What sayings and expressions did you pick up from your parents?

[IWantMickey]

This is a great thread! Here are my contributions:

If I was in the bathroom when a friend called on the phone, my father would say "She's in the toilet" or "She's in the twilight." I understood the toilet thing (sort of, kind of) but twilight?!!!

My mother's favorite expresssions were "People in Hell want ice water but they're not gonna get it" and "Wish in one hand, sh*# in the other." Yup, we were a cursing family.

I was pleasantly surprised to see that a couple of other posters heard similar expressions from their parents. Are we somehow related?

 

[southernbella]

My Grandma used to say this to describe on of my friends- She's as crazy as a sprayed cockroach.

Sbella

 

[judi]

When my grandpa didn't want us to know where he was going he would say "I'm going to see a man about a horse", another one was "you have more excuses than Carter's has pills"

 

[ToTLaugher]

When we complained in front of my dad he would say "Quit your mulligrubbing." I thought everyone used that expression until I used it around some friends. They looked at my as if I had two heads! When I told them it meant to quit complaining they all decided it was perfect to use on their kids too!

 

[TENIA66]

well lets see,


"that dog won't hunt" meaning something won't work

"not enough room in here to cuss a cat"

and two i never thought i'd say.....

i was down to the last box of raisins so i dumped half in my 12 year old's plate, and half in my 6 year olds plate. the 12 yr old counted them and whined "mom he's got 4 more than i have" to which i said, drum roll please, "LIFE IS TOO SHORT TO COUNT RAISINS"

and the other one was:

"DON"T MAKE ME PULL OVER THIS CAR?"

when i lost a big track meet, dad came in my room and said, "well, you can't make chicken salad out of chicken sh*t.................

another one:

he's so lazy he married a pregnant woman

 

[cats mom]

Whenever one of us kids said we wished we had or could do something, my Mom would say, "If wishes were horses..."

She would never say the 'beggars would ride' part of the saying, and we had NO idea what 'if wishes were horses' was supposed to mean, since the only people with horses around us were ranchers. Now I say it all the time (well, not ALL the time; I mean, I don't walk around muttering it under my breath or anything... )

My aunt did the same thing!

She'd just say 'if wishes were fishes...' and then trail off.
I don't know when I finally heard the 'we'd all have a fry' part of the saying.
I never much liked it, even once I heard the whole thing, but I've still caught myself saying it a time or two.


Hey Cool-Beans, I heard both of the ones you posted more times that I care to think about growing up.


Oops... edited to fix spelling

 

[AuntieM03]

From my sainted grandmother:

tough titty said the kitty when the milk ran dry.

 

[AllAboutPluto]

From my Grandma...

Well, my land...
or
Well, my land sakes...
or even
Land sakes alive!

I have no clue what that meant, but she said it all the time! She also said Heavens to Betsy a lot too.

My other grandma called us all "kiddo" so I call all the kids in the family kiddo too. And my youngest cousin still too, even tho he's 30.

From my mom...
Six of one, half dozen of the other.
If gypsies stole you, they'd bring you back before nightfall.

And the one that stuck the most has a backstory. My parents divorced when I was 10 and my younger sister and I were raised by our very capable single mom. When we hit our teen years, if she were leaving either or both of us home alone, she'd leave the house with the following...

Love you! Be good. Stay out of trouble. No boys in the house!

To this day, if I leave anyone, not just my kids, but anyone, alone anywhere... home, work... anywhere... the last thing I say is "No boys in the house!"

 

[Nickimouse]

From my Dad, "You're so old you fart dust."
"Smells so bad it could knock a dog off a gut wagon."

From my Mom, the term "Nib sh*t",meaning nosey.

 

[DebbieTN]

We have a family word that everyone in the family uses. It's "flicted"(I think that's the first time I have spelled it out. ). It's used for everything that's weird, bizzare, annoying, or if someone is doing any of these things. We say "That's just flicted" or "Don't be flicted". I've never heard anyone else use this word, but everyone in our family uses it.

 

[Kycha]

This one is courtesy of my DMil. When someone asks "What's for dinner?" She responds "Fried farts and garlic". I think she learned this from her mother. It just makes me laugh every time I hear it!!

 

[marybet]

My mom always said "don't sweat the small stuff".

 

[reddixie]

Well my family says:

He'd rather climb a tree backwards and lie to you than stand on the ground and tell the truth.

Nervous as a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs.

When we are going on errands we say Out and About

I'll tan your hide.

I brought in this world I'll take you out is a favorite when I am picking on my DD. It means I am picking I never say this the way it was said to me.

also many that are on this thread as well. As for picking your own switch it is worse than if they do it. I know. LOL

 

[LindsayDunn228]

My mom also says, "50 cents one way and half a dollar the other." I say this one now.

 

[TENIA66]

How About

It Takes A Big Dog To Weigh A Ton..............

 

[Evil Queen]

From my Mom: I'm so mad I could spit nails AND I should tan your hide

From my Dad: Da*n __________ (animal of choice-dog, cat, etc) for some reason every animal knew to get in his way when he was mad, and now it's happening to me.

My Grandma and Aunt: Well, Bless it's little heart (in a heavy southern accent)

My other Granny: If it's the Lord's will AND I just LOVE the Piggly Wiggly (I actually go to the grocery store on my visits to Tenn. just to remember)

 

[Kay7979]

From my Dad, "You're so old you fart dust."

I'll have to remember that one!

 

[Kay7979]

I just thought of a couple more:

Harder than a rock garden.

Crookeder than a bat's hind leg.

 

[TENIA66]

dad will say he's fine as frog hair when asked how he's doing???