Common sayings which don't make sense

[nevernotstruggling]

Dd1 (11) has just said 'mummy you know how you don't like it when people say ATM machine??? Because the M is for machine?? Well what about baby chick? Chick is the baby version of chicken so you are just saying oh look a baby baby!'

She's right. Any more like this?

"Believe you me"

The fuck?

That one is archaic, but not incorrect; other languages still have that same structure in modern usage - just adds emphasis/harshness to 'believe me' and makes it abundantly clear who the speaker thinks has the upper hand.

Don't look at me in that tone of voice

Isn't that one deliberately meant to be nonsensical and a bit jocular, though - like 'that's another kettle of fish' when neither kettles nor fish are involved at all?

Too tired to check and see if someone else has said it:
'The exception that proves the rule'

@WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll

Don't look at me in that tone of voice

Isn't that one deliberately meant to be nonsensical and a bit jocular, though - like 'that's another kettle of fish' when neither kettles nor fish are involved at all?

Bit a “kettle of fish” is a thing. A fish kettle is a pan designed to cook whole fish. This expression meaning “a different self contained situation” makes sense to me.

A bit late to the party here but things that drive me nuts that people say:

• Super, like super-excited or super-cute painful
• "to be fair"
• "I'm not being being horrible but.." ..so you are then
• brought instead of bought
• The letter H prenounced as "haitch" instead of "aitch"
• don't touch nuffink - so touch everything then? 😂 and what's with the K on the end!?

I fully appreciate these are not sayings but getting that off my chest felt too good!

I'm guilty of using these three occasionally but don't ask me to explain them in any detail:
Short of nowt I haven't got
You big girls blouse
Well I'll go to the foot of our stairs

'Hard work never killed anyone'.

I think it's probably killed thousands and millions since time began, in various ways. People have been worked to death.

Using 'both' and 'each other' in the same sentence, e.g. They both really love each other. THERE'S NO NEED FOR THE 'BOTH'!! ARRGH!!

'Of a morning' instead of 'in the morning'. It makes no sense at all. Can anyone explain it?

'If you had a brain you'd be dangerous' - eh?

'Hard work never killed anyone'.

Oh, yes. The concept is soooo unheard of that the Japanese actually have a word for it: karoshi.

Also, 'Whatever doesn't kill me will make me stronger'. Eh? Never heard of people who are fortunate enough to survive tragic accidents or ordeals, but who will be paralysed/in pain/struggle/suffer for the rest of their lives as a direct result?