Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with phrase

"It was not there to protect me from you. It was there to protect you from me"

seanyboy — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 05:31:27 -0800

Where does the phrase "It was not there to protect me from you. It was there to protect you from me" come from? I've been racking my brain to try and remember where this phrase, or a phrase very much like it comes from, but with little luck. It could be a horror movie, but I'm not sure. Any ideas?

Whence "in the not-too-distant future"?

unregistered_animagus — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 19:48:20 -0800

What is the origin of the phrase "in the not-too-distant future"? I'm pretty darn sure I first encountered it through MST3K, and have thereafter sub-defined it as "Next Sunday, A.D." ...in fact, for years I've interpreted its use as an under-the-radar MiSTie shibboleth.

BUT surely there must be an earlier origin? (Crow: "No! And don't call me Butt Shirley!")

/mst3k nerd

It just strikes me as odd that the particular construction of "not-too-distant" would replace the use of "near" so frequently without deliberate precedent.

How can I come up with some creative phrases using the word "amped"?

niles — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 14:45:30 -0800

Can you help me find phrases that include the word "amp" or "amped"? I'm part of the planning team of a one night convention, and we want to call different parts of the event by different phrases. I've done this before with a theme of "Break", and used things like "Tax Break", "Summer Break", "Break a Leg", "Take a Break", and so on. This year the theme is "Amped", and I have nothing better than "Amp it up" (and of course, "These go to eleven.").

If anyone has suggestions of phrases/catch-phrases/quotes using amped/amp, I'd love to hear them. I'd also love to get ideas on how to further generate ideas...is there such thing as a phrase dictionary out there?

Thanks!

Origin of phrase "The righteous man champions the lost cause..."

victoriab — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 11:30:11 -0800

I'm trying to locate the origin of the phrase "The righteous man champions the lost cause, knowing that all other causes are just merely events." I'm trying to source this for a friend. Sadly, I don't have any additional information to work with and my weak Google searches have been fruitless. Thanks

Nothing you do not need

anthropoid — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 13:53:48 -0800

TattooFilter. Looking for a poetic version of the phrase "Nothing you do not need." I am getting a new tattoo to act as a constant reminder of the way I am striving to live. In the past year I've worked towards a more modest life. I've minimized my expenses, eliminated all but the smallest of luxuries, and I'm giving to charity the money I've saved. (Though the irony of spending money on a [seemingly unnecessary] tattoo is not lost on me...)

The phrase "nothing you do not need" is constantly running in the back of my mind and I'd like to get a tattoo of it, though I'm looking for a more poetic version.

I like the way the phrase sounds and feels; the cadence. It's just not as poetic as I'd like. 'Nothing' and 'need' are the main words that resonate with me and I'd like the phrase to include both, though it's not absolutely necessary.

I'm also open to quotes you think might work, though I'd like to keep it to just a few words. Any ideas?

Thanks, as always.

99 problems but a name aint one

jourman2 — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 22:38:30 -0800

Can I use a song lyric/title as my business name? Or is it copyright protected? For example, if I wanted to name my consulting firm '99 problems' or something equally as cheesy, would I need to request Jay-Z's permission first?

I've seen this which indicates that I don't need to - but just double checking to see if anyone knows otherwise.

Thesaurus word like "homage to"

jchinique — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 17:38:58 -0800

Single word that means "to sing the praises of", poss. Greek or Roman in origin. Thinking paean, or ode but not quite. Actual intended use: after writing several phrases in the style of a particular author saying "(this is going to start sounding like a paean to Mr So-and-So soon)."

Exhausted thesaurus options.

Quote about roses and thorns

Brzht — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 17:32:20 -0800

Looking for a quote about sensitivity -- something like "Only those who suffer the prick of the thorn can appreciate the beauty of the rose." Anybody know?

Great seats at a bad show

Brzht — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 13:57:02 -0800

Have you ever heard the expression "Great seats at a bad show" or "Great tickets for a bad show" or something like that? Do you remember where you heard it?

I see you.

gursky — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 15:32:09 -0800

Searching for something Bill Clinton once said, when he was on Oprah. Help me find this quote! I remember Bill Clinton being on Oprah about 5 or 6 years ago. They were discussing African traditions, I think. Bill Clinton mentioned a tribe that acknowledges one another by using a phrase that translates to "I see you" rather than "hello" or something similar.

I can't find anything about the interview or this quote online. I'd love to know what Clinton said (as it had to do with acknowledging each other, and how important that is) and what the actual phrase is, too.

Am I crazy? Did I imagine this?

Thanks in advance for any help or insight!

"Sayonara, sucker" in Russian?

phunniemee — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 17:24:54 -0800

Need to "sayonara, sucker!" in Russian. OK, so not quite sayonara, sucker, but it's equivalent. An "hasta la vista, baby" for the Eastern European set. Is there a culturally relevant way to say "good bye, but I don't necessarily like you a whole lot" in Russian?

It's for a cake, so fewer words is better.

What is the source of "When you fight with a pig you both get dirty - but the pig likes it"?

zooropa — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 07:07:31 -0800

Where does this phrase/proverb come from? I'm looking for the source of the quote/proverb "When you fight with a pig you both get dirty - but the pig likes it."

Any ideas?

How to improve my southern speakin' skillz

willie11 — Thu, 08 May 2008 07:14:16 -0800

Please help me expand my base of quaint southern expressions, aphorisms and witticisms. Obviously I need to read more southern literature and spend some quality time with the good ol' boys here in beautiful Raleigh, NC. But are there any online resources out there? Recommended books? Any southern maxim or locution you're partial to?

Muy delicioso

cabingirl — Tue, 06 May 2008 08:53:15 -0800

SpanishFilter: How can I politely say "I've had enough" or "I'm full" in Spanish? As mentioned in a previous AskMe I am headed to Guatemala next week and I don't speak Spanish beyond the basic tourist phrases. Due to a medical issue I can't eat very much at one time. In many restaurants the server will ask me if the food was okay since it looks like I didn't eat anything. I usually reassure them that it was delicious but I'm already full, or I wasn't very hungry, or something like that.

What would be the best way to express that in Spanish? Who knows if I'll even need it, but I've had this experience in both the US and Europe and I certainly wouldn't want to insult anyone.

"thats the way we like to" do it

gcat — Sun, 04 May 2008 06:23:15 -0800

face down, ass up - what do you call that in bed? (possibly NSFW) oftentimes during foreplay, i like - no, love - to play w my girlfriend (of five years) while she is on all fours, on hands and knees, etc. - doggy style, but without the guy.

a lotta times, it is perfectly natural to nudge her in that direction, or somehow manipulate her body with my hands and arms, and she is mostly always perfectly willing and happy to oblige. but sometimes, it is not so natural to merely nudge her, so i have to use words to tell her i would like her to get into that position.

but i am pretty sure i have yet to come up with the best-sounding words to make this happen smoothly without sounding either too crude or too explanatory. describing it in a post online is one thing, but "baby, can you please get on all fours - you know, like were gonna do it doggystyle but without the penetretive sex? thanks!" seems a bit much.

anybody got some phrasing suggestions? guys that can tell me what their girls like, girls that can tell me what they like their guys to say? how would most women feel if their lover said "baby, get on all fours."?

we are perfectly able to enjoy rougher play with more dominant language, but i am looking for something not so necessarily dominant.

thanks!

Begging the question, for all intensive purposes: misused colloquialisms in modern English

cosmic osmo — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 18:41:08 -0800

Commonly misused phrases or expressions? It drives me nuts in a totally pedantic way when people misuse the phrase "take it with a grain of salt" to make the amount of salt larger (i.e. a "giant" grain) when the whole point of the expression is to emphasize how small the amount of salt should be--are there any other examples of phrases or expressions that are frequently used in the exact opposite way intended, either by mangling the phrase itself or just using it incorrectly (e.g. 'hoi polloi' to mean 'the wealthy elite' when it actually means 'the common masses')? I've seen things like lists of common errors in English, but I'm looking for this particular kind of error.

I'd rather not make this a debate on how language and meaning evolve over time and more about specific examples. Also, I have no idea how to use the phrase "to beg the question" but props to anyone who can finally explain that one to me, because I just know that'll be the first example given.

Not in the broccoli?

Mitheral — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 10:28:56 -0800

From whence the phrase "oohh, not in the broccoli" spoken in a stereotype ESL japanese speaker accent? As a kid in the 80s we used this phrase when someone had a accident resulting in things flying all over. EG: bumping a full plate of the table or knocking a bag of groceries down the stairs.

I fairly sure it originated from a movie/tv, probably a kung fu type show where someone ends up landing on a stack of boxes of broccoli. Anyone know which show?

How to Search for Idioms and Phrases?

L. Fitzgerald Sjoberg — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 10:21:51 -0800

Given a word, how can I search for terms and idioms containing that word? I'd like to find a reference, preferably a Web page, that will take a word and return common turns of phrase, compound words, and similar short constructions containing that word.

For example, if I input "news" it would give me:

* Newsboy
* Newshound
* Yesterday's news
* News to me
* Breaking news
* Slow news day

...and so forth. I know a dictionary will give me some of these, and something like a slang dictionary or quotation reference might give me more, but is there someplace for one-stop phrase shopping?

French phrase for celery, carrot, onion soup base?

cda — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 08:34:25 -0800

Martha Stewart prepared a soup base using only carrots, celery and onion and then she said there was a French phrase for this method but I couldn't catch it.

The world, it is mad.

misozaki — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 22:39:27 -0800

Does the phrase "It's a mad, mad world" have an origin? Googling "It's a mad mad world" or "mad world" only gets me the Stanley Kramer movie and a bunch of songs.

So who said it (or wrote it) first? Thanks.

Need a good short quote in 42 characters

filmgeek — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 06:50:23 -0800

I want a quote to go on my phone case. 2 lines. 21 characters per line. Preferable inspirational, possibly latin. I'm buying a wooden iphone case. On the back, I can put a quote.
2 lines of 21 characters. I'm looking for quotes to make me smile or bring my spirits up; as I look at the case (accidentally) and re-discover the quote.

Inspirational, not religious. Latin (or a translation to latin), I like, as a conversation piece (people will ask what it means.)

Things that I'm thinking of:
"Know Thyself" (Temet Nosce)
Never despair. Nil desperandum.
Sit vis vobiscum. (May the Force be with you.)

I really wanted (but it's too long) - "Even an Elephant can be eaten - one bite at a time.
Or, "Remember Red, hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies"

C'mon MeFi. Give me 42 great characters!

you'd be one if you can answer

Arasithil — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 10:06:38 -0800

What is the origin of the phrase "(you're) a gentleman and a scholar", or what popularized it? I've seen this, but I was wondering if anyone here knew something a little more definite.

verbal tic?

merocet — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 11:20:42 -0800

Where does the usage of "speaks to" to mean "speaks about" or "speaks of" come from. For example, "It speaks to our will to be goverened that we allow these things to happen"? Characters on Boston Legal are constantly using it also. It speaks to my frustration that I've not been able to find anything on its etymology on google.

Origin of "we are all [blank] now"

Urban Hermit — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 16:02:34 -0800

What is the origin of the phrase "we are all [blank] now"? The earliest 'famous' usage I'm aware of is Nixon's "we are all Keynesians now," but I don't know if that was really where it started.

Does the phrase "please, not in the face!" come from anywhere in particular?

so_necessary — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 08:48:29 -0800

Does the phrase "Please, not in the face!" (in reference to a metaphorical imminent beating) have a definitive, particular origin from a famous film or some other piece of pop culture? Or has it just sort of established itself from actual beatings?