I have heard of several people with autism being called a smart ass or rude because they take things like "killing two birds with one stone" literally. Sayings like these can be really confusing for people like us. It is important not to take it personally when someone questions these sayings. I remember the first time I heard this saying specifically. I asked my mom "Why would you want to kill two birds and how is that possible with one stone?" She had to explain to me that it meant getting two things done at once. It made a lot more sense when she explained it; however, I didn't understand why she couldn't just say getting two things done at once. I realize now that it is fairly common to use expressions like this, but if someone questions it, don't jump to conclusions about them.
"Curiosity killed the cat" is a saying that I still do not understand to this day. I have no idea how asking questions can kill a cat. At least with "killing two birds with one stone" it makes sense that the stone can kill the birds. It also makes sense how getting two things done at once can be convenient. I do not understand what curiosity has to do with death. I also don't get why a cat is involved. I also do not think being curious will kill a person. I know this means to be careful, but I don't understand how. I am alive and curious and all the cats around me are alive. I want to share my point of view to make it more understandable how some people with autism might think.
I know "hold your horses" means to be patient, but I do not understand how holding a horse has anything to do with being patient. I only know what it means because I have always been very impatient and have had this explained to me several times. If there were horses around, I would probably be holding them every time I heard this.
"It's raining cats and dogs" is one that is so extreme that I always knew it was a saying, but again I did not understand it when I was younger. I knew it had to do with the fact that it was raining hard. I'm not sure if it's because cats and dogs are heavy animals; however, if that's the case; why isn't it raining hippopotamuses and gorillas? It sounds just as extreme to me as raining cats and dogs. Cats also hate water, which makes this really not make sense. If anyone wants to explain this one to me, feel free to!
"Let the cat out of the bag" is another saying that never made much sense to me. I used to literally think it meant pulling a cat out of a bag. It makes more sense now since the cat is hidden and it's like a reveal of what's there. It's like revealing a secret in a way. I think of all these sayings this one makes the most sense to me.
These are just a few of the sayings I have heard over the years and I wanted to show the point of view as someone who is autistic. As someone who takes things literally, all of these expressions sound weird. If someone with autism asks about a weird saying, they are probably genuinely confused. They are most likely not trying to be a smart ass. Everyone is different and this is just my opinion, but I have seen it happen to other people on the spectrum, so I wanted to explain why it is confusing to some of us with autism.
Comments