# Whats your favorite folk-saying/proverb? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 27, 2003, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-folk-saying-proverb/209817 "2003-10-27T10:07:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Scarf-Ace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Scarf-Ace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarf-Ace)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2003, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-folk-saying-proverb/209817/1 "2003-10-27T10:07:20Z")
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket is mine, but then I can’t think of very many… Oh and no jokey Confucious he say … ones ok? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Reepicheep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@Reepicheep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reepicheep)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2003, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-folk-saying-proverb/209817/2 "2003-10-27T10:21:40Z")
My Grandmother taught me this: Cast your bread upon the water and it will come back to you chocolate cake. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2003, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-folk-saying-proverb/209817/3 "2003-10-27T12:43:48Z")
You can put your shoes in the oven, but that don’t make them biscuits. ---
**Author:** ![hawthorne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@hawthorne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawthorne)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2003, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-folk-saying-proverb/209817/4 "2003-10-27T12:45:30Z")
You can’t polish a turd. ---
**Author:** ![Mal\_Adroit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df788c/32.png) [@Mal\_Adroit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mal_Adroit)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2003, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-folk-saying-proverb/209817/5 "2003-10-27T12:59:21Z")
Don’t wear your socks in the rain! -Fonzie’s dad ---
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2003, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-folk-saying-proverb/209817/6 "2003-10-27T13:44:27Z")
_The Kids in the Hall_ juxtaposed two that go toghether nicely, especially if one is a reply when somebody else uses the other. Announcer: Forty Helens agree–Great minds think alike. Helen: But fools seldom differ. ---
**Author:** ![Girlbysea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Girlbysea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Girlbysea)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2003, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-folk-saying-proverb/209817/7 "2003-10-27T14:18:54Z")
Let the balls roll where they might… ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2003, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-folk-saying-proverb/209817/8 "2003-10-27T14:28:59Z")
Man with hand in pocket feel cocky all day. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2003, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-folk-saying-proverb/209817/9 "2003-10-27T14:41:01Z")
I don’t really know if I have a “favourite folk saying”, but here are two of dad’s: “It ain’t what you _want_, but what you _eat_ that makes you fat.” (i.e., “Be happy for what you get.”) “Well, it’s pert’ nigh but not plumb.” (i.e., “It’s not perfect, but it’s pretty close.” Best said with a fake Southern accent.) ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2003, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-folk-saying-proverb/209817/10 "2003-10-27T15:46:45Z")
I’ve heard this one two ways: “It’s the bit dog that hollers.” “It’s the hit dog that hollers.” (I even did an email survey of friends to try to determine which was “correct” with no definitive results. I prefer “bit.”) ---
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2003, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-folk-saying-proverb/209817/11 "2003-10-27T15:47:49Z")
It is what it is. or Put your wishes in one hand and shit in the other and see which hand gets filled up first. ---
**Author:** ![LifeOnWry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@LifeOnWry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LifeOnWry)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2003, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-folk-saying-proverb/209817/12 "2003-10-27T15:53:24Z")
**plnnr** , the “wish in one hand” saying is a favorite of my Mom’s. My great-grandma’s handed down wisdom was this: “Everything in moderation. Including moderation.” In other words, it’s OK to go overboard sometimes, just don’t make a habit of it. ---
**Author:** ![Scarf-Ace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Scarf-Ace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarf-Ace)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2003, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-folk-saying-proverb/209817/13 "2003-10-27T16:42:39Z")
Heh 🙂 I like your great-grandma’s wisdom LifeOnWry. You can’t really add anything to that… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2003, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-folk-saying-proverb/209817/14 "2003-10-27T17:55:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by LifeOnWry \* > **…the “wish in one hand” saying is a favorite of my Mom’s.** Why would your mom wish for a hand full of crap? ---
**Author:** ![JohnBarleycorn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@JohnBarleycorn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnBarleycorn)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2003, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-folk-saying-proverb/209817/15 "2003-10-27T18:07:34Z")
Beans beans the musical fruit the more you eat the more you toot ---
**Author:** ![Rodd\_Hill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3ab097/32.png) [@Rodd\_Hill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodd_Hill)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2003, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-folk-saying-proverb/209817/16 "2003-10-27T19:41:47Z")
Two of my Scottish Granny’s wisest: “Put a beggar on horseback, and he’ll ride you to Hell.” “There’s nae pockets in a shroud” (that is, “you can’t take it with you”) And my Canadian Grandfather’s WWI army wisdom (which I’ve quoted before on these boards): “Keep your mouth shut, bowels open, and never volunteer.” ---
**Author:** ![nobrainer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a587f6/32.png) [@nobrainer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nobrainer)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2003, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-folk-saying-proverb/209817/17 "2003-10-27T20:43:04Z")
One I have used here before: Life is like a shit sandwich… the more bread you have, the less shit you have to eat. It is easier to get forgiveness than permission. ---
**Author:** ![Capt\_B.Phart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc29f/32.png) [@Capt\_B.Phart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt_B.Phart)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2003, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-folk-saying-proverb/209817/18 "2003-10-27T20:44:06Z")
My Grandad:- “Never go to bed the same day you woke up” Guess I inherited his body-clock. ---
**Author:** ![LadySybil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c89c15/32.png) [@LadySybil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LadySybil)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2003, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-folk-saying-proverb/209817/19 "2003-10-28T00:08:41Z")
My favorite might not exactly count, as it was taken from a Terry Pratchett book: “The shorter you are, the closer you are to groin height.” I use it whenever people poke fun at me for being short (I’m 5’3", folks). Another good one is a fave of my mother’s, credited to Mark Twain: “A lie can get around the world before the truth can get its boots on.” ---
**Author:** ![Roadwalker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e19b73/32.png) [@Roadwalker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roadwalker)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2003, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-folk-saying-proverb/209817/20 "2003-10-28T00:15:25Z")
don’t panic [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-folk-saying-proverb/209817.md?page=2)