Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Debbie & Examples of Language!

While driving back to Georgia last Friday (7/17), I found and heard some interesting use of language that I wanted to share here.


I saw a billboard in Clayton Ga. that read, Commit a random act of kindness. Normally, I am accustomed to hearing or reading the polar opposite: random violence, act of violence, committing violence. To see and read the opposite has a lasting effect on me because of the contradiction.

I heard a radio announcer suggest the weather for the weekend might be raining cats and dogs and possibly frogs. Can you imagine?

On my way out of town on Friday I heard an advertisement for Hardees and it went something like this: Hardees is introducing a new item... little balls of biscuit dough... and the ad went on to say... Name our balls: dingle balls, happy balls, balls of dough, biscuit holes...sounds wrong but tastes so right...go to www.nameourholes.com! I had to check out the website and WOW...are those ads really playing on TV?

A radio announcer was talking about vanity license plates and he had heard of a woman who loved tofu and wanted to get a vanity plate that read ILVTOFU but the department of motor vehicles would not allow it. I am not sure if this is a true story, the announcer could be full of tofu.

I heard a song by Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash called Jackson and the chorus/refrain caught my attention: We got married in a fever, hotter than a pepper sprout. We've been talkin' 'bout Jackson ever since the fire went out.

The song, Another one bites the dust, by Queen came on the radio and I began to think of other ways (idioms) to say that somebody died....Sleeping with the fishes, six feet under, dead as a doornail...

I began thinking about songs and how most are very predictable in their formula/formalic language: verse, chorus/refrain and bridge. Especially easy to hear when listening to country songs.

Elizabeth Ellis said, He's as handy as a hip pocket, referring to my husband James.

After I remembered this expression from Elizabeth, I began to think about other expressions I have heard over the years...

My grandfather use to say, He's slicker than snot on a doorknob and Colder than a witch's tit.

Verbal diarrhea and mental constipation, the side of effects of being a parent.

Pretty house but nobody's home, referring to an ex.

Do ya got some fries with that shake? I cannot remember when I heard this but I love this expression.

Long walk off a short pier, a gentle way to break up with somebody.

Herding cats, what is feels like when my whole family visits somebody's house that is not child-proof!

Mad as a hatter, side effect of visiting somebody's house with the whole family and it's not child-proof.

His brother was an only child, used when referring to a man that's not so smart.

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