I Must Be Getting Old...

The other day I slipped in the bathroom and instead of yelling, “S**t!” or, “Oh F**K” or something along those lines I yelled, “Oh Goodness Gracious”. I immediately thought of Walter Brennan, and if I need to explain to you who he is then you’re too young to appreciate this anyway. I also used the word, “hanker” in a comment to a comment while ago (hanker - “to want”) It got me to thinking of a lot of things that older people say or terms they use, things my Grandparents and Mom and Dad used to say or things I used to hear on TV as a kid. Sure signs to a person advancing in their years. So I thought I would make a short list of some of these words, phrases, and sayings, I say a short list because there are so many of them I could be here for days if I tried to make a more complete longer list. If any of you have any favorites that I’ve left out, feel free to comment on them and I may sit down some day and make a revised list. All though use of some of these may actually date you so be careful. And BTW, Walter Brennan is another one of my favorite old actors. Thanks and have a good week.

Some items in this list are self explanatory, some will be followed by an explanation, while others I may not have a clue as to what they actually mean or where they come from, they will be followed by an exclamation, (?) meaning, “what the hell?”

1. “By Yimmeny”
2. “Jumpin’ Geehazifat”
3. “Shabow” (butt)
4. “Tighter ‘n Dick’s hatband”
5. “No bigger ‘n a Corn Nubbin” - (?)
6. “You don’t know S**t from Shinola” (wasn’t “Shinola” shoe polish?)
7. “a divan” (a couch or settee)
8. “Geewillikers” (?)
9. “Good Golly”
10. “More than you can shake a stick at”
11. “Hunker Down”
12. “Sakes Alive” (often preceded by “Goodness Gracious)
13. “For Pete’s sake” or, “For the love of Pete“ (who’s Pete?)
14. “Tally Whacker” (a pecker)
15. “Curmudgeon “ (a killjoy or wet blanket)
16. “Fickle Fart”
17. “Hoo Head John” (whiskey)
18. “Bust Head” (whiskey)
19. “John Barley Corn” (whiskey or beer)
20. “Drunker ‘n Cooter Brown” (who was he and why did he drink so much?)
21. “Nine kinds of” (a whole bunch)
22. “The whole Nine yards” (what’s up with the # Nine?)
23. “Fist O’ Cuffs” (fighting fist to fist)
24. “On the Cuff” (for free or on credit, I’m not sure which)
25. “Pitching Woo” (I’m not sure but I think my Dad did it to my Mom)
26. “Shinin, Putting On, Spoofin, Boshin, or Kidding (to tease or to fool)
27. “Whackin Pucky”or “Stickum Pucky“ (glue?)
28. “I’ll be hot digity” or “hot digity dog”
29. “The Dickens” (what the Hell is the “Dickens” and how can someone “be” it or how can you “give” it to some one?)
30. “Crimeny” (?)

There are a whole lot more and if you are from the South or just country in general there are a butt-load more. The more I started thinking of them and saying them out loud the more Hillbilly sounding I became. Anyway it’s something to think about.