Old sayings

Hillbilly Prince

Silver Member
Aug 9, 2018
4,999
12,712
SW Missouri
Detector(s) used
Garrett All Terrain Pro
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I was thinking I would one day do a blog, and one of the posts would concern things my parents, as well as others of past generations used to say. Some of the things were colloquial in the sense of being informal as well as specific to a region or even a family.
Because there are so many states and nations represented here I hope people will add their recollections to this thread as well as explain what the saying meant. Some of the phrases I grew up with actually puzzle me, and some are quite clear.
To start, my mom used to say of people, "They are poor as church mice." I doubt there is any more definite picture of poverty. Mice living in a country church would have little besides unleavened crackers and grape juice to eat. Plus the building would be empty and unheated most days.
My dad used to say "It's a great life if you don't weaken." Which I sometimes found vaguely irritating. My dad was unnecessarily optimistic sometimes. And I am not truly sure what that means.
My dad used to also say I was dilatory. He never went to school a day in his life and sometimes he did not use words correctly or invented words. For years I was certain dilatory was not a word and then one day I looked it up, and learned it meant procrastinating or being a laggard. But I believe my father thought he was calling me a jackass given the context of those situations. I don't want to give a bad impression of him- like most kids I was not always an angel.
I have more to add in time, and hope others add their own
 

Chadeaux

Gold Member
Sep 13, 2011
5,512
6,408
Southeast Arkansas
Detector(s) used
Ace 250
Primary Interest:
Cache Hunting
Others have probably heard it, but I heard it from an old Houmas Indian who had hunted bounty in the Indian Territory in Oklahoma during the 1920's and 1930's (my grandfather). He did a lot of hangings when the locals were too scared to do them down in Texas. I've actually been to one of the sites where he did a few hangings. The owner of the store in the late 1960's remembered him.

One of his favorite sayings was:

"Believe nothing that you hear, and only half of what you see."
 

Rookster

Gold Member
Nov 24, 2013
29,382
111,597
Detector(s) used
XP Deus, F75Ltd., AT PRO, Garrett pointer
Primary Interest:
Cache Hunting
I'd rather be lucky than good.
 

Rookster

Gold Member
Nov 24, 2013
29,382
111,597
Detector(s) used
XP Deus, F75Ltd., AT PRO, Garrett pointer
Primary Interest:
Cache Hunting
Soft as a babies butt.
 

Rookster

Gold Member
Nov 24, 2013
29,382
111,597
Detector(s) used
XP Deus, F75Ltd., AT PRO, Garrett pointer
Primary Interest:
Cache Hunting
Fine as frog hair
 

Rookster

Gold Member
Nov 24, 2013
29,382
111,597
Detector(s) used
XP Deus, F75Ltd., AT PRO, Garrett pointer
Primary Interest:
Cache Hunting
It's so dry I caught a Catfish with a tick on it.
 

Rookster

Gold Member
Nov 24, 2013
29,382
111,597
Detector(s) used
XP Deus, F75Ltd., AT PRO, Garrett pointer
Primary Interest:
Cache Hunting
Madder than an ole wet hen.
 

Rookster

Gold Member
Nov 24, 2013
29,382
111,597
Detector(s) used
XP Deus, F75Ltd., AT PRO, Garrett pointer
Primary Interest:
Cache Hunting
It doesn't amount to a hill of beans.
 

Rookster

Gold Member
Nov 24, 2013
29,382
111,597
Detector(s) used
XP Deus, F75Ltd., AT PRO, Garrett pointer
Primary Interest:
Cache Hunting
Till the cows come home.
 

Rookster

Gold Member
Nov 24, 2013
29,382
111,597
Detector(s) used
XP Deus, F75Ltd., AT PRO, Garrett pointer
Primary Interest:
Cache Hunting
Lord be willin and the creek don't rise.
 

Rookster

Gold Member
Nov 24, 2013
29,382
111,597
Detector(s) used
XP Deus, F75Ltd., AT PRO, Garrett pointer
Primary Interest:
Cache Hunting
Worn slap out.
 

Rookster

Gold Member
Nov 24, 2013
29,382
111,597
Detector(s) used
XP Deus, F75Ltd., AT PRO, Garrett pointer
Primary Interest:
Cache Hunting
Heavens to Betsey.
 

Rookster

Gold Member
Nov 24, 2013
29,382
111,597
Detector(s) used
XP Deus, F75Ltd., AT PRO, Garrett pointer
Primary Interest:
Cache Hunting
Well, I s'wanee.
 

Rookster

Gold Member
Nov 24, 2013
29,382
111,597
Detector(s) used
XP Deus, F75Ltd., AT PRO, Garrett pointer
Primary Interest:
Cache Hunting
If a pig had wings he'd fly too.
 

Rookster

Gold Member
Nov 24, 2013
29,382
111,597
Detector(s) used
XP Deus, F75Ltd., AT PRO, Garrett pointer
Primary Interest:
Cache Hunting
Hold my beer and watch this!
 

Mudflap

Bronze Member
Mar 31, 2012
1,312
1,655
Wallingford, Connecticut 1667
Detector(s) used
Whites MXT, Dual Field, CZ-21, Vaquero, Home Brewed (3).
Detecting since 1972.
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Someone asks... Where is so and so......... He went to the outhouse and the pigs ate him
 

Peyton Manning

Gold Member
Dec 19, 2012
14,517
18,626
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
MXT-PRO
Sandshark
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Don’t trust whitey
 

Peyton Manning

Gold Member
Dec 19, 2012
14,517
18,626
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
MXT-PRO
Sandshark
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
The Lord loves a working man
 

Peyton Manning

Gold Member
Dec 19, 2012
14,517
18,626
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
MXT-PRO
Sandshark
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
If you get it, go to the doctor and get rid of it
 

Top Member Reactions

Users who are viewing this thread

Latest Discussions

Top