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farts in a skillet

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broompilot | 04:46 Thu 11th Jan 2007 | Phrases & Sayings
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What does "farts in a skillet" mean?
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A skillet is a type of kettle with holes in it, so keeping farts in a skillet would be pointless. Anyone know what it was actually used for?
A skillet was a metal pot with legs, originally used for boiling liquids, stews etc but - in modern English - it generally means a flat frying/griddling-pan. They don't have holes in them to my knowledge, unless that version is employed in a particular area/dialect.
In fact, the original saying referred to "a fart in a colander" and that is a utensil full of holes, used as a strainer. If you accused someone of "standing around like a fart in a colander", it meant he wasn't actually doing anything useful. The idea behind it was that - with so many holes to choose from - a fart would be unable to make an exit anywhere.
Our family uses 'fart in a colander' particularly my old mum who used to say it if I was in and out of the house or the room. i say it to my dogs if they won't settle and keep jumping on and off the settee or bed.
That's it exactly, Lankeela. It refers to someone who's not sure whether he's coming or going, as it were.
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I thank you for your comments!
The only other comment I found on the WWW is this:

"The Banking and Teaching Maenads spoke of dialect, and taught me the meaning of "fart in a skillet", an expression so country I had never heard it. It apparently means an action that is both crazy and far fetched, such as cooking a fart in a skillet. Michael Moore resisting the chance to run his mouth at the Academy awards is a fart in a skillet."

It is an interesting expression regardless of associated meaning.
We use 'fart in a colander' too. I thought it meant that something is as useless as trying to keep a fart in a colander - i.e. impossible, therefore pointless. Sorry about the mistake with the skillet!!
Yes, my family used to use that saying - when you were running around seemingly not knowing what to do first: "Like a fart in a colander looking for a way out"
yep, us too with the 'fart in a colander' meaning we cant decide which hole to exit out of = can't make a decision hehe....
in ireland its "fart in the can" :o)
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Thanks everyone.

It finally occurred to me that I should have offered the context in which the phrase was used. Here goes:

I have a friend who is part of an experiment. His 'mentor' has gathered a group of 10 never-invested-in-the-stock-
market-before types and had them choose a stock from
companies that they feel are humane with their employees,globally responsible and sensitive to humanity or
something like that.

The mentor then bought $10,000 (US) of each stock and
will sell all at the end of 11 months. He will recover his
$100,000 (US) and whatever is left will be split up amongst
the 10 newbies.

Here is a clip from an e-mail he sent to my friend:

"When you first offered your entry for this group, you were nosed out because I sensed a lack of conviction. When circumstances allowed and I brought you into the group with your previous choice of Apple you still wondered if you had the right stock.

I knew all along that you and Apple were made for each other. You are both like farts in a skillet."


Thank you for helping me find some perspective here.

David
well, a lot of finance deals involve a lot of brown-tongues and given the stench around the City w-ankers and elsewhere, it follows as to a sensible meaning.
In central Illinois, mid-western United States, “Fart in a Skillet” refers to a person‘s inability to stand still. A.k.a. a busy-body. How an actual fart would respond when placed in a skillet, I couldn’t say.

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