Common words and phrases that are impossible to realize

[retina]

Originally Posted by xilman

How does one clean a vacuum? A vacuum contains nothing but zero point energy and so can't become any cleaner. Accordingly a "vacuum cleaner" is impossible to realize.

Clearly the vacuum cleaner is designed to remove the zero point energy and leave behind a much cleaner vacuum without all those untidy particles popping in and out. And the more expensive models can also remove all traces of space and time leaving behind a pristine piece of nothingness in preparation for a new big bang to occur.

[jvang]

Don't some people throw a fit about the use of "irregardless"?

[science_man_88]

Originally Posted by jvang

Don't some people throw a fit about the use of "irregardless"?

it's the equivalent of saying "not less regard" aka more regard.

[jasong]

I know it doesn't quite fit the theme, but "I could care less," annoys me quite a bit. If one can care less, than one cares, so it's not really an insult anymore.

Back to the theme, while "raining cats and dogs" has a few historical possibilities to explain its existence, it's kind of nonsensical at first glance.

*WARNING, EXTREMELY GROSS EXPLANATION AHEAD* (I'll spoiler it, as well)

It is believed that years ago, whenever large rains would occur, the sewers would overflow, and all the dead cats and dogs would emerge and float down the street. Since they came from seemingly nowhere, and only when it rained, people would say,"It's raining cats and dogs.

[EdH]

Originally Posted by jasong

I know it doesn't quite fit the theme, but "I could care less," annoys me quite a bit. If one can care less, than one cares, so it's not really an insult anymore.

Back to the theme, while "raining cats and dogs" has a few historical possibilities to explain its existence, it's kind of nonsensical at first glance.

*WARNING, EXTREMELY GROSS EXPLANATION AHEAD* (I'll spoiler it, as well)

It is believed that years ago, whenever large rains would occur, the sewers would overflow, and all the dead cats and dogs would emerge and float down the street. Since they came from seemingly nowhere, and only when it rained, people would say,"It's raining cats and dogs.

Actually, what I've heard is that it was from the days of thatched roofs and cats and dogs and other animals would sleep in the "thatching." When it rained, it got slippery.

[jasong]

Originally Posted by EdH

Actually, what I've heard is that it was from the days of thatched roofs and cats and dogs and other animals would sleep in the "thatching." When it rained, it got slippery.

Both could be true. Or maybe there's a third option that's actually true.

I'd love to know why something that's extremely dead is "deader than a door nail," or however it's said.

[kladner]

Originally Posted by jasong

I'd love to know why something that's extremely dead is "deader than a door nail," or however it's said.

I don't think it refers to degrees of deadness. A nail has no life, by usual standard. "Door" nail is probably alliteration. In any case, I think the meaning is really that there is no doubt of the deadness of the thing in question.
https://english.stackexchange.com/qu...-doornail-mean

But why particularly a doornail, rather than just any old nail? Could it be because of the repetition of sounds, and the much better rhythm of the phrase compared with the version without door? Almost certainly the euphony has caused the phrase to survive longer than the alternatives I’ve quoted.
.............
But William and Mary Morris, in The Morris Dictionary of Word and Phrase Origins, quote a correspondent who points out that it could come from a standard term in carpentry. If you hammer a nail through a piece of timber and then flatten the end over on the inside so it can’t be removed again (a technique called clinching), the nail is said to be dead, because you can’t use it again. Doornails would very probably have been subjected to this treatment to give extra strength in the years before screws were available. So they were dead because they’d been clinched. It sounds plausible, but whether it’s right or not we will probably never know.

[Till]

"Keep your pecker up" will be hard to sustain for a long time.
"Keep a stiff upper lip" seems easier.


Both translate to german "Halt die Ohren steif" ("Keep your ears stiff")

[kladner]

Originally Posted by Till

"Keep your pecker up" will be hard to sustain for a long time.
"Keep a stiff upper lip" seems easier.


Both translate to german "Halt die Ohren steif" ("Keep your ears stiff")

"Is this the court of the Exchequer?"
"It is."
"Be firm, be firm my pecker.
Your evil star's in the ascendant."
"Who are you?"
"I'm the Defendant."

Trial by Jury
Gilbert and Sullivan

[Till]

Originally Posted by kladner

"Is this the court of the Exchequer?"
"It is."
"Be firm, be firm my pecker.
Your evil star's in the ascendant."
"Who are you?"
"I'm the Defendant."

Trial by Jury
Gilbert and Sullivan

Nice quote!

Apropos stars: "bring down the stars" ! Thats really very hard (at least ;-).
There's a rich set of sayings related to stars, sun and moon that are physically impossible.

[Dr Sardonicus]

Originally Posted by jasong

I'd love to know why something that's extremely dead is "deader than a door nail," or however it's said.

I tried, here.