The wife just informed that she helped the kid get to sleep the night before, and that it was "no bag of oranges, let me tell you". Has anyone heard this expression before or should I be looking into forcible confinement at a mental-health institute?
Never heard it that context before...however a bag of oranges is a good way to put a beating on someone without leaving bruises. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
Your wife was making the point that getting the child to sleep was a challenge, unlike the bag of oranges being a universally understood reference of measure. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
How does a bag of oranges rate on a scale? You know, herding cats, box of monkeys... piece of cake, bag of oranges etc. I think we should have a properly defined scale.
The general observation being that regardless of the number of oranges or their size, that it takes roughly one pound of oranges to squeeze a standard glass of juice. 6-8 ounces, a generally acceptable serving. Shopping for bagged oranges is as simple as it gets, they generally being offered in a couple of standard size bags. Oranges are rather durable and not prone to bruising, so one does not need to put much time or effort into the selection of this purchase, unlike other fruits sold in bags. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
GeoffP, I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but you might want to invest in a rubber room for her at this point.
But that doesn't address the question of how oranges (bagged or otherwise) relates to ease of completing a task. Did she mean "as easy a picking up a bag of oranges"? "As easy as squeezing the juice out of a bag of oranges"? "As easy as finding a bag of oranges"? (In which case that would vary by country and time of year, no?) "As easy as stacking a bag of oranges"? :shrug:
Just speculation...but what if a "bag of oranges" represents something desirable or a desired result? We take them for granted today, but in the past a bag of oranges would have been a highly desired treat. Along the lines of "it was no picnic".
Alas, good Dywyddyr, the woman's point was very clear to me. By the time oranges are bagged, EVERYTHING about them is relatively easy, so she has no reason to be more specific unless of course, she were married to you, lol.... Putting the child to rest was a challenge, unlike a bag of oranges which will stay in place without complaint, another possible interpretation. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
Oranges travel and store well. About the only time they are in short supply is when there may be unseasonable freezing to damage the blossoming trees. If the fruit should be frosted, it can always be made into processed products if not sold fresh. 'As easy as falling off a log?' Please clarify if the log is stationary or in motion. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! What size is the log in question? Is the log surface rough bark or peeled smooth? Wet or dry surface? What type of footwear is involved? Are there other occupants of said log? Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
LOL...... I might suggest that now you are being typically male, British. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! and you are likewise illustrating my point wonderfully well when I emulate your interrogation style. I am a Canadian B.BabeI.inT.totalC.control ofH.herself sir, not to be confused with our neighbors to the south.
Um, no... Your log questions apply (with suitable modifications) to the bag of oranges. That's why I put the word "American" in quote marks. Some places (e.g. here) don't have oranges quite as available as you appear to think.
