Skip to main content

Word for Word

I grew up in home with a mother who loved words. Knowing the answer, I asked her the other day if she still does daily crossword puzzles. At 93, she replied: “Yes, every day!” I picked up interesting idioms in my youth. I have fond memories of Mom talking on the kitchen phone exclaiming: “And how!” or describe something by saying: ‘it’s six of one or half a dozen of the other.” She called her coffee a “cup of joe.” Referring to her car, she said: “we bought a lemon.”

My daughter who is a writer for a living also loves words. Once on a visit home from college, she remarked that she heard someone use the phrase “Johnny on the spot”. “Mom, I thought I was in your kitchen,” she said.

My husband said his Dad always referred to his money as a fin, a sawbuck and a double sawbuck.

I was watching Fox News a few months ago and did a double take. The smart, lovely blonde captivated me with her interview, especially when she exclaimed: “And how!”

Do you use idiomatic phrases? I’d love to hear them; but keep it clean!

Comments

  1. CarrieJanuary 16, 2009 at 1:58 PM

    My favorite that Grannie uses is: Different strokes for different folks! I use that one a lot these days.

    ReplyDelete
  2. MelanieJanuary 16, 2009 at 9:32 PM

    I always think it's fun to hear the different phrases that we all get so used to saying and hearing. This was a fun post to read.

    ReplyDelete
  3. KayJanuary 18, 2009 at 4:16 PM

    Ditto to Melanie's comment - this was a FUN post! I can still hear my dad say on the way out the door to church "We're goin' down to Judah!" And if you didn't follow up with someone/something responsibly, he would say "You're gonna get a bad name." Who wants THAT? Now my mom, on the other hand, to this day, walks into ANYONE's house and proclaims "Honey, I'm home!"

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Memorial Day Reflection

  Memorial Day is always noteworthy for me and my girls.  Next Thursday marks the third year of missing their father, my husband. So many thoughts  run through my mind.  The journey of loss takes on various emotions.  The strongest feeling, at first, was emptiness.  In a split second, I would forget he departed forever.  I imagined things I needed to talk to him about when he got back home.  My mind is realistic now.  He's not coming back.  There will be no more times of sitting on the porch swing together on the front deck staring at the moon and the stars.  He would tell me all he knew about the majestic night sky. I have so much I wish I could tell him, like the excitement of seeing our oldest grandchild make a decision to follow Jesus and get baptized on Mother's Day!  And our little Amy, 11 years old, I wish he could have seen her on stage receiving her induction to the National Honor Society. Our daughters have their own ...
24 comments
Read more

Abba's Lap

I noticed a behavior pattern in little Amy, twenty months old, that I want to imitate.  She moves fast engaging in one toddler activity after another spinning like a whirlwind from one room to another.  Yet, she pauses,  intermittently , long enough to get refreshed.   I want to be like this grandchild of mine because she knows where to go and how to get comforted. Amy moves at record speed, putting more miles on a pedometer in one hour than my accumulated weekly workouts at the gym.  She can build a skyscraper so tall, I wonder why those bright pink Lego’s don’t topple to the ground as she continues to stack just one more piece on top. I learned never to leave the room to get another cup of coffee.  Once, when I returned, I found her climbing past the couch with hands and feet reaching for the living room drapes. She has a consistent habit that I admire.  In the midst of her activities, as she moves robustly from one play...
51 comments
Read more

I'm Going as Abigail This Year

I vote for more purses, toothbrushes, cups, storybooks, and Halloween costumes that feature Abigail of the Old Testament.  She is a heroin worthy to emulate, in my opinion, even more than Cinderella. Once upon a time, there was a kind woman by the name of Abigail who lived with a surly man who liked to drink a lot and have parties.  One time, King David and his army were very hungry and entered the surly man’s homestead and asked if they could come to his barbecue.  The king had a right to ask because he and his men protected the homestead’s boundary lines.  The surly man said “No.  Get off my property.”  The King had a temper and became offended. Surly drunk + spiteful King = War In the meantime, Abigail heard about the situation and spent hours baking cinnamon rolls for the King and his army.  She dismounted from her horse and presented the King with her peace offering.  She bowed low and greeted the King and asked his forgi...
39 comments
Read more