Weird Expressions

 I have to say I love this subject-it`s somewhat of a hobby of mine. Some of these expressions I`ve heard of, some are obviously english-but very interesting. Have you heard the expression "Your Name Is Mud!" It`s a rather negative expression (meaning your a lowlife). It comes from the year 1867 right after the american civil war, the president-lincoln had just been assasinated by Booth in a theatre. Booth during his escape from the theatre broke his leg, but managed to find a doctor near by. The doctor who`s name was Mudd fixed and bandaged his leg not knowing his patient had just murdered the president of United States. Needless to say it made him look really bad. Later that day Booth was surrounded whilst he took refuge in a barn. It was set ablaze where he died. The anchorman on CBS (american station) news Roger Mudd is an descendant of his.

Does anybody know where the expression "Lord love a duck", "For Pete`s sake" or "Jimney Kricket" comes from?

I heard a funny one by my husband (who`s from West Virginia, U.S.) awhile back "He`s crookeder than a dog`s back leg" meaning he`s a crook. I also think at`s a redneck expression (meaning it`s hillbilly saying).

I`d love to hear more expressions-recently I heard "Shake a leg now" (meaning hurry it up now) on a british tv show not knowing it was a english expression.

I grew up in a household of great expressions, like:

'I've seen more life up a tramps vest' (translation for our American friends, a tramp is a vagrant, and a vest is an undershirt); and this expression would be used at a boring party or meeting.

When making fun of Ron's bald pate, Peter could say 'Grass don't grow on a busy street' to which Ron would reply 'And you don't thatch an empty cottage'

Let's see, when teasing someone who is short they reply, 'Good things come in little packages', to which the retort would be 'And so does poison'.

I'll stop now, well, at least for the moment.

Wait, one more. The expression Gone for a Burton, meaning something bad has happened, came from the Second World War when Burton was a brand of Ale. When a pilot had been lost in battle, they would say he had 'Gone for a Burton' instead of the harsh reality that he had died in battle.

Did you know that a "hanger on", was coined when a condemed man, paid someone to hang on his legs, so that he would have a quicker death at the end of the rope? They were the hangers on.

Gonna get some more headach pills, be back later.

Thinks....I'd pay someone to hang on to his legs!

And Sue H

When making fun of Ron's bald pate, Peter could say 'Grass don't grow on a busy street' to which Ron would reply 'And you don't thatch an empty cottage'

I'm cut to the quick!!

I know one of them...I used to see a guy who was into maritime history and he told me that the expression "It's cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey" referred to the olden days of sailing ships, when cannon balls were stacked on the decks on brass plates called "monkeys."  The plates had indentions in them that held the balls on the bottoms of the stacks.  Brass, however, expands and contracts with the temperature and if it got cold enough, the cannon balls could fall...giving real foundation to the phrase "cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey!"

Hi Diana....I'm first with the welcome! na na na na naaaaaaa

C'mon get a grip Lyn! Na, na, na,na, na!! 

I mean seriously, you welcomed Diana about an hour ago (as Sue H says no 2) and already you have forgotten her name, what are you like? All I can think is that you are so desparate to beat Ron to the 'Welcome' that you are not engaging the grey matter! On the other hand what grey matter?