Sayings you logically misunderstood

[Dargaron]

So, recently I learned that the popular saying, owning something "Lock, Stock and Barrel" does not in fact refer to owning alcohol, in the sense that you own the lock (the means of access), the stock (the product itself) and the barrel (the means of transport). It instead refers to owning an entire firearm. Which is weird in my mind: aren't firearms something you usually purchase as a whole piece?

Question to the forums: has anyone else heard a popular saying, came up with a "logical" meaning/etymology, and then only later learned that it had a completely different meaning/etymology than you thought?

[Robovski]

Lock, stock, and barrel was explained to me once as a warehouse which is similar to your alcohol explanation but more general - the lock on the door, the stock, and the containers. Firearms used to be hand made often by specialists making different parts, which is where the phrase is coming from.

[BridgeConsoleMasher]

I never understood pedal to the metal because I've never been in a car with a metal floor. They all have carpet.

[Robovski]

I never understood pedal to the metal because I've never been in a car with a metal floor. They all have carpet.

They used to have metal under that carpet. Carpets in cars used to be a luxury extra.

[BridgeConsoleMasher]

I never understood pedal to the metal because I've never been in a car with a metal floor. They all have carpet.

They used to have metal under that carpet. Carpets in cars used to be a luxury extra.

Oh. Well in all serious, the favorite of mine, I guess 'cause it comes up first, is the pairing of "graveyard shift" and "saved by the bell."

Apparently it wasn't unheard of to bury people alive back in the day unwittingly. Provision for this sort of thing involved tying a string to the grave occupant's wrist that channels to a little bell above ground. One person would be up all night keeping an ear out in the chance that an occupant was buried alive. Thus the buried person would be saved by the bell by the person working the graveyard shift.

[Karha of Honor]

I was sure that in AbramsTrek 1 in the end before starting the ship Kirk said Bacala.

I was sure it was a saying.

I figured out it was buckle up years latter

[Admiral X]

So, recently I learned that the popular saying, owning something "Lock, Stock and Barrel" does not in fact refer to owning alcohol, in the sense that you own the lock (the means of access), the stock (the product itself) and the barrel (the means of transport). It instead refers to owning an entire firearm. Which is weird in my mind: aren't firearms something you usually purchase as a whole piece?

Question to the forums: has anyone else heard a popular saying, came up with a "logical" meaning/etymology, and then only later learned that it had a completely different meaning/etymology than you thought?

To be fair, guns generally don't have locks anymore, as that was just the type of action they had back in ye olde days.

[Dargaron]

Oh. Well in all serious, the favorite of mine, I guess 'cause it comes up first, is the pairing of "graveyard shift" and "saved by the bell."

Apparently it wasn't unheard of to bury people alive back in the day unwittingly. Provision for this sort of thing involved tying a string to the grave occupant's wrist that channels to a little bell above ground. One person would be up all night keeping an ear out in the chance that an occupant was buried alive. Thus the buried person would be saved by the bell by the person working the graveyard shift.

Huh. Never knew that one. I always thought it either had to do with church bells or the bells for school periods.

To be fair, guns generally don't have locks anymore, as that was just the type of action they had back in ye olde days.

I don't know all that much about modern guns, but doesn't the hammer fulfill all the functions that locks used to? Is there an actual difference between the hammer and a "lock" (flint or otherwise)?

[BridgeConsoleMasher]

Oh. Well in all serious, the favorite of mine, I guess 'cause it comes up first, is the pairing of "graveyard shift" and "saved by the bell."

Apparently it wasn't unheard of to bury people alive back in the day unwittingly. Provision for this sort of thing involved tying a string to the grave occupant's wrist that channels to a little bell above ground. One person would be up all night keeping an ear out in the chance that an occupant was buried alive. Thus the buried person would be saved by the bell by the person working the graveyard shift.

Huh. Never knew that one. I always thought it either had to do with church bells or the bells for school periods.

Well when I was a prepubescent I really didn't get what it had to do with school given that 90% of the time, the bell at school sucked (until it let you off).

[Admiral X]

I don't know all that much about modern guns, but doesn't the hammer fulfill all the functions that locks used to? Is there an actual difference between the hammer and a "lock" (flint or otherwise)?

Well, a lock creates a spark or otherwise ignites the powder in the chamber and a hammer strikes a firing pin, so beyond a superficial resemblance, not really. Actually most modern guns don't even have a "hammer" per say, anymore, and might just have what amounts to a moving weight. Anything that fires from an open bolt and has a fixed firing pin doesn't even need that, as charging the bolt basically just spring-loads it and all the trigger does is let it loose, kind of like a crossbow.