Thursday Thirteen #4: Body Part Cliches

13 Body Part Cliches

1. As plain as the nose on your face--depending on how large your nose is, this is an insult or a compliment.

2. No skin off my nose--not sure how this one came about, unless there was a lot of skidding face first along concrete sometime in the past.

3. By the skin of my teeth--skin? of teeth?!

4. Keep your eyes peeled--eyes? peeled?!

5. I have a gut feeling--bad meal at a fast food joint?!

6. I don't have the stomach for it--as a result of #5?

7. It costs an arm and a leg--we used to add: 'and a foot and a toe' to connote something really expensive!

8. Turn the other cheek--not going to touch that with the proverbial 10-foot pole.

9. On the tip of my tongue--where many words reside, refusing to move to my brain.

10. Butter wouldn't melt in her mouth--an old-fashioned one; I was never quite sure what this actually meant.

11. Straight from the horse's mouth--clearly, a Mr. Ed reference, isn't it?!

12. I need it like a hole in the head--applies to many things, but what a grisly image!

13. Off the top of my head--lots of things hover here, too (see #9)

Happy TT, everyone!

Comments

Unknown said…
Yeah, these are so used, that I have no idea what they mean anymore! (If I ever did) Very funny TT!
Qtpies7 said…
Turn the other cheek I understand, but the butter one is weird and I don't think I've even heard it before.
Great list!
my favorite is

Sick as a Dog

Why? What made that dog so sick? Poor Dog.

Great list
Lori said…
Michelle,
Nice list. I think the "butter wouldn't melt in her mouth" one means she's kind of cold, doesn't it? It's been a while since I've heard it used (smile).
Michelle said…
Yes, I think so, Lori, but what always confused me as a child was it seemed it was said fondly...hmmm, maybe it was those sneaky adults trying to put another one over on us kids!
Happy TT!
Sassyfrazz said…
Great post...it is a fun post to read! Thanks for stopping by!
Yuriko said…
Very interesting read! :)
Chelle Y. said…
Cute TT! I like your comments after them!

www.chelleyoung.com
Marilyn said…
Fun... wasn't the turn the other cheak thing from the Bible? I think it was Jesus talking and he said that if somebody strikes you on one cheak you should offer your other one to be hit too. He was talking about faces.
Marilyn said…
say err cheek... oh heck, ignore me. Okay?
1UP RPG said…
I had to giggle about some of these. I never thought about how strange some of those sayings were. "Eyes peeled" especially.

Thanks for visiting my blog today. Come back soon, ok?

Bob

Every, Every Minute
Vickie said…
Great post! Makes you wonder how some of these saying came about.

http://scpepccee.blogspot.com/
Anonymous said…
That's a great list! :)
Heather said…
The butter one means she is "icy" or "cold." In other words, unfeeling. We'd just call her a 5 letter word beginning with a B and be done with it. ;)
Anonymous said…
Good list. We hear these all the time without really thinking about them.
Anonymous said…
Great list. I've always thought the same about #3.