Exaggerated Sayings

My mum loved sayings and I've forgotten more than I can remember. They were often exaggerations which fascinated me as a child. Here are some of them:

You could have knocked me over with a feather.

Meaning: Something was seen or heard that was so shocking or surprising that it leaves a person weak enough for a light feather to knock them off their feet.

Likelihood: A feather is rarely at hand to try out the validity of this saying. We can indeed go weak in the knees if shocked in some way. A person can even collapse in extreme cases.

Summary: A person wouldn't fall over with a waft of a feather but it is an effective word picture.

Rating: 8/10.
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I look (or feel) like I've been dragged through a hedge backwards.

Meaning: One's appearance looking rough and untidy, especially hair and clothing. Experiencing this would certainly shake one up.

Likelihood: I've never known of anyone going though that ordeal. I can't explain why it would happen either.

Summary: It is an expressive way of describing a person's appearance.

Rating: 8/10.
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I feel like I've been hit (or run over) by a bus.

Meaning: Obviously not feeling well at all.

Likelihood: There obviously have been people hit by a large vehicle such as a bus, some even surviving. However, the person using the saying isn't a survivor of this horrendous collision but exaggerating their situation.

Summary: I think it goes a bit too far but does have a strong message.

Rating: 6/10.
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I could eat a horse and chase the rider.

Meaning: Used to emphasise extreme hunger.

Likelihood: Horse meat is consumed in some countries but there is far too much of it for one person to eat. Suggesting that the hunger is so bad that even a horse wouldn't suffice, is the addition that the famished individual would be after the rider too. Rather silly.

Rating: 4/10.
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Shutting the gate after the horse has bolted.

Meaning: Someone only acting to correct or save a situation after the damage has already been done.

Likelihood: I'm sure people wouldn't bother to close the gate if they knew their horse was already at large.

Summary: It does show how some people are slow to act when they need to. They then vainly try to fix the issue when it is too late. I like the image it creates and lesson taught.

Rating: 10/10.