Near Crickhowell.
I am laid up with a cold (and a very poor night's sleep), so don't expect intelligent thought today! (Yet again).
This topic came about because I was discussing it with my husband earlier on. I am sure many old sayings are dieing out from lack of use. My mum had a wealth of them at her fingertips, many of which I still use, but I don't hear my offspring using them. Perhaps it is mobile phones and emails which have stopped their use.
These are some of the ones I grew up with:
I'm not Keyhole Kate you know (about getting through a narrow space, or shutting the door too soon).
He (or she) looked like the Wild Man of Borneo (dishevelled)
or He looked like Shock Headed Peter (from a book of her childhood).
A fool and his money are soon parted.
Not for all the tea in China.
Every cloud has a silver lining.
The early bird catches the worm.
One swallow doesn't make a summer.
Places might be "a stone's throw away", you might buy "a pig in a poke", know something because "a little bird told me", "an ill wind blew nobody any good", people might run "as fast as greased lightening, be "as bald as a coot", "as happy as Larry", or "as fit as a fiddle", and great satisfaction was had when someone was "taken down a peg or two". There was often "a storm in a teacup", "beggars can't be choosers" and I went "up the wooden stairs to bedfordshire"(or the land of nod) and when I was tucked in, I was "snug as a bug in a rug". People kept on the "straight and narrow" or perhaps, "went Widdershins", there might be "jiggery pokery" or "stuff and nonsense" and people were known to talk "until the cows came home" or they "talked the hind leg off a donkey." When we played card games, in Beat Jack Out Of Doors, the Jack often "saved my bacon".
Before the pop group, "a rolling stone gathered no moss". Weather had lots of descriptions, it might be "as black as Jack's hatband" over there", or "coming down in stair-rods", or "raining cats and dogs" "blowing a hooley", and everyone knew that red sky at night was shepherds' (or sailors') delight, but red sky in the morning was shepherds' warning.
What family sayings did you grow up with?
'You look like you have been dragged through a hedge backwards', 'if the wind changes your face will stay like that' and a favorite 'no one will stop a galloping horse to help you' Plus most the your's above.
ReplyDeleteYes, you look like you've been dragged through a hedge backwards was well used in our house! I've heard the 2nd but not the 3rd.
DeleteThe early bird catches the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese. You are a slobberchops if you have food around your mouth. Were you born in a barn, if you leave a door open.
ReplyDeleteNot heard the early bird one in full! Slobberchops - I'd forgotten that expression. Still use born in a barn!
DeleteWhat I heard was "It's an ill wind that blows no good." Slightly different meaning, even a bad thing will bring somebody something beneficial.
ReplyDeleteYes to the ill wind. That just reminded me about one of my late ma-in-law's - as one door opens, another slams shut in your face!
DeleteThe Lincolnshire/Yorkshire saying for a dark sky, threatening rain, was used in our house and we still use it today;
ReplyDelete"It`s black over Bill`s Mother`s"......
Sorry you have another cold. So does my OH. It`s been a bad winter for bugs.
We didn't use that one DW, but I know of it. On the mend now, I am glad to say.
DeleteA wonderful post - remember many of those!
ReplyDeleteA few from here - "Going round the Wrekin" (i.e. a long way round!) and "It is looking dark over Bill's mothers" i.e. it looks like rain!
Sorry to hear about the cold (OH and son have one too) - hope you feel better soon.
Not heard of going round the Wrekin, but we still use "taking the scenic route home" which I suppose is similar. I think there are still quite a few bugs doing the rounds.
ReplyDeleteHave heard most of those above. How about 'It's the early worm that catches the bird' or 'For two pins I'd knock his block off' or 'There's not enough blue in the sky to make a Dutchman's trousers' meaning it's a dull day and 'Have you got cloth ears?'
ReplyDeleteHah! My excuse to be allowed to go riding on a weekend was that there WAS enough blue to make a Dutchman's trousers!!!
DeleteI remember 'going round the Wrekin' it must be to do with a 'Black Country' upbringing. Think your intelligence is 100% could not remember all those sayings yet am familar with them...
ReplyDeleteI remember 'going round the Wrekin' it must be to do with a 'Black Country' upbringing. Think your intelligence is 100% could not remember all those sayings yet am familar with them...
ReplyDeletethelma - I will be up front (!) and say I did look at a list of them - lots of modern one or two word expressions, but I wanted to jog my memory.
ReplyDeleteAdd to your list , Up to see Lily White on Pillow Street; a tempest in a teapot; my stomach is telling my brain that my throat has been cut.
ReplyDeleteHi Mundi. I know a storm in a teacup, and that last one, but not heard the first one.
ReplyDeleteToday I said, "Oh my giddy aunt" which is an expression oft used in my childhood.