Amerispeak (expressions)

So the other day I wrote my friend Bara an email. He told me he was going to be on a plane for 14 hours back from visiting his parents. My reply was "Holy cow!" and Bara thought this was very funny. Why would anyone say "Holy cow!" when they were excited? This flashed me back to one of my international students when I was a teacher. They wanted to know what "Holy" actually meant in the expression. Meant? Well nothing. Holy means something but "Holy Cow" really means nothing. It's just an "expression".

I realized that these expressions we use everyday help make our language incredibly difficult to learn. They mean nothing like what they actually say. So I am including some of my favorite expressions and including what they mean for all my non-English-speaking visitors. I hope this helps you understand our utterly ridiculous language. (And we agree -- learning English is incredibly frustrating. Even for those of us who grow up speaking it.)

Please post a comment if you think I have forgotten an important expression, and I will add it to my list. Bara, I hope this helps you understand even more of our crazy language.

(Oh and P.S. our play an dinner last night was GREAT fun. I'll post pictures as soon as Rachel sends them to me!)

• Aw, you're just saying that! means: Thanks for the compliment.
• Dad gum it / Dag-nabbit! / Doggone it means: Shoot, crud, wow, etc.
• Holy cow / mackeral /Jimeney Cricket means: Unbelievable!
• Do I have to knock some sense into you? means: What will it take to make you understand?
• Get out! means: I don't believe you!
• Hog wash or bologna (pronounced boloney) means: whatEVER
• Keep your shirt on means: Wait a minute or don't rush me
• Let me have a crack at it means: Let me try to do it.
• Mark my words means: Believe me, one day you'll be sorry
• Oh, for Pete's sake! means: I don't believe this mess/screwup!
• Put a sock in it! means: Be quiet
• Quit splitting hairs! means: Quit arguing about it
• Quit yer lollygaggin means: Stop wasting time
• Well, I'll be a monkey's uncle! means: Well, how about that!
• You ain't just whistlin' Dixie! means: And that's the truth
• Stop pulling my leg means: You're not serious?
• There's more fish in the sea means: You can find someone else
• A chip off the old block means: You are just like your parent/s
• A dime a dozen means: It's very common
• A frog in my throat means: I can't speak
• Ain't that the pot calling the kettle black means: Soft way to tell a person they are a hypocrite
• As plain as the nose on your face means: It's obvious
• Apple of my eye means: A parent is proud
• Don't throw the baby out with the bath water means: Don't get rid of the good while you are trying to get rid of the bad
• My bad means: My fault
• Bring home the bacon means: Get a paycheck / support a family
• Got out of on the wrong side of the bed means: I woke up cranky
• Bite the bullet means: take the chance
• That's for the birds means: That's dumb, waste of time
• Blood is thicker than water means: Family is most important
• A spade is a spade means: You can't change what you are
• Opening a can of worms means: Bringing up a more involved topic than originally intended
• Cat got your tongue? means: You don't know what to say
• I let the cat out of the bag means: I accidentally gave the ending away
• I was caught red-handed means: There's no doubt I was guilty
• Close but no cigar means: Almost
• I went cold turkey means: You quit something without any help
• Cut to the chase means: Get to the point
• At the drop of a hat means: Quickly (She gets mad at "the drop of a hat")
• Eat crow / humble pie means: You "put your foot in your mouth" or said something that was obviously wrong and you have to admit it
• Whatever floats your boat means: Do whatever you want
• Heavens to Betsy means: Oh my!
• Hold down the fort means: Take care of things while I am gone
• Get off your high horse means: Don't be so proud
• Needle in a haystack means: It's impossible to find -- like trying to "find a needle in a haystack"
• You have to take it with a grain of salt means: Don't take this too seriously
• Pie in the sky means: A goal that is probably not reachable or very amazing
• I'm on cloud 9 means: Very excited

NEW READER ADDITIONS:

• Head's up means: Something is about to hit you or look out!
• Shut up means: No way!
• Break a leg means: Good luck
• Rats! means: things didn't go as planned like "shoot!"