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erayerdin@lemmy.world to Ask Lemmy@lemmy.worldEnglish · 8 days ago

For those who has learnt English as second language (or native speakers, what are some interesting phrases that stuck with you?

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For those who has learnt English as second language (or native speakers, what are some interesting phrases that stuck with you?

erayerdin@lemmy.world to Ask Lemmy@lemmy.worldEnglish · 8 days ago
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I speak English as second language. Whenever I hear new stuff, I save it to my Anki. Here’s my Cool Phrases deck if anyone’s interested.

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/qqaxf29fk8w7035sbn3h0/Cool-Phrases-20260715174206.apkg?rlkey=aoikq8wupm6n4fud4vgur38tr&st=0slo8hox&dl=0

I want to expand this deck. Do you know a phrase that stuck in your mind? Any input is welcome.

Thanks in advance.

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  • hirihit640@sh.itjust.works
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    7 days ago

    “multiple ways to skin a cat”

  • nimble@feddit.online
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    7 days ago

    From the Appalachian region of the US, I bring you:
    “I’ll cut the blood out of you!”
    and more generally within the US (I think?):
    “I’ll clean your clock!”

    Both are threatening a fight, one a little more graphically than the other. I don’t think I’ve heard either in a very long time, and it was only ever from my grandmother that I’d heard the first phrase. Not directly, as in discussing idioms.

  • 87Six@lemmy.zip
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    6 days ago

    for some reason the nword is stuck in my head and popped up instantly when I read this

    -_-

    I don’t know why

    I guess because it’s tabboo

  • Kennystillalive@feddit.org
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    8 days ago

    Ain’t no way I’m clicking that link…

    As for cool phrases, my favourite is: “It’s raining cats and dogs” (because it’s funny if you imgane it, bit also macabre when you know th reason behind the phrase => back in the days the dead cats and dogs from allays would wash up on the main street when it was pouring down like crazy).

    • erayerdin@lemmy.worldOP
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      7 days ago

      I didn’t know the backstory of cats and dogs being so dark. Wth?

      • AskewLord@piefed.social
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        6 days ago

        there was no drainage, heavy rains would flood and dead animals would swash up from the alleyways.

        there were probably a lot of dead birds and rats, but cats and dogs are larger and more visible.

    • erayerdin@lemmy.worldOP
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      7 days ago

      I was looking for a better open-source platform to upload the file. If you suggest any, I could do that. :)

      • pishadoot@sh.itjust.works
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        5 days ago

        Why not just copy and paste the contents of the file into your post? No need to link a file unless it’s yuuuge

      • hirihit640@sh.itjust.works
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        7 days ago

        You could use https://gitlab.com/timvisee/send, but honestly since there’s no well known privacy-friendly platform (catbox.moe is great but only for images/video), it’s bound to look sketchy

    • SelfHigh5@lemmy.world
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      8 days ago

      Wow I didn’t know that. Dark.

  • quediuspayu@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    8 days ago

    Me being Catalan, a culture with many poop related phrases and traditions, I’m pretty fond of “when shit hit the fan”

    • Today@lemmy.world
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      7 days ago

      Don’t shit where you eat.

      • quediuspayu@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        7 days ago

        That one is fun how it goes in Spanish “no metas la polla donde metes la olla”, don’t put your dick where you put your pot (as in cooking pot).

    • erayerdin@lemmy.worldOP
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      7 days ago

      It’s even funnier to imagine it happen lamo

  • hexagonwin@lemmy.today
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    8 days ago

    “half assed” was quite funny

    • raldone01@lemmy.world
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      7 days ago

      Don’t half ass it. Full ass it.

  • BigBrownBeaver@lemmy.world
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    7 days ago

    “Thank you for having me”

    It’s weird

    • Almacca@aussie.zone
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      4 days ago

      “Thankyou for being had.”

      • BigBrownBeaver@lemmy.world
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        4 days ago

        “If you had me, you’ll be thank”

    • SCmSTR@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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      7 days ago

      Probably short for “thank you for having me over” or another word implied at the end.

      “Thank you for having/picking/tolerating me as your guest”

      • BigBrownBeaver@lemmy.world
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        7 days ago

        See? Weird.

        • SCmSTR@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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          7 days ago

          GIVUS WE THANKIS TOUND YE BLARSTED SHIVAS

          • BigBrownBeaver@lemmy.world
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            7 days ago

            🥹

  • Zwuzelmaus@feddit.org
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    8 days ago

    It never stops to make me smile that most Germans cannot pronounce “squirrel” properly, while most native English speakers cannot pronounce the same word in German “Eichhörnchen”.

    • ilovededyoupiggy@sh.itjust.works
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      7 days ago

      Ike cough hyorn chin

      How’d I do?

      • Zwuzelmaus@feddit.org
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        7 days ago

        Despite the many advices from AI, that knot in your tongue won’t help.

  • Mister Neon@lemmy.world
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    8 days ago

    “When you mess with the bull, you get the horns.”

  • Today@lemmy.world
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    8 days ago

    These kids run through the house like shit through a goose.

    • nocturne@slrpnk.net
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      8 days ago

      Native English speaker, never heard this one.

      • SCmSTR@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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        7 days ago

        Same, but that’s hilarious

      • Today@lemmy.world
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        7 days ago

        It’s a West Texasism.

        • SCmSTR@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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          7 days ago

          It definitely sounds both rural and southern

  • printf("%s", name);@piefed.blahaj.zone
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    8 days ago

    +1 for it’s raining cats and dogs

    But also

    that’s the way the cookie crumbles is just adorable
    dinkin flicka just rolls off the tongue
    bite the bullet is so raw and literal and
    Bob’s your uncle is just… No. Who the fuck is Bob 😂

    • farmgineer@nord.pub
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      4 days ago

      dinkin flicka

      I have never seen this before

    • blarghly@lemmy.world
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      If you didn’t know, biting the bullet doesnt mean killing yourself. It comes from back in the day when soldiers would be given a bullet to bite down on while they got their leg amputated. Which is kind of even more gruesome

  • Toes♀@ani.social
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    8 days ago

    “Fleshed out” just means to explain & expand upon.

  • folekaule@lemmy.world
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    7 days ago

    Like a fart in a skillet.

    • erayerdin@lemmy.worldOP
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      Apparently, “like a fart in …” is a common thing. There’s this website that shows movie scenes with certain phrases: Playphrase.

      Have a look at yourself: https://www.playphrase.me/#%2Fsearch%3Fq=like+a+fart+in&pos=0&language=en

      I’ve come across two “like a fart in the church” one, which I did not really understand. I think it is used for unpleasant situations.

    • SCmSTR@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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      American here. I live in a Northern urban area, and have never heard this. I wonder if it’s regional or old or new. Looked it up, the internet says it’s Appalachian, so, Eastern US. I might start using this now hahaha

      • folekaule@lemmy.world
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        Yep lol. I live in a small rural Ohio town. When I first heard it, it was from a friend’s wife and even he had to look it up. She grew up on a small farm nearby.

    • SoGrumpy@lemmy.ml
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      Like a fart in a trance.

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