Family Sayings and Unique Idioms

Family Sayings and Unique Idioms
By Gini Cunningham

Every family or group of friends has special sayings or idioms that have significance that cannot be explained in a few words. Rather they require digging back into history to retrieve the event or person that started the word play. My husband and I raised hogs for several years and the words, "Fred! Okie! Pigs!" were shouted as warning to get our two dogs on the move and our pigs out of the garden or field. Though no more pigs mingle around our grounds, these three words reverberate with importance anytime we want our children to jump up and get something done on the double. A laugh added to the command produces amazing results.

As former hay farmers another great saying when someone felt discouraged and wanted to quit a job or abandon a task was the order, "Forage on!" I often used this phrase with my eighth grade students, some of whom understood the entanglement of forge and hay while others looked at me in puzzlement that their English teacher knew so little about vocabulary. A third group just followed the directions and continued a difficult task, never realizing my misuse of the word forage.

My mom had two wonderful sayings. When I felt angry at the world and confused by the mischance that had fallen upon me, I enjoyed slipping into a griping mode. The wisdom of Mom recognized that complaining solved nothing as she replied to my mutterings, "Fill up your love bucket." She wanted me to get over it and get on, dealing with perceived or real adversity with a positive outlook and mind frame. It worked every time.

Another famous maternal statement was, "Happiness comes from within." Again it was delivered to me when I was operating in negative style, bemoaning annoyances brought on by friends or bosses or grumbling about aggravating circumstances of my life. Although it was rarely easy to admit that Mom was always right, she was. I generate my own happiness. It is I who overcomes sadness and poor attitude by finding and doing things that bring me pleasure and contentment. It is not money, a job, or friends that transport me to an optimistic viewpoint but how I deal with each of these in my life.

I shared the power of family sayings with a friend. She grimaced and then paused before sharing a saying that her father had nailed on her. As a young bride of eighteen she and her groom were about to move hundreds of miles away to launch a lifetime together without parents or anyone familiar to call on for support. Droplets welled in her eyes and sobs were throttled in her throat as she bid her farewell. Not really expecting loving words of departure from her dad, she yearned for them just the same. He looked her squarely in the eye and said, "Dry your tears, Sister. I broke your dinner plate long ago." Then he turned and shuffled back into the house.

What do you suppose were the multiple intents and meanings of that collection of words? She had heard them before, and she heard them again down the line, but that pronouncement on a day that she needed to believe that she'd be missed, set her out on a road of an ever-widening desire for independence from those whom she loved and could hurt her so profoundly.

What are some well-known expressions from your childhood and youth? How have they carried over into your present life and how are you sending them into the future? A few words, shared among others can have an amazing impact on confidence and self-understanding.

A note card activity can help you examine family sayings and other bits of wisdom plus allow you to share with others. Jot each saying on a separate card, add the name of the originator, if s/he is known, and then write about a few occasions when the saying was used, how listeners reacted, and how the saying has changed over time. You are adding to or building memories for others and completing some analysis of word intent as well. These quirky words and phrases are special to your family and have a meaning that reverberates far beyond the actual words. There is rich history in family sayings and jotting them on note cards is an easy way to record and preserve generations of family witticisms. There may be some sayings to ignore or to toss, but each one reveals a glimmer of how you became you and how your family has evolved.

Educational consultant; free lance writer; life coach; professional development presenter
http://www.energizedlearning.net

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