Brain Teasers
Nickers
BtB (Bad-the-Bunny) visited a friend's farm yesterday and gave all the animals nicknames based on common-phrases. He called the horse, for example; 'Charley Horse', and the bull 'Shoot' (as in 'Shoot the Bull'). Here are four more of his nicknames. They might, or might not, use the connective 'the'. What are the animals?
Bell
Cold
Bum
One Trick
Bell
Cold
Bum
One Trick
Hint
Quickly try all the nicks with several common farm animals. You'll get it.Answer
Bell the CatCold Turkey
Bum Steer
One Trick Pony (One-trick Pony)
All are colloquial or idiomatic common-expressions.
*Bell the Cat* and *Shoot the Bull* could be expressions for names (nick or otherwise) as we might say *Tom the Headmaster*.
*Bell the Cat* means to put a warning signal on something threatening in order to signal its approach. From an old story about the mice who figured that would be a good way to know of the proximity of the cat. But (and this is the real meaning of the phrase), WHO was going to take the risk ... to get close enough to hang the bell; *Bell the Cat*.
*Cold Turkey* means to kick a habit by abstaining totally and for a significant period of time.
*Bum Steer* means *bad advice* or having been given an idea that doesn't work. Probably originated from the notion of being given faulty directions (being *steered* into the wrong course). Not likely it originated in any reference to the animal because a steer is a *bum* anyway in terms of insemination capacity.
*One-trick Pony* Comes from the circus or carnival biz where the pony did only ONE trick, albeit well, perhaps. Has come to mean a person who is accomplished at ONE thing but maybe has few (if any) other skills or attractive traits.
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