20 Questions - Page 894 - Puzzles and Other Games Forum

0. Idiomatic expression
1. Does not reference a human body part or an animal
2. Does not reference food or directly reference anything living
3. Operative part of the idiomatic expression (which here I'll describe as the part that one would recognize as the thing that makes it an idiomatic expression -- e.g., the part that might be listed as its Wikipedia entry) does not contain at least one personal or possessive pronoun
4. Operative part of the idiomatic expression is three words or less
5. Not North American in origin
6. Originally in English
7. Operative part of the idiomatic expression is three words
8. Would not be considered to be commonly used
9. Not a positive expression
10. Not related to sickness, illness, death, or dying
11. Does not contain any of the words "the," "a," "as," or "and"
12. Contains one or more of a number or numbers, a time or distance related reference (construed as per Arctic's post 22237), or any reference to the difficulty (or relative difficulty) of some thing or some challenge
13. Does not contain the word time or a relation to time in any way
14. Contains one or more of the word distance, a specific distance, or a relation to distance in some way
14a. Does not contain a specific unit of distance
15. The literal meaning of the three words in the operative part of the idiomatic expression alludes to some form of physical distance
15a. The figurative meaning of the idiomatic expression alludes to some form of non-physical distance

Quote

08-02-2016 , 08:34 PM

#22328

fnord_too

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 29,116

maybe something like fallen so far, up ****'s creek, down by law

edit because of that damn one I keep getting tripped up on

Quote

08-02-2016 , 08:35 PM

#22329

rtspurs

Stats Amore

Join Date: Feb 2015 Posts: 20,684

its too far gone, you guys are up **** creek.

Quote

08-02-2016 , 08:39 PM

#22330

IBeDrummin

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 29,429

Pretty sure "**** you, Gad" fits.

Quote

08-02-2016 , 08:46 PM

#22331

JMurder3

not god, probably jebus

Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 53,649

Quote:

Originally Posted by IBeDrummin

Pretty sure "**** you, Gad" fits.

This somehow contravenes 2, 5, 8, 12 & 14.

Quote

08-02-2016 , 08:47 PM

#22332

xander biscuits

watching a movie

Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 39,888

Is cockney rhyming slang considered idiomatic?

Quote

08-02-2016 , 08:50 PM

#22333

Gadarene

bussing tammates

Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 83,008

Quote:

Originally Posted by JMurder3

Well, one would assume it is a country that Gad has been to since it's not common & you'd assume he has a personal connection to the country.

These are the countries he has been to as an adult:

Bahamas
Belgium
Canada
Colombia
Czech Republic
France
Germany
Guatemala
Hungary
Iceland
India
Italy
Japan
Mexico
Panama
Peru
Spain
Taiwan
Turkey
UK

The only one that is English speaking, but not North American, is UK (Bahamas & Canada English speaking, but in NA).

I took a train through Slovakia

Quote

08-02-2016 , 08:51 PM

#22334

JMurder3

not god, probably jebus

Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 53,649

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gadarene

I took a train through Slovakia

I know.jpg

Quote

08-02-2016 , 08:58 PM

#22335

Lattimer

I is smart

Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 15,463

I just read through all of these and none of them qualify

http://www.usingenglish.com/referenc...h+english.html

Quote

08-02-2016 , 09:01 PM

#22336

xander biscuits

watching a movie

Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 39,888

You could read through these if you feel you have the time/motivation:

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Appendix:English_idioms

I've been through them a couple of times and all that jumped out at me I posted in that list post I made

Quote

08-02-2016 , 09:08 PM

#22337

Gadarene

bussing tammates

Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 83,008

Quote:

Originally Posted by xander biscuits

what's funny is that it's not on that list, but it's on a much smaller and equally accessible list

Quote

08-02-2016 , 09:10 PM

#22338

rtspurs

Stats Amore

Join Date: Feb 2015 Posts: 20,684

My thinking is that it contains one of the words "far", "long", "short" or near" or some variation of them, or some similar vague distance-relating words. Thoughts?

Quote

08-02-2016 , 09:12 PM

#22339

xander biscuits

watching a movie

Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 39,888

we're getting lots of free help which means that we're way off with our postulation and need the free help...

Quote

08-02-2016 , 09:32 PM

#22340

Lattimer

I is smart

Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 15,463

i'm at wit's end

Quote

08-02-2016 , 09:34 PM

#22341

Lattimer

I is smart

Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 15,463

^^ which qualifies except it's not uncommon enough

Quote

08-02-2016 , 09:42 PM

#22342

D1iabol1cal

WSOS Champion

Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 28,447

Just had a bit of a look and I'm not really coming up with much. I'll have a better look later if it's still going.

Quote

08-02-2016 , 09:50 PM

#22343

eyebooger

Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 59,236

Gad went to Berlin last month. Could be some German saying.

EDIT: Never mind, that would conflict with Q6.

Quote

08-02-2016 , 09:54 PM

#22344

iversonian

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 21,443

just click some buttons imo

Quote

08-02-2016 , 09:55 PM

#22345

Gadarene

bussing tammates

Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 83,008

Quote:

Originally Posted by eyebooger

Gad went to Berlin last month. Could be some German saying.

EDIT: Never mind, that would conflict with Q6.

three days ago was technically last month

Quote

08-02-2016 , 11:52 PM

#22346

housenuts

1st Quartiled the 500

Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 51,694

'Ass to mouth' is a lock

Quote

08-03-2016 , 12:52 AM

#22347

Hero Value

BBV Series Inaugural Champ

Join Date: Apr 2011 Posts: 9,258

Quote:

Originally Posted by xander biscuits

I reckon you should ask your question officially

I don't see any better ideas coming forth

OK then, seeing as we still haven't got anywhere, to move it along -
Did the Idiom originate from England?

Quote:

Originally Posted by IBeDrummin

Pretty sure "**** you, Gad" fits.

Quote

08-03-2016 , 01:04 AM

#22348

Gadarene

bussing tammates

Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 83,008

Quote

08-03-2016 , 01:06 AM

#22349

Gadarene

bussing tammates

Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 83,008

Now that I think about it, it might have been P.G. Wodehouse's school stories or the Hilary Tamar mysteries of Sarah Caudwell where I first encountered it, not Connie Willis