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Have you ever wondered ???

Have you ever wondered where certain phrases come from?

Like, "Cold hands warm heart"?
Often when shaking someone's hand, I hear how cold my hands are. And they are (so are my feet). I don't know why my hands are cold. But I usually responds with the 'cold hands warm heart' phrase. I want people to know that my cold hands should in no way reflect on my overall disposition. I might give you a cold stare if you say something wildly inappropriate, but that's a rarity. Those are the only things cold about me. I have a big heart and a warm personality.

Or "It's the least I can do"?
This is a favorite pet peeve of my friend Laurie. It's usually said after someone says thank you for a kind gesture. And the giver then says, 'it's the least I can do'. Really? You're basically responding with "I could have done a lot more but instead chose the option that required the least amount of effort/time/resources because that's how thoughtful I'm not."

Or this "No problem"?
You tell someone thank you, and they respond with 'no problem'. This makes John cringe, and he'll often remark - 'the correct response to thank you is you're welcome'. Might be a generational thing!

What are some of phrases that have you wondering? Add them here!

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