I was thinking about the phrase 'The pot calling the kettle black'. It comes from a time where cooking was done over open fires and cookware would become visibly ashy. (Fun fact: It first appears and was perhaps coined by Cervantes in Don Quixote!)

What are some other idioms that have lost their literal connection to time? What would be a good modern replacement?

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[–] [S] 6 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

Great examples! 'champing at the bit' also comes to mind. I think cars fill in pretty nicely as a horse substitute. 'Saddle up' has 'buckle up'. Hold your horses has 'Hit your brakes'. As for gift horses... 'Don't look a gift car under the hood?' Hmm doesn't quite work

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  • [–] 4 points 1 day ago (1 child)

    "Don't check the resale value of a gift car" maybe

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  • [–] 2 points 21 hours ago

    But presumably a gift horse is worth something as long as it walks. This summer my kid got a “gift car” and it was critical look at both the undercarriage and the resale value. Thank goodness he was only out the cost of a tow and mechanics inspection

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