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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!

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DeanStockwell · 23/11/2025 13:22

LaMarschallin · 20/11/2025 22:23

hazelnutvanillalatte

I also thought 'toe the line' meant deliberately almost-crossing boundaries, or 'crossing the line' - when it actually means the opposite

At least you didn't think it was "tow the line" unlike about 50% of Mumsnetters who don't consider what that could possibly mean.

I am happy to be corrected but I also thought it was "Tow the line"
As in all pull together/ pull in the same direction to get the desired result the same as
'All work to one goal / objective' like using a tow rope to move a car or barge

Can you explain how/ what "Toe the line " means

RescueMeFromThisSilliness · 23/11/2025 13:18

CutlaSquid · 23/11/2025 11:22

Horses for courses. Say it out loud.

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Yes. I know. Sorry if my own joke passed you by.
Confused

OpalBerry · 23/11/2025 13:11

It works in my accent as I contract For to "fuh"

CatHairEveryWhereNow · 23/11/2025 13:03

Mothership4two · 23/11/2025 12:47

I have been told I have a boring home counties accent @CatHairEveryWhereNow and I can hear it if I say it quickly. If you stress 'for' then it doesn't work. In conversation humans blend words into each other.

We don't have home county accents - lived there for a bit but also lived in northen cities and now wales - and we both have very different raised with midland accents even dialects.

Blending the for still doesn't make it work in our accents - wouldn't be shocked if it worked in more than a few others accents though - just not ours.

I have a school memory - our accent doesn't sound nothern like DH midland accent does - but to this teacher with a southern accent got extremely frustrated we couldn't see a poems rhyme pattern - because in our accent it didn't rhyme. Once pointed out we could hear it - we live near sound border of long a and short a sounds and were used to hearing both but it had to be pointed out to us as just read it naturally it didn't work.

Mothership4two · 23/11/2025 12:47

I have been told I have a boring home counties accent @CatHairEveryWhereNow and I can hear it if I say it quickly. If you stress 'for' then it doesn't work. In conversation humans blend words into each other.

CatHairEveryWhereNow · 23/11/2025 12:36

Greenbeanmcgee · 23/11/2025 12:28

It sounds a bit like “Horses fuck horses”.

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Neither DH or I can hear that in our accents.

God know lived all over UK and how words are pronunciation varies wildly - so expect it's that.

Leavesfalling · 23/11/2025 12:28

CatHairEveryWhereNow · 23/11/2025 12:24

Is this an accent thing as I don't get it either.

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Horses

For-c-ourses

Greenbeanmcgee · 23/11/2025 12:28

CatHairEveryWhereNow · 23/11/2025 12:24

Is this an accent thing as I don't get it either.

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It sounds a bit like “Horses fuck horses”.

CatHairEveryWhereNow · 23/11/2025 12:24

CutlaSquid · 23/11/2025 11:22

Horses for courses. Say it out loud.

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Is this an accent thing as I don't get it either.

CutlaSquid · 23/11/2025 11:22

RescueMeFromThisSilliness · 23/11/2025 11:12

Equine copulation?

For a moment there I was expecting your phrase to be 'hung like a donkey'.😂

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Horses for courses. Say it out loud.

CommonAsMucklowe · 23/11/2025 11:17

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!

Absolutely does not mean a POC. Your first answer was correct. Who on earth told you differently?

RescueMeFromThisSilliness · 23/11/2025 11:12

Monstermunch67 · 23/11/2025 10:10

I found out from my adult offspring that when they were children, they thought I often randomly dropped equine copulation into conversations. The phrase I actually used was "horses for courses".

Equine copulation?

For a moment there I was expecting your phrase to be 'hung like a donkey'.😂

WarrenTofficier · 23/11/2025 10:24

Monstermunch67 · 23/11/2025 10:10

I found out from my adult offspring that when they were children, they thought I often randomly dropped equine copulation into conversations. The phrase I actually used was "horses for courses".

We have a family friend who has English as a second language. He was absolutely horrified when his father in law used that phrase at the table in a restaurant. How dare you use such language in front of my wife, my children. It took them a while to unpick what had caused his shock.

Monstermunch67 · 23/11/2025 10:10

I found out from my adult offspring that when they were children, they thought I often randomly dropped equine copulation into conversations. The phrase I actually used was "horses for courses".

Silverbirchleaf · 23/11/2025 08:58

DiaryofaProvincialLady · 22/11/2025 18:24

Its not that at all! It means dangling something in front of someone to keep them motivated for your benefit, but you never give it to them. Dangling a carrot on a stick in front of a donkey to keep it walking forwards.

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I always understood you either give them a carrot to encourage them, or a stick to beat them. It’s their choice whether they would do something willingly (ie carrot) or would need the threat of punishment (or actual punishment) to do the job.

OpalBerry · 23/11/2025 08:29

Until recently I thought the Tower Ballroom in Blackpool where they go on Strictly was up the Blackpool Tower rather than at the bottom. Like they have a restaurant up the Eiffel Tower. I can see there is a room at the top of the Blackpool Tower with windows. I'm not sure what's in it, but the Tower Ballroom would probably be too heavy.

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 23/11/2025 06:28

Thrifty is the adjective. It doesn't mean tight, mean, miserly etc. It means being careful with money, not spending unnecessarily, trying always to have something put by. Spendthrifts may regard this as boring and negative but most of us surely just see it as sensible.

MO0N · 23/11/2025 00:08

hannonle · 22/11/2025 22:55

Probably from you being wealthy because you don't spend much. ie being thrifty. But it's taken on the meaning of being careful with your spending in a bad way somewhere along the lines.

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But surely thrift is a positive attribute?

hannonle · 22/11/2025 22:55

AmyA520 · 18/11/2025 22:34

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

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Probably from you being wealthy because you don't spend much. ie being thrifty. But it's taken on the meaning of being careful with your spending in a bad way somewhere along the lines.

HyggeTygge · 22/11/2025 21:47

pumpkinscake · 22/11/2025 20:51

Bomsisit. Is this a typo? I've never heard this used?

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It's explained further up the thread.

Leavesfalling · 22/11/2025 21:22

DiaryofaProvincialLady · 22/11/2025 18:18

Choosing to go through life being knowingly and deliberately wrong/ignorant sounds like an excellent strategy for a successful life 👏

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Well, Im right on most other things. Can't be right on absolutely everything.

ToWhitToWhoo · 22/11/2025 21:17

thelifeofgreece · 22/11/2025 21:02

No it doesn’t.

The phrase is used metaphorically to describe anyone who repents and returns to a previous way of life, faith, or family after being lost or absent

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That's how 'prodiga; son' is now used, because of the story; but 'prodigal' as a word on its own does mean wasteful or extravagant.

thelifeofgreece · 22/11/2025 21:02

SelfRaisingFlour · 18/11/2025 21:03

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

No it doesn’t.

The phrase is used metaphorically to describe anyone who repents and returns to a previous way of life, faith, or family after being lost or absent

ToWhitToWhoo · 22/11/2025 20:55

RememberBeKindWithKaren · 22/11/2025 14:02

@AgentPidge I like it when I see a sign that says something like " this door is alarmed" . You have to feel sorry for the door.

I used to work somewhere, where there was a door with the sign, 'THIS DOOR IS ALARMED AFTER 5 P.M.' I always wondered what happened to the poor door at 5 p.m.!

pumpkinscake · 22/11/2025 20:51

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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Bomsisit. Is this a typo? I've never heard this used?

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