The following is a listing of the sayings that we often heard while we were young.

Some of them were said in German.

There seem to be four themes- rain, weather, crops, or living issues.

RAIN

If it is raining bubbles, it will rain tomorrow.

If it rains bubbles, it will rain for three days.

If a dog lies on his back, it is going to rain.

When the cows lie down in the field, it is going to rain.

If the cows are lying down in the field, the fishing is not good.

When the corn leaves curl, it is going to rain.

When the maple leaves turn inside out, it is going to rain.

If you see a ring around the moon, it will rain within 24 hours.

If you see the quarter moon tipped down, it will rain.

It will rain if you kill a spider in the house.

Rain before 7 will stop before 11.

WEATHER

If Mary goes over the mountain, on August 15^th, and she needs her umbrella, there will be a wet fall.

Thunder and lightening never strikes a chicken coop, so sit on a pillow during a storm.

If there are no leftovers after a meal there will be good weather tomorrow.

It will be six weeks until frost when you hear the first song of the cicada.

Heavy dew on the grass in the morning means no rain that day.

Whatever day the first snowfall occurs, there will be that many snowfalls that winter.

Thunder and lightening in January means it will be cold in February.

If thunder and lightening occurs on the first day of spring, it will be six months till the first frost.

If it rains on your Easter bonnet, it will rain for the next seven Sundays.

CROPS

On hot summer nights you can lie in bed and hear the corn grow.

Corn needs to be knee-high by the 4^th of July.

A white Christmas means a good crop the next year.

Plant grass seed only in months with an “r”.

LIVING

Paint only during a full moon.

Children should be seen and not heard.

Dr. Fledderjohann would say that he could give you medicine that would make you better in seven days or you could take nothing and get better in a week.

(I also remember a little poem that Dr. Fledderjohann recited about

Chlorophyll. Of course, he said it in German. “Why reeks the goat on yonder hill, when he feeds all day on Chlorophyll.”)

Eating pumpkin seeds kills parasitic worms in people.

Chewing tobacco is a good cure for pyorrhea.

Escort visitors out the same door they came in or you will get more company.

Eat prunes and noodles on Good Friday.

Eat pork and sauerkraut on New Year’s Day for good luck.

If the man and woman go out different doors, they will have a spat.

If two persons hold a towel at the same time, they will fight.

Happy the bride that the sun shines on.

Happy the corpse that the rain falls on.

Plant rocks with the phase of the moon that is getting smaller. If the moon is getting larger, the rocks will come back up.

The woman emptying the serving dish will remain an old maid.

When visiting, leave by the same door that you entered, if you want to come back to this person’s house.

If you spill salt, throw some of it over your shoulder for good luck.

If you butter your bread to the very edges, you will be an old maid.

Drop a fork and expect a female visitor. Die Gabel, die Frau.

Drop a knife and expect a child visitor. Das Messer, das Kind.

Drop a spoon and expect a male visitor. Der Loffel, der Mann.

(And the visitors will be coming from the direction that the utensil is pointing.)

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