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English turns of phrase I will never understand

OdradekOdradek
in General
"Not to put too fine a point on it"

"Not for nothing but"

"VERBed NOUN but good"

Comments

  • glennmagusharveyglennmagusharvey
    So can you or can you not care less?
  • glennmagusharveyglennmagusharvey
    glennmagusharvey said:

    So can you or can you not care less?

    Actually, to be fair, on this one I usually take "can't care less" to be a stronger version of "can care less".

    "can care less" is like "I don't care, but I'm going to take the time to pay it lip service to humor whatever you're saying."

    "can't care less" is like "stop bothering me; I don't want to have anything to do with this."
  • OdradekOdradek
    My dreams exceed my real life
    I knew you would hijack this thread, but I hoped you wouldn't
  • ToolsieToolsie
    ಠ_ಠ
    "Bollocks" = Bad

    "Dog's bollocks" = Good

    I don't understand it myself, and I use those phrases all the time
  • glennmagusharveyglennmagusharvey
    Toolsie said:

    "Bollocks" = Bad

    "Dog's bollocks" = Good

    I don't understand it myself, and I use those phrases all the time

    Kinda like how "shit" is bad but "the shit" is good.
    Odradek said:

    I knew you would hijack this thread, but I hoped you wouldn't

    If you wanted to talk about only the phrases you mentioned, and no others, I'm sorry I misunderstood.
  • OdradekOdradek
    My dreams exceed my real life
    CarnEvil said:

    "Not to put too fine a point on it"


    "Not for nothing but"

    "VERBed NOUN but good"
    Still bothers me
  • Sredni VashtarSredni Vashtar
    “I'm surprised. Those clothes… but, aren't you…?”
    "Not to put too fine a point on it" is a play on the concept of a "pointed" or "barbed" statement. The finer the point, the sharper.
  • Princess AlicePrincess Alice
    You are the end result of a “would you push the button” prompt where the prompt was “you have unlimited godlike powers but you appear to all and sundry to be an impetuous child” – Zero, 2022
    Say I'm the only bee in your bonnet

    Make a little birdhouse in your soul
  • AnonusAnonus
    I've learned to tolerate drama...except on the boat
    Toolsie said:

    "Bollocks" = Bad

    "Dog's bollocks" = Good

    I don't understand it myself, and I use those phrases all the time

    it's because us dogs are better than you humans and you know it
  • TatterhoodTatterhood
    That one reminds me of the dichotomy between "this is shit" and "this is the shit".
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