Timenspace
Legendary Member
That might be a synonimous saying to our: She crawled through the needle's hole...she barely made it, it was dramatic in some way , but she did make it .
Sayings: logical/illogical/translated
- Thread starter badjak
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Timenspace
Legendary Member
Loving those lively expressions. And this thread. At one point I thought I would study linguistics, this would have been my favourite theme.he’d tell me something was a monkey and I’d be none the wiser
Plus I fondly remember the Tv series Only Fools and Horses, was it? Rodney and his life wise brother...that I could listen to and watch two times in a row. It is not easy for me as English is a foreign language to me. So at times I am in a deep dark forest
but still enjoying tremendously.
Timenspace
Legendary Member
See, this I don't understand at ALLAn American phrase I loved and understood the moment I heard it but being a small child a number of questions concerned me -
Open a can of whoopass!
Why is there a donkey in a can?
It takes ages to open a can, the person won't wait around for you to open it.
And if it's an angry donkey it's going to be quite hard to get it out of a can.
It doesn't make sense
Timenspace
Legendary Member
Never heard it. What does it refer to?
CookieMonster
Über Member
I'm sure you've got a local sprichwort of the same theme....
"a stitch in time saves nine"
basically deal with it early, before it gets worse and requires more effort
Ok, “whoopass” should be read as “whoop-ass,” and “whoop” is just a variation on “whip,” so it’s a way of saying someone is about to get their “ass whipped,” either literally or figuratively, and the fun part of it is that it’s making out like the ass-whipping is a canned/tinned product.See, this I don't understand at ALL
It would be used something like this:
“Boy, you say one more thing like that about my wife, and I’m gonna come over there and open a can of whoop-ass on you!”
That would be a literal beating.
“Wow, I just walked by the boss’s office, and it sounds like Gary came in late again…she opened a big ol’ can o’ whoop-ass on him!”
That would be a figurative beating.
Timenspace
Legendary Member
Understood now. Interesting how nuances imply a real (possibly) and speech action...
Never would have guessed it in a 100 years.
I still don't completely get the donkey-can link, but there might be the donkey's legendary stubborness and the need to beat him to get him moving?
Perhaps...
Timenspace
Legendary Member
Ohh thaat, sure sure. Thank you.
We use at times : "Better to prevent, than to heal "((or cure or repair ( more in the health/illness aspect))...
Hm I will reflect on other sayings in that sense...
In the UK an ass is a donkey and the buttocks/bum/bottom is an arse.
So for example back then we would have said "He's gonna kick your arse" where as American's would say "He's gonna kick your ass"
You what? Why's he going to kick your donkey?
Of course that was many years ago so now the UK uses ass to mean arse as well!
Timenspace
Legendary Member
Hilarious, now I understand. Thank youuuWhy's he going to kick your donkey?
To confuse things further we would also say "He's an ass" meaning he's as stupid as a donkey 
medtran49
Forum GOD!
To confuse things further we would also say "He's an ass" meaning he's as stupid as a donkey
Here that would mean he is being an arse.
I think now it would here too!
The American language is heavily adopted by younger generations, mostly due to internet being predominantly American.
It's hard as an oldie not to say things like "it's not garbage, it's rubbish" "I think you mean pavement" etc etc
Ultimately who cares so long as everyone knows what everyone's talking about?!
You know what’s really bad? Being an American who grew up on 60’s-80’s British TV, watching British TV nowadays, and correcting the British actors for not being proper British:It's hard as an oldie not to say things like "it's not garbage, it's rubbish" "I think you mean pavement" etc etc
“What?! WHAT?!?! Did you just give him the middle finger?! DON’T DO THAT!!! It’s two fingers! And you ram them up in the air a couple of inches!! DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU EVERYTHING?!?!”
JAS_OH1
Forum GOD!
In the US, we rarely refer to a donkey as an ass. A donkey is a donkey. That's reserved for some uncle (possibly in his cups) who wears his ass on his shoulders on a regular basis, or some other person who is just a complete--well--ass! Oh, and often there is a "hole" after the word "ass". I am not sure why donkeys get such a bad rap since I know plenty of humans who behave much worse.An American phrase I loved and understood the moment I heard it but being a small child a number of questions concerned me -
Open a can of whoopass!
Why is there a donkey in a can?
It takes ages to open a can, the person won't wait around for you to open it.
And if it's an angry donkey it's going to be quite hard to get it out of a can.
It doesn't make sense
Oh, and I don't even know if they use the phrase "in his cups" over there anymore (maybe 1800s lingo), I think I read it in some novels though. It's not something used over here, that's for sure. I think in the UK they say "pissed" for someone who is drunk, but over here "pissed" means angry.
Edit: I missed a few posts before I posted this, LOL!