Last night, getting food on the table, I thought, “How many of our common conversational phrases do we pull from books?”
And it wasn’t a non-sequiter, either. I had just called out, “Wash up for supper, Ernst” when the query crossed my mind.
But here’s the thing. We don’t have an Ernst. We’ve got two daughters who usually call supper dinner. But Wash up for supper, Ernst is our daily and understood verb — thanks to Elisa Klevin.
It’s not unlike my personal favorite, “Think, Oliver, think,” — always a good reminder, and for which credit is due to Laurel Molk.
And hello, Jarrett J. Krosoczka — the pen behind “A very big idea. A very brown idea. A very big, brown, bag idea.” I mean, come on, tell me that you don’t need that phrase at least once a week.
I think this has got to be the highest form of authorial flattery — adopting bits of books into our own daily vernacular. The very idea that what we read resonates so contagiously — wow. Those are the books I wish I’d written or hope to write.
In the meantime, cheers to Elfrida Vipont (“But he never once said please!”) and Wayne Harris (“Mrs. Be-the-best-you-can”) and Ian Falconer (“I love you anyway, too.”)
Things would be a little less sweet and round and articulate around here without you all, and your books.
We do this too!
“Just try it, Sam I Am.”
“Chew and Swallow, like the town.”
“A Sock is a Pocket for Your Toes!” (Sound familiar?)
And the really cute thing is that my girls quote themselves from MY book! They don’t really remember saying the quotes originally but they love reading about themselves and their cute sayings.
Gosh, Liz, aren’t we so lucky to have kids who love books?? I was helping with Jane’s class today and we were working on a writing project and a few of the kids (only a few) were just totally uninterested in writing or reading anything. I would have the hardest time parenting kids who didn’t love words…
Re: We do this too!
I’ll bet it’s no accident, though, Barb. That they love words, I mean. Chew and Swallow, like the town!?!? I LOVE that one.
Too fun! “I’m late, I’m late! For a very important date!” so says the Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland. My favorite thing to say to get the kids out the door.
When I was growing up, my mom always told us to wash our hands by saying, “Wash your paws to please.” It was such a natural part of the conversation that it took me awhile to realize it was from Zigger Beans, by Diane Redfield Massie (a book that really should have come back into print a long time ago).
As a grownup, I still find myself saying, “Toasty-oasty-oasty warm” from Charlotte’s Web.