6-year-old Eric has been a veritable factory of idioms. Some of them are weird & overcomplicated; some of them are kind of neat. Here’s a list-in-progress, just in case you happen to hear the boy.

using something not for its main use. n. The use of an object for an unusual purpose. Example: arts & crafts with macaroni, turn snow shovels into lawn chairs, road sign furniture

saying “if” to make you feel better. v. Talking hypothetically and/or rhetorically about some unfortunate event.

intuition trick. n. The use of misleading words or imagery to fool the recipients into some sort of opinion. Examples: “everlast” branded batteries, forest-themed street named for stripped subdivision streets, happy faces on product logos.

safety dad. n. Yours truly, made safe by virtue of a giant soft belly.

permaclose. n. A brief, one-time opportunity.