British, informal. : to talk for a long time She rarely spoke, but her brother could talk the hind legs off a donkey.
What does talk your leg off mean?
“To talk the leg (or legs) off something” is just an idiomatic way to say “to talk a lot”. The something could be a pot, a chair, an animal or other things.
What is the meaning of hind legs?
(ˈhaɪndˌlɛɡ) a back leg of a quadruped.
Can you talk the leg off a chair?
Used to describe someone who talks excessively – the same as someone who could talk underwater with a mouth full of marbles.
Where did the phrase talk the hind legs off a donkey come from?
Possibly from Ireland, it has been suggested that the expression refers to the fact that horses or donkeys do not usually sit down on their behinds. So, to talk the hind legs off a donkey or horse is to talk so long that the animal becomes exhausted and collapses.
Can talk the ear off a?
talk someone’s ear off Fig. to talk to someone endlessly; to bore someone with too much talk. He will talk your ear off if he gets a chance.
Can you talk under water meaning?
If you say that someone can talk under water, you mean that they talk a lot.
Are hind legs back legs?
Their two front legs are called forelegs, and their two back legs are called hind legs.
Can talk the ears off a?
talk someone’s ear off Fig. to talk to someone endlessly; to bore someone with too much talk. My aunt always talks my ear off when she comes to visit. He will talk your ear off if he gets a chance.
What does talked her MOMS ear off mean?
to talk to someone for a long time, usually loudly: She talked my ear off. SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases. Talking too much. ass.
What does talk your head off mean?
Definition of one’s head off informal. : very loudly or without restraint She had to shout her head off to get her friends attention at the concert. He is shy at first, but will talk your head off [=will talk continuously] once you get to know him. You can yell your head off at him, but he still won’t listen.
What is the meaning of talk the hind legs off a donkey?
1970 Nina Bawden The Birds on the Trees Talk, talk—talk the hind leg off a donkey, that one. ( informal, humorous) (usually used with can or could) talk for a long time: He would make a good politician — he could talk the hind legs off a donkey!
Why do they call it “the hind leg off”?
It is therefore likely that animal’s, or person’s, hind leg off is simply a hyperbolic extension of to talk, emphasising the speaker’s persistence or eloquence—a similar phrase is to talk through (the back of) one’s neck, meaning to talk nonsense.
Will you talk a dog’s hind leg off?
Giving Tongue.—There is a common saying that some people will “talk a dog’s hind leg off,” but I know many who would “talk the four (fore) off?”—Lavater Junior.
What is the earliest form of the word “talk a horse”?
The earliest form was to talk a horse ’s hind leg off. Other early variants, sometimes with other verbs than to talk, referred neither to donkey or to horse but to dog or even to a person.
