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Has anybody else heard this saying?.

(44 Posts)
HUNTERF Thu 07-Feb-13 21:38:33

My late mother in law used to say '' You might as well enjoy life. You are dead for a long time''.

I overheard somebody else saying these words today for the first time.

Is this a common saying or is it just a coincidence?.

Frank

Galen Thu 07-Feb-13 21:41:07

My gran used it! Westbromwich.

Anne58 Thu 07-Feb-13 21:42:28

I think that is used quite a bit, possibly mainly by older (much older!) people. I have heard it said with the second part phrased as "You're a longtime dead"

glassortwo Thu 07-Feb-13 21:49:49

Its used in the North East using the same ending as phoenix

nightowl Thu 07-Feb-13 21:50:40

Yes i think it's used quite a lot as well. It makes me sad. When my mum was dying I said to her 'try to sleep', to which she replied 'I'll be asleep a long time'.

whenim64 Thu 07-Feb-13 21:51:42

Yes, common in Manchester, too.

HUNTERF Thu 07-Feb-13 21:52:44

Hi Galen

My mother in law was born spent the first year of her life in Wednesbury but then moved to Sutton Coldfield.

She also used to say some useless thing was ''as useful as an ash tray on a motorbike''.
or '' as useful as a chocolate fireguard''.
or '' as useful as a chocolate teapot''.

I have heard about the fireguards and the teapots elsewhere mut not the motorbike ashtray.

Frank

Galen Thu 07-Feb-13 22:01:27

As a staunch wenesburyite! Neither have I.
Where did she,live in Wednesbury?

HUNTERF Thu 07-Feb-13 22:22:26

She lived in Woden Road.
I better not say any more as the house is still there or it was when I last passed it about a year ago.

Frank

Galen Thu 07-Feb-13 22:25:52

I remember Woden road. I had patients there. I remember one lived to 104 they're a long lived lot in Wednesbury!
Our surgery was at the top of Hydex road.

Galen Thu 07-Feb-13 22:26:10

Hydes!

HUNTERF Thu 07-Feb-13 22:30:50

104 was not my Mother in Law's house.
I have only been through Wednesbury and my mother in law pointed out the house.
I tend to go through Wednesbury about once a year so I will look out for Hydex Road the next time.

Frank

HUNTERF Thu 07-Feb-13 22:31:58

OK Hydes

Thanks

Galen Thu 07-Feb-13 23:04:57

There's a surgery , or was on the corner of wood green rd and Hydes rd that was us. It was called oakswell surgery!

The lady lived to be 104 not the house number. There were Woden rds N S E and W .

Anne58 Thu 07-Feb-13 23:10:43

I have heard the phrase relating to ashtrays on motor bikes!

HUNTERF Thu 07-Feb-13 23:18:08

There was a college in Woden Road South.
I think it was built in the 70's and it has now been demolished.

Frank

HUNTERF Thu 07-Feb-13 23:19:50

Another expression I have heard about a useless worker is '' He would be good at packing glider engines''.

Frank

Galen Thu 07-Feb-13 23:37:40

grin

ninathenana Fri 08-Feb-13 15:39:46

I've heard all those.

Anyone heard or use:

"As rare as rocking horse poo"
grin

Galen Fri 08-Feb-13 15:58:26

Like looking for hen's teeth.

kittylester Fri 08-Feb-13 16:30:25

I've heard all the above but the version of Nina's that I heard was not quite so polite! grin

Movedalot Fri 08-Feb-13 16:44:55

Same as Phoenix

Yes nina I've heard that one.

Galen I've heard that one as 'as rare as hen's teeth'

york46 Fri 08-Feb-13 16:51:42

One I heard recently: "It was as much use as an inflatable dart board"!!

FlicketyB Sat 09-Feb-13 14:17:13

I certainly grew up with this saying, plus another favourite of my Grandmother's was 'Full of the ills that nobody dies of'. A response to anybody over-egging a minor ailment.

Barrow Sat 09-Feb-13 14:22:49

Two of my DHs sayings were "madder than a wet hen" to describe an angry person,

to tease someone who was being mean he would say "there are no pockets in a shroud".

If he was trying to descibe a remote place to anyone it was "about three miles past where Jesus lost his sandals"