15 American Sayings That Leave Foreigners Totally Puzzled

12

"Jump the shark"

Screenshot via YouTube

Plenty of Americans don't totally get why we use this phrase to describe when a TV show or some other work goes on longer than it should. Though the phrase originated with an episode of Happy Days late in the series' run, it's come to serve as shorthand for when something ceases to be culturally relevant—or any good—but for those hearing it for the first time, the visual phrase is an odd way to say this. And for more insight into the phrase, including how it popped up on non-Happy Days TV

13

"Long in the tooth"

A phrase that can sometimes be used in the same way as "jump the shark," this one also refers to something that's gotten old or gone on for too long. Though it originated as a term referring to horses, whose teeth continue to grow as they age, a non-English speaker hearing it for the first time an imagine the speaker is referring to someone who literally has long teeth.

14"Green thumb"

"Green thumb" is yet another phrase that brings to mind a literal image (a person whose thumb is the color green) that doesn't describe what it's actually referring to (a person who's handy with gardening). But also, it seems weird to focus on one digit that wouldn't seem to necessarily be used more than the others. "In Britain, they speak of a gifted gardener having 'green fingers,'" says the Word Detective.

15 "Under the weather"

Feeling sick or less than healthy might lead an American to say they feel "under the weather," leaving any non-English speakers translating it to feel totally confused as they try to work out how someone can physically be "under" weather. "My dad's girlfriend works with people from around the world," writes one user on Reddit. "Apparently 'under the weather' is not a common phrase outside the U.S."