Another way of remembering our Dad is thinking of his many ‘Daddy-isms”. Here are some of his most memorable sayings and expressions. Memorable because he said them often. Dad grew up in the depression. He taught us the value of appreciating what we have. Waking up early. Behaving ourselves. Getting an education. And a whole lot more.
Thanks Rena, Mir and Dave for helping compile this!!!
I always thought this was a take off on “nickel”. Turns out it’s a Scottish phrase. Muckle is a large amount of money. Mickle was originally a lot of money too, but the expression morphed its meaning into a small amount. Wonder if Dad knew the origin of the phrase, which has been around since the time of Washington at least.
Many a mickel makes a muckle.
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Things that you own own you.
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Look where you’re going
or you’ll go where your looking.
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Smile and the world smiles with you,
Cry and you’ll cry alone.
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Children should be seen and not heard.
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Look in your own plate.
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A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
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Neither a lender nor a borrower be.
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Don’t count your eggs until they’ve hatched.
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Turns out that there were alternate more colorful alternatives to this phrase, but Dad would never have used them. Funnily, they found their way into the last verse of a song Dad liked (“Passengers will please refrain…” from Humoresque), but we never heard Dad hum beyond the first half of the first verse.
Mabel, Mabel, strong and able,
Keep your elbows off the table
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Dad was one of the only people I know to make extensive use out of the word “Incidentally…” It was one of his signature words.
Incidentally….
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Silent like the ‘p’ in swimming.
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Better to belch and bear the shame than
Squelch the belch and bear the pain
.
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This is something that one repeats over and over. Rena did find one reference to it over the internet. We don’t know how Dad inherited it and never heard it anywhere else. But we sure liked to recite it for strangers, until they figured out that there was no ending.
Just then, aaaaaround the corner came Olie, bulging at the sides. Both sides. Ma said “Don’t shoot, Olie’s the best friend the family ever had. But, just then aaaaaround the corner came Olie, bulging at the sides. Both sides..
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Pussycat, pussycat, where have you been?.
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The problem with a kitten is that it eventually becomes a cat.
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ABCD puppies? LMNO puppies!
SAR!
CMP?
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If you don’t have something good to say (about someone), don’t say anything.
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There’s many a slip ‘twixt the cup and the lip.
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Mir just recalled this early morning favorite of Dad’s, together with “Rise and Shine.”
Up and at’em!
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Published: May 26, 2016
Latest Revision: Nov 23, 2021
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