When I was younger, I used to annoy my friends (I imagine) by talking about the few years when I lived in France as a kid. I stayed in love with Paris for a long time, remembering rotisserie chickens and good bread and cheese, gray buildings and cobblestones, and women who dressed themselves simply but with great care. I also loved the precise and sonorous quality of the French language.
As I've gotten older and my French has become rusty and outdated, I've gradually let go of my infatuation with the French tongue. Maybe it's because I majored in English and was a writer for 5 years. But it's finally sunk in. English rocks! It's such a colorful, flexible, always-changing language, and it belongs to the people. Here are some turns of phrase that make me happy to be part of an English-speaking world, in no particular order.
He stole my thunder.
We're not out of the woods yet.
She's a riot.
This is going to knock your socks off.
I need a _____ like I need a hole in the head.
Time to hit the hay.
It's a mile from here as the crow flies.
My eyes were bigger than my stomach.
You're dead to me.
Okay, this is a pretty weak list, and doesn't do justice to my sentiments at all. You know when you set out to do something, and suddenly it becomes really hard? But I'll keep adding to it, so please check back!
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