Season Eight Balki-isms
Balki-ism:
"Gotcha! Well, Cousin, the, um . .
. the most important thing is to use very, very dry wood. But the real key
is the kindling. And, of course, the lighter fluid . . . "
Original: Balki offers this advice after
Larry asks him how he keeps the "home fires burning," not realizing
Larry means it as a euphemism for passion instead of literally.
Balki-ism:
"Knuckles are more of a lunch thing."
Original: This was Balki's comment after
Larry asked if Balki wanted a "knuckle sandwich," which is another
term for a punch in the mouth. Balki thought Larry was talking about an
actual knuckle sandwich.
Balki-ism:
"A Louisville slug?"
Original: This is one of the most bizarre
Balki-isms to date, with Balki suggesting this idea for a present for Jennifer
to Larry. At first one thinks he's simply making a mistaken reference to a
"Louisville Slugger," which is a type of baseball bat. This get
even more bizarre when Balki adds, "A little garlic on it . . .
delicious," leaving us to believe he actually is talking about some kind of
slug!
Balki-ism:
" . . . and as I put them down one by one they starting dropping like . . .
ants."
Original: Balki struggles to find just the
right word to finish off this sentence, but instead of using the usual
"dropping like flies," which is the term one says to explain when
things are dying at an alarming rate, he decides to remain literal and go with
"ants" instead.
Balki-ism:
"Well, I guess you caught us with our
pants on."
Original: Balki got this saying backwards,
as usually someone is "caught with their pants off," or unaware.
Balki-ism:
"Well, I’ll be my uncle’s monkey!"
Original: This is a very funny
turn-of-phrase Balki accomplished by mixing up two words. The expression
usually goes, "Well, I'll by a monkey's uncle!" which is a way of
expressing surprise.
Balki-ism:
"Okay, a hike! Even though that seems a bit more strenuous than the
fair."
Original: Balki says this after Larry
tells him to "Take a hike," thinking Larry meant it literally and
wasn't just trying to tell him to "get lost."
Balki-ism:
" . . . and then she wanted a corn dog, which I really don’t understand
‘cause it’s not corn and it’s not a dog. What is it?"
Original: Poor Balki is confused by
something simple like a corn dog which, as he points out, isn't at all what it
sounds like!
Balki-ism:
"My arches have fallen and I can’t get up."
Original: Balki is actually making a joke
when he says this, but it's interesting that he uses the term "fallen
arches" in association with the classic television commercial for Life
Alert where the old woman cries, "I've fallen and I can't get up!" to
relate to his predicament of hanging by his feet from the bottom of a hot air
balloon.
More Balki-isms will be added every week!