What Does It Mean?
You have probably noticed by now that the meaning of many idioms, phrases and expressions are difficult to guess, even when you hear them used properly. I put this to the test the other day by asking five of my students what they thought “Men are like buses” meant. Their answers were fantastic!
“If men are like buses, then their lives have space for a lot of people.”
– Annie
“Men are unreliable, just like buses”
– Matthew
“They have a lot of women, and are cheap like a bus”
– Sarah
“Get on as many as you need. It is a metaphor about how women use men for short trips”
– Eva
“It is a chauvinist expression saying all men are the same.”
– John
The Answer
In reality, and depending on which native speaker you ask “Men are like buses” could have one of two meanings.
- If you miss one, there will be another along shortly. So don’t worry.
- You wait a long time for one, and then two come at the same time.
To be honest, I prefer my students’ interpretations!
