# Let's have fun debunking those old sayings/proverbs. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 25, 2004, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-have-fun-debunking-those-old-sayings-proverbs/271030 "2004-10-25T11:09:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![myrnajean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@myrnajean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/myrnajean)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2004, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-have-fun-debunking-those-old-sayings-proverbs/271030/61 "2004-10-26T20:04:40Z")
“That which does not kill you, makes you stronger” Or as my mother would say: “If it don’t kill ya, it’ll make you fat!” Which nowadays is a double ended curse, Whaddaya mean Dead or Fat? What kinda choice is that!! Well I ain’t dead yet so I guess I made my choice :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Draelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Draelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Draelin)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2004, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-have-fun-debunking-those-old-sayings-proverbs/271030/62 "2004-10-26T20:18:08Z")
> [@myrnajean](#): > > “That which does not kill you, makes you stronger” Or the other version–“That which does not kill you will probably make you _wish_ it had.” ---
**Author:** ![SusanStoHelit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ab992/32.png) [@SusanStoHelit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SusanStoHelit)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2004, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-have-fun-debunking-those-old-sayings-proverbs/271030/63 "2004-10-26T21:18:19Z")
> [@](#): > > and what exactly did you steal Sue? That one had me 😕 for a second. My name isn’t a pun - it’s a recurring character in Terry Pratchett’s Discworld books. Susan is the granddaughter of Death (don’t ask) and is my “if only I were gay” fictional girlfriend. **Nanny Ogg** and **Lobsang** got their handles from the same place ---
**Author:** ![nocturnal\_tick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3d9bf3/32.png) [@nocturnal\_tick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nocturnal_tick)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2004, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-have-fun-debunking-those-old-sayings-proverbs/271030/64 "2004-10-26T21:35:22Z")
> [@myrnajean](#): > > “That which does not kill you, makes you stronger” Expect when you lose your arms and legs of course. _“When life gives you lemons, make lemonade”_ Yeah but life didn’t give you water, sugar, a jug, some cups…Life is cheap 😃 ---
**Author:** ![t-keela](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a3d4f5/32.png) [@t-keela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/t-keela)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2004, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-have-fun-debunking-those-old-sayings-proverbs/271030/65 "2004-10-26T21:45:12Z")
> [@SusanStoHelit](#): > > That one had me 😕 for a second. My name isn’t a pun - it’s a recurring character in Terry Pratchett’s Discworld books. Susan is the granddaughter of Death (don’t ask) and is my “if only I were gay” fictional girlfriend. > > **Nanny Ogg** and **Lobsang** got their handles from the same place oookay… ya lost me sweets 😉 Looks like it says “Susan Stole it” Ooh well, guess it’s time for another proverb. _**"Tis better to be silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt."**_☹ ---
**Author:** ![nocturnal\_tick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3d9bf3/32.png) [@nocturnal\_tick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nocturnal_tick)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2004, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-have-fun-debunking-those-old-sayings-proverbs/271030/66 "2004-10-26T22:08:32Z")
> [@t-keela](#): > > “Tis better to be silent > and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt.” Nonsense, we’re here to fight ignorance. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2004, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-have-fun-debunking-those-old-sayings-proverbs/271030/67 "2004-10-26T23:06:07Z")
> [@dwc1970](#): > > **There’s a sucker born every minute.** > The earth’s birth rate has increased since P.T. Barnum made this quote. It needs to be updated. Brilliant! By my calculations, it’s now up to one sucker every 5.8 seconds! But, slight nitpick and hijack: [Barnum didn’t say it](http://www.historybuff.com/library/refbarnum.html) ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2004, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-have-fun-debunking-those-old-sayings-proverbs/271030/68 "2004-10-26T23:48:58Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched. > > Even I know that this is impossible. Before they are hatched, they are eggs. Um. Annie, I think that’s the very point of the proverb. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![ZombiesAteMyBrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b4bc9f/32.png) [@ZombiesAteMyBrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZombiesAteMyBrain)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-have-fun-debunking-those-old-sayings-proverbs/271030/69 "2004-10-27T00:21:25Z")
**The nail that sticks up gets hammered down.** In my experience the nail that sticks up catches on your sweater or jeans and rips a bloody great hole. **Don’t put off till tomorrow what you can do today.** Who puts things off till tomorrow? That’s way too soon - my life philosophy has been to put things off for months - or even years. **Necessity is the mother of invention** Anyone know who the father is? ---
**Author:** ![LtningBug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/73ab20/32.png) [@LtningBug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LtningBug)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-have-fun-debunking-those-old-sayings-proverbs/271030/70 "2004-10-27T06:10:34Z")
> [@ZombiesAteMyBrain](#): > > **The nail that sticks up gets hammered down.** > > In my experience the nail that sticks up catches on your sweater or jeans and rips a bloody great hole. In my world, the nail that sticks up is yanked out and replaced with a screw (this, of course, after ripping a hole in my foot). ---
**Author:** ![betenoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-have-fun-debunking-those-old-sayings-proverbs/271030/71 "2004-10-27T07:59:49Z")
> [@ZombiesAteMyBrain](#): > > **Necessity is the mother of invention** > > Anyone know who the father is? 😕 Frank Zappa. ---
**Author:** ![betenoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-have-fun-debunking-those-old-sayings-proverbs/271030/72 "2004-10-27T08:02:54Z")
A rolling stone gathers no moss. Have you _seen_ Keith Richards lately? ---
**Author:** ![Daithi\_Lacha](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/daithi_lacha/32/5430_2.png) [@Daithi\_Lacha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daithi_Lacha)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2004, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-have-fun-debunking-those-old-sayings-proverbs/271030/73 "2004-10-28T17:05:35Z")
**That which consumes your mind, controls your life.** So my life is controlled by Antarean Brain-Leeches? **If you wait patiently by the banks of the river, the bodies of your enemies will go floating by.** Especially if it’s the East River; _everything_ ends up in there! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-have-fun-debunking-those-old-sayings-proverbs/271030.md?page=3)