I can’t drive yet due to my recent knee surgery, so I took Uber today from the physical therapist back home. I had a curious exchange with the driver when he was trying to make a right turn:
Driver: “Somebody left the gate open”
Me: “Excuse me?”
Driver: “Somebody left the gate open”
Me: “Sorry, I don’t understand what you’re saying.”
Driver: “Somebody left the gate open”
Me: “What gate? I don’t see a gate.”
Driver: (laughs) “It means that I’ve never seen so many cars in this street before. You hadn’t heard that before?”
Me: “No. Is that a Texas expression?”
Driver: “I don’t think so. I heard it growing up in Illinois, from my father. Of course, my father was from Texas.”
Me: “Maybe it has to do with farms?”
Driver: “Yes, when you leave a gate open lots of animals can come out.”
