Variety is the spice of life. Blood is thicker than water. Don't let the cat out of the bag. Idioms. Proverbs. Expressive phrases that mean something other than their words might initially indicate.
Make no bones about it; we're all in the same boat. We've heard and spoken a few of these gems without giving it a second thought. You can probably think of a few off the top of your head because they're a dime a dozen. If you read this column regularly, you know I like to play with words as much as a toddler likes to play with his Cheerios. Today, we play with well-worn phrases and idioms. Is there a method to my madness? Probably not, but I hope we're having as much fun as a barrel of monkeys. Let's get the ball rolling:
A penny saved might buy you a thought or two.
Don't count your chickens before they hatch, because at that point you'd be counting eggs.
A bird in hand might leave you with a palmful of poop.
Every cloud has a silver lining and the potential to rain on your parade.
If actions speak louder than words, what about when you have laryngitis?
A picture can't paint a thousand words because a picture can't paint, or spell, for that matter. An artist paints a thousand words and thereby deserves due credit.
Someone pulling your leg is preferable to you pulling their finger.
Hit the nail on the head - as long as you're talking about the nail's head and not mine. Better that than my thumb.
The early bird is forced to eat worms.
It takes two to tango, three's a crowd and one to fly solo, but who's counting?
A leopard can't change his spots. Then again, why would he want to? They are part of his whole camouflage thing.
Great minds think alike, unless they belong to different political parties.
It's a piece of cake - unless it's a piece of pie.
I hate when I'm under the weather, especially if it's raining cats and dogs.
It's a small world unless you are an ant.
Drastic times call for drastic measures, and I can never find my ruler when I need it.
Tongue in cheek - where else would it be?
They're a dime a dozen for people who can't count up to 12.
Hold your horses, they may have a gift for you in their mouth.
A house divided against itself better not be made of cards. Especially if you aren't playing with a full deck.
To make a long story short, these pearls of wisdom weave their way through our language like a NASCAR driver during rush hour. But you know what they say, all good things must come to an end. I'd like to tell you I've saved the best for last, but that would be a figure of speech, not to mention a little white lie. Oh, enough already. I think it's about time for the overweight woman to belt out a tune.
- Jill Pertler's column appears every Thursday in the Times. She can be reached at pertmn@qwest.net.
Make no bones about it; we're all in the same boat. We've heard and spoken a few of these gems without giving it a second thought. You can probably think of a few off the top of your head because they're a dime a dozen. If you read this column regularly, you know I like to play with words as much as a toddler likes to play with his Cheerios. Today, we play with well-worn phrases and idioms. Is there a method to my madness? Probably not, but I hope we're having as much fun as a barrel of monkeys. Let's get the ball rolling:
A penny saved might buy you a thought or two.
Don't count your chickens before they hatch, because at that point you'd be counting eggs.
A bird in hand might leave you with a palmful of poop.
Every cloud has a silver lining and the potential to rain on your parade.
If actions speak louder than words, what about when you have laryngitis?
A picture can't paint a thousand words because a picture can't paint, or spell, for that matter. An artist paints a thousand words and thereby deserves due credit.
Someone pulling your leg is preferable to you pulling their finger.
Hit the nail on the head - as long as you're talking about the nail's head and not mine. Better that than my thumb.
The early bird is forced to eat worms.
It takes two to tango, three's a crowd and one to fly solo, but who's counting?
A leopard can't change his spots. Then again, why would he want to? They are part of his whole camouflage thing.
Great minds think alike, unless they belong to different political parties.
It's a piece of cake - unless it's a piece of pie.
I hate when I'm under the weather, especially if it's raining cats and dogs.
It's a small world unless you are an ant.
Drastic times call for drastic measures, and I can never find my ruler when I need it.
Tongue in cheek - where else would it be?
They're a dime a dozen for people who can't count up to 12.
Hold your horses, they may have a gift for you in their mouth.
A house divided against itself better not be made of cards. Especially if you aren't playing with a full deck.
To make a long story short, these pearls of wisdom weave their way through our language like a NASCAR driver during rush hour. But you know what they say, all good things must come to an end. I'd like to tell you I've saved the best for last, but that would be a figure of speech, not to mention a little white lie. Oh, enough already. I think it's about time for the overweight woman to belt out a tune.
- Jill Pertler's column appears every Thursday in the Times. She can be reached at pertmn@qwest.net.
