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Our new linguistic acquisitions from the Polish forums


delphiandomine 88 | 18,163
18 Feb 2019 #31
I disagree,he is doing a pretty decent job of thwarting what The British people voted for.

You can't blame him for May not having a majority and for not being able to sort out the legislative mess. The government has lost vote after vote in the Commons, so really, where's the rulebook for this sort of thing?

If May turns up tomorrow and says that they want to deliver Brexit, Bercow's not going to stop her. The only thing stopping May right now is the fact that she can't find a majority for the deal and that she can't find a majority for no deal. The common sense solution - accept that a majority of MP's support remaining in the Customs Union (and with it, freedom of movement) - is beyond her because she knows that the Tories will tear themselves apart over it.
OP pawian 221 | 23,970
18 Feb 2019 #32
Dear guys, this thread is about linguistics, not politics.

Another one found in Random

the ones that need to be knocked down a peg

Two usages:

To reduce or damage one's ego or pride; to humble or humiliate one. I'm really glad that pompous oaf lost his court case, maybe that will take him down a peg or two. It's about time that someone took Sarah down a peg. Her snotty rich-kid arrogance is intolerable!

To reprimand someone who is acting too arrogant. The teacher's scolding took Bob down a notch or two. He was so rude that someone was bound to knock him down a peg or two.

Miloslaw 19 | 4,642
18 Feb 2019 #33
Dear guys, this thread is about linguistics, not politics.

True,but you got invoved too!! :-)

The common sense solution - accept that a majority of MP's support remaining in the Customs Union (and with it, freedom of movement

Where is the "Common sense"in that when the majority of people didn't vote for it?
All academic anyway,UK is leaving EU,deal or no deal.
OK,time to respect this thread and move on....
Atch 22 | 4,096
19 Feb 2019 #34
Two usages:

I think 'knock' must be American English. I've only ever heard the phrase as 'take down a peg or two'.
Chemikiem
19 Feb 2019 #35
I've heard it as 'brought down a peg or two' , but not knock.
johnny reb 47 | 6,791
19 Feb 2019 #36
I think 'knock' must be American English. I've only ever heard the phrase as 'take down a peg or two'.

Makes me feel good to know you girls are reading my posts. :-)
Yes, it is very much so proper American English.

to knock someone down a peg (or two) - Gerund Form: Knocking an arrogant classmate down a peg or two, the teacher chastised him. to knock someone down a peg (or two) - Examples: 1) ... of his teachers, he suspects, may have wanted to knock him down a peg.

bing.com/search?q=knock+down+a+peg+definition
Lyzko 45 | 9,343
19 Feb 2019 #37
Yes, Atch, you're right about that.
OP pawian 221 | 23,970
19 Feb 2019 #38
I think 'knock' must be American English. I've only ever heard the phrase as 'take down a peg or two'.

Knocking sounds more brutal than taking, so it must be American because there is more violence in the USA.
dolnoslask 6 | 2,934
19 Feb 2019 #39
Knocking sounds more brutal

Knocking shop might not.
Miloslaw 19 | 4,642
19 Feb 2019 #40
Lol!!!!!
I think very few of the non Brits on here will even know what a "Knocking Shop" is..... :-)
I'll let you explain....... :-)
dolnoslask 6 | 2,934
19 Feb 2019 #41
I know I chucked it into the fray, i'm sure one of the girls will explain, I dare not go there.
Miloslaw 19 | 4,642
19 Feb 2019 #42
Yeah,that's best....one of the British girls can explain....... "Sneaks off laughing".....
dolnoslask 6 | 2,934
19 Feb 2019 #43
how about getting knocked up.
Miloslaw 19 | 4,642
19 Feb 2019 #44
Enough Dolno.......you are killing me....... :-)
OP pawian 221 | 23,970
20 Feb 2019 #45
yanking your chain.

When at school, they taught us about pulling one`s leg and we thought it funny. But that chain yanking is even funnier.
Rich Mazur 4 | 3,053
20 Feb 2019 #46
The adult version of that is "f***king with my brain".
OP pawian 221 | 23,970
22 Feb 2019 #47
Yanking is much better.

few companies are going to go out on a limb

If you go out on a limb, you do something or say something that is different from what most people do or say and is therefore risky. He does not want to go out on a limb and try something completely new. There's nothing wrong with politicians going out on a limb sometimes and risking their reputation.
Miloslaw 19 | 4,642
22 Feb 2019 #48
There is nothing wrong with ordinary citizens doing it either.
That is part of the problem today.
Most people are too scared to go out on a limb because of what the left wing fascists will do to them.
OP pawian 221 | 23,970
23 Feb 2019 #49
I always thought that left and fascist are seperate notions. :)

But the idiom is worth remembering, in Polish it would be: to step forward before/out of the line/row.
Miloslaw 19 | 4,642
23 Feb 2019 #50
I always thought that left and fascist are seperate notions. :)

Then you were always wrong.
OP pawian 221 | 23,970
23 Feb 2019 #51
Errare humanum est. :)
Rich Mazur 4 | 3,053
23 Feb 2019 #52
Then you were always wrong.

Political spectrum is a circle. That is why the leftists and the fascists congregate in close proximity.
Now, of course, some idiot here will tell us that they are the opposites and that is why Hitler's fascists attacked Stalin's commies. Which is bs.

Back in the day, these were just two competing gangsters - no different than gangs in Chicago or narcos in Mexico.
OP pawian 221 | 23,970
24 Feb 2019 #53
Thanks, I `d better put it down here in my collection of idioms.

to get under one's skin' which means to try and find out what a person thinks and feels, or that someone is very irritating,

Irritating I know from the song I`ve got you under my skin. Sinatra, I suppose.

To 'jump out of one's skin' is to be scared or surprised by something,

Chemikiem
24 Feb 2019 #54
Irritating I know from the song I`ve got you under my skin

In this case it means the person has very deep feelings and thinks about the other all the time.

Sinatra, I suppose.

He did one version of it.
OP pawian 221 | 23,970
24 Feb 2019 #55
In this case it means the person has very deep feelings and thinks about the other all the time.

Aaa, yes! However, isn`t there an element of mock irritation in it?
Chemikiem
24 Feb 2019 #56
isn`t there an element of mock irritation in it?

I think it's purely a love song, although the meaning can also border on obsession, but I guess only Cole Porter knew for sure :)
OP pawian 221 | 23,970
27 Feb 2019 #57
back to the grindstone!

I googled this nice one: Going back to work after a break.
Chemikiem
27 Feb 2019 #58
Yes, correct, it can be used in slightly different ways.

There is also another: to keep/put one's nose to the grindstone. It means to focus heavily on work, to be conscientious.
Lyzko 45 | 9,343
28 Feb 2019 #59
"Back to the drawing board" as well as "Back to the salt mines" are also in use.
OP pawian 221 | 23,970
2 Mar 2019 #60
There is also another: to keep/put one's nose to the grindstone. It means to focus heavily on work, to be conscientious.

OMG, I will never remember them all, it seems every day ten new ones come into being. :(:( I am too old to learn them from the scratch and all my schools were hopeless about them, too, as I was only taught high English. BTW, I once took up perusing a dictionary of idioms during school breaks and gave up after a few days because it was getting impossible. :)

Just checked into Random, that mine of information:

Make a copy of this post so you can refer to it the next time you are tempted to double down again.

mainly US to continue to do something in an even more determined way than before: Expect to see Fox double down on its marketing efforts to give the movie a big boost.

Instead of learning from his mistakes, he's doubling down.


really should know better than to mouth off in public,

1. To speak without discretion; to speak too loudly or freely, especially about sensitive topics or information. We would have gotten away with our plan if your dumb cousin hadn't started mouthing off all over town.

2. To make disrespectful comments; to sass someone. You're going to get detention again if you keep mouthing off to your teacher.



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