Down South: A Few of My Grandmother’s Favorite Sayings (R.I.P.)

This list will grow over time as I remember more of some of the funniest things my grandmother ever said to me as I was growing up.  It’s a wonder I didn’t need therapy.  Oh wait, I did need therapy, scratch that…  Here are some sayings and expressions she used that make me laugh when I remember them…

1. Ima bust your head down to the white meat!

Meaning: whatever you’re doing, you had better stop or it’s gonna get real bad real quick up in here.

2. I will beat the black off you if you don’t stop!

Meaning: you are seconds away from a whooping.

3. I brought you into this world, I will take you out!

Meaning: you are in real trouble and are being threatened with instant death.

4. I will knock you into the middle of next week!

Meaning: again another whooping threat.

5. This world is going to hell in a hand-basket!

Meaning: I have no idea, but it must’ve been serious.  And what the hell is a hand-basket anyway?

6. You catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar.

Meaning: be nice, it will usually get you what you want.

7. Always wear clean underwear because you never know what will happen to you when leaving out the door.

Meaning: it would be embarrassing if you are caught in dirty underclothes in an emergency situation.

8. You don’t believe fat meat is greasy.

Meaning: you’ve been told to stop something and been threatened with a spanking, but you keep doing it anyway, so she is going to carry out her threat of a whooping.

9. History is his story, so don’t believe everything you read.

Meaning: African-American history is an under-told story and for some reason, our story doesn’t make the textbooks in schools, so learn and know your history.

10.  The devil is a liar.

Meaning: someone isn’t being completely honest or something was promised by God and it is being threatened not to come true.

11.  You can lead a horse to water but you cannot make him drink.

Meaning: you can’t make someone do something they have no true intentions of doing

12.   You don’t miss the water until the well runs dry.

Meaning: you have used up all your apologies and/or free passes and you are now cut-off.

Well, I think that’s enough for now.  Until next time.

IBBYL

© CV Davis – Author