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sure as eggs

by The Table
15 replies
in the uk the phrase 'sure as eggs is eggs' means 'for sure that'll happen'

i'd say most people know the phrase

how common is the phrase in the USA ?
#eggs
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  • Profile picture of the author OptedIn
    Originally Posted by The Table View Post

    in the uk the phrase 'sure as eggs is eggs' means 'for sure that'll happen'

    i'd say most people know the phrase

    how common is the phrase in the USA ?
    Never heard that one, ever - not even from my reasonably large number of British friends. I've never even heard that on any of the Masterpiece Theater productions, all of which I watch and pay close attention to their speech. That says a great deal. :-)

    Might that be a 'class' specific figure of speech?
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    • Profile picture of the author Frank Donovan
      Originally Posted by OptedIn View Post

      Might that be a 'class' specific figure of speech?
      More like an age specific one. I haven't heard it said in everyday speech for decades.


      PS Genesis used it within a larger work on their 1972 "Foxtrot" album. The phrase was archaic, even then.

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supper%27s_Ready
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  • Profile picture of the author SARubin
    Originally Posted by The Table View Post

    in the uk the phrase 'sure as eggs is eggs' means 'for sure that'll happen'

    i'd say most people know the phrase

    how common is the phrase in the USA ?

    Well, since this is a chat about obscure phrases, I'll try to answer your question, with a jumble of them (see if you can spot them all )...



    Honestly, I've never heard the phrase 'sure as eggs is eggs' before today. So I'd say in my neck of the woods, it's about as common as a Bigfoot sighting.

    Of course, there's gotta be more metaphors and analogies in this world, then all the eggs in a farm girls basket. And just because it's all Greek to me, doesn't mean the phrase doesn't carry any weight. (Maybe I've just been living under a rock for too long?)

    I guess we could debate the commonality of obscure phrases till the cows come home, but I'm not sure the conversation would bare much ripe fruit?
    Although, maybe I'm just way off track here. Because sometimes ideas have wings. And besides, even a drunkard's search for meaning could still be as much fun as barrel full of monkeys
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  • Profile picture of the author marciayudkin
    From a super-literate American: Never heard or read the expression.
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  • Profile picture of the author Rose Anderson
    "Don't put all your eggs in one basket"

    "Put all your eggs in one basket -- and watch that basket"

    He's "a good egg"

    He "laid an egg"

    He "has egg on his face"

    She's "walking on egg shells"

    Everyone needs a "nest egg"

    All of the above, yes.

    "Sure as eggs" -- Nope, never heard it.

    Rose
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  • Profile picture of the author Kay King
    Sounds like a version of "right as rain" - and though I heard that many times, never really knew what it meant.
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  • Profile picture of the author asc
    Im a 41 year old man from Liverpool UK and have definitely heard the phrase 'sure as eggs is eggs' - it means that it will simply happen...."lovely day, so I leave my big coat in the house,then sure as eggs is eggs, it starts hammering it down" - common term, well around these parts but also probably not as common in generations younger than me now.

    You are not alone

    Originally Posted by Kay King View Post

    Sounds like a version of "right as rain" - and though I heard that many times, never really knew what it meant.
    Right as rain - more a description of feeling well rather than being correct.

    Any more bizarre UK sayings, hit me up...i'll be here all night :/

    Originally Posted by OptedIn View Post

    Never heard that one, ever - not even from my reasonably large number of British friends. I've never even heard that on any of the Masterpiece Theater productions, all of which I watch and pay close attention to their speech. That says a great deal. :-)

    Might that be a 'class' specific figure of speech?
    I would suggest watching masterpieces such as 'porridge' or 'rising damp' - UK tv shows of the past, for more of these types of wordings like these in the mix there
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  • Profile picture of the author ryanbiddulph
    I have never heard of it as a US citizen, nor did I hear it from many of my British friends I made online or met circling the globe for the past 7 years. Interesting.

    Ryan
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  • Profile picture of the author dana67
    Eggscellent


    I haven't heard of the phrase 'sure as eggs is eggs' but I like it.
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  • Profile picture of the author OREISON
    Very useful!
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  • Profile picture of the author John Jonas Phil VA
    Never heard it before but I will try using it from now on to see if it will catch on =)
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  • Profile picture of the author Princess Balestra
    Mebbe we shld update the phrase to reflect unfoldin' Nirvana in ways evrywan can touch on without feelin' exclooded, uninformed -- or non-global.


    So I wanna suggest


    DEAD CERTAIN AS AN APOCALYPSE IS AN APOCALYPSE


    tbh in termsa the "seed growin' out into all to eventuality" narrative ticket, my updated undiscovered meme pulls alla the HEY I GET THAT levers way better than eggs cos'n we don't gotta waste no time speculatin' 'bout omeletes or makin' cake ingredients so insufficiently BOUFFANT they kinda BRICKS.

    So, yeah -- Apocalypse Imminent less'n we can seed out shit ain't destructively stoopid.

    Then mebbe we can all agree on more universal metaphors for whatevah.
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  • Profile picture of the author Sid Owsley
    First time I've ever heard that expression. It's definitely not a common phrase in my region (Mid-Atlantic) of the USA.
    We'd probably change this phrase to something like "sure as beer is beer" or "sure as sh#$%t is sh@#$t or something.
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    • Profile picture of the author OptedIn
      Originally Posted by Sid Owsley View Post

      First time I've ever heard that expression. It's definitely not a common phrase in my region (Mid-Atlantic) of the USA.
      That might be due to the fact that it's a rather outdated British expression.
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  • Profile picture of the author boblev
    I'm sure as sure can be that I've never ever heard 'sure as eggs is eggs' just as sure as the day is long. surtainly
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