Are you familiar with the phrase "Preaching To The Choir"?

[Perknose]

My tongue was firmly planted in cheek. Moranimus Maximus.

No matter how much you now try to weasel backtrack and claim you were only kidding, the fact remains that you were responding to my pointing out that your contention below is 100% wrong, which it is, spidey.

"preaching to the choir" implies stupidity. it implies the speaker is too stupid to recognize who agrees with them.

it doesn't state it.. but it's implicit in the definition.

It has NEVER meant that. So you think the choir thinks the preacher is stupid?

You're a moran.

 

[spidey07]

No matter how much you now try to weasel backtrack and claim you were only kidding, the fact remains that you were responding to my pointing out that your contention below is 100% wrong, which it is, spidey.

If you really want to argue the only times I've heard this phrase or used it was in a bitching session or selling an idea. "Preaching to the choir" has never meant to demean the speaker and solely for the purpose of or essentially agreeing with them in a jovial manner to confirm agreement.

It's a way of saying "I hear what you are saying, man" to speaker saying "Ya know what I'm saying?"
/butters

Everything you ever wanted to know about life can be explained via South Park. Do you know what I am saying?

 

[BoomerD]

Let's continue to beat a dead horse...

http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/preaching-to-the-choir.html

Preaching to the choir
Meaning

To commend an opinion to those who already accept it.
Origin

'Preaching to the choir' (also sometimes spelled quire) is of US origin. It clearly refers to the pointlessness of a preacher attempting to convert those who, by their presence in church, have already demonstrated their faith. The first reference we can find is from 1973. Many other references date from soon after that, which points to the phrase being coined in that year. For example, this from The Lima News, Ohio, January 1973:

"He said he felt like the minister who was preaching to the choir. That is, to the people who always come to church, but not the ones who need it most."

lThe phrase may not be old but it does express the same idea as an earlier phrase - 'preaching to the converted', and is almost certainly a follow-on from that. This dates back around a century further and is first cited in the works of John Stuart Mill. He used the phrase in, An Examination of Sir W. Hamilton's Philosophy, 1867:

"Dr. M'Cosh is preaching not only to a person already converted, but to an actual missionary of the same doctrine."

The idea has also been expressed in another phrase that refers to an unnecessary act, i.e. 'kicking at an open door'.

George Edward Bateman Saintsbury, in The Peace of Augustans, 1916, used both terms in one sentence:

"One may be said to be preaching to the converted and kicking at open doors in praising the four great novelists of the eighteenth century."

http://www.goenglish.com/PreachingToTheChoir.asp

"Preaching to the choir", "preaching to the chorus", and "preaching to the converted" all mean the same thing, that the people you are trying to convince already believe in what you are saying. Example: "I agree with you entirely; you are preaching to the choir." You are "preaching to the choir" when you talk (preach) to people to convince them of something they already believe. Example: "Don't just stand there preaching to the choir; get out and find new members!" The members of the "choir" play the music, while those in the "chorus" sing along, as the preacher preaches to change (convert) the non-believers into believers ("the converted"). People tell you that you are "preaching to the converted" to let you know they support your idea; they also might be saying you don't need so spend so much energy to make them believe what they already believe. Example: "You don't need to tell me this project is important; you're preaching to the converted."

 

[RocksteadyDotNet]

You just used the phrase entirely incorrectly, and are the only one to have done so in this entire thread, which makes you the MORAN OF ALL MORANS.

Are you and Spidy misspelling moron on purpose?

If not then, well, facepalm.

 

[BoomerD]

Are you and Spidy misspelling moron on purpose?

If not then, well, facepalm.

 

[RocksteadyDotNet]

Yeah, I know that pic, but I wasn't sure if they were being ironic.

Spidey07 is as dumb as a box of rocks, so you never know.

 

[PowerEngineer]

It's a commonly used expression, and I have used it both ways: to let the speaker know that I already share his/her opinion, and to let the speaker know that I'm tired of hearing him/her rant about something that we both already know and agree on.

 

[CZroe]

It means arguing a point to someone who already agrees with your position. It's based around the idea that a [church] choir is a group that sings religious hymns, so they already have a belief in that religion; preaching to them would be a waste of time, since they don't need additional convincing.

I added a slight change.

It means you're wasting effort by lecturing those who agree with your teachings.

Which can be legitimately seen as kinda' stupid, no?

I always thought it was weird because the church congregation is presumably Christian and in agreement with most of the preacher's teachings as well.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Common.

So common, in fact, that I rarely have to do more than point to myself and say, "ummm... choir?" and people catch on.

Of course, that may mean I'm a douchebag, but I'm okay with that.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Very common however, I recently had to explain the expression, "If wishes were horses, beggars would ride."

 

[gophins72]

My ex-husband got into an argument with a neighbor at my new place, over the meaning of the phrase "preaching to the choir".

Is this an obscure phrase? Do you all know what it means? It was a really stupid argument.

i thought it was a commonplace phrase. I've known it since 10th grade.

 

[zinfamous]

It has NEVER meant that. So you think the choir thinks the preacher is stupid?

You're a moran.

uh, it would mean that the preacher is the moran.

and I know youse trolling us spidey.

I just can't quit you.

 

[Zebo]

I've heard and say it. Basically way I use it means "we're on the same page brudda now lets talk about something else"

 

[Turin39789]

I have never in my life heard the phrase used in a way to demean the 'preacher'

If frogs had wings they would'nt bump their ass when they hop.

 

[JTsyo]

heh I like those that stated the argument was stupid are now the ones arguing themselves

 

[lupi]

he show up for the booty call?

 

[Turin39789]

heh I like those that stated the argument was stupid are now the ones arguing themselves

My ex-husband got into an argument with a neighbor at my new place, over the meaning of the phrase "preaching to the choir".

Is this an obscure phrase? Do you all know what it means? It was a really stupid argument.

indeed

 

[HomerJS]

My ex-husband got into an argument with a neighbor at my new place, over the meaning of the phrase "preaching to the choir".

Is this an obscure phrase? Do you all know what it means? It was a really stupid argument.

It's called Fox News

 

[OBLAMA2009]

It means pretty much what it says. The pastor doesn't need to preach to the choir because they already agree 100%.

Essentially, it's Steve Jobs at an Apple keynote.

Not quite. At an Apple keynote, Steve Jobs speaking is like God Himself coming down and preaching from the pulpit.

you mean you could also say "you sellin' to da fanbois"

 

[alkemyst]

you got a lot of stories...lolz.

 

[dank69]

Telling the 'preacher' that he is preaching to the choir can be a supportive statement meaning 'I am with you on this issue.' So if you think that using the phrase automatically implies that the 'preacher' is stupid, you are a moran.

 

[Macamus Prime]

Original argument was about the proper way to dispose of garbage in this particular condo complex (pointless argument).

Argument about preaching to the choir - Party A argued that it meant that the choir already agreed with the preacher beforehand, Party B argued that it implied that the preacher was too stupid to recognize that the choir already had been convinced.

Next time shine a flash light on a wall near them. They will spend HOURS trying to catch that sucker.