Nancy's Notes

“I’ll just give this a lick and a promise,” my mother used to say as she quickly mopped up a spill on the floor. I learned from my mother and her mother that, no, we’re not going to lick the floor. It’s just that you are in a hurry or in the middle of something else and can’t take time at the moment to get out the mop. So we just give it a lick with the mop and promise to come back and do a more thorough job later.

“A lick and a promise” is just one of many old phrases that I remember my mother and grandmothers using, sayings that they probably heard from the generations before them. Actually, these words or short phrases are called “idioms,” defined as specialized vocabulary used by a group of people; regional speech. As time passes, many old phrases become obsolete and disappear from use. This is unfortunate because some of these phrases are very appropriate and humorous. Here’s a list of some other famous lines I’ve heard in times gone by.

“a bee in your bonnet” — obsessive preoccupation with something

“a bone to pick” — someone disagrees and wants to discuss it

“an axe to grind” — someone has a hidden motive

“barking at a knot” — engaging in foolish or futile activity, like a dog yapping at a knothole on a tree

“cattywampus” — something that sits crooked such as a piece of furniture sitting at an angle

“dicker” — trying to get a lower price

“feather in your cap” — having accomplished a goal; this originated years ago in wartime when warriors might receive a feather they would put in their cap for defeating an enemy

“galavanting around” — going here, there and everywhere

“hold your horses” — be patient

“I reckon” — I suppose

“kit and caboodle” — the whole thing

“madder than an old wet hen” — really angry

“no spring chicken” — not young anymore

“not the only duck in the pond” — it’s not all about you

“persnickety” — overly particular or snobbish

“pert-near” — short for pretty near, close by

“pretty is as pretty does” — your actions are more important than your looks

“scalawag” — a rascal or unprincipled person

“scarce as hen’s teeth” — something difficult to obtain

“skedaddle” — get out of here quickly

“straight from the horse’s mouth” — privileged information from the one concerned

“gallavanting around” or “piddling” — not doing anything of value

“Sunday-go-to-meeting dress” — the best dress you had

“too many irons in the fire” — got a lot going on

“tuckered out” — tired and all worn out

“wearing your best bib and tucker” — being all dressed up

“you ain’t the only duck in the pond” — it’s not all about you

Well, if you just hold your horses, I reckon I’ll get this whole kit and caboodle done and sent off. Please don’t be too persnickety and get a bee in your bonnet; I’ve been pretty tuckered out because I’m no spring chicken. I haven’t been galavanting around, and I know I’m not the only duck in the pond, but I do have too many irons in the fire. I may just be barking at a knot, but I have tried to give this article more than just a lick and a promise.