lol You never know. It could catch on. My mom had a few classics she used on me. She use to say them with that Italian hand chop motion. "You made your bed." She never finished the, "now go lie in it" part. "The grass is always greener on the other side." "You're gonna get old someday." My all time favorite. "Don't get smart with me". Kind of like a green light to be stupid....but not really.
Don't build castles on shifting sands. Basically do what is appropriate for the situation. Well, it isn't going to (insert action) itself. Whatever is referenced, involves the person to do it. Those are the Mom-isms. Then we have my standards to live by. Building block or stumbling block, choose.
You just reminded me of one of my mother's favorite expressions. In particular I remember when I was caught climbing the big tree in the backyard. If you fall and kill yourself, don't come crying to me!
My mom used to tell me this too. My brother and I were constantly climbing to the top of our maples, scaring her to death.
I don't know if you can call it a turn of phrase but I made this observation when I had my pet water moccasin..... " You can trust a venomous snake more than you can most people ( at least the ones you do not know and trust...) You know what the venomous snake is and what he will do if given the chance. Now you know how to do one or two things, leave it the hell alone or handle it with the proper caution and tools and due respect it deserves" ! You just can't say the same thing for people. The most dangerous and unpredictable animal of all.
"Learn to chew on the meat and spit out the bone." This one always stuck in my head as it pertained to discussions we have on hot button issues. Even though you might not agree wholeheartedly with someone there might be something they say worth "chewing" on.
It's raining like cats and dogs. [I still have no idea what that means] It's a frog strangler. Hot as a pistol Cold as a witches tit Dumb as a box of rocks Not the sharpest tool in the shed Not the brightest bulb in the box Patience of a saint Smart as a whip Horny as a barn-yard dog Horny as a billy goat [you haven't lived until you've seen a horny billy goat. They are downright comical] Gotta p*ss like a racehorse Fast as greased lightning [the hardest part is putting the grease on the lightning]
Sharp as a tack Turn on a dime Busy as a one-legged man in a tap dancing contest Vote early and vote often