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Recently, I have pondered the use in a couple different sayings or clichés regarding elephants. Thinking on them I began to get all “Tickled Pink” and some of my own thoughts around these well-known sayings began to surface. For instance:
1. “How do you eat an elephant?”
“One bite at a time!”
Really? Seriously now, who came up with that one? Like who would be eating an elephant? I’m fully aware that the thought was that an elephant is so huge; many would be puzzled as to where to start. I don’t know about you, but I certainly would not be thinking about where to start – my thought would be more in tune with “what the heck do you want me to eat an elephant for?” And never mind the one bite at a time prospect, I am not fond of meat, so that one bite would either a) take me an hour or more to chew and TRY to swallow or b) be spat out within milliseconds of touching my lips. And that’s to say that it got that far!
Then the second elephant saying that has me pondering with quite the “Tickled Pink” kind of giggling is:
2. “And let’s talk about the elephant in the room.”
Honestly, my first thought when I hear people say this is to shout – “Oh my goodness, how did someone get an elephant in this room?” Or – “who you calling an elephant – how rude!”
Before you think I have hatred toward elephants and start sending me “Save the Tusks” literature, that’s not what I’m saying! I’m just trying to figure out what do elephants have to do with the situations people are trying to discuss? No wonder people say that the English language is the hardest to learn!
How about we just say what we mean:
1. “How do you handle a difficult situation?”
“One step at a time!”
2. “Yo, am I the only one that sees this? Why are the rest of
you ignoring the obvious here?
Which saying or cliché is one that always makes you stop to ponder? Share it in the comment section so we can all have a giggle or two and make today a “Tickled Pink” kinda day!
Oh, and no elephants were harmed in this post, nor were their feelings hurt! And please do not start sending me little elephant statues…I’m really okay without them!!
…and that’s all I have to say about that!
Tammy
My favorite… best thing since sliced bread… how bad was it that sliced bread was the standard 🙂 I also like… tickled pink…
Yeah, the sliced bread one was fun! I’m glad you like the Tickled Pink one…I happen to know someone else who likes that…….
well, Nick if you didn’t have a sharp knife back in those days when sliced bread came out for the first time… something new and useful probably was the best thing since sliced bread. lol
Tammy, maybe it started as so many things do- as a polite way of commenting on something uncomfortable and it just stuck- who knows? but, we all do know what is meant by using those comments don’t we? isn’t the english language amazing?!!
Amazing AND confusing! I had Chinese neighbors a while back and it was hilarious trying to explain to them when they heard a new saying and wondered what it actually meant!!!
My favorite ‘momism’ is “I say what I mean and I mean what I say”. I tried real hard all through childhood to not piss off my parents. Because “Don’t make me stop the car” is also a very effective deterrent to BAD BEHAVIOR!
Ohhh, those are good!!! Or how about the…”Stop your crying or I’ll give you something to cry about.” Really, like we are not already crying?!
Yeah, I got the stop your crying one as well. Are you sure we weren’t raised by the same parents? The same generation of parents for sure! I told the girls the other day that you should not
make plans the “flying by the seat of your pants” way and they made me explain what I meant. Who else had a mother in love with Charles Lindburg??? My mother and CL shared a birthday, I think that is why she was so crazy about him.