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I enjoyed hearing the cultural idioms.

In the Ukrainian community where I grew up, the curses, in Ukrainian, seemed really curious to me; for example, "May a duck kick you" or "May snow burn you."

If you were calling people names,it was terrible to call them, literally, "you cholera" or "you infectious disease."
Can you imagine a shouting match going on like this?

Many decades later, I still recall (OK - and sometimes use) these expressions, which have taken on a whimsical colorfulness for me.

Three sheets to the wind, as I know it, describes someone who has over indulged in alcoholic beverages. JAS

Wanted to thank everyone for their comments.

Particularly those who corrected my "3 sheets to the wind" error. I knew the sheets in question didn't refer to sails and I blanked on what they originally did refer to. Another reason for me to stay away from the treacherous waters of etymology.

Hope it wasn't too obvious, I blanked a couple of times during the interview - I'm new to the pressures of live radio.

Anyone interested in more information on the book please refer to www.hangingnoodles.com

Thanks

Jag - jag@hangingnoodles.com

A sheet is a line (rope is frowned upon) that controls the sail. if you let go of it, the sail and the line flap to windward and you lose control of the craft.

In nautical terms, the sheet refers not to the sail itself, but to the ropes that are connected to the sail and used to control its shape and direction.

In sailing jargon, a "sheet" is a rope, not a sail.

What is the difference between slang & idiom, or is there a difference?

Three sheets to the wind refers to a windmill. Three sheets (not 2 or 4) would pull the mill apart.

My grandmother's favorite- May you grow like an onion with your head in the ground. Also a curse she made up for a womanizer-May he sit in a wheelchair while beautiful girls dance around him.

In Spanish, "I'm not pulling your leg" is "I'm not taking your hair" (no te estoy tomando el pelo). "Taking" doesn't necessarily mean taking *away*; it could be like taking someone's hand.

where does "three sheets to the wind" come from and what does it mean?

I love idiomatic expressions, but I have to admit, it drives me nuts trying to figure them out.

It's also tough if you're not a native speaker; in our foreign language classes as kids we learned quite a few idiomatic expressions, but oddly, many of them were either regional or soon to become antiquated.

I learned not to unpack them while traveling!

Wow, "I am not hanging noodles on your ears,"-- that's a great expression that has been used in my family since as long as I can remember. I nearly forgot about it! Whenever someone tries to tell something that is obviously untrue - as, for example, the Bush Administration claiming that Iraq had WMD - my mom or day says, "Oh please, stop hanging noodles on my ears." Have no idea where the expression came from, but I am definitely bringing it back into my vocabulary (hopefully, I won't have to use too often).

for whatever reasons i've always disliked idioms. they're like prepackaged frozen dinners, but they're prepackaged language. i try never to use them. but once in a very long while one will slip out and i'll cringe and then apologize to whoever i'm speaking to. i feel like i've been offensive with my lazy language. however, i'm not offended when other people use them.