My grandson
hiccupped and said, “Who’s thinking about me?”
I turned to him. “Who taught you that saying?”
“You did.” He rolled his eyes. “You always say it.”
Well, blow me over. The fact anyone remembers what I say surprised me, let alone someone so young. And his response made me smile because I still ask the same question whenever I get the hiccups.
Once again, I trip down the Google rabbit hole but this time to find out where the saying came from. This is what I learned:
Folklore says getting the hiccups means someone is talking about you or missing you. It continued to say the trick to stop the hiccups was to go through all the people in your head and when you hit the culprit the hiccups would stop.
My mother never told me that part of the saying. Next time I get the hiccups, instead of holding my breath, I’ll recite names. Who knows, maybe someone important is thinking about me.
Since I was in research mode anyways, and because my grandson is responsible for this procrastination adventure, I check into the saying out of the mouths of babes. It owes its origin to Psalm 8:2 KJV where God ordains strength out of the mouths of babes. Today, the phrase has changed to praise a young person who speaks wisely.
Here’s a good line
for my procrastination endeavors – don’t put off until tomorrow what you can
do today. Benjamin Franklin created the original phrase - never leave
that till tomorrow which you can do today. That’s a tough one to abide by when procrastination mode is in full gear.
Don’t count your chickens before they hatch is said to be from the Aesop Fables although there is no confirmation of that. Hmm. I thought Google knew all.
You’re no spring chicken originated in the 1700s when farmers needed to sell their chickens while they were young and tasty. If they couldn’t sell them, they’d age through the winter and be less profitable. I’m not sure how I’ll react the next time I hear someone use the expression. It will probably depend on what time of year it is.
It seems chickens take a lot of heat as far as old sayings go. Here’s another one:
In the 1920s in the United States, a chicken dinner from a casino cafeteria cost under $2. And $2 was the standard bet for gamblers. When someone won a bet, they could buy a chicken dinner hence the phrase winner winner chicken dinner. Well, that one surprised me. My grandkids say it every time they win at cards or soccer or running races. I was positive they were the originators.
The knowledge I acquire when I procrastinate boggles my mind.
Here's a final one which has nothing to do with chickens, but you might think about it before you go to bed tonight.
Waking up on the wrong side of the bed is said to be a Roman superstition. They were always careful to get up on the correct side to ensure that good luck would follow them throughout the day. If they got up left foot forward or on the wrong side of the bed, they believed they would be surrounded by negative energy and have an unlucky day of it.
I hope you got up on the right side of the bed and have minimal hiccups throughout your day. Enjoy the September weather. Winter is always just around the corner in Alberta.
Thanks for sharing this procrastination education. I find the origins of such expressions fascinating. Funny how we remember the expressions, but their origins get lost.
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