Common American Phrases in Everyday Contexts (248 page)

You can't mean that
!
Surely you do not mean what you said!
B
ILL
: I hate you! I hate you! I hate you! M
ARY
: You can't mean that
.
S
ALLY
: The cake burned, and there's no time to start another before the party. M
ARY
: You can't mean that!

(You) can't take it with you
.
Since you cannot take your wealth with you when you die, you ought to enjoy it while you're alive. (A proverb.)
J
ANE
: Go ahead, enjoy it while you've got it. You can't take it with you. A
NDREW
: I love logic like that
.
H
ENRY
: Sure, I
spent a fortune on this car. Can't take it with you, you know. R
ACHEL
: And this way, you can share it with your friends.

(You) can't top that
.
Go to (You) can't beat that.

(You) can't win them all
.
AND
(You) can't win 'em all
.
a catch-phrase said when someone, including the speaker, has lost in a contest or failed at something. (The
you
is impersonal, meaning
one, anyone
. The apostrophe on
'em
is not always used.)
M
ARY
: Gee, I came in last again! J
ANE
: Oh, well. You can't win them all
.
“Can't win 'em all,” muttered Alice as she left the boss's office with nothing accomplished.

You changed your mind?
Go to (Have you) changed your mind?

You clean up good
.
Go to You clean up well.

You clean up well
.
AND
You clean up good.; You scrub up well.; You scrub up good
.
appears decent and well-groomed after a little effort. (Jocular. A parody of what a country person might use as a compliment for someone who looks neat and tidy, as for a date. Also in other persons.)
Hey, you scrub up good, Maude!
Q: How do I look? A: You scrub up pretty well, Travis
.
Zeke is no great fashion plate, but he cleans up well.

(You) could have fooled me
.
I would have thought otherwise.; I would have thought the opposite.
H
ENRY
: Did you know that this land is among the most productive in the entire state? J
ANE
: You could have fooled me. It looks quite barren
.
J
OHN
: I really do like Mary. A
NDREW
: Could have fooled me. You treat her rather badly sometimes.

You could have knocked me over with a feather
.
I was extremely surprised.; I was so surprised that I was disoriented and could have been knocked over easily.
A
NDREW
: When she told me she was going to get married, you could have knocked me over with a feather. S
ALLY
: I can see why
.
J
OHN
: Did you hear that they are going to tear down city hall and build a new one—price tag twelve million dollars? S
ALLY
: Yes, and when I did, you could have knocked me over with a feather.