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Were you raised in a barn?

English translation: you've got no/bad manners

21:30 Feb 4, 2005
English language (monolingual) [Non-PRO]
Art/Literary - Poetry & Literature / no context
English term or phrase: Were you raised in a barn?
No context. Isolated phrase.
Daniela
Selected answer:you've got no/bad manners
Explanation:
I believe that's what this question implies.
Selected response from:

Ewa Nowicka
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:07
Grading comment
Thanks, Eva. Your suggestion was really helpful.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
4 +31-
Elena Petelos
4 +5some humiliating remark
Vladimir Dubisskiy
5 +1why did you leave the door open?
Maria Danielson
3 +2you've got no/bad manners
Ewa Nowicka


  

Answers


4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +2
were you raised in a barn?
you've got no/bad manners


Explanation:
I believe that's what this question implies.

Ewa Nowicka
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:07
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in PolishPolish
Grading comment
Thanks, Eva. Your suggestion was really helpful.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  NancyLynn
0 min
  -> thanks, Nancy!
agree  Madeleine MacRae Klintebo
1 hr
  -> thanks Madeleine!
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1 min   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +5
were you raised in a barn?
some humiliating remark


Explanation:
asker wants to downgrade the opponent..

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 mins (2005-02-04 21:34:21 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

..or hinting that the opponent is bad-mannered, ignorant, low class..

Vladimir Dubisskiy
United States
Local time: 17:07
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in RussianRussian, Native in UkrainianUkrainian
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  swisstell: yes, implying he was raised with cows or pigs or sheep
1 min
  -> yes
agree  NancyLynn
2 mins
agree  Elena Petelos
5 mins
agree  Madeleine MacRae Klintebo
1 hr
agree  Maria Chmelarova
8 hrs
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5 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +31
were you raised in a barn?
-


Explanation:
When people forget to close/shut the door behind them.....indicating lack of manners....other people respond by saying "were you raised in a barn?"...... thus, exhibiting their own lack of manners (yes this is a joke :-)).

Elena Petelos
United Kingdom
Local time: 23:07
Native speaker of: Greek
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  mstkwasa
1 min
  -> :-))
agree  Kirill Semenov: that is the meaning I met the phrase. A harsh way to say: "Close the door!" A lot of google hits in support of this meaning, by the way + ...And in Russian they say "Were you born in a cave?" ;-)
8 mins
  -> Cheers Kirill. Several variations in most languages. In Greek it's..... "where you raised on a boat?" :-)))))))
agree  yeswhere: close the door ! in other words (Also, "were you born in a field?)
34 mins
  -> :-)))
agree  Elena Sgarbo (X): In Argentina would be: "do you live in a tent?" (although nowadays tents do come with zippable doors) ;-)) - Saludos, Elenita :-)
45 mins
  -> Hello... you!!!! :-)))))
agree  Madeleine MacRae Klintebo
1 hr
  -> :-))Thanks!
agree  Rebecca Hendry: My latin teacher always used to shout this when an unsuspecting pupil forgot to shut the classroom door :-)
1 hr
  -> :-))))))
agree  Laurel Porter (X): This is definitely the usual situation where this phrase is used. It can also be used in other circumstances when s.o. does something that shows a lack of good upbringing, but this is the standard one.
1 hr
  -> :-)))))
agree  Kim Metzger
1 hr
  -> :-)))))) Hola Kim!
agree  Gillian Scheibelein: one of my grandma's favourite sayings if we left the door open
1 hr
  -> :-)))))
agree  Ines Garcia Botana: When you leave a door open....
1 hr
  -> :-)))))
agree  Paula Vaz-Carreiro: In Portugal the equivalent to this one is: "How long is your tail?" (the implication being that you can't close the door until its entire length is inside) - it makes my English friends fall about laughing ;-) [my own granny said it a lot too]
2 hrs
  -> ;-)))))
agree  Maria Danielson
2 hrs
  -> :-))))
agree  Refugio: It is related to the expression, "Were you brought up in a stable?", which refers more to table manners.
2 hrs
  -> Thanks!
agree  sarahl (X): neeeeee, meleniaaaaaaaaaaaa
2 hrs
  -> Kalisperaaaaaaaa :-)))/...kai kalinihta :-))))))))
agree  Java Cafe
2 hrs
  -> :-)))
agree  Özden Arıkan: haha, i'd never imagine that argentines were using exactly the same expression. we also use the "tent" version in turkish
3 hrs
  -> :-))))) Teshekkyurler :-))
agree  RHELLER: it is not VERY harsh but I wouldn't call it a joke
3 hrs
  -> :-)) I am referring to my joke, not the epxression as a joke :-))) If someone says this, unless in a joking voice, I would say not a joke...so, they "exhibit" bad manners...and there's the joke :-)))
agree  Costas Zannis: Athough I prefer the Greek version: "were you born in a boat"?-))) // Zol zion mit Mazel :-))) // Feh
4 hrs
  -> Ukh un vey Costas :-)))))/ Biz hundert un tsvantsik!!! :-))/Ke nignehore
agree  Rajan Chopra: In India, do you live in a forest!
4 hrs
  -> :-)))
agree  Anna Maria Augustine (X): What do Eskimos say?
5 hrs
  -> Possibly, "pull that igloo flap" or "where you raised in a multiplex?" :-))
agree  humbird: Indeed, burn has no door!
6 hrs
  -> :-))))
agree  Will Matter
7 hrs
  -> :-)))))
agree  giogi: in Italy is: were you raised in the Colosseum?
9 hrs
  -> :-))))
agree  LJC (X)
11 hrs
  -> :-))))
agree  Ellemiek Drucker: in Dutch we say: were you born in Church? It is great to see these cultural differences!
13 hrs
  -> :-))))//Yes, it's lovelyyyyy!! :-)))))
agree  Calliope Sofianopoulos (X)
13 hrs
  -> Dankeeeeeee :-)))
agree  John Bowden: THe "born in a field" version is always light-hearted in the UK - often said to children
14 hrs
  -> :-))))
agree  Orla Ryan: we say born in a stable where i'm from :)
14 hrs
  -> :-))))
agree  Alfa Trans (X)
19 hrs
  -> :-))))
agree  Deborah do Carmo
19 hrs
  -> :-)))
agree  Lamprini Kosma
2 days 17 hrs
  -> :-)))
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +1
were you raised in a barn?
why did you leave the door open?


Explanation:
I don't know why, but this is what this usually means.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs 21 mins (2005-02-04 23:51:47 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I answered too quickly before reading elena\'s \"-\" answer

Maria Danielson
United States
Local time: 18:07
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 8

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Craft.Content
1 hr
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