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Phrases your mother used

(233 Posts)
nanna8 Wed 10-Feb-21 06:47:12

My Mum used to say a lot of things but a couple I remember particularly are
‘You’re a long time dead’ i.e. enjoy yourself whilst you can and
‘If you can’t say anything good about someone, don’t say anything at all’
Pretty cluey some of the older ones .

May7 Thu 11-Feb-21 18:45:04

"Shes had all her doings taken away" said in very hushed tones when talking about someone having had a hysterectomy. Always made me prick up my ears when she whispered

sazz1 Thu 11-Feb-21 18:07:39

Fur hat and no knickers
about someone putting on airs and graces with no wealth or prestige to back it up

DebKell29 Thu 11-Feb-21 17:44:59

We'll be here until Dick docks

As cute as a bag of monkeys

I'm in my apple cart

I'd call the Queen my aunt if ...

I'll be looking for this breath one of these days

agnurse Thu 11-Feb-21 17:15:48

When we were acting up and fighting, Mum would sometimes come downstairs and say, "I don't care who STARTED IT, and I don't care whose FAULT IT IS, and I don't care who FINISHED IT!" If she asked you to fetch something and you were taking your time getting back, she'd call, "Are you bringing it or are you manufacturing it?"

Thisismyname1953 Thu 11-Feb-21 16:55:35

When we asked what was for our next meal .
Ifit! If it goes round you get some, if it doesn’t you don’t .

B9exchange Thu 11-Feb-21 16:44:22

From my grandmother 'Lazy people take the most trouble' meaning it would be much less work to do it properly in the first place than have to continually patch it up later!

SunnySusie Thu 11-Feb-21 16:32:48

Our Norfolk Gran was the one full of sayings. Some of her favourites:
The pot calling the kettle black;
Least said soonest mended;
She was putting on her parts [airs and graces];
Thas a rum un [its odd];
Load of old squit [nonsense].

Annaram1 Thu 11-Feb-21 16:25:17

Dad often said "kind hearts are worth more than coronets."

Annaram1 Thu 11-Feb-21 16:22:12

If you expect nothing you'll not be disappointed.

Ydoc Thu 11-Feb-21 16:15:13

My lovely mum used to love saying something a bit naughty then feign no idea whilst laughing. She had many strange words one being he's got "dicktolleroo", that's some illness.
I have written as many as I can think of down so never forgotten. Her wisdom and knowledge far out reached Google.

EMMF1948 Thu 11-Feb-21 16:06:45

Mamma7

This makes me smile because only yesterday DD told her DD to “pick her feet up” when she was upstairs at my house. My Mum used to say it to me all the time.... I obviously morphed into my mother at some point years ago! ?

Haven't we all???

nannafizz Thu 11-Feb-21 16:05:39

I see said the blind man as he waved his wooden leg in the air !

Bankhurst Thu 11-Feb-21 15:54:28

Don’t put it down, put it away

Aepgirl Thu 11-Feb-21 15:47:54

A blind man would be glad to see it.

Scrappydo Thu 11-Feb-21 15:46:06

“The sights you see when you haven’t got a gun”

hf59 Thu 11-Feb-21 15:25:04

She/he’ll have your guts for garters!

Mauriherb Thu 11-Feb-21 15:22:43

"If you fall down and break your legs don't come running to me" ??

Mamma7 Thu 11-Feb-21 15:10:23

She’d fall off Co-op and land in the divvy that one ...... ie fall on her feet every time

moggie57 Thu 11-Feb-21 15:04:14

if you break your leg dont come running to me...

Lorelei Thu 11-Feb-21 14:54:59

Until I was about 7 I thought waitnsee came in about 20-30 different varieties as every time I asked what was for dinner I got told "wait and see"! Other things were "she's all fur coat and no knickers" about the pretentiously posh + "I'm not running more than one kid bath" (as about a dozen kids from our street were dipped and scrubbed, a few at a time, in the same bath!)

Grannybags Thu 11-Feb-21 14:54:48

I'll try killed can't
Horse play always ends in tears
I want never gets, please is o'er late

Bazza Thu 11-Feb-21 14:49:05

Do as I say, not do as I do.

Nannyfrance Thu 11-Feb-21 14:42:42

My mother used to say “Laziness is not worth a damn unless it’s well carried out”. Also “If a jobs worth doing, it’s worth doing well”. Both have proved to be very true.

BlueDahlia Thu 11-Feb-21 14:40:57

"There are no pockets in shrouds", when someone was being mean with their money as they wouldn't be able to take it with them.
Also, "don't stand there like a dying duck in a thunderstorm" if I was faffing and not hurrying up.

pipdog Thu 11-Feb-21 14:36:36

My MiL used to say that some one was "just poorly" which I took to mean they had something like a cold but she actually meant they were at deaths door!