During my municipal government career I would never write or speak about problems or trouble. Instead I would write or speak about issues, challenges, and concerns. Those words would usually take the wind out of the sails of people who were problem-oriented. In fact, I actually started doing that in the Army.

I have the impression that Americans tend to overuse the word "bizarre".

Followed closely by "awesome!", which is sometimes accompanied by "dude".

As in "go to the well to draw water"....?

When you hear a person say- "you know" after everything they say

or "You know what I mean" after every sentence.

I can never understand people who when they have lost something and then find it say "it is always in the last place you look"

Well of course it bloody well is cos once you have found it you are going to stop searching for it are you not??

Ha ha!! So true Yogi. Also, what does "Every dog has its day" actually mean???


TIS

In the Godfather book somewhere there is a quote about how even a humble man may have his revenge if he is patient enough. Same concept...
Every dog has its day

I am stealing this from George Carlin, but I hear it al the time. If someone suddenly dies, or suddenly becomes ill, when people hear about it they inevitably say, "How could that be? I just saw him last week."

What does the speaker think that his or her having seen this person has a direct effect on longevity or good health?

Oh, I know one that many people say all the time. It really bugs me for some reason.

Where you at?

When I was working at the school, if we needed to get the Principal or administrator on campus (we all had radios), we use the walkie talkie. I'd hear a co-worker get on and say "Where you at?". I don't know it's not major, but still it bugs.

TIS

"You can't win for losin'" I have no idea what that means.

I think it's probably the same feeling expressed in the lyric "If it wasn't for bad luck, I wouldn't have no luck at all".

I have a black cloud over my head.

I'm the 'black sheep' of the family.

This is not an expression in the same vein as has been discussed in this thread, but how many of you recognize these: "Rid off the table" or "Get rid of it". It apparently is not know much outside of the northeast.

The whole "its and it's" thing drives me crazy, as does the confusion between "there, they're and their". Also, "I seen" instead of "I saw".

There and their? Madonne! Many of my students over the semesters haven't had a clue of the proper use of those words. Also, if you read posts in other forums such as the NFL, Yahoo, or Answers you will read those words extensively misused. It's the dumbing down of Americans.

What really grinds my gears is GOP members referring to my political arty as "The Democrat party."

Hell, I live down in the sticks. A lot of yall would get a kick out of what these "kin folk" have to say (haha, so fuckin annoying) ...
I'm with ya on the "my bad" - I gotta stop using it. I don't think I see a problemo with the rest, except the fa***t sounding bag of chips quote Mignon mentioned! ;-)

Black Cloud Over Head I can relate with ... its about one of the only ways you can truly describe depression.

"Sweetheart". What an empty, fake word. I don't think I'd ever trust anyone who used it.

Sweetheart is better than being called sourpuss I guess.

What about "Darling". Does anyone use that one???? I'd prefer sweetheart to darling (although I don't care for either)


TIS

I think it depends how it's used. I don't think it should be used to address someone you hardly know, though, because that is empty and fake. However, I think it's a nice way to address a family member or close friend.

I like Honey better than sweetheart.

I wonder where the expression (and evidently soon to be Pacino movie) "You don't know Jack" come from???? Who's Jack?

I was walking with my three year old grandson last week. He's full of questions and asks why, what to everything. I used the expression, "Holy cow" and he asked, "What's that mean grandma?" Try explaining that to a 3 year old.

TIS

Apparently, Jack or some form of it is a term from old England that was used to refer to a man. Of course, a man was supposed to know how to do all kinds of things. So,if you didn't know, you don't know what a man is supposed to know. Thus, the phrase.

Why is a toilet called a "john"?

There seems to be some dispute over who first invented the toilet and one of the alleged inventors was named John. Something of the same seems to be the case when it comes to usage of prostitutes since those who did wanted and used the name John. On the other hand, many of our terms are corruptions of foreign language words. For example, whore may derive from old English or from Arabic houris which can also mean a beautiful woman.

Gee Oli, do you have a book handy of where these sayings originated? Let's see, here's another? Where did the term "John Doe" come from?


TIS

It's origins are disputed. In old England John Doe began to be used as a substitute name in prosecutions and found its way to being the name of any unknown person.

No TIS, I don't have a book handy, but I guess I've lived long enough now to have absorbed certain questions and answers.