Unusual "wise" sayings?

odyssey06 · 26-01-2020 8:49pm

A heavy purse makes a light heart.

EmmetSpiceland · 26-02-2020 12:25pm

“Don’t go acting the ham when you’re paying for pork.”

It’s another, possibly older, variant on the whole “penny wise, pound foolish”, be careful with your money, “thing”.

JohnnyFlash · 26-02-2020 12:32pm

Nearly never bulled a cow.

El_Duderino 09 · 26-02-2020 12:40pm

"There's a tool for every job". Meaning you can work clever instead of working hard if you use the most appropriate tools.

But my favourite variation is "you can't peel a spud with a hammer", as a warning against overreacting.

BENDYBINN · 26-02-2020 12:41pm

A taste of the grass makes a rogue of the beast........

Mr Tickle · 26-02-2020 12:50pm

iamstop wrote: »

Just heard a lad in work tell someone "Better to have it and not need it that to need it and not have it!"

Don't throw away useful things just because you've no use for it right now.

The other version of that is "better to be looking at it than looking for it"
Also useful when talking about packing, or cutting something to length or whatever.

I'm fond of "Never pack a gob****e. You'll always find one when you get there"

Padkir · 26-02-2020 1:08pm

iamstop wrote: »

Just heard a lad in work tell someone "Better to have it and not need it that to need it and not have it!"

Don't throw away useful things just because you've no use for it right now.

Same point but slightly different wording:

Better to be looking at it than looking for it.

jippo nolan · 26-02-2020 1:39pm

It would bring a tear to a glass eye!
Sadness.

Woke Hogan · 26-02-2020 1:58pm

EmmetSpiceland wrote: »

“Don’t go acting the ham when you’re paying for pork.”

It’s another, possibly older, variant on the whole “penny wise, pound foolish”, be careful with your money, “thing”.

Sorry where is this from? I’m almost sixty and I’ve never heard this before.

suicide_circus · 26-02-2020 1:59pm

No matter where you go, there you are.

smokingman · 26-02-2020 2:02pm

The only stupid question is the one that isn't asked

26-02-2020 2:11pm

You have to listen to thunder - some things you can do nothing about

Snails pace · 26-02-2020 3:03pm

JohnnyFlash wrote: »

Nearly never bulled a cow.

Unless the bulls name was nearly

Gwynplaine · 26-02-2020 5:32pm

The fattest pig is slaughtered first.

Wanderer2010 · 26-02-2020 5:44pm

God made the back for the burden...

EmmetSpiceland · 27-02-2020 12:46am

Woke Hogan wrote: »

Sorry where is this from? I’m almost sixty and I’ve never heard this before.

A Dublin “saying”, W. Mightn’t be for you.

A friend of mine’s grandad worked in some “piggeries” in Smithfield, or around there.

First time I heard was when he gave my friend money to go to the shop, it came with a word of “advice”, as he saw it.

It was not heeded, of course.

MonkieSocks · 27-02-2020 1:26am

" People in glass houses sink s-s-ships"

sligojoek · 27-02-2020 1:43am

The blows won't get lighter, petal, but your shoulders will become stronger. (c) Joe Duffy

Titclamp · 27-02-2020 1:49am

A wise man once said nothing.

Your only as strong as your weakest link.

droidman123 · 27-02-2020 1:50am

The great stan laurel "you can lead a horse to water but a pencil must be lead"

Tony EH · 27-02-2020 3:02am

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 · 27-02-2020 3:26am

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 · 27-02-2020 5:00am

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 · 27-02-2020 5:07am

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

Ipso · 27-02-2020 7:00am

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 · 27-02-2020 7:01am

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 · 27-02-2020 3:09pm

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

unbearable grief if the order is broken

Raconteuse · 27-02-2020 10:08pm

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 · 01-03-2020 1:58pm

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

Graces7 · 01-03-2020 2:47pm

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 · 01-03-2020 2:50pm

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 · 05-03-2020 6:15pm

Deleted User wrote: »

Seek respect, not attention.

Respect has to be earned, not commanded.

Wanderer2010 · 05-03-2020 6:21pm

Nobody can make you feel inferior without your consent.

candycock · 05-03-2020 8:08pm

Ya cant bate feathers off a frog

Belle E. Flops · 05-03-2020 8:12pm

Don't believe everything you think!

johnb25 · 06-03-2020 2:01pm

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

wfdrun · 10-03-2020 12:10am

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 · 10-03-2020 1:14am

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 · 10-03-2020 10:39am

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 · 10-03-2020 11:33am

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

magic_murph · 10-03-2020 11:36am

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 · 10-03-2020 12:33pm

A fish only gets caught because he opens his mouth.

Johnny Tightlips Snr.

Wanderer2010 · 12-03-2020 10:59pm

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

BENDYBINN · 27-03-2020 5:30pm

Never cast a cloth till May is out..

jimgoose · 27-03-2020 5:38pm

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 · 27-03-2020 5:45pm

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 · 27-03-2020 5:47pm

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 · 27-03-2020 5:47pm

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 · 27-03-2020 5:48pm

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 · 27-03-2020 5:49pm

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?

Unusual "wise" sayings?

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