old timer sayings

[CHenry]

If my memory serves me correctly, I read once that in Merry Ole England many years ago, the people did not bathe all winter for fear of getting sick. They bathed once the weather warmed and the man of the house got the first bath and then on down the line in the same bath water. The baby being the last to get a bath and by that time the water was so dirty, it would be easy to miss the baby in the dirty water.

That's right. But my dad and his 11 siblings, bathed once a week, or whatever, grandpa got the first bath, then grandma, then the kids oldest to youngest.
11 kids 2 years apart so there was a baby for years in that house.
Same with the saying A pot to piss in and a window to toss it out.
Dad grew up with a piss pot in the bedroom so they didn't have to run to the outhouse in winter...they had windows but they didn't open.
My uncle said the lap siding on this house had gaps big enough to throw a cat through lol.
Dad said there was often show on his bed in the morning.
Maybe one of the poorest families in Pott Co.

 

[cowadle]

Like they say in the old country " tufsky shitsky"

 

[Duncandl]

My all-time favorite was from my day-check work center supervisor while in the Navy as a young Sailor…

“Dave, you would walk 2 miles to get out of running a quarter of a mile, quit being so lazy!”
-AMS2 Nate Hervey

 

[Duncandl]

Fine as Bee’s wings.

 

[saddlebum]

My all-time favorite was from my day-check work center supervisor while in the Navy as a young Sailor…

“Dave, you would walk 2 miles to get out of running a quarter of a mile, quit being so lazy!”
-AMS2 Nate Hervey

a guy I used to work with would say that guy is so lazy he'd rather chit his pants than take off running to the bathroom

 

[Chief Sapulpa]

Dad would tell me to go play in traffic

Back East it was, go take a chain and play on the 3rd rail.

 

[Dumpstick]

My late grandfather raised 5 kids through the Depression. He was a widower and a 40% disabled WWI combat vet. He carried German shrapnel in his legs(s) until the day he died in the mid-70s.

He was self-employed as a drainage contractor for decades. He taught me about bidding a job:
"You can shear a sheep 10 times, but skin it only once."

Taking advantage of the situation -
If a fight is inevitable be sure to get in the first lick, and make it a good one. The fight may be over before it gets going.

Drinking -
If you are going to drink on the job drink whiskey. That way the boss can smell it and know you are drunk, and not just stupid.

If you are going to be drinking a lot, drink gin or vodka. Your liver never sees it go by.

 

[fishincoop]

Well I’ll be John Brown

My granddaddy said …”John Henry” as his cuss word substitute

 

[fishincoop]

If you wanna soar with the eagles you better get up with the chickens

Old customer of mine would always want to meet at his farm early in the morning. One day I was a few minutes late and he said:
“ ….. you can’t soar with the eagles during the day, if you stay up late and hoot with the hoot owls at night”

 

[KroyWen]

Dad would say if we kids complained about doing a chore ..." when I was your age I had to ....walk 10 blocks with my wagon to get a block of ice for the icebox, & in the summertime, every day "
I will say my grandparents & parents all had a great work ethic, which I am so grateful for. I think most of us on this forum have this old, sadly today foreign, work ethic. Meritocracy is dead today thanks to DEI-Wokeness.