Gems of Wisdom from our parents

“Life’s not fair” followed by “get used to it”!

My mam’s constant refrain when I’d whinge about my brothers getting something I couldn’t have or they’d get into mischief and we’d all be punished!

When I was grumpy, my mother would say, If the wind changes, your face will stay that way!

That’s very sisterly and empathetic of your mother guilia

Sorry, giulia rather

She would say 'you've made your bed now lie on it' for everything not a nice woman.

No pearls from my mother but a friend’s mother had a great line: “don’t look back; only look forward”

My mother used to say 'you have to suffer to be beautiful' when I used to sleep with a head full of rollers.

When I lay on my back to let the fire dry my hair my mother used to say I would melt my marrow ! Hadn't a clue what she was on about which was probably just as well ! No care taken in the words said to children in those days !

From my mother, ‘A lost opportunity is like a spent arrow. It never comes back.’

Not necessarily true, of course, but certainly resonated with her, since there had been a job opportunity she’d turned down through nerves.

A saying in our house was “tiddle your hush”. It was used to ask you to be quiet.
It was obviously said often as I remember it so well, but when I googled it today - nothing came up.
Has anyone else heard the saying?

I could never understand “You know what thought did!”. Well, no I didn’t, and I still don’t.

My mum used to say ‘No-one will get off a galloping horse to look at you!’ And ‘the road to hell is paved with good intentions!’

Lexisgranny

I could never understand “You know what thought did!”. Well, no I didn’t, and I still don’t.

Thought followed a muck cart and thought it was the wedding..?

dragonfly46

My mum used to say ‘No-one will get off a galloping horse to look at you!’ And ‘the road to hell is paved with good intentions!’

That was nasty..??

My dad used to say to aunt May who was rather a rotund woman “ you’re digging your grave with a knife and fork“ ?

TillyTrotter never heard “ tiddle your hush” but I rather like it. May use it myself, with your permission ?

Grandmajean that’s what I’d get told ?

“Sit up straight”and “elbows off the table” every meal time. Funnily enough, I said the latter to my 12 year old DGS last week!

'Take what you get and like it'!

And even stranger, I said to the dog this morning, I’d give him his breakfast as soon as I’d “put my face on” (foundation and a bit a blusher these days). Was that Mum or Gran I wonder!

Grandmajean

When I lay on my back to let the fire dry my hair my mother used to say I would melt my marrow ! Hadn't a clue what she was on about which was probably just as well ! No care taken in the words said to children in those days !

Oh, drying your hair in front of the fire! I'd forgotten all about that. I can remember being so excited when we got our first hairdryer (complete with plastic bag that you could put on your head to aid drying).

Just remembered when my brother and I would not eat a stew. (We thought it was gruel and just sat there looking at it) My dear dad would just say “the colder it gets the worse it gets” and he never shouted at us but we knew we had to stay there and finish it..?

Shinamae

My dad used to say to aunt May who was rather a rotund woman “ you’re digging your grave with a knife and fork“ ?

I’ve read it but never actually heard, ‘Digging our graves with our teeth.’

IIRC it was in a Barbara Pym novel, said by someone enjoying a slice of cake! Possibly a ‘rich’ one - back in the days when some people seemed to have a Thing about ‘rich’ food. The matriarch in Elizabeth Jane Howard’s Cazalet series certainly did.

Get it or regret it-if you saw something you liked and decided to think about it before buying, you might well miss out.