Ah Mam and Dad, sure where would you be without them. In all fairness, as much as we think we’re big and bold enough to look after ourselves, there are certain situations that require their wisdom.
Calling Mam up during the very first week of college to ask exactly how a washing machine works. Dads all over the country gathering every last ounce of patience as they attempt another driving lesson. Even though they’re practically sweating with nerves, they’re still determined to get you “on the road”.
There are some phrases that parents just love to use and we’ve put together a few of the most familiar.
I’m going to see a man about a dog.
We find this one is a particular favourite of Dads. When we, as children, cornered them about where they were going, (in the hope that we could tag along) this was a useful excuse. Except that then, we thought we were going to get a puppy and that inevitably led to a tantrum on realising they never intended visiting any dogs. They should have just saved themselves the bother and told the truth.
We’ll see.
Possibly the MOST frustrating phrase uttered by anyone, ever. What do you mean, you’ll see? No, you won’t see. Just say no and be done with it. It would save everyone a lot of time and effort. This was (and still is) used by parents when they just don’t want to give a straight answer.
Turn off the immersion!
Never mind hangovers, this old chestnut actually causes THE FEAR. Much like the feeling of thinking you left the hair straightener on, is the dread of forgetting to turn off the immersion. Worse again is when you can’t remember if you were meant to turn it on or off… just don’t ask us to do anything, ever.
You’re (insert relevant age here) now, so it’s about time you…
From about the age of 20, you can expect to hear this one. It’s somewhat of a light bulb effect. You reach a certain age and you’re just meant to grow up and cop on overnight. Never mind that you might suffer from the Peter Pan effect (we LOVE Disney) and you’re just not ready to take on responsibilities.
Well, if you’d just listened to me!
Much like “I told you so”. To give them their due, parents are often right although it might be tough to admit this fact. If we think back on situations where they tried to offer advice that was duly ignored, they were actually right. That doesn’t mean we’re happy about this fact.
Do you really need that?
A favourite of Irish mammies who tend to be a lot more sensible that their offspring when it comes to spending money. They have a way of gently dissuading you. Forget about that new dress (it’s too short) or that festival which will clash with your exams. We will thank them eventually (maybe).
When I was your age…
Ah, this old one. Parents love to remind us of how they did things when they were younger. The story often goes along the lines of “you don’t know how good you have it”. Ah, we do really but they will always love to remind us of the fact that previous generations have had tougher things to deal with. Le sigh.
Did you ask your mother?
This works well for both mothers and fathers alike. If you ask your father a question (pretty much any question), he’s likely to ask if you’ve checked with your mother. Chances are if you approach your mother first, she will query if you’ve spoken to your father. They’re just so damn clued in!
Do you think we’re made of money?
They would more often than not come up with the goods but they always had to ask. No, of course we don’t think you’re made of money or that euro notes grow on trees. However when we, as kids/teenagers really wanted something, we never actually thought about where the cash was coming from. Oops.
Mind yourself.
They’re always looking out for us, and to be fair we wouldn’t have it any other way. You might think you’re sick of hearing it, but if they stopped saying it, we can pretty much guarantee you’d miss it. They always have our best interests at heart and we’re not ashamed to say that we love our parents and their unique sayings.
