The meaning of certain sayings?

themuffinman16

I have heard this several times and I don't know what it means. "You look like a cake topper." I have heard it on tv, and it sounded like an insult. I have, also, heard it at weddings where it sounded like a compliment. What does it even mean? What are some phrases you never heard growing up, but hear now, and you don't wAnt to admit to people IRL that you don't know what it means, (and couldn't find an answer on google? This may be my dumbest discussion, to date, but I'm just curious.

theartistformerlyknownas

I have never heard that before.:-/

jacques27

themuffinman16 said:

I have heard this several times and I don't know what it means. "You look like a cake topper." I have heard it on tv, and it sounded like an insult. I have, also, heard it at weddings where it sounded like a compliment. What does it even mean? What are some phrases you never heard growing up, but hear now, and you don't wAnt to admit to people IRL that you don't know what it means, (and couldn't find an answer on google? This may be my dumbest discussion, to date, but I'm just curious.

I think they mean, you literally look like a cake topper.  As in one of those stereotypical bride and groom bride wearing a bit of a foofy dress wedding cake toppers.

So, depending on whether you value the stereotypical princess white wedding scenario those typify or you're type who is more atypical who likes more sleek or modern or glam or what have you and depending on the tone, it could be a compliment or an insult.  As in...

"Ugh...you look like a wedding cake topper" (in this overly foofy ruffled ballgown blech)
or
"OMG you look like a wedding cake topper!" (and are such a picture perfect princess squee!)

LabLove86

it took me until an embarrassingly old age to realize what "Airing your dirty laundry" actually meant. 

[Deleted User]

I thought FTW was F*ck the What for a long time. I still read it that way now and then.

theartistformerlyknownas

I got into a huge argument with someone once who thought the expression was "never kick a gift horse in the mouth" rather than "never look a gift horse in the mouth." Even after explaining its origins (looking in a horse's mouth at its teeth is a way of assessing its age and therefore value, which you should never do with a gift; just be grateful for what you got) they still insisted it was "kick." Well obviously you shouldn't kick anything in the mouth but it loses its meaning that way!

Dreamergirl8812

The other day I told my boss that I pushed an appointment back. She was like, we don't have time to see them them any sooner. I said, I know that's why I pushed it back. We went back and forth for awhile before I realized that in her world, pushing an appointment back means making it sooner. And pushing it forward would make it later.

I had to confirm with two different people that I haven't been saying it wrong for the last three decades.

JennyColada

Someone on my FB feed just used "whoop la" instead of "hoopla" and I'm getting a little bit of an eye twitch from that.

I used to pronounce "available" incorrectly. I'd pronounce it "all-vail-able". I only figured out that this was incorrect a few years ago (but I knew how to spell it properly).

theartistformerlyknownas

JennyColada said:

Someone on my FB feed just used "whoop la" instead of "hoopla" and I'm getting a little bit of an eye twitch from that.

I used to pronounce "available" incorrectly. I'd pronounce it "all-vail-able". I only figured out that this was incorrect a few years ago (but I knew how to spell it properly).

I constantly see people say "wah-la" instead of "voila" and it drives me crazy.

JennyColada

lolo883 said:

JennyColada said:

Someone on my FB feed just used "whoop la" instead of "hoopla" and I'm getting a little bit of an eye twitch from that.

I used to pronounce "available" incorrectly. I'd pronounce it "all-vail-able". I only figured out that this was incorrect a few years ago (but I knew how to spell it properly).

I constantly see people say "wah-la" instead of "voila" and it drives me crazy.

See, if I'm confused with a phrase, I'll normally type it into Google to confirm/deny. So I don't understand how people spell these things wrong.

Oh, but I'm CONSTANTLY spelling "peruse" and "pursue" incorrectly and my autocorrect never knows what to do with me.

MyNameIsNot

lolo883 said:

JennyColada said:

I constantly see people say "wah-la" instead of "voila" and it drives me crazy.

This and "per say" drive me BSC. 

jenna8984

Dreamergirl8812 said:

The other day I told my boss that I pushed an appointment back. She was like, we don't have time to see them them any sooner. I said, I know that's why I pushed it back. We went back and forth for awhile before I realized that in her world, pushing an appointment back means making it sooner. And pushing it forward would make it later.

I had to confirm with two different people that I haven't been saying it wrong for the last three decades.

@dreamergirl8812 I had this same argument recently!! The trash company said with the holiday all pickup would be pushed forward a day. I called and said I thought holiday weeks were always pushed back a day. Her theory was that technically if you're looking at a calendar pushing from Thur to Friday is going --> which is forward. I'm like you are stupid, that's not how it works.

hellosweetie1015

MyNameIsNot said:

lolo883 said:

JennyColada said:

I constantly see people say "wah-la" instead of "voila" and it drives me crazy.

This and "per say" drive me BSC. 

JFC YES PER SAY. Fucking my first article ever for my high school newspaper, I wrote about the transition from homeschooling to a traditional school setting, and I used per se in the article. And the dillweed editors fucking changed it to per say.

They also changed my title from "A different perspective: homeschooling versus traditional school" (or something equally pompous) to "Welcome to real school". Because apparently homeschooling isn't real school. Fucktard dillweeds.

That whole experience still rankles a full decade later.

JennyColada

hellosweetie1015 said:

MyNameIsNot said:

lolo883 said:

JennyColada said:

I constantly see people say "wah-la" instead of "voila" and it drives me crazy.

This and "per say" drive me BSC. 

JFC YES PER SAY. Fucking my first article ever for my high school newspaper, I wrote about the transition from homeschooling to a traditional school setting, and I used per se in the article. And the dillweed editors fucking changed it to per say.

They also changed my title from "A different perspective: homeschooling versus traditional school" (or something equally pompous) to "Welcome to real school". Because apparently homeschooling isn't real school. Fucktard dillweeds.

That whole experience still rankles a full decade later.

themuffinman16

I don't know what the hell is wrong with me, but I always pronounce "vacation" like vuh•cation. I know I'm wrong but I cannot train my tongue to say it. However. I will pronounce vacation correctly when I say "National Lampoons Christmas Vacation!" What is my problem?

Dreamergirl8812

themuffinman16 said:

I don't know what the hell is wrong with me, but I always pronounce "vacation" like vuh•cation. I know I'm wrong but I cannot train my tongue to say it. However. I will pronounce vacation correctly when I say "National Lampoons Christmas Vacation!" What is my problem?

It's kinda like how people always pronounce Caribbean, Cuh-ribean, like when talking about honeymoons. But throw in Johnny Depp and a bunch of pirates and suddenly it's "Pirates of the Carr-ih-beeean."

theartistformerlyknownas

hellosweetie1015 said:

MyNameIsNot said:

lolo883 said:

JennyColada said:

I constantly see people say "wah-la" instead of "voila" and it drives me crazy.

This and "per say" drive me BSC. 

JFC YES PER SAY. Fucking my first article ever for my high school newspaper, I wrote about the transition from homeschooling to a traditional school setting, and I used per se in the article. And the dillweed editors fucking changed it to per say.

They also changed my title from "A different perspective: homeschooling versus traditional school" (or something equally pompous) to "Welcome to real school". Because apparently homeschooling isn't real school. Fucktard dillweeds.

That whole experience still rankles a full decade later.

Those editors probably grew up to have a legal wedding and then a "real wedding."

Re: the ones autocorrect doesn't catch - definitely vs defiantly. DIFFERENT WORDS, PEOPLE.

louxnoelle

When I was a kid, I thought when people were declining something they were saying "No thank you," as in "No, I don't want that, so you're not getting a thank you" rather than "No, thank you" meaning "No, but thank you anyway."

Not sure when or how my little brain finally straightened that out, but I'm glad it did, haha.

buttercup1958

Mine is "you can't have your cake and eat it too". Then what is the point of having the cake?! It's food and food is meant to be consumed. I know it means you can't have everything but it still seems illogical to me. I try to give people a pass on mispronouncing things since I have a speech impediment. I had to take seven yyears of speech therapy and I still can't pronounce some words.

ohannabelle

lolo883 said:

JennyColada said:

Someone on my FB feed just used "whoop la" instead of "hoopla" and I'm getting a little bit of an eye twitch from that.

I used to pronounce "available" incorrectly. I'd pronounce it "all-vail-able". I only figured out that this was incorrect a few years ago (but I knew how to spell it properly).

I constantly see people say "wah-la" instead of "voila" and it drives me crazy.

Ha! We say "voila" phonetically just to be funny. At home, of course. And, voy-la, it's done. Like that.

hellosweetie1015

lolo883 said:

hellosweetie1015 said:

MyNameIsNot said:

lolo883 said:

JennyColada said:

I constantly see people say "wah-la" instead of "voila" and it drives me crazy.

This and "per say" drive me BSC. 

JFC YES PER SAY. Fucking my first article ever for my high school newspaper, I wrote about the transition from homeschooling to a traditional school setting, and I used per se in the article. And the dillweed editors fucking changed it to per say.

They also changed my title from "A different perspective: homeschooling versus traditional school" (or something equally pompous) to "Welcome to real school". Because apparently homeschooling isn't real school. Fucktard dillweeds.

That whole experience still rankles a full decade later.

Those editors probably grew up to have a legal wedding and then a "real wedding."

Re: the ones autocorrect doesn't catch - definitely vs defiantly. DIFFERENT WORDS, PEOPLE.

As far as I know they aren't married. But I suspect they'd be the type.

DEFINATELY. DEFINITLEY. Every time I see them, I want to say, "Those are not words. Definitely is the word you want."

I cannot say comfortable in a way that sounds right. I try to say comfy, but if I have to say the whole word, it comes out like COMftBL.

CMGragain

buttercup1958 said:

Mine is "you can't have your cake and eat it too". Then what is the point of having the cake?! It's food and food is meant to be consumed. I know it means you can't have everything but it still seems illogical to me. I try to give people a pass on mispronouncing things since I have a speech impediment. I had to take seven yyears of speech therapy and I still can't pronounce some words.

The original phrase was "You cannot eat your cake, and have it, too."  I think it makes a little more sense this way.  Personally, I just say "You can't have it both ways."

Viczaesar

Because I study religion, the use of the word "tenants" in place of "tenets" drives me batty.

themuffinman16

It drives me nuts when people write could of instead of could've. It doesn't even make sense when you say it.

The phrase I don't understand is "you made your bed, now you have to lie in it." Why would you lay down in a freshly made bed? Shouldn't the phrase go, "since you laid in your bed, now you have to make it." (Am I using correct verb tense of lay here ? Lol)

larrygaga

My favorite one ever is "Is a frogs ass watertight"

theartistformerlyknownas

themuffinman16 said:

It drives me nuts when people write could of instead of could've. It doesn't even make sense when you say it.

The phrase I don't understand is "you made your bed, now you have to lie in it." Why would you lay down in a freshly made bed? Shouldn't the phrase go, "since you laid in your bed, now you have to make it." (Am I using correct verb tense of lay here ? Lol)

I think that comes from way back in the days before modern mattresses when there was more you had to do to literally MAKE your bed, not just adjust the sheets. How comfortable it was depended on how good of a job you did tying the ropes, stuffing the mattress, placing the hot water bottle, whatever. So to say "you made your bed, now you have to lie in it" means "you brought this upon yourself; don't complain about unfavorable consequences." If you did a shitty job making your bed, it's on you.

lurkergirl

Fi's family had a big debate last night over buck naked versus butt naked. What do y'all say?

theartistformerlyknownas

lurkergirl said:

Fi's family had a big debate last night over buck naked versus butt naked. What do y'all say?

Buck naked is the traditional phrase. I've read that it comes from a derogatory nickname for adolescent native people who hunted naked til they were older and wore buck skins.

hellosweetie1015

lolo883 said:

lurkergirl said:

Fi's family had a big debate last night over buck naked versus butt naked. What do y'all say?

Buck naked is the traditional phrase.

I say buck nekkid. None of this prim "naked" stuff.

ETA: sister and daddy both say butt. Huh.

FiancB

The other day I was describing our old town and said that the sidewalks roll up by 5. Apparently H has never heard this expression? I think the meaning is pretty obvious- just that there's no nightlife whatsoever and the town is kind of boring. I'm not sure where I got it, but I thought it was a common saying. 

lurkergirl

hellosweetie1015 said:

lolo883 said:

lurkergirl said:

Fi's family had a big debate last night over buck naked versus butt naked. What do y'all say?

Buck naked is the traditional phrase.

I say buck nekkid. None of this prim "naked" stuff.

ETA: sister and daddy both say butt. Huh.

We had that debate, as well It was clearly divided along the mason - Dixon line.