I missed seeing your post, JGwen! It does feel great when people begin to notice the changes in
your appearance. As to the comments of your friend, he clearly went back to his previous eating
pattern and regained his lost weight. Many of us have made this a way of life, and have maintained
our losses. You most certainly can too. Ignore the naysayers! 🙂

Allie

It looks like we need a ‘bright turquoise lover’s’ parade on the Phoenixes thread, I am another one who has this as my favourite colour 😀 although I am still failing miserably at getting any photographs organised to link to.

Positives for today;
1. A great game of badminton where we turned round a deficit of 6 points to win by 5 points, with an 11 point ‘run on my serve. 😀😀😀😀😀😀😀
2. Only two work days left before my holiday in Cornwall
3. I seem to have avoided (touch wood) the nasty cold that both my OH and the colleague who shares my office have suffered from, with just the merest runny nose rather than their days off work. Hoping I stay clear of it and don’t end up taking it to Cornwall though.

MnM, if you think I’m parading my, albeit now slender, body in swimwear on the Phoenix thread, think on…..wouldn’t want to scare the natives 😜

May I ask whereabouts you are going in Cornwall? Pleased you have avoided the worst of the colds surrounding you, and please don’t bring your germs down with you, we have enough of our own😉 Not that I’ll be there next week – another trip up country, soo many elderly relatives! FiL (95) this time, just out of hospital.

Hope the Cornish Weather God has listened to me and lays on some sunshine for you – forecast looking okay so far. Have a lovely trip. X

To wade in here, turquoise is my fav colour for swimwear, as it looks great with a tan. I also have a turquoise maxi summer dress with spaghetti straps, which I have had for many, many years and love to wear with a tan on a warm summer evening.

Sadly I don’t have a tan to set my bright turquoise tankini off, Sunny. Hopefully this may be rectified during our African trip in April. Until then, I’ll have to rely on the bottled stuff😢

Your maxi dress sounds lovely and, unlike my swimwear, that could certainly be paraded in the Phoenix thread😊

Hi Theo, my mother is originally from Hayle and has just, after living up-country in Manchester and more recently the Lake District for my entire life, bought a second home in Hayle which we can use too. She is visiting my sister in Australia at the moment so it is ours for the half term week 😀 Maybe we should pass on the swimwear shots, although I also have a couple of tankini’s and a lovely bright turquoise filmy cover up dress (that mum borrowed for the Australia trip since she was more likely to get suitable sunny swimming weather than me).

I’ll give some thought to posting a picture of the turquoise dress, might already have one somewhere which I could use. Need to check over the photos from the last holiday. I’m sure you can work up a tan in Africa! I’m a little envious Theo, I’m itching to go back – Africa gets under your skin.

Would love to see it, Sunny!

MnM, you’re on the rugged north coast then. I’m on the slightly more gentle south, so my pleas to the weather god on your behalf probably won’t do any good, sorry 😢 We always say…..If it’s raining on the north coast, head to the south to find the sun! 🌞 And vice versa, of course 😀 Hope you have a great trip, whatever the weather. Hope your mum is having a fabulous time with your sister in Oz too.

Sunny, to say I’m excited about Africa is an understatement. O/h has been a few times, and absolutely loves it. But this will be my first, hopefully of many, trip. Everyone I know says the same as you – that Africa gets under one’s skin! I’m planning on losing a few more pounds just before we go so that when I relax and put on the inevitable few pounds, it will just bring me back, more or less, to where I am now, rather than fret whilst away, then have the horror of facing the scales upon our return! That’s the plan anyway. But the best laid plans of mice and men….as they say😜

PS I sometimes read back my posts and have a feeling that they tend to sound rather upbeat all the time. Sorry about that – I do tend to be the eternal optimist, and have been told it can be very “wearing”, smug even😢 Even my lovely, tolerant o/h gets fed up with it, particularly when he’s in a bad mood! Someone on here, not all that long after I joined this wonderful forum, called me a “cheerleader” and I’m afraid that’s my vocation in life 😕 Sorry if it’s annoying. Xx

The description of your emerging spring reminds me that

1. I can almost smell autumn in the air these early mornings and autumn here in Canberra is absolutely glorious. As is winter and spring – not so much our hot dry summers but then, small price to pay

2. I had the joy of both daughters over for dinner last night. I see each regularly, but not so often together and these days, it is filled with laughter and happiness

3. I’m off to a lovely lunch today

Theodora, I love the positive outlook on life. You will have such a great time in Africa. Like others, my trip through Namibia, a bit of Botswana and Zambia really got under my skin. It is just so unbelievably beautiful and fascinating. I haven’t managed to get back as I tend now to spend all my travel money on dive trips to the coral triangle but back to Africa is top of the non-dive list.

I remember swimming off Hayle beach many years ago. What a lovely area of the UK Cornwall is; it’s the place I took my children to create those happy family holiday memories they now treasure as adults. Hope you have a great half-term break Mixnmatch
My positives for today are:
1) Finally, our new washing machine arrived this morning (7am!) and we’re now a much cleaner household than we were yesterday.
2) Caught up with a good friend who I hadn’t seen for about six months while she’s been abroad. As ever, it was like we’d last seen each other yesterday.
3) We went to our local cinema this evening to watch the RSC’s production of Twelfth Night screened live from Stratford. It’s not the same as being in the theatre but a pretty good second. What a brilliant idea.

Thanks folks for the responses re my being lectured about how the weight will go back on once I stop dieting. It brought a smile to my lips. I wasn’t irate about him (not a friend just another local resident) saying those things, what really P….. ( irritated) me off was not being able to help him because he was behaving in the usual male neurotypical style of being self centered

He starting by waving the plate of welsh cakes under the noses of myself and a friend who is so overweight she has to use a stick to help her walk, followed by mentioning my weight loss and that I looked 20 years younger, going straight into a lecture on how he had lost weight but regained it as soon as he stopped dieting and the same would happen to me then changing the subject and starting to talk about another aspect of his life without drawing a breath.

If he had just been polite enough to take a break after talking about his own diet/weight loss experience,, or ask for my advice as I was obviously succeeding where he had failed and make it a conversation rather than a lecture where he is the expert he would have provided me with an opportunity to tell him about BSD, or the research on reduction of metabolic rate on standard diets, or pass on all sorts of facts and information that could help him in the future. But instead he was just so self focused that he put me in the position of having to choose between either be rude and interrupting him so that I could help him…. Or following social norms and`letting him finish talking at us. (I hate not being able to give others help when they need it but choose not interrupting because I was so irritated by this point)

Never mind, I feel quite cheerful this morning by thinking about the additional incentive he has given me in my determination to get down to my target weight and stay there – all without even the thought of being supportive of someone else entering his self centred world. One of my favourite sayings is :- you don’t develop muscle without something to push against. :-))) But maybe in this case the phrase planning to make him eat his words might be appropriate. :-))))

I like the pushing muscle analogy.

I had a similar experience yesterday with a male friend telling me I mustn’t believe everything I read in books (about diet) and me responding with ‘well it seems better than basing it on what’s just in your head like you do’ which whilst bitchy made me feel very smug for thinking of it in the moment not an hour later. So I will count sticking up for myself and this woe as a positive for today 😄

I agree the ‘developing muscle pushing something’ analogy is brilliant! From your description of the scenario JGwen, I think you were best to save your breath in this instance, I’m sure wisdom you may have imparted would have fallen on deaf ears.

Well done with the swift put down JackieM, sometimes we have to be prepared to defend ourselves and the course we are choosing to take.

Positives for today:

1) In the main a bright crisp day, so little g/d and I took a walk to a local farm, to visit the sheep, lambs and horses.
2) Heard a woodpecker hammering at a tree in the copse and a robin singing.
3) Splashing in the puddles in our welly boots – what could be more carefree and childlike?

Theo, your description of Cornwall in the spring has me quite envious. Sounds magnificent and we are a good 6 weeks away from signs of spring, my favorite season by a mile. While I love fall too, it is the 50 shades of lacy green sprinkled with white and pink and gold that I really love. And a bit of burgundy twig showing through. To have that and the sea to boot, you are blessed.

I’m here madly packing up and trying to get some deep watering done before heading off –

1. while my back injury means I can’t backpack bushwalk just now, we are 4 wheel driving into a beautiful remote spot right up in the high country so I will get a very good dose of wilderness
2. Because we are car camping, I can take my camera with extra lenses so will have a wonderful time with that
3. I have access to a wonderful dog sitter who happily has Archie inside.

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend

I also like your favourite saying JGwen. I’ve never heard it before.
Flick, It does sound like a fantastic weekend. Hope you have a great time.

My positives for today are:
1) Belatedly, made homemade pancakes for my family; one of the few things I’ve always cooked for them. (Didn’t have any myself, but the positive was just cooking something everyone loves).
2) Just spending time with my son – we have such a good relationship.
3) My new washing machine – washing in, a few buttons pushed and that’s it. I remember my grandmother and her mangle. Washday was such hard work. I dislike housework so I know it’ll wear off quickly, but for today I appreciate it.

1. Reading and watching loads about insulin this week and LTC’s comment about meat on another thread finally has clicked it all together in my head. So I have been eating too much meat, often because I felt I ‘had’ to and now feel so liberated that I don’t have to and it may in fact have been counter productive. Hooray for green veg and seeds! And this forum too!

2. Complete week off from everything this week was just right for me. Have had room to get things done that were at back of mind and slightly stressy as a result. Feeling of inner calm and also sense of potential as result

3. Feeling unmoved by crap food. Am sitting in a room everyday with twix, mars etc and doesn’t really register. Am at all you can eat buffet three times a day with cake there even at breakfast and again, no stirrings. Before even if I had been restraining myself I would have been hyper conscious of what was there and would have wanted to try it all at least once. What a difference 6 months can make.

I just love reading this thread and seeing how we are all taking pleasure in the simple things in life which make such a difference, but are often taken for granted.

My positives. ……

1) We have been thinking about “downsizing” for the last couple of years but there is a slightly smaller house, just half a mile away, which I have always hankered after. It has just come onto the market and yesterday we went to view. I liked it, but was not blown away as I was expecting to be. We may or may not make an offer, but even if it doesn’t work out, the positive is that, having seen it, it has now freed my mind to other possibilities.

2) We returned home after the above viewing and I realised just what a fantastic house I have been living in for 40 years. It made me appreciate that I have been taking my beautiful home very much for granted for far too long, and I have fallen in love with it all over again. Sadly it is far too big and high maintenance for us as we get old.😢

3) Beautiful bright, sunny, frosty day here, 5 mile coastal walk, returned home with 2 wet but CLEAN dogs😁 Been a while since that happened.

Hello everyone sorry I’ve been a bit lax in posting lately.

Theo we spent years ‘looking’ at other houses but had the same reaction as you …. came home and thought why are we moving? Then, several years later, when we needed ‘one floor’ living we did find, by accident, a small bungalow which we extended . So now we have downsized, in as much and we only have two bedrooms BUT, we have far more open-plan living space. I am a bit of a ‘fatalist’ and when the right place comes up you will ‘KNOW’.

So for my three today……
1. My son, his partner and our ‘ most beautiful granddaughter ‘ visited today. What more can one ask for!
2. I’m finally getting on top of my paperwork.
3. Looking forward to lunch out with our closest family on Sunday ….. daughter, son, partners and grandchildren… hooray!!! Don’t do it often enough!
Hope you are all staying positive !!

Ha, I’m over the moon todayl! I can’t believe it. I spontaneously decided to try doing “planks” today…
I can do them! I’d really appreciate any advice from committed excercisers on how to build upon
it. How is it that I can balance on my toes and arms? I don’t know! Just want to commence
laughing 🙂
JOY

Wow, allie well done on the plank, I know for sure there is no way I could do that. My wrists as rather weak, so anything that puts a lot of weight or stress through them is at best uncomfortable and at worst not possible for me to do, but that aside, I don’t think I’d be strong enough to plank anyway.

Glad you are having such wonderful family time V. I’ve had the joy of our youngest grand daughter staying all week – only a day and a half to go, until my son comes to collect her and both OH and I agree, it’s going to feel very strange once she has gone home. And I agree with Verano, Theo, when it’s the right time the right property will present itself. When we were looking to downsize our mortgage in the run up to retirement and were looking at moving to Kent, we lost no less than 6 Buyers for our property and as a consequence 2 houses in Kent over a six month period. Once we decided to look at moving to Somerset instead, everything fell into place in a matter of weeks, including securing a buyer for our house and finding the home we’re in now.

Okay, so my positives today:

1) Another crisp sunny day and no rain.
2) Delightful shopping trip with grand daughter, so that she could spend her holiday money.
3) Bought myself some beautiful bright cerise pink leather gloves – wonderful change from black or brown.

Looking forward to the weekend and hope you all have a good one.

Well done Allie 🙂
You could try the 30 day plank challenge – you start out at 20 seconds from memory and gradually build on it each day, so by the end of the month you can hold it for 300 seconds!
https://30dayfitnesschallenge.co.uk/30-day-plank-challenge/
I must start doing this again – I think I got to about day 12 last time and then stopped for some reason or other.

Thank you, Sunny. I’m the most surprised of all. I thought I would simply collapse on the carpet!
I seem to be able to do the side version as well, to build the oblique muscles. Next thing is to
work on increasing the time….I hope you had a very precious and treasured time with your grand-
daughter. Seven is a magical age, when innocence prevails 🙂

Allie

Well done Allie!
Sunny yes it’s good to have quality family time. You must have had a lovely week with your granddaughter although I guess once she’s gone home you’ll feel exhausted!
So for my positives today……..
1. OH needed some bank statements so I was forced to continue sorting through my papers ….. waste bin full, shredder needs emptying, so a good day all in all.
2. Finished my washing, now just need to iron it all …. next week!
3. Gave in and started a new jigsaw, well actually one that I did around two years ago. So this is a repeat performance really.
Hope you are all having a ‘positive ‘ weekend.

Thanks everyone!

Sueblue, I think our posts crossed. I really appreciate the link, and my timer is at the ready to
begin the plank/core strengthening challenge today. You’ve given me a place to begin and a
goal to set…Thanks so much! I’m excited to start 🙂

Hi, V.! I recently came across several boxed up puzzles that I forgot that I had saved…I’m bringing
them out this evening, since sat. night is especially poor for American t.v. Just have to locate
a suitable stable, light weight surface to make the board portable. Thanks for reminding me!

Wishing you all a weekend of positives,

Allie

Last full day with our grand daughter, so we tried to pack plenty in. She and I have been making decorations for her Easter Tree, which was our main project this week, but we got out for a while as well. You might be right Verano, but so worth it! Feeling a little under the weather this evening, but it might just be because I’m a bit tired.

Regardless, there are still positives and for today these are all nature related:
1) A friend of ours recently bought 10 acres of woodland, so OH and I took g/d there this afternoon. We had a pleasant walk (if a little muddy) and identified lots of plants. It’s going to look beautiful there in a few weeks, when the tree buds are starting to burst and the bluebells and primroses are in bloom.
2) Listening to the bird song in the woods.
3) Found a really beautiful little branch of larch, with 15 or so little cones on it, which I brought home to dry out. Not sure yet what I’ll do with it, but it’s very decorative, so I’m sure I’ll find some little corner in the house it can enhance.

I love to read everyone’s positives. I am sorry I can’t do this daily as most days I don’t really do much at the moment. I do have three today though.

1) My wonderful friend Lizzie has found her inner strength.
2) I saw my lovely grandchildren yesterday and had lots of cuddles and smiles.
3) My lovely Jovis, who has been sleeping in another room because of the coughing, came back to me last night. It was lovely to cuddle up to him. After 40 years I miss him when he isn’t there!

Take the very best care of yourselves and those you love.

Nonna Mary
xxx

Hi Nonna Mary,
I’ve just finished posting and I’m off for a walk but just read your post. They are three really lovely positives. Like you I do enjoy reading everyone’s positives and yours today have made me happy. xx

Hi Alliecat,

Re plank fitness exercise. – What’s this training for rotisserie before the cauldron ?

Well I suppose our mothers generation would have taken it as read that any bone broth comes after the roast.

1) Appreciating how much we can mean to each other on this website.
2) A fabulously uplifting walk on a sun-drenched bitterly cold beach this morning.
3) More prosaically, thoroughly enjoying aubergine “lasagne” from the recipe book as my lunch/early dinner!

Lovely thought (#1) caronl! I’ve been on the boards for a mere 6 months, though adhering to the WOL for 20.
I can’t even remember what I did with free time before I began blogging! All of the people here have enriched
my life beyond measure, not to mention the laughter we share 🙂

I too very much appreciate the lovely people populating this forum and can say without a doubt, I wouldn’t have achieved my goal had I not had their support. Being part of this community means a huge amount to me and I appreciate all the wisdom and compassion to be found here.

Sadly, our little grand daughter has now left after her week with us and it’s just OH and me again – the house suddenly seems oddly quiet. Still, let’s see what today’s positives are …..
1) Saw my son today when he came to collect g/d. We had a meal and a few laughs before they headed home.
2) OH finally got around to putting privacy glass in our front living room window. Sounds strange I know, but because of the position of the window is at the bottom of the stairs a blind or curtains isn’t an option, meaning we have been living in a goldfish bowl for years!
3) Well ahead on hydration today, which is unusual for me.

Looking forward to a busy week, catching up on things side lined as g/d was here and to a couple of upcoming social events.

I don’t know if this qualifies as a full fledged “positive” for today, but it gives me a degree of joy and laughter
to recognize that a fair number of British expressions have found their way into my everyday speech! Getting
things “sorted” is a popular one, as is “whinging”, and one or two colorful curse words that I employ when an
entire box of eggs flies out of the refrig. and smashes on the floor…I’m confident that my neighbors are
ignorant of what I’m shouting out from behind my apartment door! 🙂 🙂 🙂

Enjoy what’s left of the weekend, everyone!

Allie

Allie whatever puts a smile on your face is a real ‘positive’! As others have said I have found this community invaluable. I know I would not be where I am today without all the posters. So, again I’ve found all your positives uplifting and so to mine for yesterday……
1. Lunch with my closest family …. a real joy.
2. Have reassessed my goals for the coming months being very realistic given my diary.
3. I am fortunate, in that despite my very ‘loose’ interpretation of BSD of late, I’m still managing to stay at my upper limit. So not too much damage really as I only have a 3lb window.
Have a positive day!

Allie, I agree totally with V above, whatever puts a smile on your face…..😊

The things that are putting a smile on my face this morning…..

1) Sitting here, imagining my friend Allie, in deepest Connecticut, confounding friends and neighbours by peppering her speech with incomprehensible (to them) English phrases😉👍
2) O/h is finally clearing his study of some junk (he is an inveterate hoarder!)
3) Will be travelling upcountry shortly to watch my youngest granddaughter perform in The Sleeping Beauty (ballet). Really looking forward to it.

Yes, V and Theo, I really AM having fun with it! I need to work on my accent next 🙂 I realized when I was skyping
with Kazz how distinctly she pronounces the “t” in a word like “twenty”…Americans say something that sounds
like “twenny”! How grating that must be! 🙂
Theo, is the hoarding husband a relatively new phenomenon ? If so, your home may have been invaded by
my AWOL o/h when he goes unaccounted for, for extended periods…Have you noticed bursting bookshelves
with 12″ stacks of books in front of them? How about moldy coffee mugs on the desk? Piles of files on
the floor, perfect for tripping/slipping on? Shade on the floor lamp beside the reading chair cocked at a
demented angle? Howl about a black lawn/garbage bag parked in the middle of the room and so over-
stuffed with papers that you would have to be a goliath to lift it? Assume you have invaded by the bearded
one! Send him home, would you???
Enjoy the wonderful performance tonight, and please come back and share the particulars!

Allie

Haha, Allie – yes all those things, and more! But sadly, he has been this way since I first met him over 50 years ago! So maybe it’s been my bearded one that has been invading your home?😉

I’ve been trying to think of more English words / phases in common usage which you may not, at first hearing, understand. The first one which sprang to mind is not so much English, but in very common use in my beloved Cornwall, and that is “dreckly” – it is one step up from the Spanish “manana” (tomorrow) and we use it to say something may get done “one day in the unforeseeable future, or maybe not at all”.

Another phrase that is used a lot is “detained at her majesty’s pleasure”………………… in prison.
Away with the fairies……………….daydreaming
Swings and roundabouts…………….everything evens out eventually
Horses for courses………….everyone is good at different things
Bob’s your uncle…………..there we go!
Chinwag…………..gossip / chatter
Have a butcher’s……………take a look
Brass monkey’s……………freezing cold (very appropriate for you this winter)
Oh, bloomin ‘eck………………..an exclamation (non-curse)
Gobsmacked…………..shocked
Pear-shaped………….gone wrong
A sandwich short of a picnic……………not very bright (a person)
Mad as a box of frogs……………crazy
On yer bike………………go away

Let’s see which of those you like / manage to incorporate into every day speech👌

I’m sure if I put my thinking cap on, I could come up with loads more, and probably other Brits can come up with some favourites which I haven’t thought of yet.

PS Travelling atm, so fasting. Always use the opportunity of travel to fast, I really enjoy it these days – fasting, not travelling.

Hi Alliecat,
there must be something about men and coffee mugs in general – my OH uses them, piles them up in the sink and keeps returning to the cupboard for a fresh one until they are all gone (surprise!). And tends to save stuff because it might come in useful – I mean, who needs a whole drawer full of odd shoelaces for goodness sake.

Positive thought for today – the catkins and snowdrops are out, the daffodils are starting to open their flowers, and spring is on the way to us here in (not quite sunny) south Wales.

What fun, Theo 🙂 🙂 🙂
I may be mad as a box of frogs, but you do provoke me to this enjoyable state. I’ll be away with the fairies
until you return, when our chinwag will re-commence!
Safe trip north. Happy fasting

Now, I like this one “dreckly”…It applies to my attitude toward housekeeping 🙂
For the dull witted, we use “not the sharpest knife in the drawer” !

So funny, treelady! We might even create a thread to describe the idiosyncratic behaviors of errant husbands!
Shoe laces don’t seem too bad to me, when compared to ancient/defective laptops, which my o/h brings
out and tries to fob off on me 🙂
Did you feel the earthquake on sat.?
I hope things are going well. Spring is still at least 6 weeks away here in New England!

Could I contribute the following phrases:
“dynamic overload” ……. when there’s so much going on, your brain just can’t keep up and hold on to all the information (not in common use as its a telecoms term, but one that OH and I use)
“it’s like herding cats” …… chaotic, almost impossible (we use this one in reference to walking anywhere with middle grandson, who is constantly away with the fairies!)
“rare as hens teeth / rocking horse droppings” ……… think that one speaks for itself!
My positives for today are:
1) Caught up with some of the voluntary admin work I do for our local Village Hall, which has been rather side lined while grand daughter was here last week.
2) Made some more almond crackers – one batch of chilli flavour and one of poppy seed and tarragon.
3) Couple of days breather, before I need to start prepping for our next lot of visitors arriving Saturday.

I’m appropriating “dynamic overload”, Sunny! My husband is a college professor, of the absent minded variety,
who is known for leaving his wallet on the counter at the bank, or worse yet, on the roof of the car. Can’t even
see a bagged up garbage bag leaning up against the front door when it’s time to take it out with him enroute
to class!

My positives today are:
1. You all have put such a smile on my phase with the “crazy phrases” lisitings. Loving them all.

2. Aspirational winter coat now fits. I bought it on line on sale 5 years ago. Was a “just 10 more lbs” almost fit, so kept it. It took 5 years and BSD to even re-lose the weight after it went in the wrong direction 5 yrs ago….and then the “10 more” I needed. Sad part is….only another 4-6 wks of winter so I may only wear it a handful of times before winter is gone.

3. Taking 3 more bags of clothes to charity today. With losing and average of 2 1/2 – 3 lbs a week you really burn through the sizes. Today’s lot include many things that I just bought no more than 2 – 2 1/2 months ago. Look nearly new. BYE BYE.

Hoping by next fall I will be giving aspirational winter coat to charity and shopping for another NEW one.
FINE WITH ME.

That’s great, Luv!
Next Fall I’m going to try and talk you into a bright red replacement! I feel quite dashing in mine 🙂

Hi Alliecat,
Yes I did feel the earthquake – my study, desk and computer all shook and there was a low rumbling noise. As it’s such a rare occassion, had no idea what happened until reading the news later.
Two of my favourite local phrases are –
“They could put a glass eye to sleep” for someone who is being a bore
And
“Who’s coat is that jacket?”
: )

Oh, and one that I find myself saying now that my Dad used to say all the time –
“Stand back, let the dog see the rabbit” – which means, let me have a look at the problem and see if I can fix it.
: )

I’d like to add in a word, Allie. It’s a fairly new word (well, to me anyway) but one of my current favourites.

omnishambles – the wiki definition says it’s ‘ compounded from the Latin prefix omni-, meaning “all”, and the word shambles, meaning a situation of total disorder. The word refers to a situation which is seen as shambolic from all possible perspectives.

I most frequently use it when commenting on the latest Brexit news, but it’s a great word which could be applicable to a wide range of situations. Love it!

I’ll go to the foot of our stairs – surprised
Up the wooden stairs to Bedfordshire – time for bed
It’s raining cats and dogs – a lot of rain
He’s as much use as a chocolate teapot
He’s frothing – I thought that meant with rage, my husband thinks with delight.
You’re not as green as your cabbage looking – you’re not as stupid as you look
Thick as 2 short planks – you are as stupid as you look
In and out like a pee in a colander – or did my mum make that one up? Means fast. Doesn’t sound rude when you say it, took me ages to realise what she meant.
Get a grip – is that universal? – get ahold of yourself (not literally)

I like this game, there must be some American ones we can learn?

Not the sharpest pencil in the drawer – dull witted

Happy horseshit – rationalizations and self delusions

peckerwood – unsophisticated simpleton

LTC ? Come on, now 🙂