Old Sayings I Remember Growing Up and Weather Lore

 

When some of us older generation get together, it's not long until we start to reminiscing  and comparing things that we remember from our childhood days, school memories, games we played, even old sayings that we remember that were used by our parents and grandparents.  And many are stilled used today.  I know I use some of them most every day.

Northern people tease us about the words “you all”, and insist that we use it in the singular way, applying to just the one person to whom you are talking. They refuse to believe we use it in a plural form, meaning “you and all your family come.” Can anyone find a more hospitable word? I do not think we should ever forget to use it.

It is fun to think of all the phrases and beliefs that we grew up with, and no doubt, to people not from here, are strange sounding and make no sense at all. But they are a part of our heritage. Some examples include:

• A coon's age - meaning a long time

• Limp as a rag - weak feeling
  

• Plum tuckered out - tired
  

• Bone warry - tired
  

• Down in the dumps - discouraged or depressed

• Rant and raving - discussing something emotionally or angry

• Smell a mouse - suspicious about something or someone

• Its just a whoop and a holler - a short distance to some place

• Don't give a hoot - not interested.

• Very poorly - not feeling well

• Fast - meaning an immoral or flirtatious person

• If it'd been a snake it would have bit you - it was right in front of you

• Rode hard and put up wet - someone or something that looks pretty rough

• Slower than molasses - meaning someone that never gets in a hurry

• Waited on hand and food - taking care of sick or lazy people

• It's just a whoop and a holler - short distance to someplace

• You let the cat out of the bag - told the secret
  

Weather Lore and Superstitions. Since the beginning of time man has found various ways to predict the weather.  From this have come superstitions, old wives tales, and cultural stories passed from one family member to the next in each generation.  It is a way of controlling the environment by knowing what to expect from the coming season.  It is impossible according to scientists, - and reliable according to those who know how to read the signs they have learned.  

There are a lot of predictions for rain. 

• Red sky at night, sailors delight. Red sky at morning, sailors take warning.

• Owls will hoot more at night if rain is on the way. 

• Cobwebs in the grass mean rain. 

• Pink clouds in the west at evening time means rain.  

• If Easter comes in late March, that is a sign there will be an early spring.

  We all know the moon has a certain control over the ocean tides.  But according to weather lore it also predicts weather patterns and how plants will grow.  Many people believe in planting according to the moon, they watch it for the next rainfall, harvest fields by it and predict major storms coming their way just by watching for shape, season, color and location. 

 

Native American belief is if the moon looks like it is tipped on its back, it is holding water that will not spill. If it is tipped forward the water will spill from it in the form of rain. 

 

Animals seem to have a built in weather system and can predict hard winters more easily than any human will ever be able to.  When their fur comes in thicker than normal during the fall it means there is going to be a hard, cold winter.  But this applies to animals that live in the outdoors all the time, not your well pampered house pets. Horses, goats and other barnyard animals that need extra protection from the season are provided for by nature with an extra layer of hair or fur.

 

Beavers are a great predictor of the winter season to come.  They build their homes to protect them from the cold and weight of snow.  If a beaver dam is built thick and heavy, blocking a larger portions of water mass than in years past, you can be sure the winter will be a hard one.   

 

Other predictors of a hard, cold winter are when nuts and berries hang on the branches after the last of the leaves have fallen.  When the oak tree still wears his leaves in October, it will be cold, hard winter. 

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True enough, the only sure way to predict the weather is to wait for it to arrive and then look out the window.  Some of the superstitions and lore seem to be right on, while others serve as entertainment to the world.  But if you want to find out the truth keep your own weather journal to create a new generation of predictors and family stories.   I've kept a weather journals for more than 30 years, they are very interesting to look back on and compare the weather through the years.