Last week I wrote about old sayings and their meanings or origins. I could not put all of them in that column, so I thought I would write a follow-up.

I’ve received a couple of messages about sayings that others have heard through the years.

One was “crooked as a dog’s hind leg.” Which means someone is not too trustworthy.

My dad used to say this about certain local politicians that he knew: “He is more crooked than a barrel of fish hooks,” which means about the same thing—someone who is not what they seem on the surface.

Here are a few more that I have found with research or have heard and even used throughout the years.

“A watched pot never boils” is sort of a funny old phrase that you cannot take literally.

Certainly a watched pot will boil. This phrase means that when we wait for things to happen, it can feel like it’s taking forever to occur.

He is like a “bull in a china shop” sounds like it could be a real disaster just visually thinking about this saying. This old phrase is a simile when referring to a clumsy person.

If you have “a chip on your shoulder,” as many do, then you have been angry about something that happened in the past and are still holding a grudge.

One saying that many of you may have heard is, “Pride comes before the fall.” The meaning is that if a person is too arrogant, he or she will make a mistake or fail in a big way.

This phrase originates from the book of Proverbs in the Bible. It is sometimes quoted as “Pride goeth before the fall.”

“A dime a dozen” means something that is extremely common or simple to acquire.

“A fool and his money are soon parted” is one saying I’ve heard but never used. It is talking about someone acting foolish with their money or wasting money that should be saved.

If someone says that is “a piece of cake,” it is not literally eating a tasty pastry. It means that a task is simple to complete or something is easy to do.

I’m sure you may have heard the phrase that costs “an arm and a leg,” which means something overpriced. For example, gasoline costs me an arm and a leg these days.

Or talking about money and maybe someone who is not very wealthy: “I’m so poor I can’t afford to pay attention.”

If you are “back to square one, “you are starting something over that you couldn’t complete or going back to the beginning and a similar saying is “back to the drawing board.”

If someone is “beating around the bush,” it means they are talking about something but are avoiding the main point.

If you are “between a rock and a hard place,” you are in a difficult situation; you are backed into a corner with no way out.

If someone is going to “burst your bubble,” it means they are going to ruin someone’s happy moment or mood, usually by telling them disappointing news or information.

If you hear “close but no cigar,” it means coming close to a successful outcome only to fall short. Like a basketball team was close to winning but couldn’t pull out the victory at the end.

There is no use to “cry over spilled milk” means you should not worry over things that have already happened and that cannot be changed.

“Curiosity killed the cat” means that someone should mind their own business. If you get into someone’s business it could cause hurt feelings or harm.

If you “cut to the chase” you are getting right to the point. I’m not a patient person and hate it when someone beats around the bush.

And finally you may have heard the saying, “It takes more muscles to frown than to smile.” This is referring to someone who looks sad or just doesn’t ever seem happy.

I’m not sure if I made you smile while writing about these sayings and phrases, but I hope you enjoyed the column.

Until next time.

(Kyle Lovern is a longtime journalist in the Tug Valley. He is now a retired freelance writer and columnist for the Mountain Citizen.)