Fun with Literal-mindedness

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NewDawn
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25 Sep 2012, 11:36 am

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garden_cress

Tastes a bit like radish

MindWithoutWalls
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25 Sep 2012, 8:38 pm

My mother once said the funniest euphemism she could think of for having sex was "sleeping together". It made her think of two people doing nothing but sleeping next to each other in the bed, and this was very strange to her.

The funniest term I can think of for it is "boinking". Now, there's a visual. It makes me think of two cartoon characters running into and bouncing off each other with their bits, complete with sound effects!

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Mdyar
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25 Sep 2012, 10:41 pm

http://www.wrongplanet.net/postp2671529.html#2671529

Dressing up like a banana.^ :lol: Classic.

Frontal lobes or is it sheared white matter?

mrspotatohead
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26 Sep 2012, 12:44 am

Mindsigh wrote:

I still wonder whether the chip on someone's shoulder is a potato chip or a chocolate chip.

I always thought it was a computer chip...

mrspotatohead
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26 Sep 2012, 12:46 am

Theuniverseman wrote:

Master Shipwright and his Assistant, Chatham Dockyard, to Navy Board, 17 June 1756.
On Tuesday a petition was brought to the Honourable Thomas Cooper, Esq., Commissioner of this yard, by john Bissenden and Robert Woodriff, shipwrights, in behalf of the whole body of shipwrights, relating to their carrying chips out of the yard on their shoulders. The next day the Commissioner sent for them in the presence of the Master Shipwright and the First Assistant and represented to them the ill consequence of such proceedings, and read to them your Honourable Board's warrant of the 4 May 1753 on which the said two men withdrew the petition and said they would talk to all the people and believe everybody would be satisfied with what had been said to them. And in the afternoon the Master Shipwright sent for all the foremen and quartermen and read the Order to them of the 4th May 1753, and give every quarterman a particular charge to tell all his men separately what the order was relating to their lowering their chips and carrying them under their arm out of the yard.
This day at twelve of the clock some few of the workmen about one hundred and fifty came up first to the gate without any chips, afterwards about twenty more came and lowered their chips agreeable to the Board's warrant. Then came John Miller, shipwright, about thirty feet before the main body of the people, on which the Master Shipwright ordered him to lower his chips. He answered he would not, with that the Master Shipwright took hold of him, and said he should. He, the said Miller replied, 'Are not the chips mine? I will not lower them.' Immediately the main body pushed on with their chips on their shoulders, crowded and forced the Master Shipwright and the First Assistant through the gateway, and when out of the yard give three huzzas.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chip_on_shoulder

Yeah, but that's not as fun.

Theuniverseman
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26 Sep 2012, 3:09 pm

I just love that the reference is so literal.

"A warrant was issued to the Royal Dockyards to reduce the quantity of chips by ordering shipwrights to carry their bundles under their arms instead of on their shoulders, as one could not carry as much timber in this fashion."

I am guessing that when the shipwrights would fashion timbers of wood that the shipwrights could load up as much wood as they could carry on their shoulders, which apparently was a lot. Apparently one shipwright named John Miller defied the order to lower his chips, it seems to me that the present use of the phrase has nothing to do with the incident, time and cultural influences have transformed its meaning because if I understand the situation correctly this was the equivalent of a pay cut. This has more to do with a wage dispute then it has to do with someone with a bad attitude.

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naturalplastic
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26 Sep 2012, 4:17 pm

ECJ wrote:

MindWithoutWalls wrote:

ECJ wrote:

My psychiatrist said "taking a train to Winchester is like falling off a log for you now," and I replied "but I've never fallen off a log so I can't compare."

I know that the "falling off a log" thing is meant to say that something is easy, but I never could understand why it would be stated that way. Falling off a log seems like something accidental that should be avoided, not like something someone would easily accomplish whenever they meant to do it. Who means to fall off a log? Besides, such a thing is something I'd associate more with being uncomfortable than with finding something easy.

Some idioms just frustrate me.

this. Why would someone fall off a log on purpose?!

Thats the point. If you're on a log then its hard to avoid falling off it. Therefore falling off of it is easier than not falling off of it. So falling off of a log is the epitome of ease.

GGPViper
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26 Sep 2012, 4:31 pm

Being intentionally literal is the greatest source of funny in my current job. I notice that I can make *everyone* at work laugh. (It is difficult to list specific examples, as my native tongue is Danish).

MindWithoutWalls
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26 Sep 2012, 9:38 pm

naturalplastic wrote:

ECJ wrote:

MindWithoutWalls wrote:

ECJ wrote:

My psychiatrist said "taking a train to Winchester is like falling off a log for you now," and I replied "but I've never fallen off a log so I can't compare."

this. Why would someone fall off a log on purpose?!

Thats the point. If you're on a log then its hard to avoid falling off it. Therefore falling off of it is easier than not falling off of it. So falling off of a log is the epitome of ease.

My sister finally explained this one to me one day. She always pictures someone trying to walk across a narrow log. I always picture someone sitting on a big, fat log. You have to get the right picture to make the metaphor make sense. Now I get it. But I still automatically picture sitting on a log. You can't fall off so easily that way, unless something is really wrong. Under normal circumstances, you'd have to intentionally cause yourself to fall off - the equivalent to jumping off, if you're standing.

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FireBird
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26 Sep 2012, 10:03 pm

When I was young I thought everything in literal terms. For example when I was young all those many years ago my mom told me when I was going on and on about a subject to "drop it." I then looked at my hands and said, "I am not holding anything."

Arcanyn
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27 Sep 2012, 5:27 am

ECJ wrote:

MindWithoutWalls wrote:

ECJ wrote:

My psychiatrist said "taking a train to Winchester is like falling off a log for you now," and I replied "but I've never fallen off a log so I can't compare."

this. Why would someone fall off a log on purpose?!

Perhaps if the log is on fire?

MindWithoutWalls
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29 Sep 2012, 3:24 pm

Arcanyn wrote:

Perhaps if the log is on fire?

If you're standing, I'd still argue for jumping, not falling, under such circumstances. If you're sitting, why not just stand up? Doesn't falling put you at a disadvantage?

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EstherJ
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29 Sep 2012, 3:37 pm

The phrase "I'm going to have a cow" has interesting connotations for me....

Does it actually literally mean to give birth to a cow?

singularity
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29 Sep 2012, 4:57 pm

I've never understood ' take this with a grain of salt' . It makes me think of taking medicine. I think it has to do with being skeptical about a source of information? Sorry, I guess I'm taking this thread too literally.

NewDawn
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29 Sep 2012, 5:29 pm

singularity wrote:

It means indeed being skeptical about something. The expression is a pun from Plini the Elder. In classical Latin 'sal' means both salt and common sense/reason. So the original meant: taking something with a grain of reason. That meaning got lost in Vulgate Latin, hence the expression was incorrectly translated as taking something with a grain of salt.

Last edited by NewDawn on 29 Sep 2012, 5:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Mirror21
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29 Sep 2012, 5:37 pm

I remember a few years ago I was told "well if the shoe fits . . .!" I was like "it is comfortable? and what does that have to do with thinking that I take things literally?" I realized later I missed the point.

Raining Cats and dogs . . .wtf

Rain on my parade . . .o,0 how

Also a friend told me once "when I see a disorganized dish cupbard it makes me want to hit someone. I was like why? He said it upset him and said would it not upset you to have someone play your fav character badly? I was like, those things are completely unrelated.

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