Misunderstood Phrase 1

[BJCooperIT]

When I was a kid I saw an ad that claimed:

"Lettuce $.32 a head - none higher!"

I started lauging hysterically because I thought it meant that you could not find a higher price anywhere. I had to ask someone why the store would brag about having the highest price in town. It was embarrassing to discover that I had totally misunderstood the intent of "none higher".

What phrases have a muddled meaning to you?

[sup]Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.[/sup][sup] ~George Bernard Shaw[/sup]
Consultant Developer/Analyst Oracle, Forms, Reports & PL/SQL (Windows)
My website: Emu Products Plus

 

[tgreer]

So what was the intent of "none higher"?

Thomas D. Greer

http://www.tgreer.com

 

[Stella740pl]

So what was the intent of "none higher"?

I guess, they meant
"None of our lettuce heads is priced higher than $.32 a piece".

 

[BJCooperIT]

Exactly Stella!

[sup]Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.[/sup][sup] ~George Bernard Shaw[/sup]
Consultant Developer/Analyst Oracle, Forms, Reports & PL/SQL (Windows)
My website: Emu Products Plus

 

[columb]

Given what we did, or rather tried to do, with lettuce sap back in my wilder youthful days in the sixties I can easily misinterpret that phrase! Actually, on full reflection, we never did get high on lettuce sap unless a splitting headache counts.

Back on topic I was quite old when I discovered why The exception proves the rule. A spell working in Italy where prova is a test brought home the old fashioned usage of the English prove. Now that I know it makes me smile when people use the phrase to disregard exceptions.

[can of worms]But if we get onto the subject of commonly misinterpreted phrases...[/can of worms]

Columb Healy

 

[SantaMufasa]

Nothing relieves headache pain faster than Bayer.

...So, If I take nothing, it will relieve my headache faster than if I use Bayer?

Son, I'll hold the nail...you hold the hammer. When I nod my head, you hit it.

Mufasa
(aka Dave of Sandy, Utah, USA)
[

http://www.dasages.com:

Providing low-cost remote Database Admin services]
Click here to join Utah Oracle Users Group on Tek-Tips if you use Oracle in Utah USA.

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

Notice in a dry cleaner's window: ANYONE LEAVING THEIR GARMENTS HERE FOR MORE THAN 30 DAYS WILL BE DISPOSED OF.

Spotted in a toilet in a London office block: TOILET OUT OF ORDER. PLEASE USE FLOOR BELOW.

Notice in a Laundramat: AUTOMATIC WASHING MACHINES: PLEASE REMOVE ALL YOUR CLOTHES WHEN THE LIGHT GOES OUT.

Message on a leaflet: IF YOU CANNOT READ, THIS LEAFLET WILL TELL YOU HOW TO GET LESSONS.

In a Baltimore restaurant: All food must pass through the cashier before entering the dining room.

In the window of an Oregon store: Why go elsewhere and be cheated when you can come here?

[Cheers]

 

[Turkbear]

More Doctors recommend Camels than any other cigarette..

The other cigarettes probably recommended their own brand..

The proves ( proofs, originally) expression is the same one used for alcohol content ( 86 proof) - it showed that it was tested to verify the content ..

The 'exception proves the rule' actually means that
the exception 'tests' the rule..if there are exceptions, the rule fails the test..so it is not a valid rule.






To Paraphrase:"The Help you get is proportional to the Help you give.."

 

[GwydionM]

Watch Batteries Changed - a child misunderstood and wondered why anyone should advertise something so dull.

Garages advertising Free Air also caused puzzlement.

------------------------------
An old man who lives in the UK

 

[SantaMufasa]

It was a real eye opener several years ago when we were playing a two-family round of some commercial-box-game version of "Charades". My at-the-time 15-year-old daughter pulled a card that she was supposed to act out, but absolutely refused because it was "gross and disgusting". After she chose an alternate card, acted it out, and finished her turn, we four adults wondered what on earth would cause our daughter to be so revolted. We peeked at her original discard: "Rubber Check".

Without addressing or discussing her badly misinterpreted (but understandable) misconception, we explained that a "Rubber Check" is a cheque that "bounces" upon presentation for payment due to non-sufficient funds.

Mufasa
(aka Dave of Sandy, Utah, USA)
[

http://www.dasages.com:

Providing low-cost remote Database Admin services]
Click here to join Utah Oracle Users Group on Tek-Tips if you use Oracle in Utah USA.

 

[GwydionM]

Man to wash pig's feet, piece work

Farmers who turn to fish should watch out for otters

Elf ponders Enterprise option. (From the business pages; I think Elf are or were a French oil company.

There was also a French drink in the 1960s called pshitt.

------------------------------
An old man who lives in the UK

 

[GwydionM]

If there are several emergency issues, is one of them an emerge?

The OED reveals that 'emergency' once had the same meaning as 'emerge' and only later got its modern meaning.

------------------------------
An old man who lives in the UK

 

[donbott]

Perhaps somewhere someone is selling ballons, 25 cents a pop.

Maybe not

DonBott

 

[LFI]

One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got in my pajamas, I don't know.

Sort of applicable. I just like to say it whenever I see an opening.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
O Time, Strength, Cash, and Patience!

 

[SantaMufasa]

I just like to say it whenever I see an opening.

Hopefully, you said it but not because you saw an opening...in his pajamas.

Mufasa
(aka Dave of Sandy, Utah, USA)
[

http://www.dasages.com:

Providing low-cost remote Database Admin services]
Click here to join Utah Oracle Users Group on Tek-Tips if you use Oracle in Utah USA.

 

[Turkbear]

Hi,
Why not hunt thm in Alabama..The 'Tusks are looser'..

Groucho forever....



To Paraphrase:"The Help you get is proportional to the Help you give.."

 

[LFI]

Maybe, but that's IRR-ELEPHANT to this thread! ;-)

Hello, I must be going...


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
O Time, Strength, Cash, and Patience!

 

[flapeyre]

How about:

British Left Waffles on Falkland Islands

Presumably, they left syrup and butter, as well?

Stolen Painting Found By Tree

At a number of combination restaurant/fuel stations in the US:
Eat Here and Get Gas (this points out the advantage of calling it "petrol" in the UK or "gasoline" in the USA).

Feles mala! Cur cista non uteris? Stramentum novum in ea posui!

 

[jebenson]

Kind-of on topic...

A sign painted on a buisness:

If it's in stock, we've got it!

I used to rock and roll every night and party every day. Then it was every other day. Now I'm lucky if I can find 30 minutes a week in which to get funky. - Homer Simpson

 

[columb]

Going back to misunderstood phrases when young I could never understand why It pays to advertise - surely you pay them, they don't pay you.

Columb Healy