Forties File Friday: My mother always said...

Next Weeks Question will be,
"Let it Snow, Let it Snow... " What are memories you have of having snow growing up?

Once again in the order in which they were received, the answer to the question,
"My mother always said..."
What stands out as phrases or sayings that make you think of Mum?

NOVA

• Don't put it down, put it away!
• Do the thing you fear to do and fear will disappear.
• Nothing on the floor anymore! (in a sing songy voice)
• That which you persist in doing becomes easier, not because the nature of the thing decreases but your power to do it increases.
• If your solution creates a problem for another then it is not a solution
• I'm so mad I could spit nickels!
• I'm hiding in a box
• (Grandma's) A whistling woman and a crowing hen are sure to come to a no good end.

CHANNA

• Less is More. (or was it Less is better?)
• Don't put it down, put it away.
• Do the thing you fear to do and fear will disappear.
• What 3 places have you looked?
• Look with your hands.
• A gum chewing girl and a cud chewing cow, there's a difference I'll allow, it's the intelligent look on the face of the cow.

PAIGE

Lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine!

The notes posted all over the house.... I guess they aren't really memories since they still are... even in our new homes!! In the fridge, on the toilet, on the door, on the wall, washing machine, inside the cupboards, on the t.v.... I guess you could say Mum is still saying things....

DAD

My mother Roberta Mae would always respond when I would ask one of life’s imponderable questions. “ That is a wait and see!” That just about covered everything so I would just have to keep waiting to find out what I wanted to know.

JIM

This is one thing mother said in my teens perhaps even later teens...

"Even if I am Wrong I am right...I am your mother..."

As you know, mothers can get flustered when addressing teens and it would often come out,

"Even If I am Right I'm wrong... I'm your mother"

If either version was said you new it was in desperation.

JILL

There were two things that mum would say, (fairly often as I recall) and would use interchangeably, usually resulting in a child to stand still, staring off, head tilted with a dumbfounded look on their face... because it was unclear whether it was a compliment or an insult. In fact it was cleverly disguised as both at once, (which I figured out later in life) and I quote

"You re not as dumb as you look "

and

" You're smarter than you look"

This is when you did something conceived as being clever, or correct anyways.....

and of course the infamous.... " Layovers for medlers"

which was usually said in good humour ( as rosette would say)

usually in conjunction with a surprise, treat or present..

I recently pondered this age-old favorite saying of mums, ... to be specific..when I was stuck in an airport for a long while...

"Layovers for medlers" hmmm.. i thought to myself, I thought..that if I were a nosey, rude person that didn't mind their own business, and I was required to spend a lot of time in airports waiting for connecting flights.... that I could actually be experiencing a " Layovers for medlers".

"Be Good and have fun"

This one was actually Grandmas saying, and I don't know if mum ever said it, perhaps because they are kind of both ' givens', in that you hope and expect the child to be good, and you hope and expect them to try and have fun.

I have used this one on my kids, however, usually more elaborately detailed, being somewhat more specific than grandma's loose instructions. I would try and define my versions of " good" and " fun " ...in 5000 words or less.... as I was dropping them off somewhere, still talking a blue streak.. long after the car door has been shut, and I am fumbling for the electric window button, so at least my final words of infinite wisdom can be heard by anyone within earshot, ....and usually long after my child is out of sight....

'Ding Dong' - pretty self explanatory... mums version of swearing

What 3 places have you looked? again...pretty self explanatory

"Sit you doon"

now this one was not from growing up, it was more recent, like the past 10 yrs... perhaps, the longing for Scotland burned in her blood... she began to come up with these little scottish habits? not to be confused with her mush habit .

FHB aka Family Hold Back ... This one was the family code, discreetly slipped into dinnertime conversation, when we had missionaries, and lonely shut in seniors, (orphaned by their own families) . This was to inform us that the chef had miscalculated the number of guests and that there would not be enough food for all.... that is.. if we were to dish up the usual gathright sized mountains of mashed potatoes, and jim-size portions of creamed corn and roast beef and lakes of gravy, that we would inevitably like to dispense on to our plates. it was for those of us that were to young, to immature , too hungry ( or all of the above) to forsee the potential disasterous situation of the hostess... to run out of food !!!

For example... " Jim, can you please pass the peas and the FHB?"

"Dont put it down put it away!" ya.. ya..

"Do it well or not at all !" now this was contradictory, as i don't ever recall having the option of not doing the task...

Its better to be silent, and thought a fool, than to speak up and remove all doubt

This was actually Prez. Abe Lincolns saying i believe..

But I heard it from mum first, I dont know if she was referring to dad.. who was the silent type...

I am sure there are more, but I am out of time for reminicsing down childhood lane....

MUM

Hmmmmm, how do I approach this topic.. since its the repeat of my sayings or mini pontifications, maybe I wasn't even invited to participate!

I think my fun will be to hear the sayings that have been remembered ....and to see who remembers what...

There were probably sayings in the earlier days that may have been dropped and newer ones for the later kids that cropped up. . we'll soon see on the new blog version of an old attempt at a family newsletter and the revival of the forties file..

I remember sayings from 'my own' mother... that I don't think I used with you all, but that have come to me often over the years when I have needed them..

I'll send them in the blog comments.... in the mean time I'll wait to see what quotes have been immortalized...

EDEN

• happy day
• nothing on the floor anymore
  
• don't put it down put it away
  
• a layover for a meddler
• it's not that they're thoughtless its just they don't think
  
• in my day...
  
• my generation...
  
• I could spit nickles
  
• old head on young shoulders
  
• no whistling
  
• that which we persist in doing becomes easier not because the nature of the thing changes but our ability to do it increases
  
• continue to do what you've always done you'll continue to get what you've always got
  
• it's between you and the lord
  
• no gum till you're 8