Stupid things people have actually said to you.

[johnnystress]

You made me curious

''fit as a fiddle''
http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/40250.html

Origin

Of course the 'fiddle' here is the colloquial name for violin. 'Fit' didn't originally mean healthy and energetic, in the sense it is often used nowadays to describe the inhabitants of gyms. When this phrase was coined 'fit' was used to mean 'suitable, seemly', in the way we now might say 'fit for purpose'.

Thomas Dekker, in The batchelars banquet, 1603 referred to 'as fine as a fiddle':

"Then comes downe mistresse Nurse as fine as a farthing fiddle, in her petticoate and kertle."

Not long afterwards, in 1616, there's W. Haughton's English-men for my Money, which includes:

"This is excellent ynfayth [in faith], as fit as a fiddle."

[Dandontdare]

While we're on the subject of sayings, there's a couple of alternative sayings that me and a friend used to regularly argue about, except I can no longer remember exactly which side we were each on.

Is it "see a pin and pick it up/all the day you'll have good luck" OR "see a penny, pick it up... etc"?

And is it "stranger things happen at sea" or "worse things happen at sea"?

[SmallBlueThing]

Penny and worse, down here. Though 'stranger...' is something I've heard, and it means something else. The first is to cheer somebody up, the second to comment upon weird shit.

SBT

[Peter Wolf]

While we're on the subject of sayings, there's a couple of alternative sayings that me and a friend used to regularly argue about, except I can no longer remember exactly which side we were each on.

Is it "see a pin and pick it up/all the day you'll have good luck" OR "see a penny, pick it up... etc"?

And is it "stranger things happen at sea" or "worse things happen at sea"?

I have been picking pennies up for years and i never have any good luck afterwards.

[TordelBack]

I have been picking pennies up for years and i never have any good luck afterwards.

Ha'pennies, on the other hand...!

[Peter Wolf]

I have been picking pennies up for years and i never have any good luck afterwards.

Ha'pennies, on the other hand...!

I posted that in haste as there are two types of 1878 halfpennies and one is more valueable than the other and i cant work out the difference.I didnt realise that it was of a scarce date when i bought it but i always see boxes of pennies and halfpennies at boot fairs etc and i always go through them.The vast majority of victorian copper is worn out with no detail but if they are not and the detail is still crisp like new then they are worth quite a bit.

[M.I.K.]

Pin (which I'm pretty sure is the original phrase), and worse (ditto, although stranger things have indeed been known to occur at sea also).

[Peter Wolf]

I just watched a video of ignorant people in London being asked questions by We Are Change and one of those who was asked if they knew what the Magna Carta is answered that it was something to do with the Da Vinci Code.Another answered the same question that it was something to do with "division and trading".


At 1.05 seconds in i paused the video as i had seen enough.


It was very funny but at the same time its disturbing and depressing and tragic that apparently educated people can be so utterly ignorant and the peculiar thing is its all a big joke to them all as they seem to find it all very amusing and the reason they are so happy is because they are ignorant and dumbed down and in some ways i envy them as i wish i was as stupid and ignorant and unwordly as they are.

[M.I.K.]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNZosqiJISs

[TordelBack]

I've never forgiven her for betraying Chira.

[House of Usher]

"Is this a smart phone?"   


I don't ****ing know! I don't know what a smart phone even is! It's not my department. If you want a smart phone, buy a sodding smart phone. Don't just pick up one product and wish it had the properties of a different product, because wishful thinking isn't going to transfer the properties of one product onto a different one.

[TordelBack]

I don't know what a smart phone even is! It's not my department.

Bleedin' jobsworths.  Time to get you on to a commission-only basis, young man.


ALTERNATIVE RESPONSE:

"Why yes Sir, I think it looks very smart indeed.  Positively formal, if Sir doesn't resent me making the observation".  (Tugs forelock and backs away)

[House of Usher]

(Tugs forelock and backs away pivots on one heel, turning smartly away from customer, walks to the back of the counter and busies self with pile of paperwork in the corner or security tagging expensive merchandise)

Fixed that for you!

Incidentally, 'jobsworth'? moi? I'll have you know... etc.

[Peter Wolf]

I have no idea what a smart phone is but presumably if your phone isnt a smart phone its a stupid or not so smart phone.

[Cyberleader2000]

I know this thread is called Stupid things people have actually said to you but I said something prety bone headed yesterday. I was talking to a friend about about car alarms (why I managed to get on to that subject is beyound me) any way I was saying how I did not think any one on oure streat had a car alarm and what I ment to say was "I dont think any one here has alarms on there cars but what I atachilky said was "I dont think any one here has cars on there alarms"