I have found that my grandkids don't have the benefit of some of the old sayings that I grew up with. the other day I was talking about cleaning my sewing room. Mind you, just talking about it! My oldest , age 20 mentioned something about how I was going to do that by myself. She's not wanting to hurt grandma's feelings by telling me what a mess it is. I told her, "Just like you eat an elephant. One bite at a time." She looked at me like I was crazy! Have any of you ever heard that saying, or is it just me?
when I explained to her what it meant, she said that made sense. I think she still thought grandma was crazy, but she accpeted it.
Do any of you have "old sayings" that thid younger generation probably haven't heard of?
Please tell me I'm not the only one.

i knew the answer before i even opened your post and it is true they dont know the sayings

when I saw the topic, my first thought was "one bite at a time"! in my work, I find that young kids just don't know the adages I grew up with, like one swallow does not make a summer, a bird in the hand..., or things like knowing that moss grows on the north side of the trees. sad, at least to me.

Laurie

I'm 56 but that is a new saying to me?????

I grew up with you never sew on Sunday. Every stitch you sew on Sunday.....you would have to take out with your nose in heaven...If that is so I'll have my work cut out for me in heaven:)

one bite at a time. My Dad uses this one on me all the time.

I think the "younger" generation may not know these, but honestly how many of you use them in front of your kids?

This one is new to me also.

I was having a real difficult time recently and that was the attitude I adopted. I kept telling myself- several times a day- just a bite...

After a week the elephant was gone. Good saying.

My mother always said:

There's more than one way to choke a horse to death than feeding him cornbread.

When you dreaded telling someone something or confronting them she'd always say: They might kill you but they can't eat you.

or - "Well, if that don't beat a hen a worming with a wooden bill"

and "you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink"

I use them all of the time without planning to - they just pop out when I'm talking. My sons know and use them. My DDILs didn't know them and one thought her husband (my 43 yr. old son) is crazy and uppity at times because we also use what DDIL calls BIG words. I just happen to hear a word and it is immediately absorbed into my daily mental word bank. My husband says "there you go using those BIG words, again.) My favorite college class was Linguistics that taught the origins of words and sayings.

I am 45 and grew up hearing many of these. Just wish I could remember them all. My DH has saying for just about everything. His dear sweet mamaw taught him so many. She was born, raised and died in the hills of southwest VA.

can't say i've heard that one. though my first husband was forever telling me elephant jokes.

I use that saying ALL THE TIME. It helps as a reminder to break big projects down into manageable chunks.

It's new to me but I love it.

One bite at a time! Thats what I thought when I saw your post. Last week on the way home, DD was flippin the stations and stopped on this awful song that sounded like a broken record, literally!I said " please turn that broken record off". They all looked at me strange. Oldest DS who's 12 said "say what? :lol: So I had to go over the whole spiel about you know those black disk looking things Mom has in the closet..... And how about," Well I'll swan"(I'll be darned) or sittin here like a bump on a log.Or " Well, bless your heart" "Nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs" and a newer one "he/she's one fry short of a happy meal :lol: :lol: Those may just be a southern thing :lol:

"Fit to be Tied" that was my granmas favorite1

" Like a hen on a June Bug", "A Pole Cat in a sack", and "Like two pigs fightin' under a blanket" come to mind immediately. Several others do also that I remember my Dad saying, but those are un-typable...

Well if that don't beat all!!
My kid's look at me like I am crazy when I say that.

I'm 23 and I know that saying. My mom uses it sometimes. I remember one time at church, someone had said that saying and everyone looked around dumbfounded. And my mom said, one bite at a time. And people asked her what an elephant tastes like because they actually thought she ate one.

I also knew even before I read the post what the answer was. I grew up hearing a lot of these sayings. I use them many times and my dear grandchildren just look at me. Of course there are a lot of transplants from other parts of the country and even some from overseas in my circle of quilting friends at they look at me slightly funny sometimes when I come out with something I have heard all my life in Texas.

mltquilt

rather than say bad words, i usually say Rats in a Hat! and i'm from Houston.

My grandchildren don't know "supper", they know "dinner".
They don't know "cellar", they know "basement".
But the one that really shows my age.....I referred to someone as "her nibs" and none of my children (all in their thirties) knew that term.

Then theres "he's as nervous as a toad eating lightening" which sure does bring up some interesting mental pictures. Makes me think of Don Knots when he was faced with a crook in Mayberry.
And all of THAt calls for some explanation of old TV shows!!

All day preaching and dinner on the grounds. That one is a real oldie, used to have traveling preachers going through the mountains and staying for a week or so in one place under tents.

Running around like a chicken with it's head cut off!! I know one lady who is like that, one simple thing go wrong with her day and she's nervous, upset and loud and scared!!!

My Mamaw was born, raised and died all within 15 miles of Gate City, VA. She had a saying for everything. Some I can't put on the board even!

Shoot fire and save matches!
Who beat him with the ugly stick?
Pat a biscuit but leave a pone alone.
Finer than a frog's hair split four ways.

These sound much better if you can imagine a nice southern accent with them.

How about Ugly as a mud rail fence!

or They was fitten all day long

put it in a poke sack

As nervous as a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs.

The milkman's horse never died before either, when someone says "it's never done that before..."

A milkman sold his horse, and a few days later the new owner came up to him and said "You know that horse you sold me the other day? It died today" "Funny," said the milkman, "it's never done that before."

Yelp, I know how to eat an elephant.

My mother used to say:

When I wanted something: People in Hell want ice water.

When I was watching for someone: A watched pot never boils.


Now I use them on her (and she thought I wasn't listening). She is starting to regret both of those sayings she used so frequently on me all those years ago. AAAH YES Paybacks!

The hurrider I go the behinder I get,birds of a feather flock together,you are judged by the company you keep. These are all sayings from my childhood and yes, how do you eat an elephant.

In the south, we can say anything about anybody as long as we follow up with: Bless her/his heart!!
I have eaten many elephants-one bite at a time, but for the life of me I can't tell you what it tastes like- chicken? lol

This reminds me...I once knew am old gentleman in the nursing home where I worked,who would say someone stingy "walked like they had a paper ass". I could never figure that one out.The other day,Natale got frustrated and said "oh Tarnation"We dont use that term so she must have seen it on tv. But it kinda got our attention. She is FOUR !!! LOL!

LOL@ the Bless His Heart! That is so true. My mamaw used to say things like "Bless her heart, she's a cubby one"

"There are kids starving in China." What cleaning my plate would do for those poor kids I never could figure out!

I can't think of any sayings right now but am sure enjoying this thread. Please keep it on- going.

I have heard it also

Years ago, "The rabbit died" meant a woman was pregnant. LOL

In the 1990's, we moved to s.w. Missouri and my only neighbors were a deaf couple. Until I learned ASL, I had posted a small chalk board in my kitchen to communicate with them. One day the husband came in and writes that his pick up won't start. We lived on the outskirts of a small village with a auto repair shop. Being too far to walk, I wrote on the board, "Do you want me to run you over?". His eyes became wide and he started backing out the door saying 'No!, No!". My husband came out of his office and saw what I had written and started laughing. I am born and bred Pennsylvania Dutch and my neighbor being deaf knew nothing of "dialect". I still revert to saying things like:
"Throw me down a pair of socks", or "Put out the lights".

Boyfriends boss used to say, Expect nothing, and you wont be dissapointed, lol!

My sister's favorite was "busier than a two-headed cat in a creamery" and another was "finer than frog-fur".

"sweep after dark, sweep sorrow to your ♥"
sharet

I use that one A LOT. I also like a saying my dad used, "How we're cooking with gas" and "Bale out" (whenever we arrived at our destination on a road trip).