Monday, January 09, 2006

Things My Dad Used to Say

Dad's been gone for many years now. He wasn't prone to outbreaks of laughter. He had a very dry sense of humor. I think I'm going to do some on again, off again blogs about stuff he used to say.
If he knew you had to be somewhere early in the morning, say in Lincoln, by 7 AM, a two hour trip, he'd say something like, "well, you're going to have to get up before breakfast to get there by seven".
One night back in the late 1950's, I recalled my sister, sitting at the kitchen table and writing definitions for her homework, she called out to anyone who would answer, "Hey, does anyone know the definition of a commentator"?
She knew my Dad could sit down and work most crossword puzzles without hesitating much, so she hoped he would answer, and he did.
"A commentator is just a plain, ordinary potato. I'll guarantee that my Mom would have known better than to ask.

PS. Okay bloggers. If you are like me and use to using the words used and use and sometimes think we use them incorrectly, and have gotten used to the fact that use is going to be used where used should have been used. THEN LOOKY HERE!

10 comments:

Peter said...

Looking forward to some good old country logic Cliff, did your father use to say he used a thing even if it was no use ? ENOUGH !!!!

Gel said...

hehe-
As for me, I nipped my comment in the "bud." I could gone on in this theme but someone here would mash my head in. Besides, you're dad's comment was great. (Don't ask me why it just reminded me of "MR. Potatoe Head toy.")

Anonymous said...

Very funny!

EV said...

Your dad's sense of humor was great - I love the commentator definition.

The USE v. USED issue reminded of the time I received a condescending email about the use of FORMULAIC SUBJUNCTIVE. Because my blog was the genesis of the email I did a post about the concern offered. One clever commentator wrote "Heaven forbid that ...". The best one though was "who gives a crap". :)

I hope no one is "correcting" your posts. I think they are great!!

JUST A MOM said...

OK, you had me until you started with OK BLOGGERS,,,,,,,,,, I got lost after that.

Jamie Dawn said...

I like people with quick, dry wit. I look forward to more about the things your dad used/use to say.

Paul Nichols said...

My dad used to tell a tale about the time it snowed in Nebraska--one summer.

Rachel said...

Looking forward to more about your Dad Cliff! I'm sure he was a great guy!

Thanks for the grammar lesson too! Use/used is confusing. I think we now have it straight....hopefully.

Anonymous said...

Sounds like your dad and mine are a lot alike. Great story, Cliff.

Jim said...

Cliff, we had good grammer teachers back then.
When I say 'used to' do something, I pronounce it 'youst to' do. Maybe people who use 'use to' do think that is what we all say so they spell and say it that way?
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