Our parent's sayings
- Thread starter grahamg
- Start date
grahamg
Old codger
- Location
- South of Manchester, UK
Just in case someone doesn't feel too bright this morning, here is an explanation:
"There's many a slip 'twixt the cup and the lip is an English proverb. It implies that even when a good outcome or conclusion seems certain, things can still go wrong, similar in meaning to "don't count your chickens before they hatch"."
(said to have been found in a verse by Lycophron, from the third century BC),
spectratg
Member
- Location
- Adamstown, MD
My maternal grandmother was a very gentle lady. I would sometimes hear her say "land sakes" when she was surprised or annoyed about something. I have no idea if that has any meaning or if it was just something that she made up? I don't recall my mother ever using that phrase.
spectratg
Member
- Location
- Adamstown, MD
My mother was fond of the saying: "I love you a bushel and a peck, and a hug around the neck,"
grahamg
Old codger
- Location
- South of Manchester, UK
"Not out of the woods yet"
grahamg
Old codger
- Location
- South of Manchester, UK
"Its a long road with no turning"!
grahamg
Old codger
- Location
- South of Manchester, UK
"Go to the man at the top" 
(if you're having difficulty with a firm or organisation, and can't get satisfaction very easily otherwise, I think this was the thought my father wished to impart, or whoever dreamt up the saying?)
(if you're having difficulty with a firm or organisation, and can't get satisfaction very easily otherwise, I think this was the thought my father wished to impart, or whoever dreamt up the saying?)
Bretrick
Senior Member
- Location
- Perth Western Australia
Sakes Alive! is an old-fashioned mild oath, popular in the 1930s, 40s and 50s. Derives from Land(s) sakes (alive), with Lands standing for Lord's. Equivalent to today's “My Goodness”, “Good Lord”, “Oh my God” or the most closely related "For God's Sake."
grahamg
Old codger
- Location
- South of Manchester, UK
"Put a sock in it" !!
(a saying I feel was very popular back in the day, though not heard so much recently I feel, as we're all told by those advertising mobile telephones "Its good to talk"!)
Now just how many folks can each of us think of we'd like to ask to "pipe down", (don't anyone dare to suggest I should, cos I'd probably burst if I couldn't "keep cheruping"!).
(a saying I feel was very popular back in the day, though not heard so much recently I feel, as we're all told by those advertising mobile telephones "Its good to talk"!)
Now just how many folks can each of us think of we'd like to ask to "pipe down", (don't anyone dare to suggest I should, cos I'd probably burst if I couldn't "keep cheruping"!).
Marie5656
Well-known Member
- Location
- Batavia, NY
My mom added the words "mind you" as some sort of exclamation of disbelief at an occurance. As an example, when I was a kid, I fell and broke my arm...on our front lawn. For some reason, when telling people about it, she would end the story with "On the GRASS, mind you!!!". My cousin and I still use it when we want to make a point...we would make a point saying "MIND YOU_
spectratg
Member
- Location
- Adamstown, MD
Understand and appreciate the events and lessons of history.
grahamg
Old codger
- Location
- South of Manchester, UK
"Its all double Dutch to me"!
(now that's one you don't hear so often nowadays do you,...., why not, is there a reason I'm missing or summat?)
(now that's one you don't hear so often nowadays do you,...., why not, is there a reason I'm missing or summat?)