"The mark of a civilized people is the complexity of their language."

-- Unferth Silvertongue, Sage of Bor Tyressul

Below are some of the common colloquialisms used across the Young Kingdoms.  Some are more widely used than others.

"The Art": When used in such a way that the capitalization is actually heard in one's speech, the phrase "the Art" means "wizardly magic". This phrase is mainly used by worshippers of Epidius. Less devout wizards refer to their magical abilities as simply "magecraft".

"As Witnessed by the Stars": This phrase is used as an oath. When a person swears to something "as witnessed by the stars", he is placing his name and reputation behind the oath. The dwarves have a similar phrase, "on my beard", which carries the implication that the punishment for breaking the oath is the loss of the beard.

"Between Devil and Dragon": To be facing two equally unattractive choices. Similar to "between a rock and a hard place".

"A Big Tree With No Shade":  Something that has a pleasant or impressive appearance, but has no practical use.

"Crowning That":  A phrase used to indicate the most important aspect of something.  For example, one might say "The dragon is fierce, large, strong, and evil, but crowning that he can breath fire!"

"Feeding Soup To A Statue": Giving advice to someone who won't listen to it.  Usually meant to indicate willful stupidity.

"Giving Cherries To A Pig":  Wasting something of value on a person who either cannot appreciate it or does not appreciate it.  Cherries are relatively rare in the Young Kingdoms.

"Greenbeloved": A descriptive used by Barinds for any farmer whose crops are doing extraordinarily well in a particular season.

"Having A Crow's Party": Making a big deal out of nothing.  Crows are generally thought to scream more than its warranted when intruders approach their nests, hence the saying.

"Heading Straight Between the Eyes": Going west.  The Eyes are two arcs of stars that mark due west in the Taranchean sky.

"In A Boat Adrift": Surrounded by trouble.  Used in the same manner as "in hot water".

"In A Few Breaths": This phrase is used primarily by humans, and means "shortly" or "presently". It is used in the exact same manner as the phrases "in a minute" or "in a second" in the real world.

"Kack": A common expletive used to indicate fecal matter.  It can be used by itself as an exhortaion of opinion (especially in the face of trouble), or it can be used as an adjective, as in "I hit my kacking thumb with the kacking hammer".

"Kissed by Coscona": This phrase is used to describe a person who is exceptionally lucky. There is a less-seldom used, slightly blasphemous variant, "Kicked by Coscona", to indicate misfortune.

"Like Grains of Sand": A phrase meaning "numberless" or "too many too count". A variation is "like the stars". These phrases are generally used when counting would be inconvenient and time-consuming.

"Looking For Gems In An Apple Tree":  Going about something the wrong way.  Akin to "barking up the wrong tree."

"On The Block": Short for "on the chopping block", this phrase is used to indicate something or someone that is in danger of death or destruction, as in "Taking on the dragon might put the entire village on the block".

"Searching Milk For Thorns": To criticize without justification.

"Showing Your Fist To A Blind Man": This phrase is used to indicate something that is a waste of time.

"Sitting in another man's saddle.": A Rostok phrase, used to indicate someone who has assumed an authority or position that he does not merit.

"Stonewise": A dwarven phrase used to describe someone of exceptional cunning and cleverness. When used sarcastically, it indicates a person who is too clever for their own good.

"The Power": This phrase is used by less scrupulous mages to indicate magic itself.

"An Unlicked Bear":  A Barindian insult, used to indicate a rude, boorish, or childish person.  Its a commonly held belief among the less educated Barinds that a mother bear licks her cubs into their final shape.

"When The Stones Forget": Used by dwarves, this phrase is a rather emphatic "never".  It is used in the same way the real world phrase "over my dead body" or "when hell freezes over" is used.