I recently noticed that our language is beginning to evolve. I rarely hear some of the cliches or idioms I grew up hearing.
I grew up in a household loaded with cliches, idioms, catchphrases and expressions that have gone by the wayside.
See what I did there? If you’re under 40, maybe not, or you didn’t even understand what I was saying.
There are newer cliches coming into popularity. Or acronyms. There are a lot of those these days. A newer one that is being overused is YOLO — you only live once. Also, no pain, no gain.
When I was in my preteens, or teens, I was hit with many cliches from my stepfather and mom. One of his favorites was — you’d better wake up and smell the coffee. Many times I would laugh at some of these idioms when they were said to me and that would make matters even worse as I would get in trouble for laughing.
Another favorite you never hear anymore is — you better learn to cut the mustard. I honestly haven’t heard anyone say that in at least 20 years or more. As I got older and studied language I learned that many of these cliches, or idioms became popular during World War II, or earlier.
When my mom was feeling tired, or worn out she would say, “I feel like I’ve been drawn through a knothole.”
When I was getting a lecture about something I did wrong as a child I might hear, “You better straighten up and fly right.”
When I was a teenager I used to love to wear jeans that dragged on the ground and would get frayed and worn out on the bottoms and my mom would say, “You look like something the cat dragged in.” Or, “You’re not leaving the house dressed like that. You look like you’ve gone to Hell and back.”
Here are a few more I always thought were funny or interesting:
• You better play your cards right.
• I’m not made of money.
• It’s raining cats and dogs.
• Action speaks louder than words.
• Get back on the horse.
• Better safe than sorry.
• As thick as thieves.
• Not the sharpest knife in the drawer.
• A sticky wicket.
• A taste of your own medicine.
• Get your head out of the clouds.
• It cost an arm and a leg.
• For Pete’s sake.
• Heavens to Betsy.
• Not playing with a full deck.
Some more recent cliches:
• It’s going viral.
• It hits different.
• Spoiler alert.
• It is what it is.
• If you know, you know.
• Laugh out loud. LOL.
• Mind blown.
There are many more. It just struck me the other day that as more and more people from the older generations pass away, the popular language of their time goes along with them.
I do miss hearing some of the old phrases. Thinking of these and how frequently I heard those phrases reminds me of my parents, grandparents and the older generations.
The past is gone, and the future isn’t here yet. No time like the present.
I guess it’s time I snap out of it, get my feet back on the ground and quit chasing my tail.
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