Have you been hearing the phrase ‘use your noodle’ being used around you frequently. Maybe it has even been directed at you. If English isn’t your first language, understanding slang is extremely difficult, I mean, it is hard enough for native English speakers to wrap their heads around!
So, let’s break it down, you understand the words individually, but how exactly are you going to ‘use your noodle’, and why have you got just one noodle and not a bowl of noodles? This isn’t a literal phrase, therefore it has another meaning entirely, and that is right, it has nothing to do with noodles.
When someone tells you to ‘use your noodle’,it means ‘use your head’. Don’t worry, it’s not meant to insult you, it is more of a loving term of saying ‘no silly, try again’.
The phrase hasn’t hysterically been used as a loving way of telling you to think a little more. The word ‘noodle’ is used instead of saying ‘head’ as people who were not thinking straight were walking around with floppy ‘noodly’ heads.
If you thought the phrase had anything to do with real noodles and you are a little disappointed that there isn’t any information on noodle making here, check out this article instead. It is all about noodles, but with a twist!
In the English language there are a lot of slang phrases that aren’t easy to understand at all. Here are some examples of phrases and their real meaning;
This is/Not My Cup of Tea
This phrase is more English than American, it refers to whether the person talking likes or dislikes something. If I was to say, ‘those are not my cup of tea’ and point at a pair of shoes, I’m trying to say that those shoes are not to my taste. Confusing right?
What’s Up?
No, don’t look up, the person asking ‘what’s up’ is in fact asking you ‘how are you?’. You will find this phrase being thrown around in most English speaking countries.
I Feel You
Sounds a bit odd, but if someone says ‘I feel you’, they are not asking permission to feel you, they are empathising with you. Saying ‘I feel you’ lets the person know that you understand how they are feeling.
That Guy is a Bit Shady
This means that the guy looks suspicious. Another American phrase that involves the word shade is ‘throwing shade’, and we all know there is no physical way of throwing shade. So, ‘throwing shade’ means whoever is ‘throwing’ the shade has said something offensive to someone else.
He/She is Hot
They aren’t literally hot, well, maybe they are if they are out in the Florida summer sun. if someone is ‘hot’ it means that they are rather attractive.
We hope that helped you understand the weird and wonderful language that is English slang. Try some saying them for yourself, it sure is catchy.