Lesley has a post about how we all start using our mothers’ catch phrases: she lists six of her mother’s which she uses. Here are six of my mother’s that I use and, should you feel inspired to give six of your mother’s in your own blog (or in the comments, if you haven’t got one, surely you have), I will have started a meme (stolen from Lesley, but never mind).
So here we go:
1. You would drive a horse from his oats.
2. You never lost it [this is negative, trust me].
3. What you’re told, when you’re told.
4. Tidy and you’ll find.
5. What can’t be cured must be endured.
6. The best is the enemy of the good.
Thus far I have, however, successfully avoided:
1. Quarrel implies fault on both sides [so annoying this one] and
2. You can but you may not.
Right now I can’t think of enough for a blog entry, but I have noticed myself taking Hugh’s jumper off with the cheery phrase “Skin a bunny!” This must go back to my grandmother at the very least.
hehe – one of the joys of not having children is avoiding having to say most of what my mother had to say to me (although ‘life isn’t fair’ does sneak past my lips every so often). One thing I noticed in the top 20 Lesley referenced was ‘don’t say what say pardon’ – a peculiarity of the British class system means that we got ‘don’t say pardon, say what’ (although strictly speaking we were supposed to say ‘what did you say?’ rather than just ‘what?’…)
Most of the top 20 are all very familiar, And “were you born in a barn?” My own over-used favourite would be “cos that’s the why”
Gosh. Well as you probably know my own mother’s pronouncements are more Zen-like eg ‘We live in an imperfect world’ and ‘That’s the way’. When the time comes, I might have to borrow yours …
what about ‘little birds in their nest agree’?
Dot, I like “skin a bunny”, I think I will start using that.
TM, the British class system, ever baffling to the outsider…
CAD, yes, though we went for field but the principle holds good.
QoP, I am v. impressed by your imitation of your mother’s unique style.
Sibling, oh yes, I hated that alright, I must have suppressed it.
I know I am turning into my mother, despite being childless. I can’t think of any of the catchphrases right now as they have melded seamlessly with my usual palaver. I bet my sister-in-law could tell me straight away.
I do notice when speaking Irish that I have a few phrases picked up from my late father which probably make me sound like a sixty-something man; chief among these being the actual phrase “by dad” which is technically in English but which is only used by certain regional Irish speakers and has been for about a hundred years.
Eimear, at least everyone knows what it means. I think I am probably the only person in Dublin who says “devil a bit” in response to the question “any news?”