Things My Dad Used to Say

This is the first version of a post that I hope will grow. As I add new things, I will try to put this post back at the top of my blog. I'm not sure how to do that, but I'll figure something out.

Sometimes things that my parents (Mom and Dad both, though I think of many of these as my Dad's) used to say pop into my head, often when I am speaking to my boys, and I have wanted to make a list for awhile. The problem is that I tend to think of these little sayings as they come up, but at any given time, I can't remember very many of them. Mostly, I don't say them myself, but they come to me occasionally when the situation matches the comment.

So I am going to start a list, and I hope to add to it over time. Maybe my siblings will take an interest and help me. With that, here are a few I can remember:

• "Straighten up and fly right." Usually said to me and/or my brother, telling us to stop screwing up.
• "You gotta hold your mouth right." As a means to assist in doing something difficult, like threading a needle.
• "Harder than the hinges of Hell." Meaning quite hard. Apparently Hell has doors or gates with very tough hinges.
• "Dirty ratchifratch." A multi-purpose euphemism. I remember Mom saying this one. Not sure of the spelling. Not sure this word has a spelling.
• "Six ways from Sunday." Doing something several different ways, as in "I've looked at this problem six ways from Sunday, but I still can't figure it out."

These are almost like old photographs to me, a way of connecting with the past. There are many more, but I will have to add to the list as I remember them.

Update 4/18: My sister Pat came up with a couple more good ones:

• "A bump of knowledge."  Said when one of us got a minor injury due to not being careful. 
• "You didn't finish the job."  Dad said this if one of us did a project and left a mess. Finishing the job is cleaning up.

Another one:

• "If it was a snake, it would have bit you."  Apparently lots of people say this.  It applies to something you were looking for that was right next to you.

Additional update:  a Google search for "ratchifratch" or something similar only turns up this post.  Maybe it was uniquely Mom's.

4/23/2012:  "How do you like them apples?"  Meaning what do you think of that?