if it was a snake... a saying?

[lukre]

"Well, if it was a snake it would have bit me."

Does this sentence has a hidden meaning? Is it a saying?

Context: A man tries to find a way to get something out of its shell, he jerks it, tries to twist if off and than when he already tried everything, sees a simple button that he can press in order to free that thing and take it out. And then, surprised, says -well, if it was a snake it would have bit me.

Can you help me out?

Thanx a lot!

[Tdol]

It's not a saying that I have heard, though it could be used in a region- it sounds like a saying. It just sounds to me as if he's comparing the actions to the thing in the shell, that tolerated his attempts, to that of a snake which would have hurt him.

[Ouisch]

It's a phrase used to point out something that is obvious that you don't see. Suppose, for example, you're searching all over for your reading glasses. Suddenly someone points out that they're pushed up on top of your head. You pull them down into place and say, somewhat embarrassed, "If it had been a snake, it would've bit me."

The meaning behind the phrase is that you should search more carefully yourself, instead of relying on someone else to search for you.

[lukre]

Thank you both!

[Tdol]

It's a phrase used to point out something that is obvious that you don't see. Suppose, for example, you're searching all over for your reading glasses. Suddenly someone points out that they're pushed up on top of your head. You pull them down into place and say, somewhat embarrassed, "If it had been a snake, it would've bit me."

The meaning behind the phrase is that you should search more carefully yourself, instead of relying on someone else to search for you.

Is this a standard American idiom?

[Ouisch]

Is this a standard American idiom?

Yes.