JUNE 24, 2008 | 'To follow your nose' and other idioms noone uses
Recently a friend of ours asked us whether or not people use the idiom "You can't teach your grandma to suck eggs." We had to laugh because neither of us had even heard of this idiom (proverb, really) let alone used it.
The lesson for today is: Be careful which idioms you learn - they might be archaic or inappropriate. Here are a couple of funny ones: 1) "No dice" - used a lot in the 1970s to mean "no way" or "it's not going to happen". Maybe back then people gambled a lot more, so using the word "dice" was appropriate :) 2) Follow your nose - anyone who grew up in North America associates this phrase with Toucan Sam, a cartoon toucan that appeared in Fruit Loops commercials. It's best to avoid using this phrase unless you use it as a joke. 3) "To run afoul of someone" = to run into, causing a collision, etc. 4) "To paint the town red" = to go out, party, and have a good time. Normal people have not used this one since about 1955. 5) Paddy wagon = prisoner transport vehicle. Noone uses "paddy wagon" no matter what some clueless ESL sites might tell you.
Remember, if you want to learn REAL idioms that people use every day, we have a list at http://www.learnenglishfeelgood.com/americanidioms/
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