Taking Things Too Literally

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Yes. "Did you grow up in a barn?", or "were you raised in a barn?" is a pretty common expression in the US meaning "you lack basic social niceties". Not specifically about door shutting.

I have never heard "were you born in a barn" in any context other than "you've left the door open".

Interesting. In the US its "raised in", and not "born in". And its usually used for folks don't say "thank you", or don't wipe their feet on the door mat before coming in, and such.

The US generates so much raunchy slang.

I drove by a suburban street the other day named "Morning Wood Drive".

Even a few years ago that phrase was still perfectly innocent, but nowadays "morning wood" is a certain sexual thing.

And "wood in the hole" would be off the charts dirty here in US. Lol!

I also have only ever heard it used in context of shutting the door but maybe I just interpreted to mean lack of manners as well , or maybe it's a geographical thing in the UK , or maybe I'm confusing it with "raised in a barn", my family was big on manners.

Up and Down occur on the railway. The Up line is the track towards the major city, usually London, Edinburgh in Scotland, also Derby on the old Midland railway routes, and Down being the line in the opposite direction.

It's just a learning thing. I never really understood the whole "Aspies take things too literally". Doesn't everyone take things too literally until they get explained? How could you possible know what it means otherwise? Once it's explained, then you know.

Your post provides the perfect example. I seriously had no idea what "pull your socks up" was. I tried to figure it but I could not. So I looked it up. And now I know the definition. Thanks for that !

I was taught it indicated a lack of manners. Not shutting the door behind you is just one application.

"Up" means toward the hub of the city.

But that doesn't translate to right and left.

In the American south it might conceivably be a holdover from the paddle wheel river boat days on the Tennesee and Mississippi rivers. "With the current" is "down" stream, and against the current is upstream. So to a 20th Century pedestrian trying to cross a road right would downstream with the traffic (americans drive on the right), and left would be upstream with the traffic . That's the only explanation I can dream up for that lingo.

I just had this hammered home in a conversation with my mother this morning. She told me she wanted to buy a fire stick and would like my opinion. I totally thought she was talking about a stick that had something to do with fire. Something to light a grill with I wondered? After a few moments of confusion I realized she meant the Amazon Fire Stick. Then I felt, as I always do, really stupid...

I'd be really tempted to gift wrap this and give it to her , then watch the puzzlement on her face when she opens it and you explain

Don't feel really stupid...I had the exact same thought/conclusion/confusion as you while I was reading this until I got to the end. It's perfectly logical

Me too What image did your mind conjure up for a fire stick , originally I saw a medieval torch.

... and so did I!

... and I saw some sort of stick, the fire bit didn't even make any sense.

I am one of those people who ANSWERS rhetorical questions.

I can be fairly literal, I think my most memorable moment of this was when someone asked me if I wanted to go out with them, so I asked them "Where?". Haha. Turns out they meant they wanted to date me, not go outside. Whoops.