Expressions I don't understand.

[Trumpton]

There are a number of expressions that I keep hearing which I don't really understand what they mean.

1); 'Going pear-shaped'

2); 'Going tits up'.

What are the derivation of these expressions? I believe they both have negative meanings - why?

[Jacques]

It's all a bit left of a murder mate.

[Trumpton]

Jacques wrote:

> It's all a bit left of a murder mate.

Eh?

[Jacques]

Strange, odd.

A crow left of a murder (murder being the collective noun) is the odd one out, the stranger.

[Trumpton]

Jacques wrote:

> Strange, odd.
>
> A crow left of a murder (murder being the collective noun) is
> the odd one out, the stranger.

You've got me there J, there's another one, or two, expressions that I don't understand.

[IG]

Just do a bit of a google search and try and find the answer (as you all encourage others to do about the girlies).

From a very quick look, I have the below in terms of 'tits up'

'It's a cruder version of the phrase "going belly-up" meaning "to fail, to end in disaster". the metaphor is of dead fish, which float belly-up in the water.'

Kind rgds, IG

[Trumpton]

But tits? Tits are nice. So why use the word in an negative context? The same could be said about 'pears'. They're nice and juicy, usually.

[IG]

Various theories on 'pear-shaped'. I like this one.

But probably the most believable explanation yet proposed is the one that ties the phrase to the Royal Air Force, where learning to fly apparently includes doing acrobatic loops.

Difficult for even an experienced pilot, these loops as performed by a novice are more than likely to appear lopsided and "pear-shaped."

One can imagine observers on the ground saying, "Good. Good. Oh rats, he's gone all pear-shaped."

Kind rgds, IG

[Sam Slater]

Murder is the collective noun for crows (like a 'flock' is the collective noun for pigeons/sheep) So 'a crow left of a murder' isn't hangin with the other crows - the odd one out.

[IG]

Belly up would be the male version I guess. Tits up would be the female version. Unless they were really fat I suppose in which case it would be belly up for them as well!

Tits are wonderful but probably not that wonderful if on a woman who is floating dead in the water with her tits and not much else showing.........