Tuesday, February 5, 2008

You Said What?

Yes, I was laughed at a few weeks ago when I used the phrase "it's a horse a piece" in reference to taking one route instead of another. I swear I've said this on more than one occasion, but that's neither here nor there (hah!).

"A horse a piece" means six of one, half dozen of another. In other words, two things that are basically the same. I haven't the slightest where I picked this up, but now I find myself saying it all the time. Odd looks haven't stopped me.

Am I the only 25 year old using this ancient phrase? What funny expressions do you say or find odd?

Edit- So I thought of a few more I've heard/said before on the way to work this morning:
Par for the course
The whole shebang
Ups-a-daisy
Once in a blue moon
Get 'er done
See ya later alligator

46 comments:

Katelin said...

Haha, I have never heard that before. Sounds like an Ohio thing..I kid, I kid. Lately I've been saying "Good granny" and I have no idea why. :)

Vanessa said...

I'm embarrassed to admit this: shuffle off to Buffalo
penny saved is a penny earned
hi ho hi ho its off to work I go
Ok, I think I have said enough here!

B2G said...

I have never heard that one. And I still don't really understand what it means... :P

I mostly use single words that people think are odd, like "cheeky."

Ashley said...

I'm Weird..

I say, fiddlesticks and jiminy's cricket.

Every one laughs and is telling me it's not jiminy'S cricket..but YES, YES it is! haha!

Anonymous said...

I say a bunch of southern things, like, "fixin' to". Example: I'm fixin' to go to the store, do you need anything?
B always notices and always makes fun of me.
I say ain't and y'all sometimes, but usually when I'm tired and/or not thinking and my southern heritage comes out. (I usually try and hide it)

tiff said...

you also said "I haven't the slightest" which is totally adorable, and mostly southern.

The only old fashioned thing I say I picked up from my dad. Instead of "too bad" he says "tough titties"...I guess the whole saying is "...but the milk's still sweet."

Maxie said...

I've never heard that one, but I already love it.

I know I use TONS of old phrases, but I can't remember any of them right now.

My boss is the king of these things. Sometimes he has to translate all the little phrases to me because he uses so many of them

Passionista said...

I never heard "it's a horse a piece." I have heard "it's a horse of a different color." As for sayings that I use, I can't remember any of my quirky sayings, but I know they're in there!

Jess said...

I say "dribs and drabs." That's the only one I can think of.

Anonymous said...

i absolutely use "a horse a piece" . it must be regional because one time i said it in front of brian and he was like what does that even mean. lol ;)

sometimes i do say par for the course. occasionally i say oopsie, not oops a daisy. i know a lot of people that say get-er-done. sometimes i stupidly say "same difference" (no clue) a lot.

Anonymous said...

I always say weird old timey sayings. But at the moment I cannot think of an example! My brain no worky today!

the fanny said...

My mom always used the "six of one, half dozen of another" when we were growing up, and we used to make fun of her for it. Now? I find that I use another Mom-ism nearly every day: "Jesus, Mary and Joseph!"

I'm not proud.

Anonymous said...

I've heard or said each one in your list. I've never heard of "a horse a piece" though.

And thanks for your comment yesterday! It made me smile and feel a little better :D

Alissa said...

Evan says "good golly" and it cracks me up and makes me fall in love with him a little bit more.

Andréa said...

Its a horse a piece?? I'm sorry WHAT? :D I always says Thanks Much! only b.c my dad says it and I don't really know why. Weird how we say things like that.

Lisa said...

Oh god this is my forte. I LOVE infrequently used methaphoric expressions. Like "cut a rug" instead of go dancing. Or yesterday I told my mom I'm sure she was once a "leggy brunette". I use millions "well, paint me green" "well, colour be pink", or just words like "hankering" , "ninny" and "whippersnapper". I can't think of anything else- but infrequently used expressions are the love of my life. Apple of my eye, if you will.

Julie said...

Yes. Yes you are.

I have NEVER heard of that in my life.

MRhé said...

"If wishes were horses, beggars would ride."

Usually people just say the first part of this, assuming people know the rest. But often this isn't the case...

Anna said...

okey dokey!

christa p said...

ok. i have NEVER heard it's a horse a piece, and i lived in erie for 6 years - so i am not sure how you and rachel are the only ones who have heard this. lol.

my mom always says "finer than frogs hair," "you've got more stuff, than carter has liver pills" and "more shit than shinola" - i have no idea what the root of any of these is, i think they are quite old fashioned and came from her parents - i am sure one day i will start saying these things too - oh dear!

Charm City Kim said...

I had to reread your definition of "its a horse a piece" twice to understand it! Ha!

I'm sure I saw some ancient things but they're escaping me at the moment. Crap - stupid old brain.

Le Petit Chic said...

I've never heard of that one! I say "gosh" a lot...does that count? :)

shelleycoughlin said...

I love "the whole shebang", I use it all the time!

Angela Noelle said...

Well, "dadgum" or "dadgummit" are personal favorites of mine.

I'm still not getting that "horse a piece" line though--you may have to right a thesis for us on that one!!

Maria said...

holy moly has always bothered me for reasons i don't quite understand.

Kristie said...

I have never ever heard that horse saying before. In fact, I'm thoroughly confused by it!

Anonymous said...

I have never heard that saying before either, but I did get laughed at for saying "six of one, half dozen of the other". My friends looked at me as if I had 2 heads.

Nilsa S. said...

I'm afraid to tell you ... you just slapped the I'm From Ohio sticker on your forehead! I've never seen that horse phrase ... ever ... and I've lived lots of places!

Virginia said...

Ummm, I have never heard that phrase before. I wonder if we could do a little detective work at the next Quarterhorse Congress here in town? I feel like if there is anyone left who might know the root of that phrase, he/she would probably be at the Congress. Then we can sell our story to the History Channel and buy James Marsden and Dane Cook with the proceeds. Just a thought.

Is it time for happy hour yet???

So@24 said...

My favorite saying that I use is,

"I'll be back in two shakes of a lamb's tail"

Feel free to steal it!

DG said...

And I thought elephant ears were wierd! Haha

Joe White said...

cockamamied scheme?
ass-backwards.
three sheets to the wind.

I use all three of these and have no idea why they mean what they do.

Girl from Pennsylvania said...

Oh, I lived in the south for seven years.

Shit-fire
Holy mother mary
bless her heart


I know there are more but I am brain farting at the moment. Hellfire.

Anonymous said...

Nope I've never heard that one! My Grandpa used to say, "That went as well as a fart in church." Every once in a while I'll catch myself saying that.

Julie Q said...

omg i thought it was whoops a daisies! good to know :)

Andrea said...

Haha, definitely never said "it's a horse a piece" but the "whole shebang" is in my vocabulary.

Anonymous said...

OMG. you just gave me a post idea for tomorrow...you'll see!

Donna said...

Should I be embarassed that I know/heard/used about 90% of these?
Here's a few more:

be back in a jiffy
down went Mcguiness
a stitch in time saves nine


and my husband's all time favorite imitating his Pop pop:
Holy bald-headed moses.

I'm Kate said...

I am guilty of saying "Okie dokie, artichokie." Really? I should be killed.

Larissa said...

I get mocked for saying "holy canoli" and "alrighty-roo."

Don't mind other people, I think your sayings are just lovely :)

Susie said...

I've never heard the horse piece one. But I always say things that get me weird looks from my friends. Like "that's a lot of rigamarole" and "what does that have to do with the price of tea in China?" And my mom's personal fave, "holy crow!"

Yoda said...

Never heard "horse a piece"! Farmland lingo?

My personal favorite is: Frack.

email said...

Oh, there are SO many I say, but I'm drawing a blank now that you ask. Though like a commentor said, I say "Fixin' to" do something. I also use the "(s)he's not the sharpest knife in the drawer" and similar sayings about people like my ex-husband. :)

L Sass said...

I've never heard "horse a piece," but I say TONS of dorky things!! I just, of course, can't think of any of them right now. Although I used the phrase "Come to Jesus talk" with a coworker today and he had no idea what I was talking about.

Jennie said...

I always say (at work), "Don't poke the bear" like "don't rile someone up for no reason... someone who's already stressed out." But my co-workers think it's hilarious because they've never heard it.

BB said...

I'm a Brit so I guess to Americans we say some weird stuff. Although I use some American sayings and words and my friends are like 'wtf?'

I too say 'tough titties' (though 'tough shit' is better) and 'Christ on a BIKE!' (Why? No idea.)

Oh, and there's 'Uncle Tom Cobley and all' which means the same as 'all and sundry'. I wondered why people said it, and found that it originates from an old poem.

And off-topic slightly, 'fanny' over here means your vagina, so 'fannypack' is THE. FUNNIEST. WORD. EVER.

Me? Childish? Pfft...