I Was Thinking... Say What?

Every generation has expressions that are unique to their time frame. Idioms come and go as a new group of young people develop their own slang. As a former teacher, I had to try and keep up with the terminology each group of young people developed.
Usually, I was clueless or by the time I caught on, there was new jargon that continued to baffle me. But to anyone trying to learn our language, colloquial expressions must be the hardest to master.
Recently in the news, a man was executed by firing squad in South Carolina. It seemed to be rather cruel to most people, but there could be something worse. Can you imagine trying to explain to a new English speaker that someone was “tickled to death.” What a terrible way to go. And how many people does it take to “tickle you to death?” While some expressions could be easily explained, others are head scratchers.
“Hold your horses” means to stop before you rush into something. If you wanted to wait until your wagon was loaded, you held the reins of the horses so they wouldn’t leave too early. A “sacred cow” means something that was considered immune from question and comes from religions where the animal was revered and allowed to go wherever they wanted. A “hot potato” is something that is controversial and no one wants to deal with. Of course, no one would want to hold onto a hot potato either. But some statements aren’t easily explained.
How do you explain to somebody that “he’s as dead as a door nail.” I never realized a door nail was ever alive and why a door nail at all. Or you could say “he kicked the bucket.” But how does that relate to death either. Besides, if he died, how could he be kicking anything.
You might say someone has “gone bananas” or they “lost their marbles” if you feel they “went off the deep end.” But none of those expressions really give a good explanation of somebody that has become mentally unstable.
While there are certain people that can annoy me, telling someone “he got my goat” doesn’t make a lot of sense. Did he steal it? Why would he want a goat in the first place? Do I really want it back? Very confusing.
It’s nothing but “pie in the sky” may make sense if you understand American idioms, but how can you explain it to somebody else. How does “pie in the sky” equate to a very unlikely or unrealistic goal or plan. Pie is made in a kitchen not in the sky. How would you ever get a “pie in the sky?” It seems like those words just don’t connect.
But neither does, “it’s a piece of cake.” Cake is food, you cut them into pieces to serve but how does that mean something that’s easy? For me, making a cake would be very complicated and definitely not easy.
Another food reference is going “cold turkey.” After Thanksgiving I’ve eaten plenty of cold turkey. But how does that translate into quitting something immediately without trying to taper off? There is probably an explanation out there someplace, but it certainly isn’t obvious to most people.
While English has become accepted as an international language, many of our folksy expression still leave many people in a quandary. If someone says they “have a bone to pick with you” they probably aren’t asking you to join them in gnawing what meat is left over from a steak.
I’m sure your dentist never advised you to apply any lotion to the “skin of your teeth” either. While I’ve trimmed, pruned, and shaped my bushes, I’ve never beaten around them. I am well aware of the importance of bees as pollinators in my garden, but I really wasn’t aware that they have knees. I hope you’ve enjoyed my endeavor in trying to better understand our confusing language, but “take it with a grain of salt.”
Did You Ever Wonder? — If you spin an Oriental man in a circle three times, does he become disoriented?