# Under-used aphorisms and proverbs

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/under-used-aphorisms-and-proverbs/429946>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [December 14, 2007, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/under-used-aphorisms-and-proverbs/429946 "2007-12-14T02:08:16Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 5

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\
**Post date:** [December 17, 2007, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/under-used-aphorisms-and-proverbs/429946/81 "2007-12-17T13:54:51Z")

</div>

[QUOTE=diggleblop]  
I always use the one that has to do with a man cheating on his wife with a prostitute.

\*“Why go out and buy milk when you got a cow at home?” \*  
[/QUOTE]

'Tis safer to lie down with a prostitute than to call ones spouse a cow. (Not a proverb or aphorism, just an observation)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Flipshod](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f19dbf/32.png) [@Flipshod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flipshod)\
**Post date:** [December 17, 2007, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/under-used-aphorisms-and-proverbs/429946/82 "2007-12-17T14:23:06Z")

</div>

About someone who keeps getting himself in trouble:

“That boy can’t keep his shit in one sock.”

Heard it once–never forgot it.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\
**Post date:** [December 17, 2007, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/under-used-aphorisms-and-proverbs/429946/83 "2007-12-17T15:27:41Z")

</div>

[QUOTE=Flipshod]  
About someone who keeps getting himself in trouble:

“That boy can’t keep his shit in one sock.”

Heard it once–never forgot it.  
[/QUOTE]

I know old sayings don’t need to make literal sense, but this one is kind of a head-scratcher for me. Is it an extension of “can’t keep his shit together?”

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Flipshod](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f19dbf/32.png) [@Flipshod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flipshod)\
**Post date:** [December 17, 2007, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/under-used-aphorisms-and-proverbs/429946/84 "2007-12-17T15:55:58Z")

</div>

Yeah, it makes no literal sense, but the meaning is clear–there are also a set of sayings that involve pouring piss out of a boot–an action as unlikely as keeping shit in one sock. And it’s got to be a variant on keeping your shit together. (which itself only leads to more questions.)

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/under-used-aphorisms-and-proverbs/429946.md?page=4)