Sayings - You Grew Up With

From my gran gran, gran, and mum and pop...

it's the bee's knees! - it's good.
can't squeeze blood from a turnip
...make a bee line for...
don't leave for tomorrow what you can do today.
make hay while the sun shines.
it's all bridge under water (I think this one is particular to my family and it basically means the damage is done, move on)
can't make a cake without breaking a few eggs.
in for a penny, in for a pound.
better safe than sorry.
never rains but it pours.

"It's all water below the bridge" is one my family uses as well, meaning it's nothing of relevance.
"Look after your cents and your dollars will look after themselves" look after the foundation and you"ll benefit.
"Stop crying or I'll give you something to cry about" behave or you'll get a smack.
"An eye for an eye makes the world go blind" Ghandi telling us "two wrongs don't make a right" another one used in my family.
"A carpenter doesn't blame his tools" the individual is responsible for their actions.
"Measure twice, cut once" double check your actions, plan, be methodical.
"If you have nothing nice to say, say nothing at all" be positive and polite.
"Patience is a virtue" patience is admirable.
"Curosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back" the unknown can be detrimental but knowledge is beneficial.
"Treat others as you wish to be treated" don't be arrogant because most people don't want to be treated that way.
"If at first you don't succeed, try, try again" don't give up (just about put never give up, I don't like using never)
"Give a man a fish he'll eat for a day, teach a man to fish he'll eat for a lifetime" pass your knowledge on to others, it may be a life saver.
"Two birds with one stone" if you can accomplish two things in one go, go for it.
"One bird in hand is better then two in the tree" one guarantee is better the multiple possibilities.
"It's better to have it and not need it, then need it and not have it" if you might need it and can bring it, bring it.
It's funny being a hunter and fisher and actually seeing how lessons learned elsewhere have implications on other facets of life. One saying I'll use for my children will be "if you haven't learnt something new today, there's no need for sleep as you were asleep all day"

"My belly button is rubbing a blister on my back bone"=hongry
Naked = you have no cloths on
Necked = you have no cloths on and your doing something
"couldnt hit her/him with a hand full of corn" = skinny
"I feel like a half sucked sow on my way to a boar hogs funereal" = tired
"over yonder"= over there
"yunns"= a group of people
"sigh by james" = tired or frustrated
"mess with the bull you'll get the horn"= be careful what you wish for or stop aggravating
"hunky dory"= OK
"if you get killed dont call me"= I think it means good luck
"ether crap or get off the pot"= hurry up
"branch walkers"= THE LAW
"you aint just whistling dixie"= true or agree
"Im blind in one eye and cant see out the other"= I didnt see any thing
"if it bites you bite it back"= dont give up
my favorite from my ARMY days "if it aint rainin we aint trainin"
"Stiff as Dick's hat band"= really stiff
"tighter than a banjo"= really tight
"wait till your paw gets home" = your in for a beatin

My mother used to tell me whenever i went out to play..

"If you get killed, I'm never speaking to you again"

lol..

Every morning before I left for school, my mother would always have me say to myself, "I'm healthy, I'm happy, and I feel terrific". It's not really a saying per se, that is, with some underlying meaning, although it did do wonders for my mental attitude/health. I guess it was more of a mantra.

Well maybe there was an underlying meaning. Something like: "You are what you think".

Again...thank you all for your responses. They are great!

I just thought of another one...(you are what you eat)....I think this one is self-explanatory.

Most of the sayings that I grew up with have already been mentioned. The only one I can name right now that's missing is the classic Judge Judy phrase that I like to use as often as necessary:

"Don't pee on my leg and tell me it's raining!"

Love that one!

Grandma again..."birds of a feather, flock together". meaning, you are judged by the company you keep.

My father grew up in West Texas and Oklahoma.

He says stuff like:

"I'll be $hittin' in tall cotton." = When a situation seemed it was to work out for him. (Sounds better with an Okie twang)

"I'll give you so many lefts, you'll be begging for a right" = Referring to his fists, as he would jokingly threaten violence.

"I'm tighter than two coats of paint" = He would say when describing his frugality.

"You're fired before you hit the ground" = He jokingly tells his employees when they are working on a ladder or scissorlift.

One that has always bugged me, I've heard it from many places "Believe you me".
As in "Believe you me, you won't be doing that."
There doesn't seem to be any logic in that sentence (that I can see).
Also not many people I know have heard this, anyone here heard it?
Or could find the logic in it???

reply to post by caladonea


Mommy always said that, "life wasn't meant to be easy, it was meant to be character building."

I think I have enough character now, can life be easy please!!!!!

I was brought up by elderly foster parents who had quite a lot of sayings i.e stop pulling faces because if the wind changes you will stay like it.

Don't keep looking in the mirror or you will see the devil

Don't lie or you'll get blisters on your tongue

Wash behind your ears or spuds (potatoes) will start to grow there

If I was making a noise I would get told: you could make noise with two flipping* feathers

If I was fidgeting it would be: have you have got a worm up your bottom*?

*The cleaned up versions

Originally posted by chrismicha77
"You're going to hell in a hand basket".

lol you must have been really naughty

My Dad " are you bleeding?"
me "no" ( whining)
Dad " well quit hunkin and bawlin! Go back outside!"

2 things here.. if I wasnt bleeding to death I should shut the hell up.. that included internal bleeding.. and what the hell is HUNKIN and BAWLIN???

I wasnt petted enough as a child obviously.

lol I’m loving this thread, i just had my hubby read it and he mentioned one he uses at work.
Couldn’t organise a root in a brothel with a fist full of 50's

@ Advatage hunkin is sitting in the fetal position
bawlin is crying

Originally posted by Whateva69
lol I’m loving this thread, i just had my hubby read it and he mentioned one he uses at work.
Couldn’t organise a root in a brothel with a fist full of 50's

@ Advatage hunkin is sitting in the fetal position
bawlin is crying

I have NEVER hunked and bawled in a fetal position THANK YOU VERY MUCH! Snotting and sup-supping.. but never the fetal thing...

Most of our sayings were from movies and TV




My favorite was saying "You will perish in flames!" when someone pointed out how stupid you were acting.

Someone else mentioned cotton...

From WVa, We had
""poopin" in high cotton" Usually when gossiping about someone who brought home a new car or something else to show off..."well, aren't THEY "poopin" in high cotton?"

MY Grandmother used to call us kids #ePokes, when we were acting up....I think I know what that means now....but I'd be interested in other interpretations..

If you asked, "hey, where's joe"...response could often be "he went to poop, and the Hogs ate 'im"
I guess that was from the days of outhouses.

then another weather related one..."It's raining like a cow pissing on a flat rock"

lol what a great idea for a thread..

simpsons fans might remember.- it was like that when i got here! wise words indeed.

I have heard many many saying from my dad but the one that sticks in my head and probably an original from his dad.


"See kids that's what and IDIOT looks like"... and he made sure everyone heard it.

how could we forget the classic.

I'll get aroundtuit.

'..do as I say, NOT as I do....'

'..If you break your leg, don't come running to me!...'

'..don't put off 'till tomorrow something you can do today...'

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