My mom has always had a treasure trove of nonsense sayings. Honestly, I have a whole lot of funny family sayings. Random little phrases that stuck around for no good reason. Most of them feel like they came out of nowhere, and honestly, I’m not even sure she knows where they originated.

This one resurfaced recently when my sister brought it up, and it instantly brought back memories:

“If you can’t find ’em, grind ’em.”

She’d say it every time she struggled to shift gears in her old stick shift. The sound of metal grinding would fill the car, and without missing a beat, out came that line. As if it was part of the plan all along.

My sister and I would exchange a look from the backseat—half laughing, half questioning everything we thought we knew about driving… and life.

It’s one of those phrases that makes zero sense and complete sense at the same time. Just pure mom energy. And somehow, it’s now burned into our memories like an inside joke with a mechanical soundtrack.

Funny how certain sayings stick like that, right? Even the totally nonsensical ones become part of the family story.

Do you have a family phrase that lives rent-free in your brain? One that makes you laugh, cringe, or tilt your head in confusion? I’d love to hear it.

Do you have a family phrase that lives rent-free in your brain? One that makes you laugh, cringe, or tilt your head in confusion? I’d love to hear it.

If you’d like to read more posts from my Behind the Phrase series, click here.