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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 .

winterwhite Thu 11-Feb-21 13:18:12

Oh gosh yes, 'You like the wreck of the Hesperus', alternated with 'You look as though you've crawled through a hedge backwards'.

Trying and failing to think of expressions my children would associate with me. They tell me I'm the only person who says Gosh (surely not?) so that will be one. ?

maggic Thu 11-Feb-21 13:18:36

When dragging a comb through my cotted hair, “Pride feels no pain”. Still hurt, though grin

maggic Thu 11-Feb-21 13:24:23

“Steady past your granny’s”. I think it meant that you should take your time, or re-consider. No idea of the origin.

kathw12 Thu 11-Feb-21 13:36:28

My dad always said ‘you can’t put brains where there’s no brains’ lol ? x

frankie74 Thu 11-Feb-21 13:37:16

"I see they've taken a leaf out of MY book" meaning she thought she was smart and others copied her. Oh...and..."Your hair is your crowning glory". My dad loved to pronounce "wisely" and often prefaced his sayings with "I always say..." . "I always say that late nights bring sad mornings". I think he meant I'd be tired, but maybe he also meant I'd regret what I got up to the night before!

Nannina Thu 11-Feb-21 13:58:04

Usually if I was climbing or other risky behaviour ‘don’t come running to me if you fall and break your leg’. It was only years later I saw the humour in it

Tibbs Thu 11-Feb-21 14:27:29

There’s no such word as can’t .

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!

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.

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.

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

Do as I say, not do as I do.

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

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!)

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

if you break your leg dont 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

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

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

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

She/he’ll have your guts for garters!

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

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

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

A blind man would be glad to see it.

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

Don’t put it down, put it away

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

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

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???

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.

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

If you expect nothing you'll not be disappointed.

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

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