Did your parents have any phrases, sayings or wise words?

greatgablegran - mine said the same about shoes and mattresses!

allegrasgrannie - we always used to say 'red sky at night, chippie's alight'

If asked if she wanted anything from the shops, my mum would say "just six penn'orth of pound notes"

There was an old family joke which had everyone in stitches, except outsiders who though we were all mad.
Q - "What's the difference between a duck?"
A - "One of its legs are both the same"

No, I don't understand it either.

Same with
Q "Why does an oven when it is hot?"
A "Because the more you rub it the faster"

Eh?

My son aged 5 never really got the expression - used to say 'red sky at night, Shepherds Pie'.

When I was a nervous new Mum I asked my mother deperately for advice on care of my newborn baby boy. 'Just make sure his willy is pointing down when you put his nappy on otherwise he will pee over his shoulder', she replied. Well thanks.

I remember many of these.
My gran, her sisters, my mum now me all say 'its a bit black o'er Will's mother's.'

One piece of advice my gran gave and I have given is, first engage brain before your mouth.
another is if you can't say something nice, say nothing.

If asked what mum would like it would be half a pound of peace and quiet. I'll take that please!

Those are all great!
I am in Yorkshire and the big one here is "when in doubt, do naught!" pretty good advice really, but maybe beaten by my father's favourite one
"Just keep your eye on the ball, dear!" which has seen me through many an awkward situation.

Isn't that strange yogagran.

JessM - "a bone in my leg" was my Granny's saying too and I have used it myself at times!

"Blood will out" was a favourite comment made by both my Mum and her Mum too. It could be used as a compliment or a damning remark depending on the circumstances.

My gran used to say "I've got a bone in my leg" which was her excuse for carrying on sitting and chatting with the adults, rather than joining in something we were doing.

Joggingirl - my parents version was "up the apples and pears" to bed - yes, they were Londoners through and through.

Whenever we complained about the weather being unseasonal, my mother would say "It's them Russians - they've got a weather machine!" We never quite managed to fathom where this priceless bit of information had come from but she was convinced. When someone asked her the make of the car my father had just bought, she said, "Oh, it's called a Chiseller". It was a Chrysler!

Crikey ... nearly all of those bring back memories. Are we all related or something? My old Dad had a lot of stock answers to kiddie questions.

Q What you doing Dad? (When we could see full well what he was doing)
A Milking this giraffe

Q Where you going Dad?
A There and back to see how far it is (mentioned earlier)

Reassurance if we were unwell. There is nowhere quite like your own "cosy" (referring to bed)

Up the wooden hills to Bedfordshire .. at bedtime

Lots and lots too numerous to mention, but my all-time fave that I still think of 20 yrs after he has been gone is he would always remark at the end of a particularly lovely day "That was a day to hang medals on" Bless him.

My mother always used to say "everyone knows what to do with the drunken wife except the man who's got her". She also got a bit confusd once and said she thought my brother should apply for a particular job as he had his "GBH licence". She meant HGV licence.
I can remember being our with Dad and praying no one would ask directions as he would always say "go down the road until you come to the roadworks, take no notice of them they aren't there anymore". He would always tease Mum and say things like their wedding day seemed like yesterday - and you know what a terrrible day it was yesterday, or say it seems like yesterday, wish it was tomorrow - I wouldn't go.
I think the classic one was when he told my brother he had painted the hall in Durex vynil silk!! I never look at a tin of Dulux without smiling.

It took our kids years to realise what a "Bomsatit" was when Mrs. P refered to their rooms. Now our daughter has children she understands what a "Bomsatit" .

Bomsatit = "a bomb has hit it"

One of my aunts was a great one for superstitions and sayings. "Itchy elbow means you're going to sleep in a strange bed" – I've never quite worked that one out. However, she often managed to get them slightly wrong. I've always been especially fond of "Don't look a gift horse up the nose" … and I never have.

My mother always advised us in the days of mini-skirts, and then my GD's in cropped tops, that we'd end up with 'a chill in the kidneys'. Has anyone ever been diagnosed with this complaint? Also, instead of 'Serve you right' it was 'hell mend you'! I hated that!!

My Nana had a set of these, that were prefixed by "my mother used to say"
Twice a year the butter goes mad (too hard in winter, runny in summer - but was it originally a dairymaid's complain?)
Cast not a clout until May is out (then we'd debate - the Month or the Flower)
Blue and green should never be seen (in clothing)
Red sky at night shepherd's delight
Plus a whole long list of superstitions.
Feed a cold and starve a fever. If i give you a knife, you must pay me in silver or it will cut the friendship... etc etc
Oh and "put some in your muff for Florrie" - ie bring home a doggy bag. This might have been a family specific one?

My dad always said at bedtime "up the wooden hill now" ...... I said it to my kids and now say it to my grand-daughters................My mum always said my brother got the brains and I got the beauty - she was right about my brother and being exceptionally kind to a rather gawky teenager (as I was then)......xx

My mum always said "Count your blessings" and it does make you think how much worse off others are. Also she'd say "You're as good as anyone else, if not better!"

Take what you want says God and pay for it. (It's an old Spanish proverb.)

Oh I love this, so many I remember!

My grandmother & her sisters used to say, when people gave their opinions unasked for that "there's always some b^$$£r who can live your life better than you do".
I said that just the other day to a friend who was feeling criticised. The wider family all had negative opinions about a job that her daughter had accepted.

My Mum used to say "handsome is as handsome does". She also said " you have to suffer to be beautiful" as she was getting the tangles out of my long hair. I have always hated that phrase...

My Grandma used to say 'you know who I mean ---- Mrs Who's it , Mrs What's it , Mrs Thingamy , she lives down by Watcha ma callit !!' Of course we knew exactly who she meant !!

My grandmother sang Daisy Daisy to me and now I sing it to my grandaughter. She also sang one that started "Go to sleep my darling, close your big blue eyes" It had a politically incorrect word in it so when I sing it to my grandchildren now it is known as the "Chickabiddy" song.