Phrases and clichés are generational and so many of the ones I heard growing up have practically disappeared from our language. I thought I’d resurrect a few if just for the amusement of my younger readers.
- Going to hell in a handbasket – used to describe a situation headed for disaster. It’s thought that the use of the word handbasket came about because the heads of guillotine victims fell into a handbasket and headed straight to hell.
- Fiddle dee dee – an expression of impatience, disbelief or frustration. Most famously quoted in Gone With The Wind.
- A stitch in time saves nine – a timely effort will prevent more work later. The stitch in time is simply the sewing up of a small hole in a piece of material and so saving the need for more stitching at a later date, when the hole has become larger, Clearly, the first users of this expression were referring to saving nine stitches.
A Stitch in Time
- The cat’s pajamas – a slang phrase from the 1920’s used to describe something that’s the best at what it does and pajamas had just come into fashion.
- Tomfoolery – playful or foolish behavior; silly trifling.
What is a tomfool? Today, it’s simply someone who acts like a fool, but in the Middle Ages it was a nickname for any half-witted man, a Thom Foole.
Bill Ding and his band of clowns are the security patrol for this blog site. He is a favorite toy from the 50*s. By the way sometimes a blog is just an ego-maniacal stream of conscience.
Pbenjay's Blog 
I heard a whole essay once that used all sorts of old sayings and clichés. It was both hilarious and educational.
Visiting from SITS! Hope you have a great day and don’t engage in any tomfoolery.
When my husband gets upset, he says “going to hell in a handbag.” I crack up every time he says this, and tell him its actually “going to hell in a handbasket.” He just looks at me and says, “Whatever.” My mother used to say, “If the good Lord is willing and the creek doesn’t rise.”
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