BRISTOL — Margaret Owen has kept track of the things she’s heard over her 90 years on this Earth.
The Bristol resident took the time to write down some of the old sayings or superstitions that people used to use and some still are used.
Some of them are filled with wisdom, some of them are a little silly. Many of them can make you stop and think.
1. Comb your hair in the dark, you’ll comb sorrow into your heart.
2. Clean hair out of your comb and burn it, or you could lose all your hair.
3. Drop a dishcloth on the floor and company is coming.
4. Drop a fork, a man is coming to visit. Drop a knife, a woman is coming. Drop a spoon, you’ll get a letter.
5. If you spoon off bubbles on top your coffee before they touch the side of the cup and put them into your mouth, you’ll get some money.
6. Never when walking with a friend allow a tree to come between you, walk around it; otherwise, a fight will happen.
7. If you go outside of a dwelling and have forgotten something inside and go back inside, always sit on a chair or something for a second or two; otherwise, bad luck will follow.
8. Bad luck or death comes in three’s.
9. Never count cars in a funeral procession or get bad luck.
10. If it rains in an open grave, another will soon follow.
11. If a dog howls, someone will die from whatever direction the dog holds its head.
12. Never cut finger or toenails on Sunday or get bad luck.
13. Never start anything new on Friday or you will never finish it.
14. Rub a wart with a dry bean and bury the bean.
15. Never light three lamps in a row in a room or bad luck.
16. If a black cat crosses your path in front of you, bad luck will follow.
17. When a snake dies, its tail doesn’t die until sunset.
18. Tip over a salt shaker and you’ll have a fight with someone in the direction the salt spills unless you throw some salt over your left shoulder.
19. Never open an umbrella inside a dwelling or bad luck.
20. If a hand or foot goes to sleep, wet a finger with your tongue and make a cross on the sleeping limb.
21. Dream of someone dead and you’ll hear from someone alive.
22. If your right palm itches, you’ll be shaking hands with someone soon, and if left hand itches, you are about to get money.
23. If your ears are ringing, someone is talking about you.
24. Hiccups mean someone is thinking of you. If you can think who it is, the hiccups will stop.
25. On a cloudy day, seeing enough blue sky to make a cat a pair of trousers, the sky will clear.
26. Never walk under a ladder or bad luck.
27. A bird gets into your house, bad luck will follow.
28. If a broom falls across the doorway, expect company.
29. See a pin pick it up and all through the day you will have good luck.
30. If you sew on Sunday a lie will be told about you for each stitch you do.
31. Never put your hat on a bed or ill health will follow.
Editor’s note: Thanks to Sandra Comly for sharing Margaret Owen’s sayings with us.