Weird expressions

Being unemployed gives me way too much time to overthink things. 😛One question that’s been stuck in my head lately: why do kids—and honestly, adults too—usually shout "Three, four, go!" when they're lining up for a race?

Why specifically "three, four"? Why not just "one, two," or maybe "four, five"? Where did that rhythm even come from?

By the way, I recently stumbled upon the origin of that old playground rhyme (which I assume anyone under 35 probably hasn't heard): you know, the one where kids chant something like "Emma, Emma, S, S, S, P, P, Y."

As it turns out, over the years, it became a garbled, phonetic version of how you spell the American river MISSISSIPPI (you know, M-I-S-S-I-S-S-I-P-P-I).

Supposedly, some American pilots who were in contact with the resistance forces toward the end of WWII introduced the rhyme to children around here.

Well... supposedly. 🤷

And you've got those heavy worries weighing on you too........

Three, thirty, right now.

Maybe it'll help kids remember things more easily, since both numbers have "three" tucked inside them. And as for right now... well, let's just say it’s better than jumping straight from 3 to 4.

Nancy Chavez2 said:sounds like you've got plenty of heavy burdens on your mind too...

Heh

I'm more interested in why people constantly talk about when they meet to praise Jesus🙄

Only honest nurses, lol... where on earth did you hear that?

I mean, that’s just how people talk out in the rural areas, honestly... mostly because they’re all incredibly, deeply religious, haha

Noah Ross7 said:Personally, I’m more curious about why people feel the need to drop a "praise Jesus" whenever they run into someone. 🙄

Either you’re living in some tiny backwater town or you’ve spent way too much time reading old-school almanacs. 😁

Frank Martin2 said:My mind is just racing since I'm out of work right now 😛 and this random question popped into my head: why is it that kids (and adults too!) usually shout "Three, four, go!" when they're starting a race?

Why specifically "three, four," and not, say, "one, two" or "four, five"... where did that come from??

BTW, I recently read what that old nursery rhyme means (I guess only people over 35 remember it!): the one kids usually chant like "Emma, Emma S-S-S-P-P-P."

It’s actually just a totally garbled way of spelling out the American river MISSISSIPPI (you know—M-I-S-S-I-S-S-I-P-P-I).

Supposedly, some American pilots who were in contact with the resistance during the end of WWII introduced that rhyme to kids around here.

Well... supposedly... 🤷

Other weird expressions: "utrkivaju"...
Are you maybe a Dalmatian? I know plenty of them who talk like that.
The word is "utrkuju."
They say things like "zapitkuju," "potrkuju," "pojavljuju": 😂

swiftheron7 said:More strange phrasing: they're racing...
Are you maybe from the South?
...
They're darting, rushing, popping up everywhere 😆

Anyway... if we're going to debate proper American English usage here, I should point out that "Southern" should be capitalized.

For what it's worth, I live far from the South—out in, say, rural Vermont—and that's just how people talk around here.
Example: "Three kids are racing their bikes while their little sisters watch from the sidelines, cheering and wondering who's gonna win first."

😎

Frank Martin2 said:Anyway... if we're really going to be grammar police about the American language here, I should point out that "Dalmatian" needs to be capitalized.

😎

Yeah, true, you definitely capitalize it...I’ll admit, I don't pay much attention to caps lock myself. But can we please move on from spelling? 😉

Funny phrases: honestly, any word from another language that we try to force into American grammar sounds weird to me.
Like how someone might call a nude-colored lacquer a "nuder"? It just feels off!
Or saying you're "on Facebook"...
It’s not that the meaning is strange, it’s just the way the words sound together.

And since we were talking about childhood games and rhymes, the weirdest one for me was always "Eeny, meeny, miny, moe..."

Frank Martin2 said:By the way, I actually stumbled upon an explanation recently for what that old childhood nursery rhyme actually means (though I'm guessing only those of us over 35 still have it tucked away in our memories): you know, the one where kids usually chant something like "Emma, Emma, esesa sesesa pipija"

Growing up here, we used to turn that into a little game with a ball! You’d toss the ball against a wall and try to catch it while reciting the rhyme. Then you had moves like clapping, running, and spinning, and once you finished those, you'd play some volleyball against the wall. Every full cycle counted as one little hour.

Matthew Wilson50 said:THREE, THRE-EE, now.

Maybe it's just easier for kids to remember, or maybe both numbers just share that "THREE" sound deep down. But it definitely flows better than just saying 3, 4, right away.

Sending youuuuuu four kisses in groups of three and fours.😍

Noah Ross7 said:I'm actually more curious about why people so often say "praise Jesus"🙄

Well, it's really just a greeting! It's almost as versatile as saying "hey," "hi," or "hello." It works pretty much any time of day, though I suppose you wouldn't necessarily use it for every single person you run into. 😬

Emily Kim67 said:Well, honestly, it’s just a simple greeting! It works just as effectively as saying "hey," "hi," or even "what's up," really. It doesn't much matter what time of day it happens to be, though I suppose you couldn't exactly drop it into every single conversation you have. 😬

😂😂😂

That is the truth 🙂

Emily Kim67 said:Sending you a billion kisseseverysingle second of the day.😍

Honestly, I’m right there with you on this one; I mean, I was probably five years old and screaming "three, four, now!" 🤦at the top of my lungs.

Kevin Ramos10 said:I am totally on board with that! Honestly, I was that same kid—I remember being just five years old and practically screaming "three, four..." at the top of my lungs!It seems like you might have hit "send" a little too early! I'm standing by and ready to get to work whenever you have the text you need me to transform. Just drop the content here, and I'll jump right in to give it that fresh, authentic American voice you're looking for!I mean, seriously, right now? 🤦

Oh man, you really were such a quirky little kid, weren't you?
Did he seriously misinterpret my sign-up as being some kind of mess?

Emily Kim67 said:Man, you really were some kind of weird kid, weren't you?
Did you seriously misread my post and think I was being a total jerk?

Anyway, let's just move on. 😉