Do You Know The Meanings Of These Old Sayings? (2023)

We all use old sayings from our heritage and culture without giving any thought to the truths behind them or their origins. Yet, sometimes I hear something and I think to myself, “I wonder how that old saying got started….” Do you ever wonder about this? Just for fun, let’s take a look into the hourglass of time and discover the true meanings of some of these familiar old sayings.

Old Sayings are a Part of Our Heritage

Growing up in the deep south, I understood my grandparents when they used certain sayings. Papa would say, “I’m gonna hope him do that tomorrow.” We all knew he meant he was going to help the person tomorrow. Granny would say, “I’ve got a pawn of cornbread in the oven.” We knew a small pan of cornbread was cooking.

Some of the old sayings we use or are familiar with go back over 300 years! That’s as far as I could trace their use so I’m sure some of them go back even further.

I’m always interested in the stories of people and customs. I enjoy sharing and learning from the past to enrich the future as I’m sure you know from our Voices of Heritage series. Reflection on the past to make a brighter future is about being positively thoughtful, to me.

Fences should be horse high, bull strong, and pig tight

Having broken down fences or livestock on the loose was a bad reflection on a farmer. Not only did it indicate he was lazy or incapable of maintaining his farm, but also of looking after his livestock.

In some areas of the old country, if your livestock damaged someone’s property, they could claim it as their own.

So the idea was to keep fences high enough a horse couldn’t jump over it, strong enough a bull couldn’t bust it down, and tight enough pigs couldn’t push through it.

It’s interesting to me that this saying originated at a time when waddle fences were widely used for livestock management.

Shake the hand before you plow the field

I guess being shafted on the job has been around for a long time. This old saying indicated it’s best to agree upon a price for the job and get a down payment beforehand if at all possible.

It also went for the person hiring the work too. It was just as important for them to have an agreed-upon price before the work was done so they were protected as well.

Let a sleeping dog lie

Don’t cause trouble for yourself by stirring up someone or a situation that isn’t causing you problems at the moment. If your enemy or a certain circumstance is quiet, let it alone.

This goes along with the Bible verse Proverbs 26:17 “He that passeth by, and meddleth with strife belonging not to him, is like one that taketh a dog by the ears.”

Life is simpler when you plow around the stump

When clearing land by hand, it was difficult to remove large stumps. Often farmers would simply plow around it to get the bigger job of planting crops done. Then as time allowed, they’d come back and work on removing the stump.

This is used in life to recognize there are some things we have to let go of and not waste time and energy on. As you grow in experience and wisdom, you’ll be able to come back to the problem or situation and deal with it effectively.

Don’t do a rain dance if you don’t see clouds

I used to tell my boys something similar when they were growing up, “Say what you mean and mean what you say.” Again, I’m reminded of a Bible verse Proverbs 25:14, “Whoso boasteth himself of a false gift is like clouds and wind without rain.”

Others will know you by your actions, don’t promise what you can’t deliver.

A stitch in time saves nine

If something needs repairing, fix it as soon as you see it. Don’t wait until the damage worsens beyond repair.

Some say this old saying originated with ships that used sails. Even the smallest hole was repaired as soon as it was seen to prevent further damage to the sail which could mean saving the lives of the men on board.

It is also said to come from tailor shops in old England. Clothes were repaired as soon as tears were found to prevent the loss of the whole garment. There weren’t clothing stores on every corner nor were funds readily available to just replace the garment at will.

If you’re late with one chore, you’ll be late in a lot more

My Papa said a similar thing when I was growing up. He hated being late for anything. We were often 2 hours early for church.

With the unexpected happening all the time on a homestead, it’s easier to adapt throughout the day if the necessary chores of the morning are done on time. I’ve learned if I let the chickens out late, then I’m late getting to the barn, which means I’m late milking, which means I’m late…

Never look a gift horse in the mouth

I was surprised to learn this meant to not accept a gift without questioning. I always thought it meant to be thankful no matter where it comes from.

Its original use meant to question why someone was giving you something without a reason. This thought was based on the person returning later expecting you to do something for them in return for the gift. There was the possibility it would be something you wouldn’t want to do but would feel obligated to since you received a gift from them.

Another old meaning of this saying came from my husband’s family. If someone gives you something, don’t look too closely at it or question it just receive it with thankfulness.

His great-grandfather said it’s like when a man is buying a horse that looks good on the outside but then he checks his teeth and finds it to not be what it was supposed to be. If you look too closely at the gift horse, you may change your opinions of the gift and the giver.

Above all else, farming is a life of hope

I can wholeheartedly agree with this statement. Crops fail, but we plant again in hope. Animals die, but we breed or purchase again in hope. Fences break down, but we repair in hope. On and on we could go with all that could and often does go wrong on a homestead, yet we go on…in hope.

A tottering fence without means trouble in the house

The condition of one’s farm and home was considered a reflection of the inward person and condition of the family. If fences were falling down, then others felt sure there was something wrong with the whole home. This old saying was originally used to indicate marital trouble: A man who doesn’t love his wife or home will not take care of things.

Make Hay While the Sun Shines

It’s very akin to the famous John Wayne saying, “You’re burin’ daylight,” which is one of my personal favorites.

This one is unusual in that it was a literal saying from Old England. Those who put up hay know you only cut, rack, stack, and bail hay when it’s sunny and the hay is dry. If rain is in the forecast, farmers rush to get the job done before the hay gets wet and is ruined.

It’s come to mean about the same thing as, “Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today.”

Don’t count your chickens before they hatch

One of Ma Ingalls’ favorite sayings. Isn’t it interesting how we all know who she is? She lived her life without ever considering that people would recognize her name and think of her a hundred years later.

Anyway, this saying is pretty self-explanatory. Don’t count a thing as so until it is done.

Less said, sooner mended

Another of Ma Ingalls’ old sayings. If you find yourself in a messy situation, you can cause yourself more heartache and harm if you keep it stirred up. Let it alone and it will die a natural death.

A month of Sundays

In the old days, there were so many religious rules about what could and could not be done on Sunday. This made the day seem so long, especially to children. So of course, this phrase is used to indicate a long, slow period of time.

By hook or by crook

This old saying is said to come from a Medieval law stating peasants could use branches of any tree for firewood with one condition. They had to be able to reach the branch using a shepherd’s crook or a billhook. Using one or both of these tools, they could get wood for heating and cooking.

In our day, it’s come to mean a thing will be done one way or another.

Nothing falls into the mouth of a sleeping fox

The fox is a sneaky creature and has to work for his food. This goes together with another of the old sayings, “The sleeping fox will catch no chicken.”

These two simply mean a person who doesn’t work, doesn’t eat. A lesson many in our society should learn from. No, I don’t mean those who can’t work to provide, I mean those who can and won’t.

Don’t let the cat out of the bag

There’s an interesting story to this saying. Back in the day, piglets that were sold in open markets were placed in burlap bags to keep them from getting away. Crooked merchants would put large cats in the bad instead of a piglet.

If the buyer didn’t check the bag before he left the merchant, he was stuck holding the bag, another old saying, and was without recourse. He could not prove he didn’t swap them once he left the market.

A shrewd buyer would open the bag to look before he paid the merchant and would “let the cat out of the bag.” Today it means to keep a secret.

Don’t put all your eggs in one basket

A simple, yet profound meaning in this old saying. Applied to many areas of life, it simply means diversifying yourself, your time, your energy, and your money.

Learn everything you can; take care of your whole being; invest yourself in relationships; don’t’ over-extend your resources, and don’t hyper-focus on any one money-making adventure.

Won’t Hit a Lick at a Snake

A truly Southern saying among old farmer sayings. It means someone is so lazy they wouldn’t try to hit a snake away with a stick.

She’s as Mad as a Cow Having a Calf With Horns

In old farm sayings, this would mean he/she was extremely angry about something and was being very physical in expressing it.

That Dog Won’t Hunt

This would be considered the polite way of saying someone is lying. It stems from the Deep South where coon hunting dogs were, and in some areas still are, prized. If a dog trailed a rabbit instead of a coon, it was said to be “a lyin’ dog”. If it was a pattern, it was considered no good for hunting or good for nothin’ liar.

You look like you’ve been rode hard and put up wet

Any horseman knows if you ride a horse too hard it can damage it. A horse that’s been allowed to run so hard it becomes lathered must be cooled down slowly, brushed, and dried before being put in a stall to rest. Not doing so could result in the death of the horse and in the least could cause pneumonia.

So a person who looks run down, exhausted, or even sick may be said to look like this kind of horse.

Don’t Put the Cart Before the Horse

I’m sure we’re all familiar with this one. It simply means to not get ahead of yourself in any circumstance but to do things in the proper order.

Put a Sock in it

This is another one of those old sayings that is used in many different ways. One member of TFL Community said his grandmother used this saying in reference to her gramophone. It had no volume control so she would tell them to put a sock in it to turn down the volume from the speaker horn.

Its general use is a polite way of saying shut up or stop speaking.

You couldn’t stir them with a stick

In the Deep South, we use this saying in reference to fire ants because their mounds are so numerous and the ant population innumerable. It simply means there was a lot of something, often too many to count.

She’s Like an Old Settin’ Hen

If you’ve kept chickens at all, then you know when a hen sets hard, she is easily flustered and generally nasty. It also means upset easily.

In A Coon’s Age

This is a funny one originating in the Deep South. It’s a reference to something being a long period of time, i.e., I haven’t been there in a coon’s age. Raccon’s live a long time as any farmer in the south can tell you!

Wrap Up

Well, how’d you do? Did you know the origins or meanings of these old farmers sayings? Do you have another old saying you can share the meaning of with us? Share in the comments below.

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