BY KYLE LOVERN
Growing up in Mingo County, I always got a kick out of many old country sayings. My dad always had a few – many that have stayed with me to this day. There are times I find myself using some of them.
Some sayings I heard while just sitting back and listening to the old timers or just kickin’ around while running the roads in my younger days.
One that I recalled the other day was, “He’s mean as all get out.” I suppose this means a guy is a pretty dang mean person.
Then you may have someone who wants to tell you about a story. They can give you the long version or the short version. They might just say, “I’ll give you the long and short of it.”
If someone has a big task ahead, your grandmother might have said, “You’ve got a long row to hoe.”
“I’ll be there if the good Lord’s willing and the creeks don’t rise” means you will show up unless unforeseen circumstances happen.
A couple of sayings have to do with equestrian lovers: “That’s enough to strangle a horse,” or “Don’t beat a dead horse.” I always like the “dead horse” analogy. In other words, don’t keep dwelling on something. Let it go. Another is “Wild horses couldn’t drag it out of me,” which means that regardless of how hard someone tries to get you to tell them something, you will not budge.
“Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth” means don’t turn down something that you may get, even if you may not be quite sure that you deserve it or even want it.
“I’ll do that when pigs fly” basically means you will never do something. (Unless you see some swine floating around, but then you may want to get your eyes checked.)
If you’re telling someone a secret, they might say, “It’s between you, me and the fence post.”
“I don’t trust him as far as I can throw him” obviously means you just wouldn’t trust a particular person no matter what.
If someone likes to brag about himself, you should tell them not “to toot their own horn.”
If you think someone may be telling you one story and telling someone else a totally different tale, you might say, “He talks out of both sides of his mouth.”
If your wife wants you to go shopping or go out and cut the grass, you might start “playing possum.” (Pretending to sleep on the couch. For me, I’ll have the remote in hand.)
“She looks like she’s about to drop a watermelon,” or “She looks like she swallowed a pumpkin seed,” means, of course, she is pregnant.
“He’s no spring chicken or is long in the tooth” is talking about someone who has a little age on them.
“He’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing” is talking about someone sneaky.
“Look at him strut like a rooster” refers to someone walking around proud.
Here are a few others:
“The cat’s out of the bag.” (The secret is out.)
“Get off your high horse.” (Quit being so cocky.)
I’ve got other fish to fry. (More things to do.)
“You ran that one in the ground.” (Talked too much.)
“Don’t bust a gut.” (Get too excited.)
Don’t let him get your goat. (Embarrass you.)
“You’d forget your head if it weren’t fastened on.” (You don’t have much of a memory.)
“You can’t see the forest for the trees.” (You’re always pessimistic or can’t see the bigger picture.)
“I wouldn’t believe him if he swore on a stack of bibles.” (Doubting what someone says, no matter what.)
“He’s head over heels.” (Someone who is in love.)
“You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” (Someone who is set in their ways and won’t change.)
“Let sleeping dogs lie.” (Mind your own business and don’t stir up trouble.)
“She has on her Sunday go to meeting clothes.” (Dressed up and ready to go out.)
“The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.” (Someone who might think someone else always has it better.)
“Don’t get your drawers in a wad.” (Do not get upset over just anything.)
“You’re preaching to the choir.” (Repeating yourself to someone whose beliefs are the same as yours.)
I’m sure many of you have heard a few of these through the years and have a few of your own.
(Kyle Lovern is a longtime journalist in the Tug Valley. He is now a retired freelance writer and columnist for the Mountain Citizen.)