I’m guessing that we all can remember phrases that our parents (and probably grandparents) said. I’ve often wondered about the origin of some of them.
These are some of the sayings I’ve heard in my family through the years:
“That clock is going to have Christmas here before Thanksgiving.” Obviously, this referred to a clock that didn’t keep correct time, or was “running fast”. And, obviously, this was before the days of digital clocks. I’m sure this phrase has become almost obsolete.
“That lasted about as long as Pat stayed in the army.” This old saying was used to describe something short-lived. I can recall, as a child, asking my mom who Pat was, and why he didn’t stay in the army very long.
“Not worth a continental.” A phrase that described something of less than satisfactory quality. I remember my mom telling me that her dad used this expression, although Grandaddy’s version was “Not worth a continental damn”. I never heard my mom word it that way. She always said: “not worth a continental dime”, or just: “not worth a continental”.
“Doin’ bluin’, wanna buy a bottle?” The only person I recall hearing use this phrase was my late sister, Rose, when she was a teenager. It was in response to my question: “Whatcha doin’?” Her tone was……that of a teenager dealing with a pesky little sister. By the way, bluing is a fabric whitener. I think it’s still manufactured, but I don’t believe it’s widely used these days. I found this bottle in an antique shop.
“There’s more than one way to skin a cat.” The meaning of that old saying is pretty obvious. It simply means that there are alternate ways to accomplish something. (We’re careful not to say this within earshot of Sundae.)
"Say What??!"
What are some old phrases you’ve heard in your family? I would imagine that they probably vary depending on where you live.
Although I’m sure we use them more often than we realize, I found it difficult to make a list without quite a bit of thought. And, most likely, there are dozens more that didn’t come to mind. A future post, perhaps?
these days of mine 
“Better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick” and “I’d rather pull my fingernails out with pliers than do that”.
Lovely right?! Or, “Common sense just ain’t that common anymore”.
I have a bout twelve more but I’ll spare you!
Can’t wait to hear what everyone else rings in with…
‘Not worth a tinker’s damn’. This is one Daddy told Rose and I when we wrote our names in the dust on the window of the barn across the road: ‘A fool’s name is like his face….always seen in public places’. I never could figure out since most people ARE seen inpublic places!
Being the Christian lady she was, my mother always said, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”.
I can hear my mother saying, “If you want to do something right, you gotta do it yourself” accompanied by a sigh. These are great. Love your clock and the accompanying phrase…lol.
One more. When I’m in the company of my brother’s family, occasionally I’ll hear someone say “It’s family man!” kind of like in the way we used to say “It’s superman!” They say it when my brother scores something well with his wife or boys.
Gosh, the only one I’ve ever heard is the one about the cat (which I’ve always hated). My Mom always used to refer to the family as the “whole fam damily”, and life geogette, “If you want to so something right, you have got to do it yourself”. Oh, and I’ve posted this one on my blog before “My get up and go got up and went.”
Great topic, Dianna.
My mom would say the one Jill said…My get up and go, got up and went. My dad, who is about 5’5ish always has said…Dynamite comes in small packages!
Stealing from Marilyn’s Dad: “How ya doin’? ” “Fair to middlin'”
From Dan’s college roommate: “If if’s and and’s were pots and pans the whole world would be a kitchen.” and “If if’s and but’s were candy and nuts the whole world would have a great Christmas”
Eat every bean and ‘pea’ on your plate
My mother (who was full-blood German) would exclaim “Ach de lieber” which loosely translates to “oh my god” or something like that. 🙂
Oh gosh, I know there are so many but I’m having a hard time recalling them. My mom has always said, “Dad blame it!” a lot and I remember my white haired babysitter, Mrs. White, who was like a grandmother to me saying “slower than Christmas!”
Love this post!
Harold always says when something is boring…”it is more fun to go to the barbershop and watch them give haircuts”. Of course mine and Mom’s were “This too shall pass.”
“Don’t let the door hit you on your way out!” It was the last thing my dad always said to me when I stormed out the door as a teenager…which was often!
I’ve heard people say, “I’ve got dropsey and heart trouble; I’ve dropped down and don’t have the heart to get up.” Silly isn’t it? The close friends and our family used to say things in opposites, such as “Come here!” when something or someone was annoying them. There’s a long list of these.
As soon as I started to type this what I was gonna say fled…All that is left is this phrases my daddy used pretty consistently:
I’m not cooling the whole of Texas, shut the door!
If you aren’t in the room Turn Off The Light!
If everyone else jumped off a cliff, would you? (Usually my pre teen self would say if that means you’d let me go/do it then yes)
My personal fav (I use it now on my kids)
I may not find out what you do the day you do it, the day after, or even next week BUT I will find out! (for the longest I thought he had spies following me)
Guess I came up with a few anyways =P
haha, love the photo and caption for Sundae!
One I heard recently that will be passed on is this: “Say what you mean, mean what you say, but don’t say it mean.”
Great ones! A lot of new ones here! One my Dad would say is “in all of creation”, or “..on God’s green Earth”, and to exclaim ultimate frustration: “Golly Moses!!!” – one of my faves ….!
I have heard my mother say lots of phrases, but most slip my mind except 1. He’s not worth powder and shot to blow him to kingdom come 2. I wouldn’t know him from a bunch of onion tops 3. money doesn’t grow on trees 4. I had rather be safe than sorry.
hahaha….i have never heard most of these!!
Having a hard time thinking of any I can print all the words! lol How about, “up a creek without a paddle?” “I’ve got more aches than Carter’s got liver pills.” “…gives me a pain a pill can’t reach.” “When the Spirit moves me…”
Great sayins’! A good many I’ve heard myself. My Momma would say “what ever makes your socks go up and down” when she didn’t quite agree with something you liked or “what ever makes your boat float”. My Grandma was inclined to sa “Well don’t that beat all?” on more occasions than I’m sure she wanted. Another phrase I heard grownin’ up was “well don’t that just shuck your corn”. When we were kids sometimes we would open the fridge and stand there looking trying to figure out what we wanted (what parent has NOT had their kids do that?) and she would say “take a picture, it lasts longer” then she tell us to close the door. The list goes on but one of my favorites (Momma still uses this) “Who died and made you God?” She would use this in reference to Daddy most the time 🙂 Of course there is one more – “Don’t take that attitude with me, I’ll knock you into next Tuesday” course we never did get knocked; no way we were taking the chance she could 🙂
Here’s one I loved. “What day is it someone would asked. Your reply
would be the day of the week and “all day long unless it rains.
Explan that one to me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If wishes were fishes we’d all be swimming in the sea. – I’m not sure of the origin of this one, i actually think a friend made it up, but the meaning is clear. Wishing for things to happen is pointless.