To have completely misunderstood the meaning of some sayings?

[KermitTheToad]

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!

In deed is not the same meaning as indeed.

I think the other way is better and more useful. That's how I shall continue using that expression through life and hope I only meet people who have misinterpreted it as well.

The phrase to express that someone has ditched you when you needed them is a Fairweather friend.

No but you haven't been ditched. You've just become over friendly as you need something from someone. If its not the friend in need phrase what describes that tricky situation? Must be one surely.

Ahh so you are after a phrase to describe someone who cozies up to someone because they want something from them?

Yes. And with a slight air of desperation as you are in need.

Mums Net favourite Cheeky fucker?

That might tick that box well.

Good work.

• Butter up - Ingratiate oneself - Curry favour - cosy up to - less faltering end Toadying/Sycophantic/Obsequious/Fawning/Unctuous/Servile.

I don't know maybe English speakers haven't needed such a phrase/word enough .

Carrot or stick - a carrot as a treat, inducement or a stick to beat him. The stick is a threat or punishment; not the stick that the carrot hangs on the end of. I guess if you use both then it means offering a threat and a bribe at the same time.

To make a promise to do something but then disappear. (An unreliable person).

I used to think that the expression “you can’t have your cake and eat it” didn’t make sense until someone used it the other way round ie “you can’t eat your cake and (still) have it

Yes I'm not doubting what posters say about carrot and stick being the original correct term, but carrot or stick is now commonly used too and also makes sense in the right context.

My boss says "all stick and no carrot" when he is fed up with the board members threatening reduced bonuses (stick beatings) if productivity doesn't rise whereas it might be more effective to increase the bonuses (carrots) to encourage productivity.

Yes exactly . That’s what I was saying .

My parents used to say it’s just cupboard love when the cats started making a fuss of the humans at dinner time. They were both children during WW2 so I don’t know if it had a wartime origin.

oh, and in the same vein as Netflix and Chill

When people talked about a Sunday morning in bed with the papers I assumed it was just that, and imagined how grubby with ink the sheets would get...

@CarefulN0w it has got an interesting origin from the 17th century. It's when men would befriend dairy maids for the cream, or tradesmen would be flirting with the cook to be fed.
@RafaFan coworker is really old and was first used in a religious sense of doing God's work. So it was around in Downton abby days. Picky bits wasn't, it was typically just afternoon/high/meat tea.

@CryMyEyesViolet · to further confuse things the epicentre is indeed the point at which the quake originated but DEEP in the crust...the point above this on the surface is the Focal Point! (two years of geology not wasted here!)

Thanks Ponoka - I love finding out about things like this.

That's a bit like the sign in the department store
Dogs Must Be Carried on Escalators.
With a forlorn and tired elderly lady at the foot of the Escalator because she didn't have a dog.

My Gran (a lady with Hyacinth Bucket tendancies) would have said 'a cold collation' to describe a meal of unheated left overs, salad, pickles etc.

Ooh I love the sound of a cold collation. My DC all love cold leftovers with pickles the day after a roast. Relating it back to family history again, my Grandparents were in service and I think it came from serving cold cuts on cooks day off.

My first primary school was RC.

My mother was called in to school because I'd refused to do a drawing of the prodigal son and instead written in my book something about my opinion on the story followed by IT WASNT FAIR. Apparently I had gone over that several times.

@CarefulN0w my dad uses 'cupboard love' too. He was born 1938.

So wise at such a young age.

My parents used cupboard love in the context of the dogs being particularly cute if we were eating something they had their eye on. Putting their paw on our knee and looking soulfully at us or some such behaviour.