Phrases that puzzle you so...

lilsalty · Post by **lilsalty** » February 24, 2008 11:57 am

I was just listening to Come On In on the Club Trini CD. When the lyrics go "This ain't no cloak and dagger show," what exactly does he mean and why say it? Is he trying to say that he's not a detective?? What are some lines/references that puzzle you??

bravedave · Post by **bravedave** » February 24, 2008 12:24 pm

"Cloak and dagger" is a colloquial reference to the occupation of spies and spying, based on accoutrement.

Similar phrases are:
"Striped pants" (or "striped trousers"): diplomat
"Tasselled loafers": lawyer
"Brass hat" (or just "brass"): officer, esp. military

lilsalty · Post by **lilsalty** » February 24, 2008 12:26 pm

bravedave wrote:"Cloak and dagger" is a colloquial reference to the occupation of spies and spying, based on accoutrement.

Similar phrases are:
"Striped pants" (or "striped trousers"): diplomat
"Tasselled loafers": lawyer
"Brass hat" (or just "brass"): officer, esp. military

So he's informing her that he's not a spy. I guess that's a good thing.

ragtopW · Post by **ragtopW** » February 24, 2008 1:08 pm

bravedave wrote:"Cloak and dagger" is a colloquial reference to the occupation of spies and spying, based on accoutrement.

Similar phrases are:
"Striped pants" (or "striped trousers"): diplomat
"Tasselled loafers": lawyer
"Brass hat" (or just "brass"): officer, esp. military

Perfumed uncle..

C-Dawg · Post by **C-Dawg** » February 24, 2008 1:22 pm

From "Far Side of the World"....
"And a string of tiny twinkling lights adorn the sausage tree."

WTF....didn't know sausage grew on trees

chippewa · Post by **chippewa** » February 24, 2008 1:31 pm

C-Dawg wrote:From "Far Side of the World"....
"And a string of tiny twinkling lights adorn the sausage tree."

WTF....didn't know sausage grew on trees

It does in some places...

Bwana Paul · Post by **Bwana Paul** » February 25, 2008 3:56 am

Sausage Tree (Kigelia pinnata)

bbqmonster · Post by **bbqmonster** » February 25, 2008 9:58 am

"Meglamodern" puzzles me??

BBQMonster

lilsalty · Post by **lilsalty** » February 25, 2008 8:40 pm

What's the whole Chinese modern lust thing all about??

ragtopW · Post by **ragtopW** » February 25, 2008 9:15 pm

lilsalty wrote:What's the whole Chinese modern lust thing all about??

the lil pills for.. uh.. Vigor that are sold in the asian markets..

or p***..

lilsalty · Post by **lilsalty** » February 26, 2008 1:29 pm

lilsalty · Post by **lilsalty** » February 26, 2008 1:32 pm

ragtopW wrote:
lilsalty wrote:What's the whole Chinese modern lust thing all about??
the lil pills for.. uh.. Vigor that are sold in the asian markets..

or p***..

Isn't that part of the song about California? Is there a greater need for it there than in other areas? Is there something wrong with the earth's gravitational pull there??

chippewa · Post by **chippewa** » June 26, 2008 8:58 pm

Just cleaning out some old photos and remembered this thread.
This was taken at the U.S. Botanic Garden in Wash. D.C.

ScarletB · Post by **ScarletB** » June 26, 2008 9:12 pm

Barometer's my soup.

Love the song but never got this .

Staredge · Post by **Staredge** » June 26, 2008 9:17 pm

lilsalty wrote: Is there something wrong with the earth's gravitational pull there??

Among other things.

ragtopW · Post by **ragtopW** » June 26, 2008 11:06 pm

lilsalty wrote:
ragtopW wrote:
lilsalty wrote:What's the whole Chinese modern lust thing all about??
the lil pills for.. uh.. Vigor that are sold in the asian markets..

or p***..
Isn't that part of the song about California? Is there a greater need for it there than in other areas? Is there something wrong with the earth's gravitational pull there??

Well you need to remember that the Chinese landed in California
and much of the Culture has been taken in..

krusin1 · Post by **krusin1** » June 26, 2008 11:08 pm

ScarletB wrote:Barometer's my soup.

Love the song but never got this .

It's from Mark Twain... "A Tramp Abroad."

(Jimmy throws literary allusions into a LOT of his stuff. The man is seriously well read.

)

Here's the quote:

"I knew, by my scientific reading, that either thermometers or barometers ought to be boiled, to make them accurate; I did not know which it was, so I boiled both. There was still no result, so I examined these instruments and discovered that they possessed radical blemishes: the barometer had no hand but the brass pointer, and the ball of the thermometer was stuffed with tin foil. I might have boiled those things to rags and never found out anything.

Frémont, July 1842--repair of his barometer.
This I boiled and stretched on a piece of wood to the requisite diameter, and scraped it very thin, in order to increase its transparency. I then secured it firmly on the instrument with strong glue made from a buffalo and filled it with mercury properly heated.

I hunted up another barometer: it was new and perfect. I boiled it half an hour in a pot of bean soup which the cooks were making. The result was unexpected: the instrument was not affected at all, but there was such a strong barometer taste to the soup that the head cook, who was a most conscientious person, changed its name in the bill of fare. The dish was so greatly liked by all, that I ordered the cook to have barometer soup every day. It was believed that the barometer might eventually be injured, but I did not care for that."

Here's a link:

http://www.longcamp.com/twain.html

spoonerhizolehound · Post by **spoonerhizolehound** » June 26, 2008 11:12 pm

OK...I'll chime in. How the hell do I Wang Chung...and why do I have to do it tonight?

ragtopW · Post by **ragtopW** » June 26, 2008 11:21 pm

spoonerhizolehound wrote:OK...I'll chime in. How the hell do I Wang Chung...and why do I have to do it tonight?

I used to work with a guy named Chung..

you don't want to know those jokes..

Post by **SMLCHNG** » June 26, 2008 11:22 pm

And why do they "shake a cow now" on the Commodores "Brick House"??

BuffettNews.com

Phrases that puzzle you so...

Phrases that puzzle you so...

Snausage Tree.