Do you use "figures of speech" in your conversation and writing?

@TheHorse (205591)
Walnut Creek, California
February 20, 2023 11:21am CST
After reading Linda's (@LindaOHio's) post this morning about silly red boots that are selling for $350/pair, I used the expression "There's a sucker born every minute" in a couple of comments. Prior to reading her post, I had considered calling my brother in Worcester Mass, but I then found myself saying, "Eh, he'll have is panties in a wad about something." I decided not to call. I am not a particularly "cunning linguist" (is that a pun?), but started thinking about what a "figure of speech" is. I didn't go too deep down that rabbit hole, but I did find that linguists consider many things, including puns, metaphors, similes, analogies, and even alliteration ("helplessly hoping her harlequin hovers nearby") to be figures of speech. My friend Mike often speaks in what I call "North Dakota-isms," little phrases that are probably figures of speech. One of his favorites is "pickin' the fly sh*t out of the buckwheat." It basically means correcting tiny little things that really don't matter, like over-editing a song he recorded years ago. I use "get his panties in a wad/bunch" fairly often. I suppose even "I'm on my first cup of coffee" could be considered a figure of speech, even if it's literally true. I know a few Montana-isms that a undoubtedly figures of speech, but most of them are too vulgar to be repeated here. One that is fairly benign is "I wouldn't piss that sonofabi*ch out if he was on fire." I use that one now and again Do you have favorite figures of speech? Maybe I'll add some to this discussion as they occur to me. I have a head full of nuthin' right now. I'd have added more by now but "My get up and go done got up and went." I thought I was pretty clever, writing this post, but I guess I'm "all hat and no cattle."
16 people like this
14 responses
@spiderdust (14741)
• San Jose, California
20 Feb 23
I use them all the time! I remember using an idiom in an academic paper one time, and my professor circled it with some notes of caution about confusing my audience. I don't want bugs in my rugs, even though I might say that I am as snug as one. I believe that winged insects actually fly around inside my digestive tract when I'm nervous, despite saying that "there are butterflies in my stomach". I don't think that people who gossip and reveal things told to them in confidence have larger mouths than anyone else, despite the fact that I might say they have "a big mouth".
4 people like this
@TheHorse (205591)
• Walnut Creek, California
20 Feb 23
Thanks for clarifying your meanings for those who suffer from recto-cranial inversion or aren't the sharpest tack in the shed.
2 people like this
@spiderdust (14741)
• San Jose, California
20 Feb 23
@TheHorse I figured that an ounce of prevention was worth a pound of cure. I'm glad we see eye to eye on this!
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (205591)
• Walnut Creek, California
20 Feb 23
@spiderdust Great minds think alike. I hope I didn't ruffle any feathers with my comment.
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@BarBaraPrz (45476)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
20 Feb 23
Raises eyebrow over your pun...
2 people like this
@TheHorse (205591)
• Walnut Creek, California
20 Feb 23
Hope it wasn't too close to the edge.
1 person likes this
@DianneN (246578)
• United States
21 Feb 23
I use them often. Don't drive faster than your angels can fly......
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (205591)
• Walnut Creek, California
22 Feb 23
One of my kid clients said I drive "like a Grandma."
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@TheHorse (205591)
• Walnut Creek, California
23 Feb 23
@DianneN But hah! Later he had to say "You saved my life!" And it was because I drive like a Grandma when hauling "precious cargo."
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@DianneN (246578)
• United States
23 Feb 23
@TheHorse Ha Ha!
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@RubyHawk (99425)
• Atlanta, Georgia
21 Feb 23
I do use figures of speech occasionally. Such as, How do you like them little green apples? Struttin around like a rooster, I'll do so and so when pigs fly.
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@TheHorse (205591)
• Walnut Creek, California
21 Feb 23
Heh. I'll stop using figures of speech when James Brown ain't funky.
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@TheHorse (205591)
• Walnut Creek, California
22 Feb 23
@TheSojourner Too deep for me!
@RubyHawk (99425)
• Atlanta, Georgia
21 Feb 23
@TheHorse Man, you are preaching to the choir.
1 person likes this
• United States
20 Feb 23
There is one that pops into my mind every time that I clean out the litter box. When I was married my then husband, when someone burped, would say "Save the big chunks". That will enter my mind all too often as I lift a scoop of wads of balls of urine out of the box and into the zip lock bag. Another he loved was when a person passed wind...okay farted, he would state "That was a California cheek rattler". There are a lot of other figures of speech that I have collected through the years, I can't bring them to mind right now, but they're pretty good ones at that.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (205591)
• Walnut Creek, California
20 Feb 23
I have a few but I'm "drawing a blank" right now.
@TheHorse (205591)
• Walnut Creek, California
20 Feb 23
@spiderdust Well, we all come up empty sometimes. I'd like to be clever right now, but I think I'd try too hard and lay an egg.
1 person likes this
@spiderdust (14741)
• San Jose, California
20 Feb 23
@TheHorse I wish I had another idiom ace up my own sleeve, but I'm scraping the barrel for them right now.
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@porwest (78761)
• United States
20 Feb 23
Sure. Don't we all? And isn't it common? I have said many things, many times, over and over again that are figures of speech. Especially when it comes to money. A penny saved is a penny earned. Save on the things you need so you can afford the things you want. Every penny counts. Money makes money. I've used panties in a bunch and panties in a wad. I've said great minds think alike. Onward and upward. I use the word "egads" a lot, but I am not sure it is actually a word at all. As often as I can I like to be original. But sometimes you just can't be.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (205591)
• Walnut Creek, California
20 Feb 23
Heh. I use "egads" too. But my tongue is kind of in my cheek when I do, as I am prone to uttering oaths in close company.
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@porwest (78761)
• United States
21 Feb 23
@TheHorse lol. Uttering oaths, hey?
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@TheHorse (205591)
• Walnut Creek, California
22 Feb 23
@TheSojourner You are wise.
@celticeagle (158876)
• Boise, Idaho
21 Feb 23
If they are what I feel are good ones I'll use them continually.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (205591)
• Walnut Creek, California
21 Feb 23
What are some of your faves?
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@celticeagle (158876)
• Boise, Idaho
23 Feb 23
@TheHorse ..........Can't see the forest for the trees comes to mind.
@wolfgirl569 (95042)
• Marion, Ohio
21 Feb 23
Don't let the bedbugs bite used to be a fun one. Not so much anymore
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@wolfgirl569 (95042)
• Marion, Ohio
21 Feb 23
@TheHorse They are not afraid of them yet
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@TheHorse (205591)
• Walnut Creek, California
21 Feb 23
@wolfgirl569 I'm not sure if I've ever experienced them.
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@TheHorse (205591)
• Walnut Creek, California
21 Feb 23
Oh, I still say that to kids now and again.
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (73326)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
20 Feb 23
I use some as they come to mind but do not dwell on any so I cannot say for sure how often I use figures of speech, I do know over time I have created my own like - don't fudge it, thanks for getting me into this fine pickle. put your brains where they belong and some others,
@JudyEv (325594)
• Rockingham, Australia
21 Feb 23
I enjoyed reading this. We knew an Yorkshireman who came to Australia and was fascinated with some of our sayings, in particular 'bast*rd' and the many ways in which it could be used, even as a term of endearment. One of his favourites was that to never 'sh*t in your own nest'.
@aninditasen (15732)
• Raurkela, India
21 Feb 23
We unconsciously use many figurative speech in our daily life. So there's no doing away with figure of speech.
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@TheHorse (205591)
• Walnut Creek, California
22 Feb 23
Yep. I'm using them every day without know it.
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@aninditasen (15732)
• Raurkela, India
22 Feb 23
@TheHorse In English figure of speech is used naturally by people.
@LindaOHio (155961)
• United States
21 Feb 23
I use them all the time...even some I don't like, for example: "Thanks for the heads-up".
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@TheHorse (205591)
• Walnut Creek, California
21 Feb 23
Thanks for the heads up.
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@LindaOHio (155961)
• United States
21 Feb 23
• United States
21 Feb 23
I have to add one that came to mind as I was speaking to a friend of mine over the phone, I had it on speaker mode and I was passing wind (yes, I was farting my brains out) and that was again from my then husband. The figure of speech- "Speak oh toothless one." Of course it didn't hurt that the friend was also passing wind and she stated "EEEWWWW, that would even beat some of Petey's farts for rank smell!!!" The fun with figures of speech is amazing. Just like on the bus today a man belched and it was loud and strong. It was a window rattler to put it mildly. It reminded me of my dear mother. One day she was sitting in the living room and she burped loud and clearly. Our dog, which was a standard poodle, went racing to the door expecting my father to come through the door. Mom couldn't help it, she stated as the dog went racing by "Daddys home". The dog stayed by the door for nearly an hour before he gave up expecting my father to come through the door. We got a huge laugh from the expectation of the dog.
@Adie04 (17360)
21 Feb 23
I forgot, what is figure of speech again?