Saturday, December 31, 2011

Favorite Sayings, Also, Delurk Yourselves!

One of my favorite Southern sayings: "I wouldn't spit on him if he was on fire."

(There is a less-polite version involving crossing the road, which one ought not repeat in polite company.)

So give me a New Year's gift: tell me your favorite regional phrase!  Or just who you are.

Cheers!!!!

13 comments:

  1. "I don't trust him as far as I can throw him."

    I have always loved and hated that one. I mean, I think I have a pretty good arm (and my brothers have always agreed with me) so I throw pretty far. Does that mean I trust "him" or should I trust all people the same since I wil throw them all the same distance? But at the same time it's catchy and it does make a point...I guess.

    Happy new Year!

    PS-I'm an engineering PhD student....4 months from defense, 5 months from first baby....trying to decide if I want to continue with (academic) science or not.

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  2. Can't think of a favorite saying, sorry.

    Delurking:

    Canadian mother of two (ages 1 and 5). Recently tenured economist at mid sized research school. Fortunate to have a part time academic appointment (a novel post-tenure option my university introduced I think to save money...) which gives me a nice balance of work and children.


    Enjoying your blog for several years now. Thanks!

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  3. My dad has a huge repertoire of ridiculous expressions, many of which don't make much sense. Two examples: "he's as nervous as a whore in church" and "it's colder than a well-digger's behind in the Yukon". The first is fine, the second takes a minute to figure out, which kind of defeats the point.

    One I got from a friend that I love but have never had occasion to use: "don't give me shit and call it ice cream."

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  4. Karolina2:37 PM

    Delurking: Regular reader since four years. Ph.D. in Biochemistry/Microbiology. Mother of three small kids, live in Sweden. Found your blog when I'd recently started working in Quality Assurance in a big pharmaceutical firm (not so many to choose from in Sweden). Recently moved on to smaller biopharmaceutical firm, still in QA and liking it lots. I find your blog highly informative AND entertaining, a rare combination.

    Happy New Year!

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  5. It isn't from my region, but I like, "All hat and no cattle."

    I also like, and don't remember the attribution, "Even if you don't get the shitty end of the stick, you are still holding a stick with shit on it."

    Dad of two who hangs out less and less often at "Entropy Comes Easy" because Facebook is too damn easy.

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  6. One of my favourites is 'wouldn't know them from a bar of soap'.
    Delurking - I am a recently completed PhD in chemistry, living downunder in NZ, very recently gone back to university to do my nursing training. So much happier now, kind of wish I had figured this out earlier!!

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  7. Anonymous10:43 AM

    Delurking - Your old pal Not So Little Sister (Megan) when I was blogging. Miss emailing with you but I can't for the life of me remember what my email address was or the password when I had my old bloggity blog. Oh what motherhood does to the brain. Now mother of two girls (almost 8m and 3 1/2 years). Not in the science field at all...

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  8. Anonymous3:12 PM

    My favourite phrase, no idea if it's regional (I'm British, I grew up all over Europe, my region-processing circuits are fried), is 'S/he couldn't talk me out of a burning car.'

    Also, am fond of the very British 'he's so tight he wouldn't give an Eskimo a cough-drop'.

    Hello! I said I'd come over and comment, and I have.

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  9. Anonymous10:18 AM

    delurking - recently tenured bio prof with 2 year old.

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  10. One of my favourite antipodean sayings:

    'like flies on sh!t' (intended for something that is avidly desired)

    :)

    g

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  11. i like the one you chose. also "dumber than a box of rocks," "nervouser than a long-tailed cat in a room full of rockers / the last snake in ireland," "lower than a snake's navel." or are the last two just my mother? my real favorite is the way that southerners take the basic patterns and give them new twists. once i heard someone in a diner say an acquaintance "didn't have no more sense than that sugar-shaker."

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  12. Anonymous7:01 PM

    Really late, but finally at a keyboard instead of my phone. Not really regional, but I love "[poop] in one hand and want in the other, and see which one fills up first." And I really want to thank you for your honest writing about grad school -- I just quit my engineering PhD at ABD. And it's really nice to find someone outside the hivemind who can give that perspective of "it's not really worth it."

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  13. I'm late too, tried to think of a regional saying that wouldn't be lost in translation and failed. So here's merely delurking: mom of 2 (5y, 18m) still in grad school, from Finland. My field is Molecular Biology. I'm with you at cookie-baking, knitting and reading books, whenever I have time and energy.

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