Sunday, April 30, 2017
The "Sometimes It Gives Me The Heebie Jeebies" Story
It was an ordinary day. Doing some searching online about something known as an "idiom". Every heard of an "idiom"? I have been hearing them and using them just about all my lifetime, but wasn't sure what they were called. I'm sure when I was a public school student I knew what the word "idiom" meant, but over time I tend to forget the meaning of words unless I use them all the time. So, what does it mean when you say ... "You're giving me the heebie jeebies"? Well, it means you're making me uncomfortably nervous. And, the heebie jeebies is an American English idiom. I've never found if it may be used in other languages other than American English, but if so, it may perhaps mean something entirely different. So, how about saying to someone ... you're scaring the bejeebers out of me. In this case it means to shock or frighten someone very suddenly and/or severely. Same goes for the idiom screaming abdabs which means you are inducing an attack of extreme anxiety or irritation in someone. Therefore when you say, "You're giving me the screaming abdabs," you mean you're giving me an attack of delirium tremens. OK, I realize you have no idea what delirium tremens might be. It is a rapid onset of confusion. Now, I could give you a few idioms that you may recognize such as: Mumbo jumbo which denotes confusing language; Hocus pocus which means bringing about some sort of change; Let your freak flag fly which means to let others see your uniqueness; Stick to your guns which means to refuse to compromise or change you mind; Pound the pavement which means to walk the streets looking for a job; Leave no stone unturned means to do everything you can to achieve your goal; Cut somebody some slack which means to give someone a break or not judge them too severely; Once in a blue moon which means when something rarely happens; Go down in flames which means to end or fail suddenly and spectacularly; Hang in there which means wait and be patient; Running on fumes which means to continue to stay awake when feeling exhausted; Blow smoke which means to exaggerate or say things that aren't true to make you seem better: Be tickled pink means to be excited by all the compliments you've received; A Baker's dozen which means thirteen; Skeleton Crew means the minimum number of people needed to do something; No-Brainer which means an easy decision; and Piece of Cake which means having a piece of cake ... and ice cream. Nah, it really means when something is extremely easy to do. Then there are funny English idioms that you may not know such as: Do a Devon Loch which means you suddenly fail when everybody expects you to succeed, since Devon Loch was a racehorse that collapsed just short of the finish line in 1956; Bob's your uncle which means 'everything is alright' or something will be done, sorted or successful; Do a runner which means leaving in a hurry to avoid having to pay for something; Hairy at the heel which means a person is ill-bred, dangerous or untrustworthy; If you'll pardon my French means you are apologizing for swearing; Cat got your tongue which means you are unable to speak; More holes than Swiss cheese means something has a lot of problems; and When pigs fly means it will never happen. And, have you ever had the collywobbles? This idiom refers to a feeling of fear or nervousness. So now my good readers, you have had your language lesson for the day. I was a "C" student in English when I was in elementary, junior high and high school. Oh yeah, add college to that list, and haven't progressed much beyond that after school, as you can see. But, when it comes to telling stories, I have the Whole Delfrunken!! And, you can make up whatever you think that means ... since that's exactly what I did. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
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