Appalachian Sayings

1-1: A dropped fork means that a man is coming to call. 1-2: If you are homesick, eat onions. 1-3: Being the first-born child of a large family means a lot of hard work. But, that’s better than being the last-born child of a large family, one who is apt to be very lonely after a long time has passed. 1-4: Dead soldiers aren’t the only victims of a great war and this not about empty bottles. What about their relatives who must grieve their passing for many long years after their death in battle? 1-5: The best cure for problems caused by feuding, fussing and fighting is reading, writing and arithmetic taught to the tune of a history stick. 1-6: Homemade beats store bought. 1-7: One stitch in time saves nine stitches later on. 1-8: It is not easy to teach old dogs new tricks. 1-9: Only one thing beats good leftovers and that is fresh fixings. 1-10: A rich man’s family is a boy for him and a girl for her. 1-11: Charity doesn’t begin with the purse, it begins with a sharing heart. 1-12: Cleanliness is next to Godliness. 1-13: We are a race of people who have always been days-long and dollars-short. 1-14: The price of oil and gasoline needs to be paid by CEO’s and their attorneys. 1-15: As the crime rate increases, the number of registered lawyers also increases. 1-16: Saint Peter allows no attorneys through the pearly gates. 1-17: If a child has asthma, cut a sourwood stick longer than the child is and, when he or she grows taller than that stick, the child will be cured of asthma. 1-18: When you are sweeping, never touch the broom to anyone that is still breathing or that person will experience bad luck. 1-19: If you want to know whom you are going to marry, go to the water well and do this…. Hold a mirror into the air, with the water behind your hair. Study the looking glass that’s in your hand. And, you will see the image of your intended man in the deep water that lies below. 1-20: Two measures of wealth in yesteryear was toilet paper and fly swatters. Corn cobs and fly paper were left to the common man. 1-21: It is bad luck to bring a hoe inside of the house. 1-22: Never miss a friend’s funeral. No matter how far the trip, that’s the last thing that you can do together. 1-23: It is a sign of good luck if you can pick up a straight pin with the pointed end looking right at you. 1-24: If your nose itches, someone is coming to visit you. 1-25: When your ears get warm, someone is talking about you. 1-26: An itching foot means that you are going to walk on strange ground. 1-27: To dream of money means that a fire will soon exist. 1-28: To dream about fire means that a wedding is soon to occur. 1-29: It is bad luck if a black cat crosses your path in front of you. 1-30: It means good luck if a stray cat decides to stay at your house. 1-31: If the bottom of your foot itches, then you are headed for someplace where you are not welcome. 1-32: A wedding will occur if you dream about death. 1-33: If you are talking about somebody and that person happens to walk in, there’s one of two things that you ought to do. Say, “Speak of the Devil” and he will make his presence known. Or, you could say, “Speak of the Angel” and you will hear their wings flapping about. 1-34: It brings good luck to find a four leaf clover. 1-35: Three times for any single thing means a charmed thing. 1-36: It causes bad luck to walk under an inclined ladder. 1-37: Stepping over a broom brings bad luck. 1-38: Never spin a chair around on one leg. That brings bad luck to the twister. 1-39: To cure a sore throat, wrap a black stocking around your neck. 1-40: Be nice to old ladies or they might bring on knocking sounds. 1-41: If you can peel an apple skin and keep it all in one piece, do this. Throw it over your left shoulder and, when it lands, it will form the initials of your soul mate. 1-42: Bald men don’t lose hair. They just make room for more. 1-43: Place a strand of hair in a pond of still water and it will become a snake later on. 1-44: Never look into a mirror after dark since that will bring bad luck. 1-45: Walk backwards ten steps and take a good look at the ground. If you see a hair, it will be the same color that your future mate will have. 1-46: If your right hand itches, you are going to shake hands. If your left hand itches, you are going to handle money. 1-47: Never let a large critter into your cave on a rainy night. The rain will make you wet. 1-48: Paddle your own canoe. 1-49: Poor people with too little money come together strongly. Rich people who have too much money, grow apart weakly. 1-50: Never step on a crack because that will break your Mother’s back.