Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with phrases

Looking for first and/or subsequent use of a phrase

CollectiveMind — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 04:33:38 -0800

I am trying to find the first use, and/or the number of subsequent occurences of a phrase. The non-profit "One World Everybody Eats" in Salt Lake City, Utah began operating as a "pay what you want" community kitchen in 2003. In 2007, it received its 501c3 non profit status. I am writing a book about the growing instances of "pay what you want" in every type of business, but especially in restaurants. On October 2nd, another "PWYW" restaurant (the sixth so far) will open in New Jersey based on the OWEE model. Also, there are also several other phrases which are related to the same idea of letting people pay what they think something is worth. They include "pay what you can" and "pay what you like."

I am looking for research, a service or a website that can help me identify the first use of any of those phrases, and/or the frequency of use after OWEE began using and being associated with them and its community kitchen concept. Google's Zeitgeist does something similar but it is not current or precise enough. I am trying to see if the increase of those phrases means the idea is spreading and becoming more acceptable in American society and world culture. And I am trying to see if OWEE is more likely to be associated with them than anything other entity. Finally, I want to know if, as the idea spreads, more people are trying the concept, possibly leading a shift in the manner of entrepreneurism, or the creation of an amended form.

OWEE and its model was rising in prominence before the economic crisis, and I'd expect there will be a big jump after 2007. And like any organization, it has had its problems. But my main interest is to learn whether this is a long term interest of its adopters based on changing values rather than a short term interest based on a changed economy.

I.T. Lingo

jasondigitized — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 08:57:08 -0800

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.

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!

This question can kiss my grits.

curiositykilledthelemur — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 14:54:05 -0800

Southern phrases like "gets my goat" and "burns my biscuits"? I just started working with an amazing guy from Mississippi and every other sentence is a regional phrase like "running 'round like a chicken with their head cut off" and the above "got my goat" and "burns my biscuits."

I love love love the ingenuity and creativity of his verbal skills, and I want MORE! Please humor me, MeFites, with some awesome and unique wordings, phrases, jokes, etc. from the South. Would love it if you would specify the region overheard as well.

Too much time make lady go crazy.

Emilyisnow — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 15:32:24 -0800

"Time on his hands and himself on his mind". This is a real saying, right? I was thinking about this saying, but when I tried to google it, I only got unrelated e-books. And the people that I've asked don't know what I'm talking about. I didn't just hallucinate it, did I? Is it perhaps a quote? Or is there something very similar out there and I'm just getting confused?

If it is real, what does it mean? I always thought it meant that if you have too much free time you'll get a bit introspective. But now I'm beginning to wonder about that, too.

There are simply no words... seriously, we haven't come up with those yet.

aristan — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 07:40:49 -0800

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? The French and Germans have words/phrase for that feeling you get when you come up with the perfect comeback too late to use it (l'espirt d'escalier and treppenwitz). Arabic and German speakers can also easily describe the feeling of joy they find in others' pain (Shamateh and Schadenfreude).

They're lucky. With English, everything is made up of drawn out phrases and clauses, or so it seems when compared to German, where there's a short (and terse sounding) word for everything.

So, are there word that describe the moments above? Do you know any other cool phrases (in any language) that can't be expressed compactly in English? Are there phrases/words/concepts that are easy in English, but difficult to describe in another language?

How can I quit using overused words and phrases?

relucent — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 12:19:45 -0800

How can I avoid using common, cliché words and phrases in my speech and writing, and come up with better ones? Orwell says, "Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print." (Politics and the English Language) He applies it to the "buzz phrases" of his time: the sensational war rhetoric like "jackboot" and "hammer and anvil", and others like "toe the line" and "melting pot". He says that these common figures of speech are already prefabricated so that the author doesn't have to even think about what he is writing. As a result, most journalistic writing has become boring and contrived, and full of tired imagery.

I'd like to take this even further than Orwell and eliminate normal, yet overused phrases from my vocabulary. I realized this a couple of days ago when I was reading a book and the author said that he had "no quarrel with" certain people who believed differently about his ideas. It was the tiniest thing, but it caught my attention, because if I am expressing approval or indifference, I will ALWAYS use some form of "[to have] no problem with". Always. "I have no problem with you taking off early this afternoon." "If his car is in the shop, I don't have a problem with him using mine." I also tend to exaggerate a lot, using words like "totally" or "completely" to express emphasis on my part ("he was completely wrong to do that"). Since these are also common expressions, it's understood that I am not referring to wholeness or completeness — but it still bugs me because I say them a lot.

I guess I would like to become more active and deliberate in my word choice. I would like to incorporate into my vocabulary more phrases like "no quarrel" — words that catch people's attention, even slightly, because they are just a little bit more picturesque. I want to put more a little more thought into what I say (or write), so that people have to put a little more thought into listening (or reading).

And in all of this, I want to stay interesting: I don't want to replace x with y so that "no quarrel with" to become the new "no problem with"; I want a larger bank of words to draw from. I also don't want to sound formal or dry. I have more of a journalistic style of writing, in that I don't use complex sentence structures or unnecessarily big words. I want to preserve the style but make it more unique and compelling.

I need to do three things: identify these phrases; come up with more creative alternates; and engage my mind more when I talk (or write) so I can use them. How can I accomplish these? Good books on the topic, past MeFi posts, resources for interesting phrases... anything! Thanks!

Help me remember this phrase, if it exists!

rivenwanderer — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 22:26:43 -0800

Is this phrase or saying real? Something along the lines of "The play never changes, only the players". It pops into my head now and then, or at least a similar sentiment, but googling for that and related phrases isn't turning up anything. The phrase I am trying to think of (or perhaps have invented?) is about the way that people repeat the same basic stories and dramas over and over again. Am I making this all up? Or is a similar phrase quite famous and I've just got the words slightly wrong in my head?

Where's this from?

als129 — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 09:50:44 -0800

This is my question. There are many like it, but this one is mine. What is that phrase from? "There are many like it, but this one is mine." I keep hearing it and using it occasionally and I don't even know its origin. Is it from something specific or just a common phrase?

parents say the darndest things

roger ackroyd — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 11:46:46 -0800

Help me compile a list of vintage hokey parental catchphrases. "Shape up or ship out," "goodnight, nurse!" and "like it or lump it" will be forever tied the adult figures who loomed large in my childhood. What colorful sayings did your parents and grandparents overuse? The mustier and more inexplicable, the better.

Some sort of database for translations?

Xere — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 16:34:17 -0800

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.

what does it mean, the shooting with/of the lights out?

garfy3 — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 08:30:32 -0800

what's the origin / meaning of the phrase "he's shooting [playing?] lights out"? searching this on the internet(s) is, well, problematic, as i seem to encounter thousands of uses of this phrase, but can't seem to find an origin story.

i assume it could mean, "she's shooting so well the lights could be off and she'd still be making the shots." or perhaps "she's shooting so well it's like she's knocking out individual light-bulbs."

i am strangely curious as to the origins of this phrase. thanks.

Se habla, Spanish?

snsranch — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 18:38:26 -0800

Can you suggest common phrases in Spanish that would be useful for teacher of Spanish speaking kids? Anything is welcome as long as it's appropriate for elementary school.

My teacher wife and I are learning Spanish together and this will give her a fun jump start.

Of course she would like some chastising things, "Do you speak to your mother this way?", but endearing things, "Oh, I just want to squeeze your cheeks!" would also be very useful.

Por adelantado, muchas gracias!

All the Zappa catch phrases?

littlerobothead — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 16:07:29 -0800

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?

Things About Fruit

KevinSkomsvold — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 10:06:22 -0800

I'm looking for phrases, sayings, anything that incorporates a fruit. For example: "Apple of my eye" or "Cherry on top." Thanks!

Come in Tokyo

Dag Maggot — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 05:47:02 -0800

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.

Origina of "Local Boy Makes Good"

abbyladybug — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 08:56:52 -0800

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.

"If you can't tie a knot, tie a lot."

bokinney — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 21:27:16 -0800

"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. I would be interested in any uses of or references to this phrase in popular culture. Also any insights into the origin of the phrase. This site claims it was the "motto of a representative of the Winslow Liferaft Company," but gives no explanation. The Winslow Liferaft Company still exists, but I can't find any mention of the phrase on their site.

I have a feeling that I heard this in some totally obvious place, but I have been wracking my brain trying to remember and it's not happening.

He/she has the IQ of a...

adverb — Wed, 23 May 2007 09:59:00 -0800

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!

Help me translate two phrases into Farsi

perissodactyl — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 15:58:19 -0800

Help me speak and write two phrases in Farsi. I don't speak Farsi, but as part of an ongoing inside joke with a native speaker of the language, I would like to be able to pronounce correctly, and more importantly be able to write, the following two phrases in Farsi:

1) "I don't know the answer."
2) "This is a complete and total mystery to me."

So what I need are translations of the above written (a) phonetically with Latin characters and (b) using the Persian alphabet. Non-literal translations that express the referenced ideas so that they'd sound natural to a native speaker are preferred...

What's the origin of the phrase "last, best hope for.."?

barbelith — Sun, 08 Apr 2007 16:23:48 -0800

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?

Short English phrases

lain — Sat, 07 Apr 2007 15:12:53 -0800

Is there a name for common phrases such as "at last" or "just in case" or "ever after"? Words that go together to create such common, little, almost unnoticeable phrases. I'm just wondering what these are called if they have a name. Do you know any more of these?

Is 'proof, if proof be need be' a Chris Morris coinage, or a real phrase?

jack_mo — Fri, 03 Nov 2006 02:30:25 -0800

Is the phrase 'proof, if proof be need be' a Chris Morris coinage? Yesterday morning on the Today programme, during an interview with a member of A-ha (!) a reporter used the phrase 'proof, if proof be need be'.

As far as I'm aware, this weird, mangled formulation originated on the Chris Morris/Armando Iannucci show The Day Today, in an Episode 2 sketch about rogue street dentists.

So, did the BBC hack (hilariously) pick up the phrase from The Day Today, or is it a 'real' phrase, pre-dating the sketch?

Colloquialism

jasondigitized — Tue, 31 Oct 2006 07:42:54 -0800

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?

More like "Ready or not here I come!"

typewriter — Wed, 09 Aug 2006 12:36:29 -0800

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".