"Funny you should ask"

Rean (correct my errors!)   Sat Jan 23, 2010 11:11 pm GMT
I need help with phrase "Funny you should ask"
(http://d.yimg.com/a/p/uc/20100121/largeimagega100121.gif).
What does it mean exactly in this context? I've "googled" this phrase, but the answers on the other forums provide only vague explanations and I could not figure them out. Can anybody come up with easy-to-understand explanation?
Uriel   Sat Jan 23, 2010 11:46 pm GMT
"Funny you should ask" is a short way of saying, "It's ironic/coincidental that you should ask me that, because something has just happened that relates directly to that very topic."

I guess in this context it means that Garfield would like to take his vacation in a donut shop. It's not a very good joke, but I guess it illustrates his basic gluttony, that he would rather spend a vacation eating fried dough down the street than go to a new and exciting destination like a normal vacation-goer.
Rean (correct my errors!)   Sat Jan 23, 2010 11:54 pm GMT
Thank you!

So in this case is it possible to replace "funny you should ask" with "it's funny you ask"?
Rean (correct my errors!)   Sun Jan 24, 2010 12:27 am GMT
http://d.yimg.com/a/p/uc/20100123/largeimagecds100123.gif

I reada lot of comics, so I came across with another unfamiliar expression - "mush!". There is a lot of meanings listed for example on urban dictionary, but still I'm struggling to choose correct one.
Uriel   Sun Jan 24, 2010 12:49 am GMT
You can, but, "It's funny you should ask" is pretty much a stock phrase that doesn't vary much, and it loses something without the "should".

Without any more to go on, I am assuming that your "mush!" comes from "Mush, you huskies!" and is pretty much the dogsled version of "Giddyup!" -- the term used to make a horse start moving, preferably quickly.

(It's said that actual dogsledders say no such thing, but "mush!" has entered the popular imagination, and there it stays.)
Drew   Sun Jan 24, 2010 8:23 am GMT
"Can anybody come up with easy-to-understand explanation?"

with *an* easy-to-understand explanation

"so I came across with another unfamiliar expression"

no 'with'

"There is a lot of meanings listed for example on urban dictionary,"

This really just sounds awkward. "There are," first of all. Second, "there are a lot of meanings listed" implies a specific place, but then you use "for example," which makes the sentence a little redundant. This is subtle, though. I would just say "I found a lot of meanings listed on urban dictionary," or "There are a lot of meanings around. I found some on urban dictionary."

"but still I'm struggling to choose correct one."

choose *the* correct
Rean (correct my errors!)   Sun Jan 24, 2010 1:22 pm GMT
Wow, that's what I needed. Thank You for your corrections!
Uriel   Sun Jan 24, 2010 6:40 pm GMT
You might want to go beyond Urban Dictionary in your research, since that's more for current slang. These examples you've been asking about are ordinary terms and idioms that have been around for a long time.
H   Mon Jan 25, 2010 7:28 pm GMT
Hi Rean,

Should in <"Funny you should ask"> implies unexpectedness of the question, or rather, unexpectedness of the coincidence.
You may compare
If you should meet him, tell him ...
=If you happen to meet him (which is highly unlikely).
Rean (correct my errors!)   Mon Jan 25, 2010 7:37 pm GMT
Hi H,

hmm that hint was very helpful, thank You!
Pete from Peru   Fri Jan 29, 2010 2:25 pm GMT
You can always check: dictionary.com

It usually gives me everything I need. It's pretty precise, with examples and phonetic transcriptions, etc. Definitely a great help for us English learners.

Keep at it mate.
Kabayan   Wed Feb 03, 2010 3:17 am GMT
Sorry to bother, I'm just curious about the meaning of a movie title. What is the meaning of -He's just not that in to you- ? Thank you in advance.
Uriel   Wed Feb 03, 2010 3:31 am GMT
To be "into someone" is to be interested in them romantically. "He is just so into Shannon right now that we never get him to go out with us on Friday nights anymore -- he's always with her!"

So, if someone is "not into you", they really have little true interest -- "We may get drunk and fall into bed every so often, but I can tell that he's not really that into me -- he won't call for weeks afterwards."

To be "into something" is to be interested or passionate about it (not romantically) -- "He's really into old cars -- he's rebuilt four Mustangs and a Camaro already."
Kabayan   Wed Feb 03, 2010 3:43 am GMT
Thank you very much. It's really helpfull. :)
Pedro   Fri Feb 05, 2010 4:27 am GMT
here "should" is a marked usage. In general, "should" is not factual, but modal. However, "should" functions as factual in some contexts.

Some examples:

I am surprised "you should ask"
I am disgusted "you should + some verb"

Charles James Bailey discusses it in his book "Essays on time based linguistic analysis" by CUP.