Play it by?

**GavinZac** · 01/05/2007, 4:05 PM

Originally Posted by paul_oshea

no you didn't there was no way to read that wrong, you just didnt know.

Are you calling me a liar then? He said something about "50 states plus Alaska and Hawaii" which i half read, which I'd have thought would be understandable having been awake around 30 hours to and from Belfast. Obviously though, you've decided you of know my propensity to lie and my lack of geographical pointless info... which given your obvious gift for spotting these sort of things, you should really tell "micls" because shes under the impression that i'm a sad git who knows far too much useless information... speaking of which...

Originally Posted by paul_oshea

gav, i always thought it as, dont make a judgement/decision just yet/too hastily or just way to see out it pans out or just way to see what happens from what you (h)ear etc etc....which doesnt really make any reference to the idea of playing a song by ear i.e. no musical sheets. i am open to your suggestion though.

The phrase comes from music, with the reasoning I explained. You don't usually "play" a judgment. I know what the phrase is used for in everyday English, thank you. Phrases usually have specialised meanings which catch on in general use until eventually people don't even question them any more, e.g.:

"Cut to the chase" - film (chase scenes were, and are, favoured moments of action movies. in the days before speech when a child-packed audience didn't care about plot scenes and was getting restless, hosts would swap in the chase reel of the film.)
"on the fly" - flight (pilots have given us plenty of phrases and this is one - it is deviating from the planned flight path, "on the fly(ight)")
"cut the mustar(d)" - military (at muster, troops are inspected by commanders. not making the cut in a muster is a mark of disgrace for an unfit soldier.)
"the third degree" - masonic (masons are quizzed before achieving the third degree)
"bottom line" - accounting (the last figure is usually denoted by being underlined three times)
"p*ss like a racehorse" - horse training (racehorses are sometimes given diuretics to force them to become dehydrated and lose weight)
"look a gift horse in the mouth" - horse trading (the older a horse is, the further its gums shrink back from its teeth)

**osarusan** · 01/05/2007, 4:19 PM

"He's a young twenty-year old"

**strangeirish** · 01/05/2007, 4:30 PM

Originally Posted by osarusan

and of course...........very unique.
this is a very unique opportunity.
oh dear!

Kind of like 'How do you catch a unique rabbit?'.
Unique up on him.

**noby** · 02/05/2007, 8:16 AM

Originally Posted by finlma

People who say "pacific" instead of "specific" or people who say "patren" instead of "pattern" bug me no end. Learn the language properly.

I have a friend who calls a bannister a balister and insists that he is right.

The bannister is the hand rail. The baluster is the vertical support. Your friend may not be that wrong.

**paul_oshea** · 02/05/2007, 9:29 AM

does anyone know where sideburns came from? well ill tell ye, the term is a corruption of Ae Burnside, a union general in the US Civil War. He was more famed for his distinguishing whiskers than his abillities on the battlefield. the term burnsides was originally used but 10 years later it inexplicably reversed and was then known as sideburns.

I know what the phrase is used for in everyday English, thank you

you are more than welcome. However, I wasn't telling you, I was just making a point. I am pretty confident you knew what context it was used in.

Oh and I was joking saying no you didnt, it was meant in reference to the younger years where one person would say something and then everyone else would say "no you didnt!". I thought from the general stuff I had been saying earlier that would have come across pretty clearly

**GavinZac** · 02/05/2007, 9:55 AM

Originally Posted by paul_oshea

Oh and I was joking saying no you didnt, it was meant in reference to the younger years where one person would say something and then everyone else would say "no you didnt!". I thought from the general stuff I had been saying earlier that would have come across pretty clearly

well use one of these

dammit!

**OwlsFan** · 02/05/2007, 10:02 AM

I have also met people who say "pass mustard" instead of "pass muster"

**Jerry The Saint** · 02/05/2007, 10:28 AM

Ad on the radio at the moment about some newspaper that is more refreshing than an

expresso

The coffee is called espresso - there's no 'X'!

Although this is a mistake that occurs so often it's probably come to be accepted as a valid pronunciation/spelling of the beverage.

Like with 'nucular' instead of 'nuclear' - if the President of the United States AND Jack Bauer pronounce a word the same way you have to wonder if everyone else should just fall in line.

**pineapple stu** · 02/05/2007, 12:43 PM

You'd somtimes hear Alex Ferguson referred to as Alec Ferguson, actually.

**paul_oshea** · 02/05/2007, 12:50 PM

thats how the scots say it stu ( well the Scots-Scots

).

having said that you often hear alec baldwin.

**Wolfie** · 02/05/2007, 12:51 PM

Misinterpreted lyrics of songs can also cause havoc.

Jimi Hendrix famous tune "Purple Haze" has a line:

"Scuse me - while I kiss the sky" .....cue riff.

I read of someone who thought it was "Scuse me - while I kiss this guy" ....cue laughter !!!

**pineapple stu** · 02/05/2007, 12:52 PM

Was watching University Challenge one time - the question was something like "Complete the following phrase - Oh what a tangled web we weave..." I always thought that was "When first we practice to conceive", until the teams corrected me and gave the answer as "When first we practice to deceive"

Prefer my version though.

Originally Posted by paul-oshea

thats how the scots say it stu

In that case, you often hear Alec Ferguson referred to as Alex Ferguson.

**noby** · 02/05/2007, 1:18 PM

Originally Posted by Wolfie

Misinterpreted lyrics of songs can also cause havoc.

Jimi Hendrix famous tune "Purple Haze" has a line:

"Scuse me - while I kiss the sky" .....cue riff.

I read of someone who thought it was "Scuse me - while I kiss this guy" ....cue laughter !!!

In fairness, even Hendrix played this up, to keep the confusion going.

**noby** · 02/05/2007, 1:20 PM

having said that you often hear alec baldwin.

But that is what he abbreviates his name to.

**Jerry The Saint** · 02/05/2007, 1:23 PM

Originally Posted by noby

But that is what he abbreviates his name to.

Bet it's not what his daughter abbreviates his name to.

**noby** · 02/05/2007, 1:50 PM

Well, that went over my head anyway.

**BohsPartisan** · 02/05/2007, 1:59 PM

Originally Posted by noby

In fairness, even Hendrix played this up, to keep the confusion going.

http://www.kissthisguy.com/

**the 12 th man** · 02/05/2007, 2:14 PM

I've heard Brake tubes instead of brake shoes,

Karachi instead of Karcher (power washers),

Laxadaisy instead of laxadasical

and Water Lube instead of Auto Lube

**finlma** · 02/05/2007, 3:49 PM

Originally Posted by Jerry The Saint

The coffee is called espresso - there's no 'X'!

Well spotted Jerry - that add is very annoying. Its for the Clare People - they're a bit slow down there.

Loads of people say expresso.

**First** · 02/05/2007, 4:11 PM

[QUOTE=finlma;677726]Well spotted Jerry - that add is very annoying. Its for the Clare People - they're a bit slow down there.

As oppose to the speed of thought that prevails in Galway.
Baby wipe anyone