Great Old Sayings

[foggy]

I've always been fascinated with old sayings and their origination. Here's one:

HE'S OK IN MY BOOK.

In my Grandfathers time, he would keep a ledger book of all the farm expenses and notes about whom helped whom and who owed each other money; grocery lists, and a variety of transactions. I have my Grandfathers old ledger that dates from 1928 thru 1933 (depression times). Generally he kept a ledger on the dash of his car, as that was his "office". Evidently many people kept a ledger, or book like this to remember who owed whom what.

When someone would ask about another man's credibility, or extending credit, or exchanging work (remember it was the depression and nobody had much money) the other guy would often respond "he's ok in my book". Meaning: the guy pays his bills or returns the work performed or bartered.

No credit ratings in those days or credit cards and such. Your word was your bond to your friends, family, and aquaintances. Lose your credibility and you may be SOL. I'd vouch for a few of "you guys". ;)

 

[MoBuckChaser]

On the wall in my Old mans bar was a sign that said " I might not always be right, but I am never wrong! "

 

[foggy]

A FLASH IN THE PAN

Back in the flint-lock days, you would put a little gun powder in the priming pan and then pull the lock back....which contained the flint to rub against the steel to make a spark, which in turn would light the pan and hopefully ignite the charge in the barrel through the flash hole. Done correctly it would ignite the charge to shoot the bullet....but when it didn't fire.....oftentimes you simply had "A Flash In The Pan". Which was a non-event.

 

[bueller]

I don't let the dumb people or the dumb things they do upset me, nor do I try to teach them, because, "You can't fix stupid"

 

[foggy]

One more...... MAD AS A HATTER

Back when hats were made from beaver skins and the sort......the furs were finished by hatters that would use mercury to finish the hats. In time the hatter's would become crazy from the constant contact with the mercury: Therefore they became: "Mad as a Hatter".

 

[wildfire]

My grandfather used to say in the olden days when it rained, they let it rain.

 

[Jordan Selsor]

An old timer I used to work with would say
"That's tighter than Dicks hat band"
Anyone care to interpret? Haha

 

[tooln]

Maybe not that old but I find it to be true.

It's hard to soar like and eagle when you work with turkeys.

 

[Jordan Selsor]

Maybe not that old but I find it to be true.

It's hard to soar like and eagle when you work with turkeys.

Truer words have not been spoken!!!!

 

[MoBuckChaser]

My old neighbor was a real bullshitter. Every time he would leave the feed mill the manager would say, "Well there goes Walking Eagle" One day I said to him, what the hell does walking eagle mean? He said old Marvin is too full of shit to fly......Hence the term "Walking Eagle" Hahaha!

 

[foggy]

"shot his wad" had its origins in battle, not in the bedroom. In the tense and fearful confusion of battle, it was not uncommon to fumble the priming pan/powder/wadding/ball sequence, resulting in an ineffectual shot. Just as common as shooting the wad (without the ball) was forgetting to remove the ramrod from the barrel before firing.

 

[foggy]

Smoke and Mirrors. Reflects back to about the year 2000 when the MN DNR began using deceit and trickery to cause deer hunters to believe the DNR knew what was best and that they had things under control.

 

[Greta&Gus]

When cooking on the banks of the kenai my grandpa would say...

'This is really livin''

And

'They can't take this away from us.'

 

[SD51555]

Maybe not that old but I find it to be true.

It's hard to soar like and eagle when you work with turkeys.

Uncle Butch has one like that where he spoke of drinking habits. "You can't soar with the eagles when you hoot with the owls."

 

[SD51555]

Another uncle Butch-ism, when trying to buy something from him when I was in highschool. I asked him how much something cost from him. Then I asked him how much it was for me (family) and it was $50 more. Puzzled, I asked why. His response, "You have to screw your friends and family cause your enemies don't do business with you."

 

[wiscwhip]

Whenever someone would want or ask for something(including myself), my old man would say, "Your grandpa would always tell me to $h!t in one hand and wish in the other and see which one fills up first." I never heard my grandpa say anything like that personally, so I'm not sure whether the old man was pulling my leg on that part or not.

 

[j-bird]

Not PC so this might get removed! My grandfather always said, "IF, if your aunt had balls, she would be your uncle!"

 

[John-W-WI]

I'm not sure these fit in exactly, but I kind of 'collect' cool sayings....

The old stand by is:

Our greatest success isn't in never falling down, but in rising up every time we fall.

The latest additions to my collection (and going on my office walls soon):

"Being male is a matter of birth, being a man is a matter of age, being a gentleman is a matter of choice"

"Your smile is your logo, your personality is your business card, how you leave others feeling after an experience with you becomes your trademark"

"People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.
If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway.
If you find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway.
The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway."

And my latest personal favorite:

"Look at what you have in life, not in what you don't have"

-John

 

[Jordan Selsor]

Prolly not old but
"I'm to busy working on my own grass to notice if yours is any greener"

 

[Freeborn]

I'm not sure these fit in exactly, but I kind of 'collect' cool sayings....


"People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.
If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway.
If you find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway.
The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway."


-John

I like these allot John. I call this character.