mikesnotes

  My newest top ten list is a look at Idioms which are figurative phases that should NOT be taken literally, but what if they were?  For example, suppose you were helping someone to learn the language and they took every phrase at face value.  Everyone has heard the phrase "it's raining cats and dogs." Imagine the surprised look on their face when confronted with that statement.  Does that happen often? What kind of cats and dogs?  What happens to them? Let's take a look at a few more. 10)    "Pardon my French" - Almost no one who uses that phrase can speak French.  9)   "Break a leg" - not really good advice unless you happen to be the understudy for that performance. Otherwise, it seems pretty cruel to put that thought in a performers mind just before the show. 8)     "Dime a dozen" - clearly outdated - a dime won't buy a dozen of anything. 7)     "There's a frog in my throat" - I doubt if that is even possibl...

  10)     Modern golf started when some guy over in Scotland decided to dig a four- and one-half inch hole in the middle of a field and make a ball small enough to fit and oh yeah, how about a wooden stick to help you get in the hole. 9)     That sounded like so much fun, this Scottish guy said let's do it seventeen more times. 8)     With most sports, controlling a moving ball is normally the challenge, but with golf, the ball just sits there, teed up in perfect position - how hard can it be to hit it down the fairway. 7)     With about every other sport if you or your team scores the most points/touchdowns, etc. you generally win.  Not so much with golf - if your score is higher than your opponent meaning you took more strokes you LOSE!!! 6)     Golf has this rule about not touching the ball - don't do it, even if it is behind a tree, in the tall grass, or the ditch.  Ove...

  10)     There are no friends like old friends. 9)     If you are lucky, you will have one best friend with each passing generation, and 3-5 good friends during your lifetime.  If you are really lucky that one best friend will be with you every generation. 8)     A best friend will agree with you because you will be on the same page most of the time, but yet he/she is not afraid to challenge you when necessary. 7)      Your best friend will loan you money, but never more than he/she can afford to lose. 6)       Your best friend is really old if he/she still uses these phrases " leave a message on the answering machine," "call me a cab", and "they are going steady." 5)     If your best friend is younger and perhaps from a different generation you will communicate very differently - you must be able to "  Tweet," "Poke," and "Tag." 4)     Your best friend will not hesit...