What were you told?

Never go out with dirty underwear, you might get run over! Don't pull a face, if the wind changes you'll stick like it! Never ever sit on cold floors or you'll get piles! Just to add, I never knew what piles were, then again I was only about 5 yrs old at the time. I'm sure there are many more pearls of wisdom out there (lol) what's yours?

Hello Sally. The only one I can remember, other than yours, is "It's not the cough that carries you off, it's the coffin they carry you off in". Always said if anyone had a cold. Not a nice one but I heard it often. Have a good day

Nice new topic! The underwear and the wind change sayings definitely ring a bell with me too. My grandfather used to tell me "If ever tha does owt for nowt, do it for thysen!" which I suspect was a Yorkshire expression (If ever you do anything for nothing, do it for yourself). Over here in Australia it is a great test of (real) English comprehension, which most Aussies fail until it is explained to them. He also introduced me to the "Yorkshire toast" (that's what he called it anyway): "Here's to you, and here's to me; Let's hope we never disagree. But just in case we ever do, here's to me, and to hell with you!".

The full version of this (supposedly) Yorkshire saying goes: Hear all, see all, say nowt Eat all, sup all, pay nowt And if ever thou does owt for nowt

Here's another that springs to mind. Always eat the crusts on bread and you'll have curly hair. I ended up with a slight kink in my hair! Perhaps I never ate enough crusts!

'If you eat too many sweets, you'll get worms!' is the one I always remember.

oops I think that I ate too many crusts - darn curly hair

Look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves. So true.

If you fall out of that tree and break both your legs, don't come running to me!

Smile, I'll make you smile on the other side of your face. Take that smile off your face or I will wipe it off for you.

Don't swallow orange pips. They will grow inside you. Les

It was either plum stones or cherry stones in my day, LesMac, and If I swallowed chewing gum - I was known to ONCE - then I was told it would bung up my works!!!!!! and I remember thinking about that!

I remember being told that if you swallowed chewing gum, it would wrap itself around your heart and kill you. Our elders seemed to have a somewhat limited knowledge of human anatomy.

Hi all Coventry's population growth was very high in the first half of last century, many people coming from other parts of the UK. They brought their own phrases & sayings. I grew up with, 'Always check your bubble', 'I'm weak from lack of nourishment' & 'That's gone for a burton'.

I was also told to shut the door, was you born in a barn! Love the replies to this topic, they bring back so many memories.