Okay. I'm only going to say this once so pay attention! |
A few days ago, I wrote an article
about my FIL and his 'Parentisms'.
Little phrases that parents love to
use, either as an exclamation point, or just to confuse their
children.
Apparently, I struck a nerve.
A good nerve.
Several readers shared their own
Parentisms with me
I just had to pass them on . . .
Delores: Mom..."Sit up, shut up
and eat up"
Dad..."There's that elf again looking in the window"
Mom..."Don't make me get the fly swatter"
Dad..."There's that elf again looking in the window"
Mom..."Don't make me get the fly swatter"
Joanne: Mom's classic: “Don't taste
it, just eat it.”
Jeremy: Dad ever stated, “Don't make
me pull this car over.”
Mom was equally famous for, “Wait until your father gets home.”
Mom was equally famous for, “Wait until your father gets home.”
Dr. Ann: One I loved to hate was: "Stop
crying unless you want something to cry about!"
Kelly: My Nana used to say, "You look like you were pulled through a hedge backwards," and somehow, I knew just what that meant!
Ah, the memories!
Aren't they priceless?
I would add to those my Mom's famous,
“Oh my stars and garters!” Or, “this kitchen is closed due to
illness. I'm sick of cooking!” And her favourite, “You have two
choices for supper – take it, or leave it!”
And my Dad's “Don't make me come back
there!” Or, “If you're going to roughhouse, do it outside!”
But my father lived to recite and many
of his most notable Parentisms were designed more to confuse than to
exclaim.
“How much wood could a woodchuck
chuck, if a woodchuck could chuck wood?”
It took me years to figure that one
out.
Parentisms are fun.
But they can backfire.
For example:
One of Dad's favourite sayings was,
“Have you ever seen a gopher gopher a gopher?”
I can't tell you how long it took me to
understand that one.
Oh. A gopher go for a gopher.
Ha! Funny!
But this one finally tripped him up.
He was used to his farm kids.
And our rather . . . ribald . . . sense
of humour.
One of my cousins was visiting from the
big city.
Dad recited his little 'gopher' ditty.
She stared at him, wide-eyed. Then told
him, “My dad says that's not nice.”
“Oh.” Dad got a bit red-faced.
And a little more cautious.
But it didn't stop him.
Fortunately for us.
I should ask my daughter what some of my "parentisms" were. I'm sure I'd get an earful.
ReplyDeleteHmmm . . . Maybe I'd better not let mine see this . . .
DeleteStared down by a kid whose dad was one gopher ahead. I would love the back story on that one.
ReplyDeleteHmm. Back stories. Those are my favourite! Okay, I'm on it!
Delete