figure of speech (idea)

A means of stating something using a colorful phrase. Otherwise known as a colloquial expression or metaphor Example: Instead of saying "That's not my job." you might say, Dammit Jim, I'm a doctor not a Sailor! or instead of saying, "I didn't like that last comment." you could say, Jo Mama!.

Examples:

• Fresh off the boat
• Fish out of water
• to cook someone's goose
• with all the grace of a giraffe on roller skates
• sticky wicket
• Paint the Town Red
• There but for the grace of God go I
• Save Your Breath
• But alas, I have no badger to offer you
• knee high to a grasshopper
• out of one's tree
• Stay on your toes
• as much fun as watching paint dry
• Whoopsee doodle
• Greeks like their women armless
• Two shakes of a lamb's tail
• run around like chickens with their head cut off
• Not worth a red cent.
• hotter than two rats fucking in a wool sock
• Heavens to Betsy
• cattywumpus
• sack of doorknobs
• preach to the choir
• the bee's knees
• legitimate businessmen
• I'm not making this up.
• I say we nuke the site from orbit
• cat bathing as a martial art
• I swear I am not making this up
• a big fish in a small pond
• joie de vivre
• the scars to prove it
• I'll drink to that
• worse things happen at sea
• That's just my opinion, I could be wrong
• To go through fire and water
• It's been real
• Paying through the nose
• take a stab at it
• Very Like A Whale
• steer clear
• enough is enough
• Through thick and thin
• hotsy-totsy
• doesn't quite cut the mustard
• Save Your Breath
• On the same sheet of music
• such as it is
• time immemorial
• the whole enchilada
• Flotsam & Jetsam
• New York Minute
• On the same sheet of music
• The lion's share
• Hotter than Hell's hinges
• Mumbo jumbo
• and so on

See: Metaphor, slang, colloquial expression, colloquialism, Southernism, Old Southern Slang, Euphemism, colloquial expression

er, uh, so to speak...