I'd rather eat mud

Hi all,
I came across these two expressions but I couldn't find them in my dictionaries.
A boy is asking a girl out and the girl says" I'd rather eat mud" or " I'd prefer to sit in a box of fish"...The meaning is clear from the context but the question is whether they're widely used expressions or not.

Thanks.

shabani said:

Hi all,
I came across these two expressions but I couldn't find them in my dictionaries.
A boy is asking a girl out and the girl says" I'd rather eat mud" or " I'd prefer to sit in a box of fish"...The meaning is clear from the context but the question is whether they're widely used expressions or not.

Thanks.

Click to expand...

They are not commonly used in a situation such as the one you describe, but they are not uncommon in other situations. You'll also hear many variations, such as, "I'd rather put my hands in a bucket of frogs".

They are intended to show the sharp wit of the speaker. They fail.

In AmE there is really no "traditional" phrase used in this type of situation; in fact, it's often more of a challenge to express the absolute worst case scenario you can think of to use as a reply.

For example: "Would you like to go out with me?" ......



"I'd rather be stripped naked, coated with honey and tied to the side of an anthill."

"I'd rather use Willie Nelson's hairbrush."

"I'd rather go out with an Ebola-ridden gibbon."