words Archives - Diana Derringer

Practice What You Preach

October 27, 2025 Diana Derringer Comments 8 comments

When I was in college, we lived next door to a ministerial student. Every week, we heard him practice what he planned to preach. Our walls were paper thin.

If you practice what you preach, you do what you tell other people to do.

This proverb warns against hypocrisy. It wasn’t enough for the preaching student to practice saying his words. He also needed to practice doing them.

Example has a greater impact than advice.

Children pay more attention to parents’ behavior than words.
Students listen better if teachers’ actions match their assignments.
Employees watch their employers for acceptable business practices.

You are the real McCoy if you practice what you preach.

No pretending. No falsehood. You live what you say.

The world is filled with pretense and falsehood, but you have a better choice.

Jesus set the example. When we follow Jesus, we live and tell His truth to a world that needs to see and hear it.

“Do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach” (Matthew 23:3 NIV).

Thanks to Meghan Bowker, Editor, Missions Mosaic, for the idea and to Hayden Dabney, children’s minister at Campbellsville Baptist Church, for the photo.

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I have friends who can talk the bark off a tree. They know how to discuss anything with anyone. A former co-worker could also recall details I never noticed. She made a great storyteller in both fact and fiction.

To talk the bark off a tree means to talk constantly.

I occasionally check to see how long before my friends take a break. They do allow time to:

Breathe
Eat
Swallow

Most enjoy laughter as much as words.

To talk the bark off a tree requires energy.

I tried stripping bark from a tree a few times. Not an easy task! Therefore, I decided to let someone else do it.

Likewise, I would be totally tuckered out if I had to talk nonstop.

My verbal friends are not as tight as bark on a tree with conversation.

They offer their words freely, particularly if they want to:

Share exciting news.
Recall an enjoyable experience.
Encourage others.

I give thanks for all my friends, wordy and quiet. Both make life more interesting and the world a better place.

May all I say and avoid saying honor God and uplift the people around me.

May the same be true for all I write and avoid writing.

Will you join me in that prayer?

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” (Ephesians 4:29 NIV).

Thanks to Carol Edwards for the suggestion.

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Bite Someone’s Head Off

September 2, 2024 Diana Derringer Comments 8 comments

When we see a tiger or other wild animal open its mouth and hear it roar, we may fear it will bite someone’s head off. When we open our mouths while angry, other people may expect us to bite their heads off.

To bite someone’s head off means to react in anger.

We have a bad day, so we take it out on the people around us. They may have no idea why we react as we do, since they did nothing to provoke us.

Other times, people may irritate us with what we consider inappropriate behavior.

Either way, we act or react with:

Rage
Force
Impatience

A similar expression is to snap someone’s head off.

Both mean to scold or speak in a mean manner. If we are mad at the world, whoever comes our way suffers.

Our response to others matters.

Once we speak words, we can’t take them back. We can apologize, but the harm remains.

We all have bad days.

However, we decide whether we will do the best we can or make life miserable for everyone we encounter. Remember, we catch more flies with honey than vinegar. Will we spread:

Health or harm?
Love or hate?
Encouragement or despair?

Let’s not allow bad days to control us. Rather, let’s bite our tongues and treat others as we want to be treated.

“They sharpen their tongues like swords and aim cruel words like deadly arrows. (Psalm 64:3 NIV).

Thanks to Katherine Pasour for the suggestion. Photo by shravan khare on Pexels.

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This Here

May 16, 2022 Diana Derringer Comments 2 comments

This here frog stared at me from outside our kitchen window. I stared back in amazement. He was so tiny, and he stayed in that same spot for hours. He appeared out of the blue around the same time and place the year before.

I don’t know where he stays between his yearly visits. He does not know I used to be terrified of frogs. They gave me the heebie-jeebies. Yet, his visits brighten my days.

“This here” points out someone or something.

It is an informal way to say “this” and refers to a specific person or object.

Other examples of its use include:

We are going fishing on this here boat.
I want to buy this here phone.
My family loves this here farm.

I usually hear this expression spoken in casual country conversations.

However, I have not heard it for a long time.

Whether I say “this” or “this here” matters less than the rest of my words.

Are they true and kind? Do they honor God? Like my frog friend, do they brighten someone’s day.

“The Lord detests the thoughts of the wicked, but gracious words are pure in his sight” (Proverbs 15:26 NIV).

Thanks to Catherine Nicholson for the suggestion.

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Cat Got Your Tongue?

December 28, 2020 Diana Derringer Comments 2 comments

Cat Got Your Tongue--cat with tongue out and paw up “What’s wrong? Cat got your tongue?” I have heard several older relatives ask this, especially to children. Sometimes the children were shy. Other times, little ones feared a truthful answer would get them in trouble.

Rarely have I heard the full question, “Has the cat got your tongue?”

Many people wonder what cats have to do with people not talking. Although a few ideas exist for this expression’s origin, none can be proved.

People usually ask, “Cat got your tongue?” if they think people should be talking.

They may ask the question for fun. Other times, they ask with anger or impatience.

Sometimes we should stay quiet.

We never want to put our foot in our mouth. Better to bite our tongue than speak hurtful or foolish words.

Other times, we should speak.

Whether easy or hard to say, we need to speak up if we know our words will:

Improve a situation
Help other people
Spread love rather than hate

Whatever we say, may we always speak from loving hearts of gold.

“Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies.” (Psalm 34:13 NIV).

Thanks to Ann Maniscalco for the suggestion and to Jacqueline Graves for the photo.

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Loose Lips Sink Ships

January 21, 2019 Diana Derringer Comments 2 comments

We do well if we think before we speak.

Loose lips sink ships. If we talk too much, we:

Give information we should not give
To people who should not know

According to The Phrase Finder, this expression began during World War II.

The United States Office of War Information tried to keep information from enemy spies.

In times of war or peace, we want to watch our words.

Busybodies, as well as spies, cause much damage.

The children’s song “O Be Careful Little Eyes,” reminds us to be careful what we:

See
Hear
Say
Do
Think
Who we trust
And where we go

That sounds like good advice for any age.

Rather than put our foot in our mouth or hurt someone, let’s be careful what we say.

“In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise” (Proverbs 10:19 MEV).

Thanks to Kristy Robinson Horine for the suggestion. Photo courtesy of Pixabay.

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Put Your Foot in Your Mouth

July 9, 2018 Diana Derringer Comments 3 comments

Put Your Foot in Your Mouth--baby with foot in mouth Everyone smiles at a baby with its foot in its mouth. However, you don’t want to put your foot in your mouth as an adult.

I doubt most of you can physically get your foot to your mouth. Yet, most have probably had foot-in-your-mouth moments. You wish you had kept your mouth shut.

When you put your foot in your mouth you say something you regret.

Your words sound:

Silly
Mean
Insulting
Embarrassing

Once out of your mouth, you wish you could take those words back.

But you cannot. You end up in hot water.

Think before you speak.

Sometimes you need to bite your tongue instead of saying anything. Silence is golden more often than you realize.

Better to keep quiet than get off on the wrong foot.

“Don’t talk so much. You keep putting your foot in your mouth. Be sensible and turn off the flow!” (Proverbs 10:19 TLB).

Thanks to Karen Atwood for the photo.

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Tall Tale

December 11, 2017 Diana Derringer Comments 4 comments

A tall tale is a whale of a tale.

It is a big tale — a big story — much bigger than what really happened.

Because a tall tale is so big, it captures our attention. Most people don’t believe it but listen to it anyway. A few of us swallow a tall tale hook, line, and sinker. We believe the storyteller until people start laughing. Then we become part of the joke.

Comedians often tell tall tales. They base many of their stories on truth but add to them. They make their stories:

Bigger
Funnier
Crazier

We also share tall tales with relatives and friends. Some of us hold contests to see who can tell the tallest tale. We often tell such stories around campfires.

Tall tales grow bigger the more often we tell them.

I could tell you just the facts about a recent whale watching trip.

We saw between 10 and 20 whales.
The whales swam close to the boat.
Their tails and fins came out of the water as they dived to find food.

In a tall tale about those whales, I might tell you:

We saw at least 100 whales.
They swam so close to the boat we could rub their backs.
Those whales gave us high fives with their tails and fins.

Most tall tales offer a few moments of fun.

They become lies when told to hurt or deceive. Often when we lie, people know something’s fishy, and we end up in the doghouse.

Avoid tall tales that deceive. Enjoy tall tales told for fun.

^“A good man is known by his truthfulness; a false man by deceit and lies” (Proverbs 12:17 TLB).

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Little Pitchers Have Big Ears

January 30, 2017 Diana Derringer Comments 5 comments

Little Pitchers Have Big Ears--a small pitcher The curved handle on some pitchers looks like a person’s ear. When we say little pitchers have big ears, we warn adults to be careful what they say. Children don’t need to hear it.

We may also protect children by:

Spelling words we don’t want them to hear (This works until they can spell.)
Moving where they cannot hear us

Children like to listen to adults.

When adults speak, children often become all ears. Yet, they should not hear:

Information they are too young to understand
Talk that might upset or confuse them
Words no one should ever say
Gossip

Many times children repeat what they hear.

We always want to protect children.
We don’t always want them repeating what we say.

If we choose our words wisely, we don’t have to worry who hears them.

Helpful guidelines include:

Think before we speak.
Say nothing unkind or untrue.
Don’t say it if we don’t want it repeated.

As adults, we need to remember little pitchers have big ears. Like children, we also need to mind our Ps and Qs.

“Jesus called the crowd to him and said, ‘Listen and understand. What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them’” (Matthew 15:10-11 NIV).

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In a Nutshell

December 5, 2016 Diana Derringer Comments 2 comments

Not much fits in a nutshell.

Look at the size of pecans, peanuts, walnuts, almonds, or any other nut. Little fits in the shell other than a nut.

Few written words would fit in a nutshell. Therefore, when we ask for information in a nutshell, we want that information:

Short
Simple
Easy to understand

We find the most important part in a nutshell.

The shell is useful. Yet, most of us throw away an empty shell. We want the best – that little bit of nut inside.

The same is true for our words. Why use 50 words when we can say what matters most with five? We want the main point – the bottom line.

Too many words put us to sleep or make us tired. If we don’t need them, why use them?

Of course, we sometimes want more detail.

We read or talk for fun.
We need to learn all we can about a subject.
A small amount of information makes us desire more.

Jesus’ message to the world, in a nutshell, is:

Love God.
Love one another.

To learn more about that message, we read the Bible.

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’” (Luke 10:27 NIV).

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