Page 33 | To have completely misunderstood the meaning of some sayings?

KermitTheToad · 2025-11-18T20:53:28+00:00

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!

frodss · 18/11/2025 21:26

Greenbeanmcgee · 18/11/2025 21:24

I know what it actually means but salubrious sounds like it should have the opposite meaning imo.

Yes I always get this one wrong! Salubrious sounds sleazy.

Makeitstop2025 · 18/11/2025 21:24

jamcorrosion · 18/11/2025 21:20

Is that true?! I still to this day thought it was about hair/eye colour

Show quote history

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

pinkteddy · 18/11/2025 21:24

NoWomanNoRedRedWine · 18/11/2025 21:20

What is damp squid people please?

It should be damp squib. As in a firework that didn’t go off because it was damp. In other words something was a lot less impressive that you were expecting.

Greenbeanmcgee · 18/11/2025 21:24

I know what it actually means but salubrious sounds like it should have the opposite meaning imo.

CurlyhairedAssassin · 18/11/2025 21:24

MessageMystery · 18/11/2025 21:23

My MIL lived in a supported living facility. It took me an age to work out why they had a “plant room” 🤣

Did you picture a conservatory with ferns?!

Highlighta · 18/11/2025 21:23

jamcorrosion · 18/11/2025 21:20

Is that true?! I still to this day thought it was about hair/eye colour

Show quote history

No it's not true. The poster was correct, the friend made this one up I reckon.

Although a man of any skin colour can be tall, dark and handsome imo.

soupyspoon · 18/11/2025 21:23

AnAudacityofinlaws · 18/11/2025 21:20

Think of the old meaning of “thrift” as in money, savings or wealth - money put away. spendthrift makes sense now doesn’t it?

Show quote history

You mean as in 'spend your thrift'?

MessageMystery · 18/11/2025 21:23

My MIL lived in a supported living facility. It took me an age to work out why they had a “plant room” 🤣

CurlyhairedAssassin · 18/11/2025 21:22

CurlyhairedAssassin · 18/11/2025 21:20

Yes, I always pictured Audrey! 😂

Show quote history

Oh no, not Audrey, what was the plant's name?

AnAudacityofinlaws · 18/11/2025 21:20

mondaytosunday · 18/11/2025 21:05

I always get confused about spendthrift - it just doesn’t make sense to me. But social butterfly does make sense - and can’t you understand it from the context?

Think of the old meaning of “thrift” as in money, savings or wealth - money put away. spendthrift makes sense now doesn’t it?

CurlyhairedAssassin · 18/11/2025 21:20

StruggleFlourish · 18/11/2025 21:16

Lol, triffids! That's hilarious! And you think like me which is even more hilarious!

Show quote history

Yes, I always pictured Audrey! 😂

jamcorrosion · 18/11/2025 21:20

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!

Is that true?! I still to this day thought it was about hair/eye colour

NoWomanNoRedRedWine · 18/11/2025 21:20

What is damp squid people please?

TheBeaTgoeson1 · 18/11/2025 21:19

Oh lord 🙄

Jilly76 · 18/11/2025 21:19

LilyCanna · 18/11/2025 21:13

‘Prodigal son’ is used as a reference to the Bible parable of the son’s return being celebrated. Like we use Samaritan to mean an individual helping someone in distress, as in the parable, and not just anyone from the historical region of Samaria.

Show quote history

Oh we always called my uncle the “prodigal son” he cleared off and expected red carpet treatment from his parents when he returned, I thought the same as you, it was a biblical quote?

HRTQueen · 18/11/2025 21:17

I thought until recently the dulcet tones meant someone was speaking in a dull/dreary manner. For years I would feel a pang of embarrassment when a guy I knew (and fancied) years ago said your dulcet tones are like music to my ears. He was older and seemed sophisticated I was young and thought he was being being mean to me

Jilly76 · 18/11/2025 21:17

Jigglyhuffpuff · 18/11/2025 20:56

Are you one of those 'damp squid' people?

🤣🤣🤣 love this, our old boss used to say it and the childish sniggers were hard to keep in lol

StruggleFlourish · 18/11/2025 21:16

CurlyhairedAssassin · 18/11/2025 21:10

Heavy plant crossing. I was flummoxed by that one for years. Always thought of triffids when I was a kid. Knew it couldn't be that but it was years into adulthood before I knew for sure what it meant. (probably when Google was invented so I could look it up without embarrassing myself by asking an acutal human).

Lol, triffids! That's hilarious! And you think like me which is even more hilarious!

soupyspoon · 18/11/2025 21:16

StruggleFlourish · 18/11/2025 21:14

English is an interesting language,
and especially more so when you start throwing some colloquialisms in there. You really do have to understand the etymology of the idiom before you can really understand what idea is being conveyed
An awful lot of people hear a saying and then just assume they know what it means but words are confusing without context.
More times than not the sayings are historically based. As a child I loved finding out the meanings behind strange sayings and I had many books about this very topic.

(Example "good night sleep tight...."
What does sleep tight mean?
I'm not asking the question, I know the answer...but if you don't know what it means, you could find out historically the story about the history of rope-based bed frames)

You could Google what some of the most commonly misunderstood phrases and sayings in the English language are and I'm sure that there'd be a huge list.
But you're right, some sayings could potentially be taken two ways if you're not sure where the saying comes from, or if you've missed heard it and you've never seen the words spelled, as there are many words that sound like other things, and that can also lead to misunderstanding.

Good luck!
🍀

Huge numbers of our phrases come from navy and shipping and also pests and infestations.

Bigearringsbigsmile · 18/11/2025 21:14

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!

You were correct, not your friend

StruggleFlourish · 18/11/2025 21:14

English is an interesting language,
and especially more so when you start throwing some colloquialisms in there. You really do have to understand the etymology of the idiom before you can really understand what idea is being conveyed
An awful lot of people hear a saying and then just assume they know what it means but words are confusing without context.
More times than not the sayings are historically based. As a child I loved finding out the meanings behind strange sayings and I had many books about this very topic.

(Example "good night sleep tight...."
What does sleep tight mean?
I'm not asking the question, I know the answer...but if you don't know what it means, you could find out historically the story about the history of rope-based bed frames)

You could Google what some of the most commonly misunderstood phrases and sayings in the English language are and I'm sure that there'd be a huge list.
But you're right, some sayings could potentially be taken two ways if you're not sure where the saying comes from, or if you've missed heard it and you've never seen the words spelled, as there are many words that sound like other things, and that can also lead to misunderstanding.

Good luck!
🍀

soupyspoon · 18/11/2025 21:14

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!

No it doesnt. It means a dark haired man.

LilyCanna · 18/11/2025 21:13

SelfRaisingFlour · 18/11/2025 21:03

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

‘Prodigal son’ is used as a reference to the Bible parable of the son’s return being celebrated. Like we use Samaritan to mean an individual helping someone in distress, as in the parable, and not just anyone from the historical region of Samaria.

Chiseltip · 18/11/2025 21:13

Road Works Ahead

No it fucking doesn't!

manineed · 18/11/2025 21:12

Jigglyhuffpuff · 18/11/2025 20:56

Are you one of those 'damp squid' people?

Or put on a pedal stool