve got some piss on my hand.” Still, people shouldn’t “take” pisses, they should “spring” or “have” them.
Look up “take”.
Doesn’t “I’m going to take a leak” mean that you’re going to steal a mirror?
Thanks Kilgore Trout…
Frequently, on trips through the produce section of my local supermarket, I’m known to take a leek…or two. But I pay for them, so I don’t know if that counts.
Whew all this talk about pissing.I gotta go and:
Drain my main vein to make my bladder gladder.
Shake the dew of my lily.
Drain my lizard.
It’s only called draining your lizard if you’re standing still. If you’re walking while urinating it’s called walking your lizard.
of course, you’re forgetting the popular “seeing a man about a horse”. Don’t know where that came from, but I use it all the time as in “I’m goin’ to see a man about a horse”.
I had always heard “see a man about a dog” (rather than horse). Strictly ‘country-speak’
I think that it’s an idiom, therefore, it doesn’t have to be logical.
I also say “I gotta see a man about a horse” frequently. That and “my back teeth are floating.” (Which is a little more obvious.)
As to the OP, to echo phartizan, you take a walk, right?
–Cliffy
I’d love to continue this discussion, but I’ve got to go “spend a penny.”
Oh my god! I’ve heard that expression “see a man about a horse”, but I NEVER knew it was about peeing. Lord, I’m naive, I just thought it was one of those expressions…I dunno what it referred to, I never even thought about it. Weird, man.
Ew…reminds me of that article about horse smegma. UGH EW EW EW
I just saw Midnight Cowboy and there was this hilarious scene where John Voight’s character, putting the moves on a lady, asks in his wide open Texas way: “Where is the Statue of Liberty?”
She shoots back…"…taking a leak in Central Park".
Well you have to see that one I guess.
pennystheman Walking the lizard? You know in all my 25 years, I have never once walked and pissed at the same time? That’s the one thing I stand still for.
Well earlier on the **Straight Dope ** ™ I also learned that I have been using the toilet the wrong way…what’s next?
[note to self]
Walk while peeing.
[/note to self]
Isn’t that kinda hard to do in the bathroom at work, though?