Colloquialisms...where did they start? (St. Louis: snake, place, rain)

[Lake Junkie]

It's hard to think about draining the swamp when you're up to your a** in alligators...

[missymomof3]

How about dumb as a box of rocks? or ate up with stupid? lol seems like all of mine are insults!

[jdslady]

How many times have you told your kids:
"Don't make me stop this car and come back there."
Or if they are crying............."you want me to give you something to cry about", well gee, seems like they already have something to cry about. Or "Do you want a spanking"........ well duh, would YOU???

How about "more nervous than a cat in a room full of rocking chairs"

[missymomof3]

Oh I forgot about antsy as a cat on a hot skillet (my mom said that about my grandma)

[slahgirl]

Everybody says "Do what?" around here! You are right, it does make no sense! But I say it......I think it means, like "I didn't hear you, you are going to do what now?"
I have also heard, he was "drunker than Cooter Brown."
Not sure who cooter brown is!
And I have heard someone described as "handier than a shirt pocket."
and when our friend's son had done something stupid, he said he "must have been eating retard sandwiches."
Those are just a few off the top of my head.

[straw hat]

Originally Posted by bentaxlecrew

I do not know the answer to the "do what" phrase. I dont think I've even heard it. How about this one though.

Hunky dory. I think we've all said it a time or two. It means everythings good!
Origin is... Huncho-dori was the name of a street often visited by American sailors on leave during W.W. I. To be enjoying Huncho-dori meant to be enjoying leasure activities and having a good time.
Interesting huh? The things we learn. I have always been interested in origins of any kind. If curiosity kills the cat. Why am I stlll here?

Curiosity killed the cat. Satisfaction brought him back.

[jdslady]

Here's one my hubby said today that I had never heard before:
"She changes her mind more than baby diapers"............

[Nomadicus]

Has anyone heard this before? "What have you been doing lately?" Answer "Just a moseying around." "Moseying (spelling?) around was a commonly heard expression I heard a lot of during the 50's. Seems to have died a natural death as I haven't heard it in many years.

[johninvegas]

Fun thread.

My wife has one "feeling snarky" apparently a chicago thing meaning you're irritable.

Also, "don't get your shorts in a bundle".

How about one taco short of a combination plate.

When I was in college at SMS--now MSU--one of the cafeteria ladies used to ask, "melp-U?" which translates to "May I help you?"

I do have an answer for one of the first things asked about. The dollar began to be called a buck back in the old fur-trading days. When some one asked how many furs for a dollar, it would be one buck--a deerskin.

[Nomadicus]

Easy as "shootin fish in a barrel!" Guess the water leaked out through the holes an then all you had to do was scoop 'em up

Did anyone ever really shoot fish in a barrel? Dynamite makes good bait but shootin fish in a barrel? Defies imagination.