To have completely misunderstood the meaning of some sayings?

You should of realised the incorrect definition of the worm

You should of realised the incorrect definition of the worm

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!
🍀

So the dad should have turned him away? 🤔 the son was sorry and wanted to make amends and the dad took him back and showed him love. I think that's a beautiful picture.

Oh, I see. I realise now the second meaning of trim is to decorate.

it’s not a word I would use in that context so took a minute to realise.

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

Or dialling a number. In my late MIL's house you did 'pull the chain' but only at a certain angle otherwise it didn't work. Some NT properties have chain pulling lavatories, the never have loos or toilets in NT properties!

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!
🍀

they are also turned on rather on put (e.g. onto the stove) these days but put on persists as a phrase.

Does anyone remember pulling the chain?

You are not alone, I think.

So you were pronouncing it like Super Bowl?

I think a lot of people confuse " off your own bat" and say back. Which is incorrect. I think. 🤔
You can "give someone the shirt off your own back", though. Probably.🫣

I think the story is slightly immoral. The ones that worked hard, did the right thing, supported their father and didn't fritter away their inheritance were overlooked in favour of a feckless son who buggered off having done nothing to contribute to the family. The lesson there is that you dont need to do the right thing.

I know forgiveness is divine. But there is such a thing as being a bit of a doormat. You can have a relationship with your feckless child and love them just as much of course but not at the expense of the child that worked hard and did the right thing. Bad parenting.

Anyway that's my view on that story.

This is one of the interesting things that happen when a phrase is used as a shorthand way of referring to a whole story or event. The parable in the Bible is about a son who asks for his inheritance early, gets it, leaves home and squanders the lot in a distant land. He ends up living in a pigsty and eating the pigs' food. Life is suddenly very grim but then he remembers he has a wealthy family and a comfortable life back home, so he goes home and says how sorry he is. His father is delighted and he is welcomed with open arms. The fatted calf is killed for a great feast. His sensible brother who stayed put and worked away on the family farm is (in my view, entirely understandably) pretty cross because his efforts have just been taken for granted.

(I have never understood this parable and it's one of the things that convinced me that Christianity and in fact religion in general is not for me. It's so manifestly unjust!)

Anyway. The Golden Child is described as prodigal and that word doesn't mean 'welcomed back into the fold', it means spendthrift , lavish, wasteful, sparing no expense etc etc. However, because people know the big lesson of the parable is that a sinner who repents will still be welcomed back they've come to believe that's what prodigal must mean.

I think the dad was pretty unreasonable there! I dont think that's a helpful Bible story at all re tips on good behaviour.

When I was a child, I read and owned lots of Enid Blyton books. On the front cover of some of them was the authors name printed in capital letters and on others, her name was written in a curly, handwriting style. I thought that the books with the handwriting style name on were by a completely different author called ‘Guid Button’ and, what’s more, I assumed that she must be the sister of Enid Blyton, as she wrote such similar style books! It was only as a young adult, returning home and looking at all the books in my old bookcase, that I realised my error!

Oh I have a FANTASTIC one for this. Forgive me but spirituality had never been my thing.
I was in my early 20’s when I realised a Clairvoyant wasn’t a person. I just thought she was a really famous psychic called Claire Voyant. Like Derek Acorah. I still laugh about it.