Thank mav, but like WOW-- it was a phrase of my father's, not mine--so feel free to use it!
and WOW--what do you think something the irish use-- since your varient is very close?

not being able to carry a tune was not my only failing-- I also couldn't hit the broad side of barn(this was the comment that came after i was asked to "toss something" and missed the target.)

i also suffer from elbow disease--every time i flex my elbow-- my mouth opens and something goes in. try that one on your kids at dinner time-- and watch them try to eat dinner with out flexing (bending) and elbow--

if the food was good, and i dilligently scraped the plate clean--my da would look over at the plate/bowl and point to the plain china and state--"there used to be flowers on this china" We still say of good food that someone ate down to the flowers on the plate

slews of other in the same vain-- some complimenary-- some sound so rude--my sisters (unlike myself) tend to have "hourglass" figures--(more like dolly parton really--but not as thin) but they never got told that- what they got told was they were shaped like a sack of potatoes tied in the middle-- especially if they gained a little weight and got a bit "hippy"... -- with knobby bits sticking out, every which way!
and like every good irish person everywhere- if you ask me a Yes or No question, the answer is likely to be yes and no!