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Category: Southern Expressions

Look a Gift Horse in the Mouth

Look a Gift Horse in the Mouth

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Look a Gift Horse in the Mouth, horses in a fieldThe right response for any gift is Thank you.

We never want to act ungrateful. So, don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.

Some people can tell a horse’s age by looking in its mouth. Checking a gift horse’s age is rude. So is inspecting any gift for problems. We might do that later when the gift giver is not with us. But don’t do it in the giver’s presence.

Remember a gift is a gift.

We don’t earn it. Therefore,

  • Be thankful for any gift.
  • Don’t compare it to other people’s gifts.
  • Don’t act like you wish for more.
  • Don’t worry about what it costs.
  • Keep an attitude of gratitude.

A gift’s price matters less than our love and concern for one another.

  • Give freely.
  • Express thanks often.
  • Focus on feelings, not finances.

“Always be thankful” (Colossians 3:15 NIV).

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Hit the Hay

Hit the Hay

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Hit the Hay, morgueFileYears ago, people made mattresses from sacks stuffed with hay or straw. When it was time to go to bed, they would say:

  • “It’s time to hit the hay.”
    or
  • “It’s time to hit the sack.”

My parents expected us to rise and shine early in the morning. They also wanted us to hit the hay early in the evening. They believed we needed a good night’s sleep to do our best. It prepared us for the next day’s plans.

  • A test
  • A long trip
  • A hard day’s work

Therefore, we received at least eight hours of sleep. We awoke rested and ready for that day’s tasks. Medical evidence supports the wisdom of this habit.

Unfortunately, many of us ignore sleep’s importance. We stay too busy. We fill our lives with too much activity.

  • School
  • Work
  • Clubs
  • Sports
  • Television
  • Internet

We have to do part of these. Many we choose instead of sleep. Think what we could gain from less activity and more rest. Try it.

  • Turn off the noise.
  • Let muscles relax and eyes close.
  • Enjoy the peace and quiet.

We might be surprised how much better we feel, think, and act.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28 NIV).

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Photo courtesy of morgueFile.

Make Do

Make Do

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Make DoMy parents and grandparents knew how to make do. So did many of their generation. They survived on what they had. If they had little, they lived on little. If they had more than enough, they saved for the future and shared with others.

They tried to avoid debt. If they didn’t have money, they didn’t buy. They grew their own food, built their own houses, and made their own clothes. They:

  • Discovered new recipes with the food in their kitchens
  • Styled themselves with the clothes in their closets (if they had closets)
  • Learned new ways to live off the land

They threw almost nothing away. Instead, they:

  • Cut buttons off old shirts to reuse
  • Canned and froze food they grew in the summer to eat in the winter
  • Cut up rags to make quilts

By doing the best they could with what they had, they learned to appreciate all they had. Although not rich with money, they were rich in faith and love.

Now in their golden years or gone but not forgotten, they continue to share their wealth with others. Some of those gifts appear in this picture.

  • A quilt made by my mother
  • A quilt rack made by my father
  • A Dutch boy and girl painted by a dear friend
  • Old canning jars that remind me to make do

“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you’” (Hebrews 13:5 NIV).

Do you have a favorite make do story? If so, please comment

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As the Crow Flies

As the Crow Flies

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As the Crow FliesIf we measure distance as the crow flies, we measure in a straight line. Crows are smart birds. They fly the shortest route to get where they want to go.

I have lived in the country most of my life. I love it. One of the fun parts is giving people directions.

In the past we had no GPS and few road signs or mile markers. As a result, people often came up to our house and asked how to get somewhere.

We told them to go past churches, large trees, or barns. Sometimes we said to go over a big hill or around a sharp curve. We often said the distance was “a little way” or “a far piece.”

One of my favorite expressions: “It’s not that far as the crow flies.” That sounds good for crows. They fly straight.

We are not crows. We must go over those hills and around those curves. We have to pass those barns and churches. The crow’s direct route is closer, but we can’t fly.

In life we have daily choices. We choose the roads we travel by foot and in our cars. We also choose our life goals – our paths for daily living.

  • Will we choose straight paths, clearly marked and easy to follow?
  • Will we select routes off the beaten path, beautiful but harder to travel?
  • Will we take forbidden paths, filled with danger?

As Robert Frost said, our decisions make “all the difference.”

“Teach me your way, Lord; lead me in a straight path” (Psalm 27:11 NIV).

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Until the Cows Come Home

Until the Cows Come Home

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Until the Cows Come HomeWe wait until the cows come home for a new job.

We wait until the cows come home for the love of our life to call.

We wait until the cows come home for a vacation.

Waiting is hard. Waiting a long time is very hard. Waiting until the cows come home … seems to take forever. What we wait for may happen, but who knows when?

If you watch cows move from one place to another, they usually take a long time.

  • They don’t rush.
  • They move their ears and tails to brush away flies.
  • They chew.
  • They often walk together in a single file down a well-worn path.

If you want to see slow, watch cows.

Some farmers move cows from one pasture to another so they have enough grass to eat. They often move the cows in early spring or summer. They return the cows in late autumn. That’s a long time until the cows come home.

Farmers who milk cows usually milk them early morning and late afternoon. That’s a long day in the field until the cows return to the barn at night.

Perhaps we need a little of a cow’s patience. When we tire of waiting, remember:

  • Don’t rush.
  • Get rid of unnecessary distractions.
  • Be satisfied with basic needs.
  • Follow the right path.

“Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains” (James 5:7 NIV).

Special thanks to Emily Akin for the suggestion and link to this and other cattle based idioms.

Do you have an expression you want explained? If so, please comment below.

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High on the Hog

High on the Hog

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High on the HogSome people live and eat high on the hog. They enjoy the good life. They surround themselves with luxury.

Farmers who raise hogs (pigs) understand the expression. So do butchers who cut the meat. The best cuts of pork come from the back and upper parts of a pig’s leg. Therefore, we find the most expensive cuts high on the hog.

Wealthy people can afford to live high on the hog. Of course, the expression refers to more than their food. It includes a rich lifestyle:

  • Fancy homes and cars
  • Frequent world travel
  • Designer clothing
  • Expensive jewelry
  • The best of everything

Some wealthy people choose to live a simple lifestyle. They either save their money or share it. Others live high on the hog but also help those less fortunate.

Many people who can’t afford it try to live high on the hog. They buy on credit but can’t pay their bills. They get too big for their britches. They fail to consider the final cost – the bottom line.

Whether we live high on the hog or live off life’s scraps, we decide how we will use what we possess.

“Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions” (Luke 12:15 NIV)

Thanks to Lori Carmicle for the photo and Debbie Tapscott for the suggestion.

Do you have an expression you want explained? If so, please comment below.

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Stubborn as a Mule

Stubborn as a Mule

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Stubborn as a MuleI can be stubborn as a mule. Just ask anyone who knows me well. I hate to admit it, but it’s true.

  • I know what I want.
  • I know what I believe.
  • I don’t like change.
  • I’m not impossible, but I am stubborn.

A mule is born from a female horse and a male donkey. They have several advantages over horses:

  • Mules are sure-footed — less likely to slide or stumble.
  • They carry heavy weight better.
  • They endure heat well.
  • They are tough and strong.

Mules are smart. They take care of themselves. If they think something is dangerous, they won’t do it. They trust themselves more than others.

Try to force a mule to do something, and you will probably lose. That’s why we call them stubborn. Help the mule see the advantage of what you want, and you win.

The more I think about it, being stubborn as a mule may not be that bad. I wonder, is that because of my research, or is it because I want it to be so? Hmmm …

“My steps have held to your paths; my feet have not stumbled” (Psalm 17:5 NIV).

Thanks to the late Jack Bruns, another self-proclaimed stubborn-as-a-mule person, for the suggestion. Thanks to Debbie Tapscott, for the photo.

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Fair to Middling

Fair to Middling

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Fair to MiddlingI love Midway Geyser Basin of Yellowstone National Park. Like the name suggests, it sits in the middle of the Upper and Lower Geyser Basins. However, it definitely is not fair to middling. It:

  • Steams, spews, and stinks
  • Changes constantly
  • Never disappoints its visitors.

Unlike Midway Geyser Basin, when we say we are fair to middling, we mean:

  • I’m not wonderful.
  • I’m not bad.
  • I’m in the middle of those two feelings.

Nothing horrible happens. Nothing great happens. We live, but little more.

Who wants to live like that?

Of course, we all have those days, but we hope they don’t last long.

We want to feel well. We want to wake each day ready to jump out of bed and go.

Often we get this fair to middling feeling because we fail to give life our all. We hold back because we fear failure. Yet, we all fail.

  • The greatest baseball players have more strikes than homeruns.
  • The greatest actors frequently forget their lines.
  • The greatest teachers occasionally have to say, “I don’t know.”

Let’s give life our best. Let’s not rob ourselves of opportunities and adventure. Living every day for all it is worth does not mean constant activity. It does mean squeezing every possible benefit from that day. That may mean staying busy as a bee. It may also mean taking a nice long rest.

Regardless of our circumstances, let’s move beyond fair to middling. Let’s choose to live a full life.

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10 NIV).

Special thanks to Judith Coopy for suggesting this expression.

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Fit as a Fiddle

Fit as a Fiddle

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Fit as a FiddleIf your doctor declares you fit as a fiddle, that’s good. You’re healthy.

If anyone says he’s fit as a fiddle, he means:

  • I’m great.
  • I couldn’t be better.
  • I’m quite well, thank you.

My father taught himself to play a fiddle when I was a small child. People with a non-bluegrass music background may not know that fiddle is another name for violin. The music style makes it different.

Bluegrass music has an Irish, Scottish, and English background. This traditional music style grew in the Appalachian region of the United States. It remains popular among many people today.

In the attached video, ten-year old Carson Peters tells Ricky Skaggs the difference in a violin and fiddle. He also plays and sings a bluegrass music favorite, “Blue Moon of Kentucky.”

In addition to playing a fiddle, my father loved to play with words. He had several expressions similar to fit as a fiddle.  My favorite: If I were any better, there would have to be two of me.

Whether we play a fiddle or not, why not seek a lifestyle that makes us fit as a fiddle?

“Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you” (3 John 1:2 NIV).

How do you tell people you’re fit as a fiddle?

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Your Goose is Cooked

Your Goose is Cooked

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Your Goose is CookedIf you travel the Enchanted Highway in western North Dakota, you discover “Geese in Flight.” This largest scrap metal sculpture in the world stands in the middle of nothing but fields.

If your goose is cooked, you stand in the middle of nothing but trouble. You have behaved badly, and you have been discovered. Like this sculpture on a hill, you cannot hide.

Geese can be mean.

  • Some make more noise than dogs.
  • Some attack people and animals.
  • When they bite, it hurts. (Trust me. I know.)

Geese can also be helpful.

  • They produce eggs.
  • They supply down (small soft feathers) for pillows and other bedding.
  • They provide meat.
  • Because they are loud, they make good guards.
  • Some make great pets.

When a goose gets mean, it may become its owner’s next meal.

When your goose is cooked, you don’t become a meal. You do suffer the consequences of your bad behavior.

However, that suffering often serves a good purpose. It causes you to straighten up and fly right.

“They acted like fools in their rebellious ways, and suffered because of their sins” (Psalm 107:17 NET).

Do you have an expression you want explained? If so, please comment below.

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