somewhat rude phrases over heard by children

Got nothing???


Did you ever hear anyone say "He drinks like he has a hollow leg"?

Anybody?

I don't mean to just ignore your question, but this is not my experience: I was an only child in mostly quiet circumstances.

Sorry Jo, I hope I didn't seem petulant. My son and I were talking about my grandparents, his grandparents (my mom & dad) and some of the things we both overheard when we were kids. (not at the same time of course) Both sides of the family were huge Irish clans. One side Protestant the other side Catholic. I remember large parties, lots of laughs and colorful language.

When I was growing up, we kids were not allowed equal standing while the grown-ups talked. If we were smart we kept quiet and eavesdropped. My family was mostly working class, but smart and fun loving. The adults would get so caught up in lively conversations they would completely forget "that little pitchers have big ears"....That phrase makes absolutely no sense at all, but it was her signal to remind everyone that the kids were listening.

Sure I've heard that, but a kid would never say it. Instead, they would ask uncle Joe to show it to them.

No, even when I was a kid, I wouldn't have dared to say it, but it did give me a case of the giggles.

I overheard my dad grumble to my grand dad about a relative who had recently been to dinner at our house, under his breath he complained that Uncle Fred ate like he had two rectums. I was probably 10 at the time, and although I knew it wasn't possible it was pretty colorful to my 10 year old self. I asked my son if he remembered ever hearing his grandfather say it, but he was clutching his chest and laughing so hard he couldn't get a word out. Even today at my age I wouldn't use that phrase, but I remember it vividly.

I was the dumbest girl alive, at least until I got to age nine in a neighborhood with other kids. But those kids were cosseted as well, though more stable. than us.
I don't regret a minute of knowing them. They were a sample of real life to a kid who was moved around.
I'll say it, godblessthehennessys.
Still, far as I heard, rude phrasing was unknown.


So, I'll be reading along.

We kids would have been in big trouble if we repeated any of the things the adults said in unguarded moments. And they were never really said in anger, mostly just to amuse the other adults. Im not talking about things we overheard and repeated, just things we would overhear and remember.