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AIBU?

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Original poster

To have completely misunderstood the meaning of some sayings?

843 replies

KermitTheToad · 18/11/2025 20:53

I only found out today that the term Social Butterfly refers to someone who is outgoing and loves social events. I thought it meant you didn't like social events, as in you would fly away and avoid them. I also until recently thought that a Spendthrift is somebody who is frugal in their spending. I assumed that as thrifty meant not being wasteful, that Spendthrift meant being careful in what you spent.
YANBU..I see where you are coming from.
YABU.. You are a wally, go back to school!

OP posts:
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7
eeeeLad · 19/11/2025 06:23

TheendofmrY · 18/11/2025 23:26

Until recently I thought that if you were “gunning for someone” you were on their side, like providing defensive fire rather than attacking.

Google says it can mean either 🤷🏼‍♀️

Conniebygaslight · 19/11/2025 06:18

Makeitstop2025 · 18/11/2025 21:24

No I think the consensus is she's wrong! She's very much a "should of/would of/ could of" person so I should've known to take it with a pinch of salt

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Sorry…just realised what you meant. 🙈

PudULike · 19/11/2025 06:18

I think about 67 separate posters have now told @Makeitstop2025 that she was right and her friend was wrong.

It would be ok to stop now.

Conniebygaslight · 19/11/2025 06:16

Makeitstop2025 · 18/11/2025 21:24

No I think the consensus is she's wrong! She's very much a "should of/would of/ could of" person so I should've known to take it with a pinch of salt

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Have not of….

KaleQueen · 19/11/2025 06:05

Monty27 · 19/11/2025 04:50

Colloquial I'd say or accent not a misunderstood saying

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Say it in a Brummie accent then it makes sense 😀

WiddlinDiddlin · 19/11/2025 05:58

Chairity · 19/11/2025 01:22

We should've stuck with spend-all centuries ago for spendthrift - much less confusing!

There used to be somewhere called Salubrious Passage where I grew up. It most definitely wasn't so for years I thought salubrious meant the opposite of what it actually does.

I have been to both (the one in Swansea and the one in Ogof Ffynnon Ddu which I assume is named after the one in Swansea)... as a child. I was quite the confused child, and a lot of it was to do with cavers amusingly re-using place names and mucky phrases for cave locations and formations.

For years, I thought a Toc H lamp was a brand of lamp that was notoriously crap, a forerunner to the modern head lamps like Petzl etc. I know what the phrase 'dim as a Toc H lamp' means now... as I say, frequently baffled child!

StMichaelPenkevil · 19/11/2025 05:55

Charlize43 · 18/11/2025 23:42

Clearly you are not one who knows how many beans make five...

Two in each hand and one in your mouth?

Mapletree1985 · 19/11/2025 05:21

Notthehill · 19/11/2025 04:53

My whole life people have tried to explain to me the meaning of the expression 'that begs the question' and no matter how many times they do I simply cannot process its meaning.

Don't worry, they almost certainly didn't get it right either. Most people don't, unless they teach logic.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Begging_the_question

Begging the question - Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Begging_the_question

Mapletree1985 · 19/11/2025 05:19

Linzloopy · 18/11/2025 22:09

Another one that drives me mad: "Put up or shut up!" People use it to mean "put up with it" but I think it means "put up your fists and fight about it (maybe metaphorically)", i.e. "Do something about it or stop moaning".

I think you're right. If it meant what people think it means, they'd say, "Put up and shut up."

Either you fight it, or you shut up about it.

SweetnsourNZ · 19/11/2025 05:10

KermitTheToad · 18/11/2025 20:53

I only found out today that the term Social Butterfly refers to someone who is outgoing and loves social events. I thought it meant you didn't like social events, as in you would fly away and avoid them. I also until recently thought that a Spendthrift is somebody who is frugal in their spending. I assumed that as thrifty meant not being wasteful, that Spendthrift meant being careful in what you spent.
YANBU..I see where you are coming from.
YABU.. You are a wally, go back to school!

I thought that about spendthrift too. It still doesn't make any sense to me. How can that be anything to do with being thrifty

Mapletree1985 · 19/11/2025 05:07

Makeitstop2025 · 18/11/2025 21:12

Tall, Dark and Handsome. I always pictured that to mean a white man and that the "dark" was in reference to features such as black/brown hair or brown eyes. A friend told me that the dark was in reference to skin colour and that it basically meant a person of colour.

Before anyone comments that it shows my bias, I am a person of colour!

Your friend is wrong, alas. It originally referred to a white man with dark hair and eyes. Nowadays of course it has moved to a meaning closer to what your friend inferred. No one could deny that Idris Elba is tall, dark and handsome!

Monty27 · 19/11/2025 05:04

@notthehill I take it to mean no idea why

Notthehill · 19/11/2025 04:53

My whole life people have tried to explain to me the meaning of the expression 'that begs the question' and no matter how many times they do I simply cannot process its meaning.

Monty27 · 19/11/2025 04:50

AtomicPumpkin · 19/11/2025 04:12

I doubt that you would find that word in any dictionary.

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Colloquial I'd say or accent not a misunderstood saying

Linzloopy · 19/11/2025 04:50

maralagagirl · 19/11/2025 02:05

You've got the first one right and the second one wrong.

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No, @TheIncredibleBookEatingManchot is correct with both of them.

Blondeshavemorefun · 19/11/2025 04:48

soupyspoon · 18/11/2025 21:14

No it doesnt. It means a dark haired man.

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Yep

@Makeitstop2025your friend is wrong

Monty27 · 19/11/2025 04:47

soupyspoon · 18/11/2025 22:34

I agree but for a difference reason it sounds like that acid that I cant remember the name of. Bucolic acid!

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Sounds like a disease to be fair 😅

Linzloopy · 19/11/2025 04:44

soupyspoon · 18/11/2025 22:21

No, a friend in need, is a friend indeed because they'll do anything for you because you're going to help them, so they are acting 'like a good friend' because they want something out of you.

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No, you’re mistaken. @TheIncredibleBookEatingManchot is right. https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/friend-in-need-is-a-friend-indeed

The proverb could, like anything, be used sarcastically but the sarcastic use is not the original meaning.

a friend in need is a friend indeed

1. This means that a friend who helps you when you really need help is a true…

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/friend-in-need-is-a-friend-indeed

Monty27 · 19/11/2025 04:42

CurlyhairedAssassin · 18/11/2025 21:24

Did you picture a conservatory with ferns?!

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I was charged with doing an office inventory at a new job i was early twenties. I was going around counting the lovely plants when it came to the plant section. Omg how they giggled. 😊

DowagerDuchessLadyAirCommodoreCrocsNotDocsVC · 19/11/2025 04:26

Lucked out means got lucky in the USA and got unlucky in Australia.

Terrytheweasel · 19/11/2025 04:20

Makeitstop2025 · 18/11/2025 21:12

Tall, Dark and Handsome. I always pictured that to mean a white man and that the "dark" was in reference to features such as black/brown hair or brown eyes. A friend told me that the dark was in reference to skin colour and that it basically meant a person of colour.

Before anyone comments that it shows my bias, I am a person of colour!

It could mean either but normally in reference to dark features like hair and eyes

AtomicPumpkin · 19/11/2025 04:12

soupyspoon · 18/11/2025 23:12

I know its 'looks like a bombs hit it'. They knew 'it looks like a bombs hit it'

But its changed over the years to bomsisit meaning 'a mess'.

Its a bomsitit in here.

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I doubt that you would find that word in any dictionary.

SomewhatAnnoyed · 19/11/2025 03:46

QuornAgain · 19/11/2025 03:12

2 beans, a bean and a half, half a bean and a bean 😉

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Love this

SomewhatAnnoyed · 19/11/2025 03:44

jamcorrosion · 18/11/2025 21:04

Is it?! Am I just as bad 😂

I’ve just re read it and still think they sound close

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I think I’m like you, I kept re reading bc I read it that OP thought spendthrift meant careful with money but found out it meant frugal (which is the same thing). I have no idea why I couldn’t understand the sentence 😂

tuvamoodyson · 19/11/2025 03:17

Makeitstop2025 · 18/11/2025 21:12

Tall, Dark and Handsome. I always pictured that to mean a white man and that the "dark" was in reference to features such as black/brown hair or brown eyes. A friend told me that the dark was in reference to skin colour and that it basically meant a person of colour.

Before anyone comments that it shows my bias, I am a person of colour!

Your friend is wrong.

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