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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
Sidebeforeself · 18/11/2025 22:42

IsItTheBlackOneOrTheRedOne · 18/11/2025 22:28

Damp squid comes from the IT Crowd. Roy mistakenly thinks the phrase is ‘damp squid’ not ‘squib’

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Nah damp squid has been around for ages

soupyspoon · 18/11/2025 22:42

FrangipaniBlue · 18/11/2025 22:36

Exactly.

someone who is “thrifty” puts money away (saves money)

a spendthrift spends it!

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Im a massive spendthrift to be honest so I should be more au fait (oh fay) with it

MissDoubleU · 18/11/2025 22:40

SelfRaisingFlour · 18/11/2025 21:03

I didn't know that "prodigal son" meant he was wasteful not a golden boy.

In context the prodigal son was a bit of the golden boy. He’s the son that ran off and didn’t care for his family, did his own thing, spent all his money and lived a lavish selfish life of hookers and blow. Then, on returning to his father was welcomed back with such open and loving arms the father killed the fattened calf and threw a feast. The sons slaving away at the family business all those years didn’t ever get a feast, but the whore meister prodigal got a damn fattened calf. 100% golden child.

verybighouseinthecountry · 18/11/2025 22:40

Not a saying but I remember years ago on a misheard song thread a poster thought Jesus was the Lord of the Dance Settee. I can never hear that hymn without laughing!

BootMaker · 18/11/2025 22:39

verybighouseinthecountry · 18/11/2025 22:36

I read a Facebook post recently where someone was "very ill and he's been moved to in tensile care".

What does poker face mean? I thought it was a long, dour face?

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A poker face is one that doesn't show emotion, so they're very good a poker as they never betray their hand by their expressions.

OwlBeThere · 18/11/2025 22:39

SelfRaisingFlour · 18/11/2025 21:03

I didn't know that "prodigal son" meant he was wasteful not a golden boy.

I thought The phrase prodigal son referred to a person who’s been away from home for a long time and then comes back.

and now I’m confused!

MessageMystery · 18/11/2025 22:38

CurlyhairedAssassin · 18/11/2025 21:24

Did you picture a conservatory with ferns?!

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Yes, I think I did 🫣

GrannyAchingsShepherdsHut · 18/11/2025 22:38

I always used to get secular confused - it felt like it should mean religious. Like it was something to do with sects.

Westly · 18/11/2025 22:37

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Miaow!

thisfilmisboring123 · 18/11/2025 22:37

emmetgirl · 18/11/2025 22:30

But spendthrift comes from the word thrifty which means careful with money so its meaning should be quite clear 🤷‍♀️

So given that thrifty means careful with money, surely you can understand why someone may confuse this and think ‘spendthrift’ means someone is careful with spending?

Outside9 · 18/11/2025 22:37

SelfRaisingFlour · 18/11/2025 21:03

I didn't know that "prodigal son" meant he was wasteful not a golden boy.

Wow. I actually thought it was the latter too.

OP, I voted YABU, but discovering the above switched me to YANBU. Everyday is a school day.

RaraRachael · 18/11/2025 22:37

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!

Not my understanding of tall, dark and handsome.
It's been around for years and was used to describe old style matinee idols, all of whom were white AFAIK.

JuvenileBigfoot · 18/11/2025 22:37

This is massively outing if my sister is on here, but when we'd been round to my nan's and made tbe obligatory mess, she used to say that the place looked like a Bomsytit.

For many MANY years I thought Bomsytit was a word for a mess.

No.

She said "it looks like a bombs hit it"

verybighouseinthecountry · 18/11/2025 22:36

Butteredtoast55 · 18/11/2025 21:47

My pet hate is people referring to 'rest bite' instead of respite.
But then I thought for years that having a poker face meant your face was long and thin and straight like an actual poker so I'm in no position to judge.

I read a Facebook post recently where someone was "very ill and he's been moved to in tensile care".

What does poker face mean? I thought it was a long, dour face?

FrangipaniBlue · 18/11/2025 22:36

soupyspoon · 18/11/2025 21:23

You mean as in 'spend your thrift'?

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Exactly.

someone who is “thrifty” puts money away (saves money)

a spendthrift spends it!

Zov · 18/11/2025 22:35

pitterypattery00 · 18/11/2025 21:12

I thought 'it's baltic' meant it was really hot until I was well into my 20s.

Yeah, it's close to balmy isn't it?

AmyA520 · 18/11/2025 22:34

soupyspoon · 18/11/2025 21:09

Spendthrift is surely an oxymoron, Ive always known what it means but it doesnt make sense

It comes from an obsolete definition of thrift meaning someone who spends their "thrift" (wealth/income). The word thrift then evolved to mean some who saves, etc. Love a development of language conversation

soupyspoon · 18/11/2025 22:34

CrustyBread1977 · 18/11/2025 22:33

Bucolic sounds like it should describe something nasty, but it means the opposite! I think I used to confuse it with bubonic. 😂

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

CrustyBread1977 · 18/11/2025 22:33

Bucolic sounds like it should describe something nasty, but it means the opposite! I think I used to confuse it with bubonic. 😂

Zov · 18/11/2025 22:33

soupyspoon · 18/11/2025 22:31

The flammable and Inflammable thing drives me round the bend

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Yeah I know Right. WTAF?! 😆

Gardenservant · 18/11/2025 22:32

NoWomanNoRedRedWine · 18/11/2025 21:20

What is damp squid people please?

It should be damp squib. A squib was a sort of firework and a damp one would not go off as expected.

LiquoriceAllsorts2 · 18/11/2025 22:31

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!

I understood it the same way as you, always thought the dark refers to hair colour (skin could be any), are you sure it doesn’t?

soupyspoon · 18/11/2025 22:31

mynameisthebestone · 18/11/2025 22:30

For years I thought inflammable was the opposite of flammable. I would buy eg children's dressing-up clothes marked inflammable because I thought that was a good thing!

The flammable and Inflammable thing drives me round the bend

Zov · 18/11/2025 22:31

Oh I getcha @KermitTheToad 😆 Spendthrift is a bit confusing isn't it? I did know social butterfly meant very sociable though! Smile

And yeah, tell, dark, and handsome means a man who has dark hair, and is tall and handsome. It's never meant a non-white man I don't think.

Some funny posts on here. Thanks for this thread OP!

Hons123 · 18/11/2025 22:30

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!

Thought the same

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