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What phrase do you associate with your dad?

Erin Holohan Haskell
Erin Holohan Haskell Member, Moderator, Administrator Posts: 2,276
As Father's Day approaches, I'm thinking about all of the Dad-isms we've heard over the years.

My grandpa used to say, "This is a great business to be in because people are always going to need heat." And whenever he was offered a second beer, he'd say, "A bird can't fly on one wing."

My dad, @DanHolohan, often says that before you speak you should think, "Will it help?" If not, keep your mouth shut. I think it was the very wise @Larry Weingarten who taught him this and it probably stuck from all his time spent with The Lovely Marianne and four daughters. ;)

What phrase do you associate with your dad? And if you're a dad, what phrase do you find yourself repeating to your kids?


President
HeatingHelp.com
Larry WeingartenSTEVEusaPASlamDunkIronmankcoppRoohollah

Comments

  • Larry Weingarten
    Larry Weingarten Member Posts: 3,273
    Hi and THAT is a wonderful photo o:) !! The thing my father said that I try to hold onto was "Everybody has strengths and weaknesses. You're better off focusing on their strengths."

    Yours, Larry
    luketheplumber
  • Erin Holohan Haskell
    Erin Holohan Haskell Member, Moderator, Administrator Posts: 2,276
    Thanks, @Larry Weingarten. Well said.
    President
    HeatingHelp.com
  • MikeL_2
    MikeL_2 Member Posts: 486
    My Dad, when confronted with a challenging repair issue in front of a customer, used to say " that's interesting ".
    I remind my daughters that " compassion, humor, & humility are 3 of life's most important possessions ".
    Erin Holohan Haskell
  • icy78
    icy78 Member Posts: 404
    When I think of my Dad I think ..grim..tough..hardworking. I never think of him as fun. Yet when I think back, I tear up, because he did so many things with us kids. As a group and individually. To the swimming hole, fishing at the housatonic river. Early morning trout fishing on the canal. Getting me a paper route, allowing me to keep new customer prizes even tho we were pretty poor.
    Taking us boys to the dump to tear old cars , and stereos and bicycles apart, and bring home stuff to experiment with.
    I mean, heck, everybody knows that a bicycle that you modify by putting another ratty old set of forks on from the dump will perform so much better LOL.
    I think what means the most to me though was that my mother loved him dearly and that means a lot to me.
    Erin Holohan HaskellSTEVEusaPAethicalpaul
  • SlamDunk
    SlamDunk Member Posts: 1,571
    "That's Fantastic!"
    Sometimes "that" really was fantastic! Like the first time he saw an i-phone.

    But most of the time, he'd say "That's Fantastic!" when most of us would say "****" .
    Erin Holohan Haskellluketheplumber
  • KC_Jones
    KC_Jones Member Posts: 5,722
    The one I heard from my father the most, was, shall we say, colorful. I learned a lot about shop safety from that phrase, whenever I heard it I knew not to do whatever he just did.
    2014 Weil Mclain EG-40
    EcoSteam ES-20 Advanced Boiler Control
    Boiler pictures updated 2/21/15
    Erin Holohan Haskell
  • Zman
    Zman Member Posts: 7,561
    At a friend's memorial service they had a board where you could write your favorite quotes from the deceased.

    His son wrote "Ryan, you have exactly 5 minutes to get down here and un-**** this"

    I still chuckle when I envision that one...
    "If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough"
    Albert Einstein
    Erin Holohan HaskellGroundUpEdTheHeaterMan
  • JohnNY
    JohnNY Member Posts: 3,226
    "Ask a lazy man, he'll tell you an easy way."
    Contact John "JohnNY" Cataneo, NYC Master Plumber, Lic 1784
    Consulting & Troubleshooting
    Heating in NYC or NJ.
    Classes
    Alan (California Radiant) ForbesCanuckerErin Holohan HaskellBillyO
  • RayWohlfarth
    RayWohlfarth Member Posts: 1,461
    Love the pic my dad used to say “Liars figure but figures don’t lie“ It took me my 30s to understand it lol
    Ray Wohlfarth
    Boiler Lessons
    Erin Holohan Haskell
  • Ironman
    Ironman Member Posts: 7,367
    Erin, which one is you?


    Bob Boan
    You can choose to do what you want, but you cannot choose the consequences.
  • DanHolohan
    DanHolohan Member, Moderator, Administrator Posts: 16,513
    Erin is on my left shoulder.
    Retired and loving it.
    Erin Holohan HaskellIronmanSTEVEusaPARoohollah
  • clammy
    clammy Member Posts: 3,104
    My dad didn’t have many phrases but he had two he would use often being he ran all types of building from early computer centers to sports complexes ,he also taught at a voc tech and union school at nites , he was quite well versed and a master tradesmans building 2 homes in his life time all solo from forms foundation block work framing all of it . He biggest saying when confronted by underlings on service issues which they could not repair ranging from pneunamatics to chiller to walk in boxes would be after finding the issues and repairing and getting it on line they would always seems to wonder how he knew all this stuff and his answer over the years never ever changed and always rings in my memory he would always say What u think I woke up and knew all this stuff no I studied and read every day attended classes ,that’s how and why I know all this stuff I just didn’t wake up and know it all . So I always remenber no one can know it all and if they do and are not pulling your leg then they may have put in there time hitting the books . My dad did only large commercial and industrial no residential . He been gone a few years and not a day really goes by that I don’t think of him and all the things that he taught me which shaped myself into the person I am and I’m no choir boy . The most important sayings was don’t take crap from anyone and treat people w respect if none is showed then none is given and if some one screws you personally or in business just write it off no sense wasting time dealing with some people life to short ,move on loose there number . And his biggest one from my childhood was don’t ever be bullied better to get beaten then to become a whipping boy . Not a single day passes that He doesn’t enter my thoughts Peace and good luck clammy
    R.A. Calmbacher L.L.C. HVAC
    NJ Master HVAC Lic.
    Mahwah, NJ
    Specializing in steam and hydronic heating
    Erin Holohan HaskellLarry Weingartenethicalpaul
  • Erin Holohan Haskell
    Erin Holohan Haskell Member, Moderator, Administrator Posts: 2,276

    Erin is on my left shoulder.

    Yes. This is one of my favorite photos of us and probably one of the rare moments when we were all sitting still.

    Thanks for sharing these wise words and memories from your dads, guys.
    President
    HeatingHelp.com
  • dopey27177
    dopey27177 Member Posts: 887
    My dad would say

    Get your brain gear and stop being a motor mouth.

    This saying was for my brother who should have been a lawyer.

    For me he used to say, I punished you now because I missed the last ones. ( I was always set up by motor mouth to get blamed for his indiscretions. )

    All in all my dad was a giving person, a scout master for 10 years and he took the responsibility for our troop for 60 week end camping trips.

    He always encouraged the scouts and of course me and my two brothers to work hard at every thing we wanted to do especially school work.

    My dad believed in a strong work ethic. He always said work smart and responsibly for your employer because with out him or her you would not have a job.

    Jake

    Erin Holohan Haskell
  • lager
    lager Member Posts: 56
    I have 2 brothers, 1 older, 1 younger, the poor abused middle child :-(
    My father would say "If one you does not confess, I will just paddle all three of you, that way I make sure I get the right one"

    But then he never backed that up,,,,,,,,,,
    Alan (California Radiant) ForbesSlamDunkErin Holohan Haskell
  • SlamDunk
    SlamDunk Member Posts: 1,571
    lager said:

    I have 2 brothers, 1 older, 1 younger, the poor abused middle child :-(
    My father would say "If one you does not confess, I will just paddle all three of you, that way I make sure I get the right one"

    But then he never backed that up,,,,,,,,,,


    I am a middle child too. For years and years, my father introduced me to other adults as "his number two".

    I was a grown a** adult before I got the inside joke.
    Erin Holohan Haskell
  • JUGHNE
    JUGHNE Member Posts: 11,042
    I can only relate my sayings as a dad and granddad.
    I used to say "don't make me stop the car"!
    Then as that became ineffective, I would check the road, shoulder and traffic carefully. Then suddenly stand on the brakes being sure to hit the shoulder rumble bars we have on the high way shoulders. The car would come to a sudden stop and everything was quiet. I would turn with the most stern look I could muster.......Mom/grandma looked forward trying not to laugh. This worked most of the time.

    Common disagreements/arguments were reported by such statements as "he is sitting too close to me"....."he is touching me" or the best one is "he/she is looking out MY window"!

    Then with grandkids who are really well behaved if their parents are not near, on a long trip across several states the problems started to develop. Going thru a small town I stopped at a store and purchased 2 fly swatters. Quiet car for quite a while....eventually this wore off and a couple of swats on the knees with the fly swatter returned us to civility. (go ahead and report me).

    Upon return the grand kids to their parents, the 4 year old girl ran to her mother and said "grandpa brought a fly swatter and hit me with it"....mom said O really what were you doing?....no reply.

    I relate these stories of kids and grand children.
    You are all fortunate to have heard your father's voice.
    My father had a debilitating stroke when I was 6, he passed away a year later at 44 years old.
    I believe I would not recognize his voice if I heard it today.
    Larry WeingartenErin Holohan Haskellluketheplumber
  • Roohollah
    Roohollah Member Posts: 135
    Dear Friends,

    I would like to express my best wishes for you all as Father's day is approaching . I hope this coming wonderful day will be as special as you all are .

    I would just to say that presence of father in every house will be the most powerful pillar to rely on him for growing up day by day as he states every phrase with his precious family as a piece of advice . As for me , I missed my father very much ,but his words make me strong to with stand every difficulty and never forget to give hand to every one who needs . My lovely father never arrived empty handed on any relatives or neighbours homes .

    Thus I have leaned that and do the same with alacrity .

    May God keep all fathers as His own ,


    Happy Father's day to you all ,


    Stay safe and healthy,

    your friend,

    Roohollah,
    IronmanErin Holohan HaskellluketheplumberZman
  • Sal Santamaura
    Sal Santamaura Member Posts: 529
    edited June 2020
    In this era of COVID-19 and thorough hand washing, one of my late father's expressions has come to mind often.

    When I was a wee lad, as he was trying to teach me proper hygiene, upon my return to a room where the rest of our family was, he'd say "Sally* just made believe he washed his hands." :)





    * For those not familiar with Italian-American appellations, referring to someone named Salvatore as "Sally" is customary, irrespective of age. See Tom Hagan's response when Tessio asks if he can be let off the hook for old times' sake: "Can't do it, Sally."
    Erin Holohan Haskell
  • Tim McElwain
    Tim McElwain Member Posts: 4,612
    I do not have a lot of memories to remember from my Father as he was killed by a drunk driver when I was nine years old. I do remember one thing he always said was to "be kind to that fella you may need his help someday". My Mom used to get upset with him because he was always doing things for people and not getting paid, he would say " My pay was the smile on their face".
    Erin Holohan Haskell
  • Tinman
    Tinman Member Posts: 2,808
    My dad to me, mostly in my late teens.
    "Where's my change?"
    "Don't get cocky."
    "Don't ever drink my last beer."
    He died two months ago today and I miss him every minute.
    Steve Minnich
    Erin Holohan HaskellZman
  • GroundUp
    GroundUp Member Posts: 1,889
    Most of my father's quotes are things that can not be said in public. Although hilarious and/or inspirational, having spent his entire life in rural solitude, the language isn't exactly "politically correct". However I just got home from my folks' place and he did something that he's done as long as I can remember. When something unfortunate happens, whether getting hurt or just hitting the end of the proverbial mental rope, instead of yelling or throwing something like most of us would do, he puts his head back and laughs like that block of wood that just clocked him in the noggin was the funniest thing that's ever happened. Just roars with laughter until he's red in the face, and then it's all better. It took me 25 years to figure out why he does that, but I understand now that it's a way of sarcastically turning a bad thing into humor. Who can be mad while laughing right?

    One thing my grandfather has always said as does my father, is "Never trust a person who thinks they're not crazy". That one always struck me as odd too, until just recently at age 31 it finally clicked.
    Erin Holohan Haskell
  • JUGHNE
    JUGHNE Member Posts: 11,042
    An old Korean war vet, who spent a fair amount of time in the bars where I worked on equipment, told me many people considered him crazy.
    So much that he went down to what was called "the hill" and was examined and evaluated......he was given a bill of good mental health with the paperwork to go with it. So when someone would insinuate that he was crazy; he would say "I have medical papers to prove that I am not........show me yours!"

    He was quite clever, never talked about the war but legend is that his fiance was killed in a car accident years ago.
    Erin Holohan Haskell
  • Erin Holohan Haskell
    Erin Holohan Haskell Member, Moderator, Administrator Posts: 2,276
    Happy Father's Day to all, especially my dad @DanHolohan!
    President
    HeatingHelp.com
    Alan (California Radiant) ForbesIronman