Enough with the cliches

[Oldandeasilyconfused]

At work.

"The great bulks of the interstellar ships hung in the air exactly like bricks don't."    Late Douglas Adams.


  While not actually a great fan of Mr Adam's works I do find his way with 'Turns of phrase' to be unique and memorable on the whole.

 Yair.

One I remember I think comes from Slartibartfast " hurry or you'll be late, as in the late Arthur Dent" , not a cliche but a nice turn of phrase.

We have lot in Oz, but I can only remember three at the moment  "Busy? I'm flat out like a lizard drinking"   and "I feel lower than a snake's belly in a wagon rut"  and " I haven't laughed so hard since ma got tits caught in't mangle" (I think that one might be British. ' A mangle' was a manual clothes ringer, so getting to about 100 years old)

Because English is a living language, much of the vernacular just fades away with time. Have you ever heard the phrase "as rich as Crassus?" Neither  have I, but I'll bet it was common for a long time in ancient Rome, possibly making it into English". Marcus Crassus was the richest man in Rome. I've read that in real terms he was the richest man who ever lived. I suspect not including today's IT billionaires. He was the bloke who wiped out Spartacus and his army.

Slang too.  The late Steve Irwin made me cringe with his 'crikey' and his crass behaviour. Apart  from him, I can't remember when I last heard that. Probably some time in the 1950's. Same goes for "cobber". However, 'mate' remains omnipresent. (this word has no single meaning in formal English)


Below Steve, his baby and the crocodile. The bloke was a drongo. (another archaic slang term, meaning fool)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5lIXAovhp0