English to English translation needed...

[Tunaman]

Kinda like the response I used to get from my Dad when i asked a stupid question. He would reply with "down the cellar behind the axe."
We never had a cellar...and we never had an Axe. Good one Dad. :)

[dyeguy65]

wow. this post had me laughin good. i love to see AO strip down a problem and pull resources to figure stuff out. what a team...

good times...

maybe we should call him Dr. Phil? just a thought...

-out before Phil beats me

[MarkM]

[Bolter]

I cannot believe it took you guys a team of people to figure out a simple phrase. Thats the American way I suppose. you lot are one stop short of East Ham.

(figure that one out)

[cphilip]

.... you lot are one stop short of East Ham.

(figure that one out)

Ho boy.....

Must be something not pleasant at the bus/train/trolley stop before you get to East Hampton? Maybe a school for retarded children or something along that lines?

Tell me how close I am.

This is fun. Sort of like Stump the Chump!

[MarkM]

Ho boy.....

Must be something not pleasant at the bus/train/trolley stop before you get to East Hampton? Maybe a school for retarded children or something along that lines?

Tell me how close I am.

This is fun. Sort of like Stump the Chump!

Close but no cigar
Plus East Ham is just that East Ham not Hampton upper lower sideways or any other kind.
Oh and Bolter that was a little unkind using that phrase...however true it has been proved to be

[Eatem Alive]

it's actually quite a popular phrase and many people actually say that someone's "East Ham", meaning "One stop short of Barking" or "One sandwich short of a picnic" or basically not "quite the full shilling", or not all there... I think you get my drift

yeeeaaaaaayuuuuuh!

[cphilip]

Here it would be "One brick shy of a load" or something like that. Many of those..

Ham then... I never know when you guys are abreviating something or not. Makes it even more difficult. But seems to me there is some more behind that one. Ham as in the butt of a Pig/Swine? The meat type of Ham or a Place? Or as in that place on the pig that is just before the Ham... as in the Arse hole of the Pig?

Not to worry Mark. I am not easily insulted and certainly he ment it all in good fun. At least I assume so. He normaly does. And besides... it's the internet after all.

[ScatterPlot]

Elevator doesn't go all the way to the top floor.
Few squirrels short of a forest.
Wheel's spinning, but the hamster's dead.
Few paintballs short of a hopper (made that one up myself )
Few fries (er, chips) short of a Happy Meal
Theres more but I cant think of the good ones right now, kinda late...

[ZSigErik]

Wow, this has been one of the most entertaining reads this forum has ever produced.

[MarkM]

The Barking one can be taken two ways both with the same meaning as Barking is a place but could also be translated as "barking mad"
Other similar ones are
Not playing with a full deck
His/Her lift (elevator) doesn't go to the top
Look who was hiding behind the door when God was handing out the brains!

The rhyming slang is often shortened to only include one of the two words (usually the first) and thus prove to be more confusing but then that was the thinking behind the original slang to make outsiders unable to understand the locals.

The one thing sideways on from where some of these comments are going make me smile as Chips are always that "chipped potatoes" what you do afterwards is fry them so the english version is correct...on the same line I prefer and understand the american name for the boot on a car which is of course a trunk as historically it is correct...I don't use the term but ...
Sidewalk and Pavement mean the same but both are valid
Hood and Bonnet mean the same and again both are valid
Math and Maths mean the same but the english version is more accurate as the word is a shortening of mathematics...as usual american english removes more than is needed
Though just for balance there was a politican here who implemented an educational policy that was called the "Three R's" ..."reading, riting, and rithmetic" ..he was known to be slightly lacking in these subjects himself but it stuck...maybe it was his family that founded the hillbillys

[Bolter]

Here it would be "One brick shy of a load" or something like that. Many of those..

Ham then... I never know when you guys are abreviating something or not. Makes it even more difficult. But seems to me there is some more behind that one. Ham as in the butt of a Pig/Swine? The meat type of Ham or a Place? Or as in that place on the pig that is just before the Ham... as in the Arse hole of the Pig?

Not to worry Mark. I am not easily insulted and certainly he ment it all in good fun. At least I assume so. He normaly does. And besides... it's the internet after all.

Did you mean me? I always mean no harm :) I can differentiate between pbnation and AO anyday!!

Anyway I reckon you lot are chicken-oriental (more rhyming slang for you, and when you work it out, no I dont mean it)

EDIT: is that how you spell rhyming? Aah screw it.....

[cphilip]

Did you mean me? I always mean no harm :) I can differentiate between pbnation and AO anyday!!

Anyway I reckon you lot are chicken-oriental (more rhyming slang for you, and when you work it out, no I dont mean it)

EDIT: is that how you spell rhyming? Aah screw it.....

That went without saying..

The second one I don't get. Chicken-Oriental? Arg....

[Bolter]

[deadeye9]

Chicken-Oriental = mental

And by the way, it's THE hospital, not hospital. As in "going to hospital" should be "going to the hospital". :)