A Thousand Words In Idioms, I and J

As long as people have been around, they have tried to communicate with each other. As a means of getting the message across as clearly as possible, idioms and sayings have found their way into our language. Now, because "a picture paints a thousand words", I thought it would be nice to make this a photo challenge. The idea is to choose an idiom, or a saying, ( even slang is allowed) and illustrate it with a picture. Each week we'll cover two letters of the alphabet, okay? You can find the first edition here if you need some inspiration.

"A Thousand Words in Idioms"

If "language is the dress of thoughts" ( Johnson), then idioms must the wardrobe ...

I is for ...
I've got your number, which means:

"You have made a mistake and I am going to call you on it. You are in trouble (a threat). I have a disagreement with you. I understand your true nature."

J is for ... 'Just as the twig is bent, the tree’s inclined'
This means: things, especially education, that affect and influence us in our childhood shape the kind of adult we turn out to be.

Join in, it's fun!!

I'm very much looking forward to see what you've come up with?
Don't forget to sign the Mr Linky if you're playing, and please, add the link to your POST, not the homepage, okay?

ABC in idioms, A and B

If "language is the dress of thoughts" ( Johnson),
then idioms must the wardrobe.


When I was a kid, I was always fascinated by the colourful language my grandmother used.
She had such a way with words, she had her own funny ways to describe things and that memory still makes me smile. As long as people have been around, they have tried to communicate with each other. As a means of getting the message across as clearly as possible, idioms and sayings have found their way into our language.
Now, because a picture paints a thousand words, I thought it would be nice to make this a new photo challenge. The idea is to pick an idiom, or a saying, ( even slang is allowed) and illustrate it with a picture. Each week we'll cover two letters of the alphabet, okay?
So here we go...

By the way, I sure hope people will join in on the fun, I'd hate to be the only one?
If you're in, let me know in a comment and I'll add your link, okay?

A rising tide lifts all boats."

This idiom was used by president Kennedy and it means all people will benefit from a better economy. So let's just hope the tide rises again soon huh?

B is for ...

Bread and butter issues are ones that affect people in a very direct way.

I had fun looking for them, and I learned a lot.
I can't wait to see what others will come up with?

Okay, we've got a first entry and she did great! Hop on over to Quilly's to check what she has up her sleeve!! Click the link to see Quilly's post.

And Mar joined in too, here's the link:

Thom has joined in as well.

And another entry came from Cindy, it's here:

Anouncing a New Photo Challenge

It feels kind of weird not have to look for Melli's alphabet any more! Difficult at first, but once I got into it, it became a habit. Like an extra switch in my brains or something. We were out on a walk last Sunday when I saw a flight of stairs with real beautiful wrought iron bannisters, and my first impulse was to take a picture for Melli! And now I regret I did not take a picture, I could have posted it here. Oh well ...


By now, everybody is probably waiting for me to announce the new challenge, right?
All good things come to he who waits ... ;-)
Terri asked me to take a breather, and Melli is travelling this week, so I decided to wait one more week. But starting next week, I would love to get the new idioms challenge started.
The idea is to pick an idiom or an expression, ( slang might be interesting too) a saying, a proverb, a phrase ... and document it with a picture. After all, a picture paints a thousand words right? I'm really looking forward to see what we'll come up with.

As for the rules? I would like us to cover two letters a week, so I suggest we'll start next week and do A and B? Just be creative, that's all I'm asking.
As a matter of fact, I happened to find a couple of interesting thoughts on this subject this morning ...

Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity. ~George Smith Patton, War as I Knew It, 1947

Slang is a language that rolls up its sleeves, spits on its hands and goes to work. ~Carl Sandburg, New York Times, 13 February 1959

It's a strange world of language in which skating on thin ice can get you into hot water. ~Franklin P. Jones

So there, if there are any more questions, just put them in a comment and I'll do an update on this post, okay?
Oh and another thing. Any suggestions for a name or a title for this challenge?

In the mean time, I can't wait for you to jump on the bandwagon, and get this show on the road!

UPDATE: Terri asked about the letters of the alphabet. We'll use two each week, so next week, the idioms are supposed to start with A and B, you know like, " apple pie order", an apple a day ...

Melli's ABC Challenge, Y and Z

Another week has passed.
What did I just say? Twenty six letters, that's THIRTEEN weeks!
This week we have reached the final two letters of Melli's Alphabet!
It was fun doing, even if it took me some time to get into it at first.
BUT ... we did it, we made it all the way through till the end!


I made a small selection of the Y's I found over the weeks, but I have only one picture for Z.
Most of the Y's are photographed at the beguinage of Leuven, the one on the top right is from Gent. I found my Z's at Antwerp Station last week. I think it's perfect for the final photo because it pictures how "time flies" when you're having fun!



.... And maybe this could be an idea for a new challenge, I don't know, it just hit me!
You might all know how much I love vocabulary, so I thought maybe we could do idioms?
Each of us pick an idiom - to our own liking - and we illustrate it with a picture.
I suggest we follow the alphabet once again?

Okay, I'll show you what I mean:

A is for "Apple pie order"


Since everybody asked about the apple pie yesterday, here they are, in perfect apple pie order!
The top ones are are all apple pies, and the bottom one is a cherry pie. They were all home made. The cherry pie at the bottom of the picture was made by my sister Lena, the second one was my "American" pie, the third one was a delicious apple lemon pie, and the top one was an apple banana crumble made by my daughter.

So there, maybe that would be an interesting idea for a new challenge?
Tell me what you think, okay?

Melli's Alphabet Challenge, W and X

Wednesday again, time for Melli's Alphabet challenge.
One more week to go after this one, we're doing W and X this week.
W was not that easy to find, or maybe I was not looking in the right places?
These are all from my last trip to Bruges again, but I only discovered that I had them when I was browsing through my archives!
It"s upside down, but it's a W !




And if you look well, there's one on the right side of this picture as well. It's on it's side in the green Buxus hedges? Had I known it was there, I would have composed the picture slightly different, but it's in there all right!
But what I did notice when I took the pictures, was the dragon bench!
It was already past the S week, but I snapped it anyway.
It's my bonus for Melli! ANOTHER DRAGON FOR MELLI!!
I miss chasing dragons, does it show?


As for X .... well, I had a ball!!
I found so many I had to make a collage ...


And now I'm off to Melli's!
Can't wait to see what the others will come up with!

Melli's ABC challenge U and V

Time for Melli's alphabet challenge featuring U and V this week.
I totally overlooked U, and I had to browse through my archives to find one!

But there are three U's in this picture, can you find them?

This V is one I snapped in Bruges on Saturday.

But this is my pride and joy!!
My V for Melli!!
And the dragonheads are a bonus!


Looking for more?
Hop over to Melli's place to meet the other players.

Melli's Alphabet Challenge, S and T

For weeks now I've been running around with my camera, looking up, looking down, upside down, searching everywhere. I even looked in mirrors, and from all kinds of angles. People have been turning their heads at the sight of me, bending myself in the most awkward positions trying to find letters for Melli's ABC challenge.
I'm not sure if I'm brain damaged yet or not, no tests have been executed yet.
But the men in white coats have not yet come to fetch me either.
However, if I keep seeing photographing things that nobody else finds interesting, then I'll let you know.
I'll thank you for it Melli.
I'll thank you for that twist extra button in my brains, that clicks every time I see one.
Take last week for instance.


This was somebody's front door.

And this is the door latch at the beguinage.
But it looks like I already had this brain disorder an eye for alphabet letters in the past.
Because while I was browsing through my archives, I discovered these...

This one was from Crestet, when we were on holiday In France last year.
I might have been looking for dragons ;-) but I'm not sure.
(Click the link for a virtual tour of this pretty village in the South of France.)


And this one was taken on one of my walks in Antwerp last Summer.
A perfect T.

But the next one beats it all. I want drumrolls now


Not only is there an S, there is a T in there as well.
And not only that.
* Insert Space Odyssey grand finale paukes NOW!*
(for full effect click the link to hear the music before you scroll down)

because ....

IT HAS GOT U V, ..... W Y X AND Z AS WELL!!!

* Bows and leaves the stage*

Visit Melli to find more brain damaged players see more ABC challenge pictures.