Comment by Jenny Itzcovitz on June 9, 2014 at 11:21

My grandma used to say "Worry is like a rocking horse, it gets you nowhere".

Great advice!

Do you have any favourite family sayings?

Comment by Betsie on June 10, 2014 at 18:18

My  mother used to say, "A little bit of help is worth a ton of sympathy."

Quite true, it's easy to commiserate but  actually getting stuck in and doing something is far more constructive.

Comment by The Crafter on June 15, 2014 at 21:51

My Mum use to say "Do you want a smack ?" As we got older we use to say "Oh, yes please that would be lovely" which would make us all laugh.

Comment by The Crafter on June 15, 2014 at 22:18

My mum use to say "you can always get to the bottom of a thief, but never a liar" ?.

Comment by blackrodweaver on June 26, 2014 at 20:20

I Have always told my family  'Don't worry over things you don't have any control over'

Comment by stillahippie on June 26, 2014 at 20:52

Here's a number of our family sayings:

As rough as a badger's behind in August (but why August?)

Look at the pictures! (said by my grandmother, as she waved the teapot about to brew the tea)

Put your snifter to this - or  Are you there? - same grandmother, when checking whether the food had gone off

How's your belly off for spots? - mutual greeting

South Cones are being hoisted - my uncle, when anyone farted

Friendly - applied by my dad to sour grapefruit (as it made you wink)

All mops and brooms - in a muddle

Go fertilise a thistle - disapprobation (Gary Shearston, the Australian songwriter)

The oughts - the leftovers (ought to be eaten up)

A bad hand  -cockney expression for a thick sandwich (I've never got to know how this came about - please enlighten me)

Where's the answers - where's the details of the sweets in a chocolate box (me)

As dry as old Monday's boy - my grandmother  (why Monday's)

Like a lost fart in a thunderstorm (I put my hand up for this one)

Not a word about the cold pork - a secret to be kept

Bosom of chicken - another one of mine; it suggest amplitude

The fairies at the bottom of the garden have got it - a fobbing of phrase

Open the window there's not much air (hair) about .... if someone had just had a short haircut

Well that will do for a start..........

Comment by judylow on June 26, 2014 at 22:38

The saying I remember most from childhood was when I complained I didn't feel well enough to go to school was 'Get up, you'll feel better' and I mostly did.  Must confess though that I let my girls stay home for any old excuse.

Comment by Aintree Girl on July 11, 2014 at 16:08

I have never worked out the " reasoning" behind this one but when somebody said something to my mother that surprised her, she would say,"Well, I"ll go to the foot of our stairs" when I met my husband I found that he grew up with the saying and a friend who I met much later on in life still says it!

Comment by stillahippie on July 19, 2014 at 1:15

That saying, according to Nigel Rees, who is the expert on sayings, is a northern expression of surprise, as used by Tommy Handley, in ITMA, and familiar to me also.

A few more of mine:

All pudding and pudding - the same thing

Pedal up, Murgatroyd - get on with it

A face that would sink a thousand ships

Ears like challenge cups handles

All swelled up like a poisoned pup

Stanley Bakers I have known

I'm sure many of us could hold a meaningless conversation by reiterating our sayings to others unaware of the meanings. There was a couple of twin sisters in Enfield some years ago who had their own language, impervious to all others.Great fun! 

Comment by The Crafter on June 3, 2015 at 14:42

Many years ago when our kids were small we were visiting an elderly aunt and uncle, uncle Bill accidently loudly passed wind and as quick as a flash he said, "get out, you don't pay rent" our kids were hysterical, and now all the kids are grown up they still use uncle Bills saying if they accidently let one go.

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