Subject: When your mother told you to mind your own business

Here it is Good Friday and for some reason this popped into my head. Whenever mum had been shopping and had an interesting package and I asked "what's that?" she invariably said "a wigwam for a goose's bridle"!

Anyone ever hear that? What did your mothers say?

Dad was less interesting. If I asked "where are you going?" he'd say "to see a man about a dog"!

When I said to my dad "I can't believe it!" he'd say "Believe it!"

It was the way he said it.

When he was going out dressed in white to walk the couple blocks to work, he'd say "Well, I guess I'll be running along." 

The last words he said to me was see you later alligator. 

So, I've been enjoying Son of a Critch. I'm calling it the Canadian Wonder Years. Malcolm McDowell is precious. My mum was Canadian. If you were blocking her view of the TV she'd say "You'd make a better door than a window."

I don’t remember my parents ever trying to teach me that lesson. When I had questions abt life they generally answered them honestly, and if they were of a personal nature or abt them, I rarely ever asked them at all but rather privately investigated, ha.

ie, I used to go out to our storage sheds as a young girl searching through old fam stuff, thinking I’d find some life altering hidden gem. Only ever found old comics and records and clothes—no ark of the covenant, no crown, no secret sibling or hidden treasure, but the comics were nice.

As a kid, imagination saves you from so much boredom. I was convinced of a lion that had escaped from the circus residing in nearby fields, and after seeing 5 mins of a doc that I now know to be abt the Nessie sighting, but didn’t understand at the time, had become certain that dinosaurs still existed and sought them out frequently on my walks, convincing my friends as well of what I’d heard a grown up say on TV- which of course meant it must be real. At least once a week we mistook a far off tree in the distance for a Brontosaurus.

I had a grandfather who was full of phrases, though always complimentary. I’m not sure I ever heard him say much at all other than “you’ve grown a foot since —-!”, “you’re taller than I am,”,  “you must be beating the boys off with a stick!” , “how did you get more beautiful since last week?” And “don’t ever grow up!”

On the don't grow up thing though I do remember several people saying that, as they do when you’re young. But unlike my friends who were eager to grow, I always felt frustrated when they said this bc I was like “okay but like, tell me HOW to do that!”

**I’ve never heard the wigwam line, Roo, but that’s funny. Almost as nonsensical as “knee high to a grasshopper,” another thing my granddad used to say. I wonder where some of these lines come from. Some expressions I’ve looked up before in attempt to trace their origins, but not all have an easily traced lineage.

My dad used to shake the rafters when he sneezed. It was quite funny. 

I am sneezing like that now. What the - ?

outskirts - the "believe it" line is used in Oz by someone who sees themselves as an authority figure. No doubt copying something from a movie.

The alligator saying probably comes from a song in the 1950s with the follow-up "in a while crocodile".

Go - I wouldn't be surprised if "wigwam" originated from my grandma. Coincidentally I was suddenly called to visit mum's older sister in hospital yesterday. She's 91 and had a turn but will pull through. I could have asked her but didn't think of it. I can ask one of my sisters.

"Knee high to a grasshopper" was used by a mate of mine in the 1970s but hardly anyone else.

Thank you both for your contributions.

Roo, knee high to a grasshopper was once used quite a bit here in the south, often by grandparents generation. 

Ive heard “believe it!l quite a bit but don’t think it originated from a movie. It’s used frequently just as a reaction type expression and especially older ppl def haven’t seen Oz. Oz prob used it just bc it’s a common thing. Idk why I never say that but some folks use it a lot. 

I’ve heard that song and I guess it prob is after that. I’ve heard later gator and after while crocodile a lot, it’s a common expression in the US I guess.  my grandmother, after she’d say “don’t let the bed bugs bite” would also then always chuckle and say,

“and if they do, hit ‘em with a shoe!..and if they don’t, they won’t!l”

have y’all ever heard that? Or did she make that up? 

Roo, I’ve heard the man abt the dog thing from books and tv, idk why tho no one I know ever said it. These are sweet phrases y’all mentioned. I miss hearing such whimsies from my grandparents. They’re like folk expressions, reminiscent of cozy times with sweet families

I remember the song from the 50's - it was a rock song and did pretty well on the charts. For a while "everyone" (i.e. kids) was saying "See you later, alligator" and the proper response was "In a while, crocodile."

Roger Moore's stunt double did not step on the narrower right reptile! 

Re Son of a Critch. I found out the actor who plays jr's dad, and also does the narration, is actually jr grown up. And his real name is Critch. And he wrote the show about himself growing up in Newfoundland.