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Tinker’s cusses

Or should it be Tinker’s cuss’ ?

Anyway, following on from the informative explanation, are there any other sayings that people want origins of?

I’ll throw ‘Couldn’t give a monkey’s’ into the ring.  Is it rhyming slang?
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Comments

  • Monkey's Spank = Wank (can I say that nowadays?)
  • “Cheap at half the price”.......this one never makes sense to me in the context in which it is used. 

    Seems to me like it it should be “Cheap at twice the price”?!?
  • You can’t have your cake and eat it. Why would you want cake you can’t eat?
  • “Cheap at half the price”.......this one never makes sense to me in the context in which it is used. 

    Seems to me like it it should be “Cheap at twice the price”?!?
    It's a piss take 
  • edited April 2019
    Not enough room to swing a cat.
    Nothing whatsoever to do with cats.
    It’s yet another expression from the long list of Navy related ones.
    The cat being referred to is in fact, “the cat o’ nine tails.”
  • You can’t have your cake and eat it. Why would you want cake you can’t eat?
    You can't have your cake and eat it (too) is a popular English idiomatic proverb or figure of speech.[1] The proverb literally means "you cannot simultaneously retain your cake and eat it".
  • Not enough room to swing a cat.
    Nothing whatsoever to do with cats.
    It’s yet another expression from the long list of Navy related ones.
    The cat being referred to is in fact, “the cat o’ nine tails.”
    I knew that one; but the Naval explanation of 'Brass Monkeys' never sounds right to me (is the co-efficient of expansion between brass and iron really that different?)
  • You can’t have your cake and eat it. Why would you want cake you can’t eat?
    I believe we've gone round the houses (there's another one for you) on having your cake and eating it. You are absolutely right @thai malaysia addick, it should be "you can't eat your cake and have it", but at some point in history, someone who couldn't give a tinker's cuss for logic switched the words around, everybody followed suit (there's another one) and Bob's your uncle... (and onother). 

  • Not enough room to swing a cat.
    Nothing whatsoever to do with cats.
    It’s yet another expression from the long list of Navy related ones.
    The cat being referred to is in fact, “the cat o’ nine tails.”
    Or not. https://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/no-room-to-swing-a-cat.html
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  • I believe the word you are looking for to describe these kinds of sayings is 'Idioms'
  • You can ‘sling your hook’ is it a reference to the Captain in Peter Pan?
  • You can ‘sling your hook’ is it a reference to the Captain in Peter Pan?


    No! Think it MIGHT be another old naval term, possibly to do with rigging your hammock?

    I am standing by waiting be corrected.

  • “Cheap at half the price”.......this one never makes sense to me in the context in which it is used. 

    Seems to me like it it should be “Cheap at twice the price”?!?
    The word cheap has changed meaning, it used to mean substandard. So really the saying is meaning it would still be crap at half the price. 
  • Vinnie V. said:
    “Cheap at half the price”.......this one never makes sense to me in the context in which it is used. 

    Seems to me like it it should be “Cheap at twice the price”?!?
    The word cheap has changed meaning, it used to mean substandard. So really the saying is meaning it would still be crap at half the price. 
    Aaahhhhhh. Nice one. Cheers. 
  • Addickted said:
    "Just sell the club and fuck off" is an old Flemish saying meaning, just sell the Club and fuck off.
    I think that's another one that has been corrupted over time.  I believe the original was "Just fuck off and sell the club"
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  • Not enough room to swing a cat.
    Nothing whatsoever to do with cats.
    It’s yet another expression from the long list of Navy related ones.
    The cat being referred to is in fact, “the cat o’ nine tails.”
    Where is ‘the neck of the woods’?
  • Enough is all you get.....?
  • Stig said:
    Not enough room to swing a cat.
    Nothing whatsoever to do with cats.
    It’s yet another expression from the long list of Navy related ones.
    The cat being referred to is in fact, “the cat o’ nine tails.”
    Or not. https://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/no-room-to-swing-a-cat.html
    Belay your style of speech Mr Stig.....lest you’ll soon find yourself at the gratings where Her Majesty’s cat awaits to scratch your poxed back.
  • There's an Elephant in the room.

    A jumbo problem which really should be dealt with. 

    Where did this idiom come from ?
  • A silver cloud gathers no lining........?
  • Acab said:
    Not enough room to swing a cat.
    Nothing whatsoever to do with cats.
    It’s yet another expression from the long list of Navy related ones.
    The cat being referred to is in fact, “the cat o’ nine tails.”
    Where is ‘the neck of the woods’?
    Just below Chris's head.
  • There's an Elephant in the room.

    A jumbo problem which really should be dealt with. 

    Where did this idiom come from ?

    Don't know, but it was unheard if before QI now it's absolutely everywhere.
  • Not enough room to swing a cat.
    Nothing whatsoever to do with cats.
    It’s yet another expression from the long list of Navy related ones.
    The cat being referred to is in fact, “the cat o’ nine tails

    Another nautical saying, " Who's turn in the barrel." Apparently this refers to having to do an unpleasant job.

    In olden days they used to take turns in a barrel with a hole in it, due to the lack of women on ships.

  • “Cheap at half the price”.......this one never makes sense to me in the context in which it is used. 

    Seems to me like it it should be “Cheap at twice the price”?!?

    It's sarcstic i.e. it ain't cheap at all
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