I am trying to find the first use, and/or the number of subsequent occurences of a phrase. [more inside]
posted by CollectiveMind on Sep 11, 2009 - 2 answers

Give me your best I.T. related words, phrases, and aphorisms. I have worked in a variety of companies, all of which seem to have some interesting lingo and vernacular. I am not looking for stuff like 'cookie', and 'firewall'. More along the lines of: 'Going Dark' - when developers grab a requirements document and disappear for months, 'Snowflake' - a server that has been modified to the point of being unique, fragile, and unrepeatable. Phrases would include things like 'The problem is between the chair and the keyboard', 'XYZ consulting is just a body shop', or 'Those legacy systems are sunsetting'. Help me collect colorful I.T. lingo and proverbs.
posted by jasondigitized on Jul 23, 2009 - 71 answers

Can you help me find phrases that include the word "amp" or "amped"? [more inside]
posted by niles on Jul 20, 2009 - 16 answers

Southern phrases like "gets my goat" and "burns my biscuits"? [more inside]
posted by curiositykilledthelemur on Mar 26, 2009 - 70 answers

"Time on his hands and himself on his mind". This is a real saying, right? [more inside]
posted by Emilyisnow on Mar 15, 2009 - 7 answers

Is there a word or phrase in any language that describes a moment that is so perfect that it makes you sad, either because it will eventually end or because every moment can't be that perfect? How about a word for a moment that is so perfect that "words can't describe it"? Are there any other concepts that are difficult to describe in English, but easy in other languages? [more inside]
posted by aristan on Mar 14, 2009 - 40 answers

How can I avoid using common, cliché words and phrases in my speech and writing, and come up with better ones? [more inside]
posted by relucent on Dec 28, 2008 - 10 answers

Is this phrase or saying real? Something along the lines of "The play never changes, only the players". [more inside]
posted by rivenwanderer on Dec 19, 2008 - 14 answers

This is my question. There are many like it, but this one is mine. [more inside]
posted by als129 on Dec 17, 2008 - 18 answers

Help me compile a list of vintage hokey parental catchphrases. [more inside]
posted by roger ackroyd on Oct 14, 2008 - 158 answers

Is there any sort of freeware program (online, installed on computer, php, mysql, anything) for me to save phrases in English, and then their translation in a certain language? In some kind of tidy, tabled format? I tried a wiki but I quickly tired of formatting each entry in order to produce a tidy table. Ideally, I'd like to be able to just plug in the phrases and go.
posted by Xere on Sep 7, 2008 - 9 answers

what's the origin / meaning of the phrase "he's shooting [playing?] lights out"? [more inside]
posted by garfy3 on Mar 23, 2008 - 19 answers

Can you suggest common phrases in Spanish that would be useful for teacher of Spanish speaking kids? [more inside]
posted by snsranch on Feb 26, 2008 - 9 answers

So I'd like to compile a list--better or at least easier to peruse than the ones I've found on the interwebs--of all of those crazy catch phrases Frank Zappa used on all his records and at shows. So far I have "It's a way of life" and "Add water; makes it own sauce!", both from Joe's Garage. Maybe there's a great site I'm missing 'cause it's got no GoogleJuice?
posted by littlerobothead on Dec 13, 2007 - 7 answers

I'm looking for phrases, sayings, anything that incorporates a fruit. For example: "Apple of my eye" or "Cherry on top." Thanks!
posted by KevinSkomsvold on Oct 23, 2007 - 45 answers

Where does the practice of saying "come in Tokyo" while pretending to adjust a woman's breasts like an old radio set come from? I don't do this- but I know someone who claims it's a reference from some TV show or movie.
posted by Dag Maggot on Sep 20, 2007 - 13 answers

What is the origin of the phrase "Local Boy Makes Good"? I Googled it and see that it was a Mervyn LeRoy movie from 1931, so it's at least that old.
posted by abbyladybug on Sep 11, 2007 - 4 answers

"If you can't tie a knot, tie a lot." I recently heard this expression somewhere and it's driving me nuts. Any idea where I might have heard it? I feel like it was in a movie, tv show, commercial, or maybe a video on YouTube. I have a vague recollection of an image of someone demonstrating the principle expressed in the quote. [more inside]
posted by bokinney on Jun 5, 2007 - 5 answers

Fill in the blank: "He/she has the IQ of a _________." I've heard various phrases to refer to stupid people. Googling brings up interesting simple or inanimate objects such as a sugar beet, tapeworm and dirty sock. (I've always used doorknob for some reason...) I'm looking for the ultimate funny comparison!
posted by adverb on May 23, 2007 - 117 answers

Help me speak and write two phrases in Farsi. [more inside]
posted by perissodactyl on Apr 29, 2007 - 2 answers

What is the origin of the phrase, "last, best hope" as used in pretty much every self-consciously significant but ultimately cliched film, book or TV episode I've indulged myself with over the last ten years?
posted by barbelith on Apr 8, 2007 - 18 answers

Is there a name for common phrases such as "at last" or "just in case" or "ever after"? [more inside]
posted by lain on Apr 7, 2007 - 12 answers

Is the phrase 'proof, if proof be need be' a Chris Morris coinage? [more inside]
posted by jack_mo on Nov 3, 2006 - 16 answers

What is your favorite and most colorful expression or phrase? Speaking about two idiots that we work with, my coworker said that they looked like 'Two monkey's f*cking a football', which led me to say 'They couldn't organize a piss-up in a brewery', and as a final touch, which made me laugh, my coworker states 'They're about as handy as a bear cub with a toothpick'. I would love to write a book or create a website with colorful phrases from around the world. What are some of your favorite idioms that you use or have overhead in the boardroom, bar, or barnyard?
posted by jasondigitized on Oct 31, 2006 - 192 answers

Help me think of phrases that come exclusively from game play. Some examples would be: "Ollie ollie oxen free" and "ready or not here I come" and "ring a round a rosy".
posted by typewriter on Aug 9, 2006 - 60 answers

What are your favorite literary passages that you've memorized? [more inside]
posted by sixacross on Aug 1, 2006 - 113 answers

What is the origin of the phrase, "(something) should be nuked from orbit," or "nuke it from orbit?" [more inside]
posted by mikeh on Jul 23, 2006 - 24 answers

whats the origin of the phrase 'you dont have to be a rocket scientist..? [more inside]
posted by petsounds on Jul 5, 2006 - 15 answers

Does anyone know where I can find a list online of 500-1000 most common spanish words or phrases, along with their meanings? I searched a bit and found quite a few that had 50 or a 100 approximately, but I want more. I have a Spanish to English dictionary, but I want to print out a quick reference sheet. The list can be words or phrases, it doesnt matter too much.
posted by JokingClown on Apr 24, 2006 - 3 answers

Where does the phrase "clean up on isle five" come from and what exactly does it mean? [more inside]
posted by bloo on Apr 20, 2006 - 28 answers

How do you communicate with non-english speakers when playing sports or gaming? [more inside]
posted by soma lkzx on Dec 12, 2005 - 8 answers

It seems that when we Westerners call an event a "kabuki dance," we mean that the event is elaborate but ultimately without substance. Examples: 1, 2. When did this usage arise, and is this unfair to the kabuki art form?
posted by profwhat on Sep 15, 2005 - 8 answers

Do you know of a page or project that will show a list of Amazon's statistcally improbable phrases, live-linked to the Amazon content the are found in? Options for sorting by source date, title, author, subject, or other classes are what my inner librarian really wants. [more inside]
posted by Mo Nickels on Mar 21, 2005 - 5 answers

What does the phrase "get bent" mean and what is its origin?
posted by dflemingdotorg on Feb 22, 2005 - 20 answers

At least since I was a kid, there's been the joke/expression "underwater basketweaving." Namely as a joke college major: "What's your major?" "Underwater basketweaving." What is the origin of this expression? Anyone know?
posted by zardoz on Jan 28, 2005 - 26 answers

Who coined the phrase "Cultural Cathedral?" MI. [more inside]
posted by Miko on Dec 30, 2004 - 7 answers

Text search tool: I'm looking for a word processor or text tool, that will allow me to search documents for phrases centred about particular words. I want to be able to specify a 'window,' say of 15 words; and the tool will then return *all* the text that occurs 15 words either side of the search target. Example: if I searched this AskMe page for "fanboy" as a target, and set my window as '6,' I would expect to get - "aren't trying to show off their fanboy Pitchfork-esque indie creds. The less politics" - from alidarbac's question below, as one of the returns. Free/share/commercial-ware all acceptable. Many thanks!
posted by carter on Nov 18, 2004 - 7 answers

Some people call them Hoagies, others call them grinders... Where I live what most people call pop is called soda, and water fountains are called Bubblers. What regional phrases does your area have?
posted by drezdn on Apr 10, 2004 - 42 answers