Unusual "wise" sayings?

Tony EH

The most unusual one I ever heard was from an old geezer in America I used to know.

"He has a nigger in the woodpile."

Which, obviously raised my eyebrows, to say the least. It's a variation of skeleton in the closet or something like that.

KWAG2019

I served some time in an office way back in the era of the rotary dial phone when there was one in the office and the office boss had it beside him. I used to hear it ring and watched him while he ignored it and continued with his work. He noticed me at this one day and said simply
If it’s important they’ll ring back

It has stood the test of time for me anyway.

worded

Better to have had a @eircom.net address and lost than never to have emailed at all

A little part of me is dieting

Why all the questions? What’s this the Spanish Armada?

worded

I used to be indecisive, but now I’m not so sure ...

Ipso

worded wrote: »

I used to be indecisive, but now I’m not so sure ...

Straight away, you got them by the nadgers.

El_Duderino 09

Tony EH wrote: »

The most unusual one I ever heard was from an old geezer in America I used to know.

"He has a nigger in the woodpile."

Which, obviously raised my eyebrows, to say the least. It's a variation of skeleton in the closet or something like that.

It’s from when the black lads were fleeing the southern states to get away from slavery. The Underground Railroad and all that, where people helped the slaves to make their way north to states where slavery was banned.

It means “you’re hiding something”.

wfdrun

Chinese saying, key to a happy life "father dies, son dies, grandson dies"

unbearable grief if the order is broken

Raconteuse

Pointless living your life in anticipation of a future you who might never exist.

Not so much unusual as something I never heard before. Well I guess it's "don't over plan".

Wanderer2010

You cant calm the storm, so don't even try. What you can do is calm yourself-the storm will pass...

Graces7

Raconteuse wrote: »

Pointless living your life in anticipation of a future you who might never exist.

Not so much unusual as something I never heard before. Well I guess it's "don't over plan".

or

"it might never happen.."

Titclamp

The magical socks can drive roundabouts into wheelie bins past a bunch of 7 o clocks onto a eyelids of a bouncing baby bee.

Old Roscommon saying to do with making silage on a Sunday.

johnb25

Deleted User wrote: »

Seek respect, not attention.

Respect has to be earned, not commanded.

Wanderer2010

Nobody can make you feel inferior without your consent.

candycock

Ya cant bate feathers off a frog

Belle E. Flops

Don't believe everything you think!

johnb25

"Mutton dressed as lamb"
"There's no fool like an old fool"

wfdrun

Titclamp wrote: »

The magical socks can drive roundabouts into wheelie bins past a bunch of 7 o clocks onto a eyelids of a bouncing baby bee.

Old Roscommon saying to do with making silage on a Sunday.

Can you decipher it please?

Sounds are wonderful, (yeatsian stolen child) , is there hidden r local meaning I am missing

Akrasia

Daniel Dennett calls 'wise sayings', 'profound' sentiments that don't actually say anything 'Deepities'
It's a specific kind of statement that can be read in two different ways: one way that's true but trivial, and another that's much more intriguing but false. The example Dennett quotes is, "Love is just a word." On the level of linguistics
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/may/25/change-your-life-life-deepities-oliver-burkeman

sbsquarepants

Akrasia wrote: »

"Love is just a word."

I prefer Robert Del Naja's take on it

"Love, love is a verb
Love is a doing word":D

It's a great song, but that phrase is actually quite profound when you ponder it a bit!

donegal_man

"If he was twice as right as he thinks he is he'd only be half wrong."

magic_murph

two in the bush is nicer than three in the hand and better then 2 in the face.

Never run with a hammer while retro fitting a glass house

sticks and stones may break my bones and a piano on the head will leave you dead

never, ever, eat brown snow

Never look an old man in the mirror

WrenBoy

A fish only gets caught because he opens his mouth.

Johnny Tightlips Snr.

Wanderer2010

Believe nothing you hear and only half of what you see.

BENDYBINN

Never cast a cloth till May is out..

jimgoose

What I am saying is this - a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. A wife in the bed is worth two outside of it. The wife is where the action is. The others are not.

-- Sonny Canavan, the Great Sage of Dirha Bog, on extra-marital how's-your-father. Brought down from Olympus and relayed to us mortals by the scribe Keane.

El_Duderino 09

BENDYBINN wrote: »

Never cast a cloth till May is out..

Does that mean “don’t throw things away” until May is out?

I always thought May Day celebrations were to celebrate the fact that it’s summer and the hard times are over. But it actuality signifies a very lean period ahead. The period between May and august was the part which requires the most hard work to tend and then harvest corps, but there isn’t actually much to eat in May. So you’re relying on the last of the reserves from the previous year.

Your saying might be a very clever way of saying all that.

ohnonotgmail

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

Does that mean “don’t throw things away” until May is out?

I always thought May Day celebrations were to celebrate the fact that it’s summer and the hard times are over. But it actuality signifies a very lean period ahead. The period between May and august was the part which requires the most hard work to tend and then harvest corps, but there isn’t actually much to eat in May. So you’re relying on the last of the reserves from the previous year.

Your saying might be a very clever way of saying all that.

It means dont start going around in shorts and tshirts until May is over. It may look like a nice day but it can turn very quickly. clout in this instance meaning clothes.
ETA jsut realised it was posted as cloth not clout. Any time i've heard the expression it sounds more like clout that cloth.

link to definition https://www.almanac.com/fact/an-old-english-saying-goes-never-cast

BENDYBINN

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

Does that mean “don’t throw things away” until May is out?

I always thought May Day celebrations were to celebrate the fact that it’s summer and the hard times are over. But it actuality signifies a very lean period ahead. The period between May and august was the part which requires the most hard work to tend and then harvest corps, but there isn’t actually much to eat in May. So you’re relying on the last of the reserves from the previous year.

Your saying might be a very clever way of saying all that.

Precisely

Ted_YNWA

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

Does that mean “don’t throw things away” until May is out?

I always thought May Day celebrations were to celebrate the fact that it’s summer and the hard times are over. But it actuality signifies a very lean period ahead. The period between May and august was the part which requires the most hard work to tend and then harvest corps, but there isn’t actually much to eat in May. So you’re relying on the last of the reserves from the previous year.

Your saying might be a very clever way of saying all that.

The May is in reference to the May Tree or Hawthorn flowers are in bloom, not the Month.

EmmetSpiceland

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

Does that mean “don’t throw things away” until May is out?

I always thought May Day celebrations were to celebrate the fact that it’s summer and the hard times are over. But it actuality signifies a very lean period ahead. The period between May and august was the part which requires the most hard work to tend and then harvest corps, but there isn’t actually much to eat in May. So you’re relying on the last of the reserves from the previous year.

Your saying might be a very clever way of saying all that.

Thought it was about not dressing “lightly” until the hawthorn has flowered?