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Proverbs, Adages, Aphorisms, and Axioms from the Ozarks (Our Sayings)

I came across a couple of videos where people were sharing the sayings they heard growing up and sometimes still hear. I thought it might be fun to share some of mine.



I've heard most of these my entire life and use many of them. People usually look at me a little funny when I mention chigger grease, but what can you do?


  1. It's close enough for government work.

  2. That's handy as a pocket on a shirt.

  3. Too many cooks spoil the soup.

  4. A stitch in time saves nine.

  5. If your nose itches, you're going to have company.

  6. If your hand itches, you're going to come into some money.

  7. If your foot itches, you're going to walk on strange ground.

  8. He's not the brightest crayon in the box.

  9. She's got ants in her pants.

  10. Never look a gift horse in the mouth.

  11. It won't work because you aren't holding your mouth right.

  12. Now you're cooking with gas.

  13. Cat got your tongue?

  14. Look what the cat dragged in.

  15. Pee or get off the pot.

  16. Drive it, or park it.

  17. He's dumber than a box of rocks.

  18. She's mad as an old wet hen.

  19. She's running around like a chicken with her head cut off.

  20. You make a better door than a window.

  21. He's wet behind the ears.

  22. That's how the cow ate the cabbage.

  23. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.

  24. Go peddle your pumpkins.

  25. He's more nervous that a long-tail cat in a room full of rocking chairs.

  26. Can't never did anything in his life.

  27. I'm finer than a frog hair split four ways and fried in chigger grease.

  28. She's snug as a bug in a rug.

  29. It doesn't amount to a hill of beans.

  30. He doesn't have enough sense to come in out of the rain.

  31. Were you born in a barn with a swinging door?

  32. He's mad as a hatter.

  33. I'm fair to middling.

  34. He spilled the beans.

  35. They're just shooting the breeze.


If you would like me to translate any of these, please let me know. I think most of them are pretty obvious, but they're part of my culture and may sound quite foreign to someone from a different part of the country. Of course, some of these may just be things my family says and are unknown to my neighbors, too.


Did you have any quaint or unusual sayings growing up? I'd love to hear about them.


Thank you for reading Ozarks Maven! If you’ve enjoyed my little seeds of wisdom and joy, please join me again next week for more Ozarks Maven.




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