My mom says some funny shit. Half the time it doesn’t make sense — and when I ask her about it, even she doesn’t know where she was going with it. We just laugh it off.
But then there are the things she says that clearly do have meaning — little one-liners that feel like they had to come from somewhere. Whether it was passed down or picked up along the way, they stuck.
So, I’m starting a new series on the blog all about old sayings I grew up hearing. Some are weird, some are wise, and some are just plain hilarious. I’ll be diving into where they came from and the stories behind them.
Got a funny or nostalgic saying you grew up with? Let me know — I’d love to feature it!
One of the most memorable sayings from my childhood?
“Tough titty,” said the kitty, “when the milk went dry.”
I didn’t fully understand it as a kid (and definitely wasn’t sure I was allowed to say it out loud), but I knew exactly what it meant: Too bad, life isn’t fair. My mom would say it when I was whining about something trivial — and now, it lives rent-free in my head.
Where Did It Come From?
This cheeky little rhyme started showing up in American slang around the 1950s or 60s. It’s one of those sayings passed down by word of mouth — part sarcasm, part sass.
You might’ve heard other versions, like:
“Tough titty,” said the kitty to the little bitty bear, “you get no milk ’cause there’s none in there!”
No one really knows who said it first, but it’s stuck around for a reason — it’s funny, memorable, and oddly wise.
Why It Still Sticks With Me
Looking back, I realize it wasn’t just about the words. It was the tone. The delivery. The no-nonsense attitude my mom had when it came to little disappointments.
It’s not something I say out loud (yet), but it is something I think about more than I expected to as an adult — especially when I find myself comforting my own child and wondering, Do I sugarcoat everything? Or is it okay to just be honest sometimes?
What Did Your Family Say?
Have you heard this one before? Or did someone in your life have their own unforgettable one-liners? I’d love to hear them.
This is the first post in a new series I’m writing, sharing the quirky, hilarious, and sometimes surprisingly wise sayings I grew up hearing. Because let’s be honest — every family has someone with a treasure trove of one-liners.
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