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Jientje’s 1000 Words Photo Challenge

Jientje, our mistress of fun, has cooked up a wonderful photo challenge, and this is what she has to say about it:

When I was a kid, I was always fascinated by the colourful language my grandmother used. She had such a way with words, she had her own funny ways to describe things and that memory still makes me smile. As long as people have been around, they have tried to communicate with each other. As a means of getting the message across as clearly as possible, idioms and sayings have found their way into our language.

Now, because a picture paints a thousand words, I thought it would be nice to make this a new photo challenge. The idea is to pick an idiom, or a saying, ( even slang is allowed) and illustrate it with a picture. Each week we’ll cover two letters of the alphabet, okay?

If “language is the dress of thoughts” ( Johnson), then idioms must the wardrobe …

And so we continue ….

Week Seven: M & N

MINCE WORDS

People who “mince words”, never say quite what they mean. They hint or allude to something, but never come right out and say it. If one is asked not to mince words, their listener is requesting a simple, direct, statement of fact. Many [most?] politicians are well known for mincing words.

~*~

NOT PLAYING WITH A FULL DECK

Saying that someone’s “not playing with a full deck” is a euphemistic (word mincing) way of calling them crazy.

“Hey, LeRoy, did ya hear ’bout Joe Bob?”
“No, Elroy, I didn’t. What happened to Joe Bob?”
“Dern fool dropped a lit match in his gas tank.”
“Gee criminy! What’n tarnation did he go an do that for?”
“He wanted to see how much gas he had left.”
“I always knew that ol’ boy weren’t playin’ with a full deck.”
“Yep, an now he’s got even fewer cards then he had before.”

~*~

If you liked this, you can see what the other players have come up with by stopping by Jientje’s, Heaven is in Belgium, and clicking on the links. If you really liked this, grab your camera and play along! Jientje is one heck of a hostess and a good time will be had by all!

34 Comments

  4. Clever, mince words is my favorite. I’m so sorry you had the flu! I thought for sure people who lived in beautiful Hawaii didn’t have to suffer that kind of indignity. Show’s you how much I need to get out more!

    Kat’s last blog post..Retirement is not for Sissies

    1. Kat — think “Small fish bowl” — here in Hawaii we all share everything. All the germs have a trapped audience.

  5. Nicely done, although in choosing the jacks to eliminate I can’t help wondering if you started off with a different phrase.

  6. Par excellence!!! I can just see you sittin’ there slicin’ up mincin’ those words! And I know somebody who’s GOT your Jacks! But that’s about ALL she’s got!

    I never WAS fired from a babysittin’ job! Never never! Ungh-ungh! But yea… I am of a mind to just “let ’em go ahead”… some of the best fun is had when you let ’em go ahead! I TOLD Dennis last night that if I hadn’t had to stick to John like glue, I WOULD HAVE let her go ahead! ‘Course I woulda followed at a safe but invisible distance…. ROFL! (you can’t help but wonder… what WOULD she do???)

    Melli’s last blog post..Idiom Wednesday… M & N

  9. That knife worries me a bit. I’m not sure you should be allowed to play with knives based on some of the stories you have told us.

    I find it interesting that you took all of the Jacks out of the deck – the cards representing messangers and news.

    Nessa’s last blog post..Jientje’s 1000 Word Photo Challenge

    1. I removed the Jacks because they’re wild, don’t you know? They’ve run off!

      As to the knife, I wondered what the neighbor’s thought when I passed the living room window with a knife clutched in one hand and my camera in the other. “Honey! Come quick! She’s going to kill someone, dismember them, and take PICTURES!”

  10. Loved the mincing words – I also noticed what words they were. On Thursday’s you guys sure know how to mince words so to speak. 🙂

    Not playing with a full deck, one brick shy of a load, one fry short of a happy meal – sometimes the phrase just fits and I shake my head.
    Glad Melli picked up on the Jacks.

    Hope you’re feeling better.

    Carletta’s last blog post..Idioms: A Photo Challenge

    1. Carletta, I think Melli meant her MIL has the missing Jacks, and is more than just a few sandwiches short of a picnic.

  12. Wow…you used all the 3WT words. That was very clever. Your not playing with a full deck was awesome too with the story included. If it were me I would have taken one card out of each deck…but that’s just me :LOL Great Idioms Q.

    Thom’s last blog post..A Thousand Words In Idioms – M and N

    1. Thom — I took one card out of each suit — the JACKS! Go back and look again, and this time, pay attention!

  17. Oh my ! I hope you didn’t kill somebody with this knife ! I watch too many crime stories apparently ! Nice interpretations of your idioms !

    Gattina’s last blog post..

    1. Gattina — I’ve murdered a few vegetables in my time, but no people. You’re safe. Glad you liked my offerings.

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