Sayings you dont understand

[Fumofu]

I've never understood what it meant to "have one's cake and eat it too". I mean, what else are you going to do with a cake? A cake is functionally useless if you can't eat it. Unless, of course, you're going to throw it at someone, and I'm sure not going to do that. It's my cake! I have it and I'm going to eat it, too!

I always thought this meant enjoying something without any negative side-effects. Eating a cake is good experience but doing so in an unhealthy action. Therefore to "have your cake and eat it" would be getting to do something pleasing but not having to face the consequences. This is just my own opinion based on the context I've seen it used in. It seems like the other answers are more correct but I'd thought I'd throw this out there.

 

[Gralian]

I know what the saying means. The English of it indicates something else, like it's made and then you order it

Not at all. It's just a colloquialism of "made to YOUR order". That means it is made to your specific order. You're simply reading it as "made, you order it", which is something reminiscent of broken English understood by people whose mother tongue is not English. For example, sentence structure of English is vastly different to that of German or French.

 

[Mr.PlanetEater]

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend." I have never been able to grasp this concept, I mean its sound on paper I suppose. But when you apply it in real life its really flawed logic, just because you have an enemy that has another enemy doesn't mean you and enemy of your enemy should be buddies. For all you know enemy of your enemy is also your enemy, but you guys both just happen to have a common enemy.

 

[Kiefer13]

I've never understood what it meant to "have one's cake and eat it too". I mean, what else are you going to do with a cake? A cake is functionally useless if you can't eat it. Unless, of course, you're going to throw it at someone, and I'm sure not going to do that. It's my cake! I have it and I'm going to eat it, too!

It does indeed appear to not make sense if you take it as meaning that you cannot do both things in that order, rather than as a pair of statements that cannot logically be true simultaniously. One can certainly have a cake and THEN eat it, but if one has a cake, one cannot both retain possession of said cake while also eating it.

Perhaps the phrase would make more sense if it were reversed? "You can't eat your cake and have it." Admittedly, doesn't have quite the same ring to it though.

 

[shadyh8er]

"It's better to have loved and lost, than to have never loved at all."

Sorry hon, but I've seen what happens to people who love and lose. It ain't pretty!

 

[Akytalusia]

"it's raining cats and dogs" never made a lick of sense to me. anyone care to explain?

 

[Kimarous]

I don't get how "candy ass" is supposed to be an insult. I hear that and think "My ass is candy. Candy is sweet. Hence, my ass is sweet. You think I have a sweet ass; that's a flirtatious compliment."

 

[Vangaurd227]

"There's more then one way to skin a cat".......There is?!?!?! if so i really don't want to know how....

 

[FuktLogik]

When in Rome...

You're missing part of that. The full saying is "When in Rome, do as the Romans do". Which makes perfect sense.

 

[shadyh8er]

When in Rome...

The rest of the phrase goes "...do as the Romans do." Why they chose Rome of all places is beyond me.

EDIT: It appears I've been ninja'd on this.

 

[Grotch Willis]

Free Pony Rides, I have absolutely no clue what this means, I've been told it means everything from actual free pony rides to anal sex.

 

[King Toasty]

"A bird in the bush is worth two in the hand."

What?

 

[FuktLogik]

"There's more then one way to skin a cat".......There is?!?!?! if so i really don't want to know how....

While I'm sure there is more than one method of separating a cat from it's skin, the expression means that there is more than one way to accomplish a specific task.

 

[shadyh8er]

"it's raining cats and dogs" never made a lick of sense to me. anyone care to explain?

Back in ancient times cats and dogs used to run rampant to the point that they would fall off the roofs of houses constantly. This made a lot of noise, just like when it rains heavily.

 

[Vangaurd227]

"There's more then one way to skin a cat".......There is?!?!?! if so i really don't want to know how....

While I'm sure there is more than one method of separating a cat from it's skin, the expression means that there is more than one way to accomplish a specific task.

Oooooh i see.....its still kinda gross though....

 

[King Toasty]

"There's more then one way to skin a cat".......There is?!?!?! if so i really don't want to know how....

Scythes, butcher knives, hooks, bare hands, carefully-placed lasers, incineration, acid melting the inside flesh...
The list goes on.



OH. You don't want to know. Sorry.

 

[twistedmic]

I've never understood what it meant to "have one's cake and eat it too".

You don't understand it because that's the wrong way to use the saying. The correct way is 'You can't eat your cake and have it too'.
If someone gives you a slice of cake and you eat it, you no longer have it.

 

[Vangaurd227]

"There's more then one way to skin a cat".......There is?!?!?! if so i really don't want to know how....

Scythes, butcher knives, hooks, bare hands, carefully-placed lasers, incineration, acid melting the inside flesh...
The list goes on.



OH. You don't want to know. Sorry.

OOOOH GAWD NO LALALALALALA NOT HEARING IT LALALALALALALA......[sub]*hides in the corner and starts crying*[/sub]

 

[Kiefer13]

"A bird in the bush is worth two in the hand."

What?

I believe it's the other way around. "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush."

Which simply means that it's better to definitely have an advantage or some kind of reward rather than merely the opportunity to possess a better one. Or in other words, "Don't give up what you have for only the chance of something better."

 

[Dango]

"Sells like hotcakes."

What are hotcakes and why do they sell so well?