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Although I'm English, I always say 'Its gone walkabout'. Probably just a regional variation.
I think I prefer 'walkies'!
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Ran for the border is Taco Bell . hee hee
A lot of these sayings have regional variants... I grew up thinking that the house diagonally across the street was kitty-corner from me and that Coke was just the best pop. Only when I moved to Manhattan did I learn that it was really Catty-Corner and Soda.
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When I'm surprised and in polite company (a rarity, as most people around me are impolite), I say, Sacre bleu! which is French for "Holy Jerry Lewis!"
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Just finished watching the Australian soap opera (224 episodes!) and am very taken with the use of the word "stuffed" in place of our "f**ked".
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OK all. I want to know and my google searches haven't really turned up a satisfactory answer. There's an expression "I've seen the elephant" and its occasionally cited as He's seen the elephant and heard the hooty owl.
It seems to have originated in New England and has at least the elephant part has been in common usage since the civil war. (I've heard it quoted from letters home from Yankee soldiers)
The hooty owl part has me thrown though... I know that there's an American indian legend that hearing an owl call you is fortelling your death. Is that related?
In my search I even came across a variation suggesting that the full quote was "He's seen the elephant and heard the hooty owl. He's been to the other side of the mountain and heard the eagle scream"
Can anyone shed some light on these? Are they just all separate variations on the idea of having become somehow world weary or fey?
I recently came across The Seen the Elephant, Heard the Hooty Owl variant of this again in Good Times, Bad Times so I know I'm not just making this up.
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As for hoot owls signifying death, that's in Twain... Huck Finn or Tom Sawyer or both. That and the howling of a dog at night (bad juju, that). Means someone's gonna die. (Pretty stupid when you consider we're ALL gonna die.)
Newengland wrote: "We say "gone AWOL" or, in the case of single missing socks, "ran for the border.""
for those who don't know...
AWOL = Absent WithOut Leave
(originally a military term)
for those who don't know...
AWOL = Absent WithOut Leave
(originally a military term)
when I was a kid my friend used to have rhyming phrases such as -
know what I mean, jelly bean? or -
okie dokie, artichokie!
know what I mean, jelly bean? or -
okie dokie, artichokie!
Michele wrote: "Newengland wrote: "We say "gone AWOL" or, in the case of single missing socks, "ran for the border."""I've always liked the UK term "gone walkies" for things that have appeared to have walked away on their own.. it's particularly apt for socks.
An uncle used to say "Balz...ac!" when he was angry about something. I've always loved that.
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OOh. I like that. I think I'll adopt it.
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To a jaybird, no less.
There are certain expressions that I've heard as an adult that I've just loved, usually for no good reason.
One of my favoriets is when something has been misplaced - it's gone walkies. I know its British but then...