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30 Adult Children Online Open Up About Their Moms’ Best Catchphrases, And Some Are Simply Iconic

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One of my mom's favorite phrases is "I told you so!" Moreover, it didn’t actually matter whether she had previously warned about good or negative consequences, the most important thing was to say these words. At first I was surprised by such incredible ‘insight,’ then it infuriated me... and only as an adult, I realized that every mother simply has her own catchphrase!

In fact, this phenomenon is so damn common that there are three viral threads in the AskReddit community - nearly one thread per year - in which users share the most iconic catchphrases from their moms. And here is a summary of the best of the best in these threads, made for you by Bored Panda.

More info: Reddit

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#1

30 Adult Children Online Open Up About Their Moms' Best Catchphrases, And Some Are Simply Iconic Whenever my sister or I would complain about doing chores:

"What do you think you are, just a souvenir of a good time?"

It took me YEARS to figure that one out.

0jib , cottonbro studio Report

Final score:

123points

sturmwesen 3 months ago

at least it was good?

23points

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#2

30 Adult Children Online Open Up About Their Moms' Best Catchphrases, And Some Are Simply Iconic When she gets lost driving: "The world's round, we'll get there eventually".

anon , Wendy Wei Report

Final score:

114points

Green Machine 3 months ago

Hah. That's a good outlook to have.

43points

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#3

30 Adult Children Online Open Up About Their Moms' Best Catchphrases, And Some Are Simply Iconic “It’s only money”

Generally used after paying a large medical bill, or if we got in a fender bender. She isn’t a big spender, but she never put too much weight in money, as she viewed it as a tool, not her self-worth or identity.

-thedartedash- , Karolina Kaboompics Report

Final score:

88points

AKA AKA 3 months ago

its weird how we value stuff. if you think about it gold is just a metal. diamonds are just pretty rocks. you can wear fake ones , who's going to know?

28points

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And in fact, it is not so important under what circumstances our mothers uttered certain words - the main thing is that they were etched into our memory for many years. Our moms may have managed to grow old or even leave this world, but their favorite expressions have stayed with us for the long term, and some of us have even begun to use these words too. So to speak, to use our moms' cultural legacy.

#4

30 Adult Children Online Open Up About Their Moms' Best Catchphrases, And Some Are Simply Iconic "It doesn't matter what you end up doing in life as long as you're happy."

She can be wise sometimes.

WrestlingWoman , jonas mohamadi Report

Final score:

83points

Fish that is a Panda 3 months ago

But it does matter ifwhatever you're doing doesn't pay enough.

21points

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#5

30 Adult Children Online Open Up About Their Moms' Best Catchphrases, And Some Are Simply Iconic She runs through each of the kids' names before she gets to the one she actually wants to call.

"Ti-Jaa- Sarah!"

Lone_Ponderer , Elina Fairytale Report

Final score:

73points

Channon Doughty 3 months ago

Then ends with "Roll Call!' to play it off.

21points

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#6

30 Adult Children Online Open Up About Their Moms' Best Catchphrases, And Some Are Simply Iconic Grain by grain, you can create a mountain.

Everytime she finishes a chore she says it like a mantra.

Mother of 4 and we are close in age, my dad worked 14h days so she did all the housework herself.

She went back to work when we were older and apparently her co-workers tell us she also says it everytime she finishes something.

Aizpunr , Andrea Piacquadio Report

Final score:

71points

JM 3 months ago

I like this one!

17points

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After all, what is a person if not a set of unique memories, character traits - and, of course, the perception of them by other people? For some, these catchhrases were associated with joyful moments in life, for others - with sad ones. But still, for almost any of us, the mother occupies a very special place in life.

After all, this is the person who brought us into this world. A person of whom we were actually a part for the long months preceding our birth. And therefore, even if we strongly disagree with these phrases, over the years their perception still changes to something warm, homely and a tad bit ironic...

#7

30 Adult Children Online Open Up About Their Moms' Best Catchphrases, And Some Are Simply Iconic English is my mom's second language, so instead of saying "It's my way or the highway" my mom says "My way is the highway."

[deleted] , Ketut Subiyanto Report

Final score:

71points

Channon Doughty 3 months ago

That's the OG Mom version, where there is only one way, hers.

28points

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#8

30 Adult Children Online Open Up About Their Moms' Best Catchphrases, And Some Are Simply Iconic If it was a snake it would've bit you!

When I was looking for something in plain sight

PopeliusJones , Kamil Zubrzycki Report

Final score:

70points

Michelle C 3 months ago

My mom used to tell me this all the time when was a kid and still does sometimes! I’ve definitely picked up a lot from her!

14points

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#9

30 Adult Children Online Open Up About Their Moms' Best Catchphrases, And Some Are Simply Iconic "Are you drinking enough water?"

Headache? Drink more water. Upset stomach? Drink water. Bad grades? You need more water. Bone protruding from your knee? Drink some water, you'll be fine.

calinaxoxo , cottonbro studio Report

Final score:

70points

Binny Tutera 3 months ago

My mom was a nurse, and any time we said we didn't feel good, she would have us drink a glass of water. Guess what? It often worked!

28points

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“Each of us, of course, has our own unique personal traits, and specific words, phrases and even filler words also form part of us,” says Irina Matveeva, a psychologist and certified NLP specialist, with whom Bored Panda got in touch for a comment here. "And our parents are no exception of course."

“The perception of even the funniest and most ridiculous phrases from our parents changes over the years and as we grow up. And we often end up using these words ourselves. At least I knew one family where the same comic saying was passed on for at least four generations. Moreover, the younger ones already used the phrase consciously, as the family's ‘unique feature.’"

#10

30 Adult Children Online Open Up About Their Moms' Best Catchphrases, And Some Are Simply Iconic People in Hell want icewater, and they don't get it either. As a small child I used to point at things in stores and go "Oooooh, I want that!" She'd respond with that phrase. Now that I'm grown it's a joke. The other day we were driving to the grocery store and she mentioned wanting pizza from a certain restaurant that was closed. I grinned and said, "People in Hell want icewater, and they don't get it either!" She laughed and called me a smarta**.

sainsa , Elina Fairytale Report

Final score:

67points

Apatheist Account2 3 months ago

In teaching us to be polite, we were told "I want doesn't get". That did not work with my bosses or wife :(

11points

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#11

30 Adult Children Online Open Up About Their Moms' Best Catchphrases, And Some Are Simply Iconic “Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.”.

Chupaca_braj , Julia M Cameron Report

Final score:

66points

PhaseWitFact 3 months ago

It's only been in the last few years that I've heard this.

21points

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#12

30 Adult Children Online Open Up About Their Moms' Best Catchphrases, And Some Are Simply Iconic "Listen to me now and believe me later."

streamlivesoccerbot2 , Anna Report

Final score:

62points

Channon Doughty 3 months ago

Brilliant

13points

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"The nature of human memory is such that we tend to perceive many things from our childhood and youth with warmth, and various bad memories are actually 'washed out' from our reminiscences. This happens from year to year, from decade to decade - and now it’s our kids’ turn to crack up at our own 'mommish' wordings! This is life, and nothing can be done about it. Maybe someone could perceive this as yet another 'mom phrase'," Irina smiles.

#13

30 Adult Children Online Open Up About Their Moms' Best Catchphrases, And Some Are Simply Iconic “It’s not what you say it’s how you say it”

CEO of not putting up with my angsty teen attitude. This phrase used to drive me crazy.

AngstyManatee , Liza Summer Report

Final score:

60points

Binny Tutera 3 months ago

I think this is true waaay past teen years!

18points

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#14

30 Adult Children Online Open Up About Their Moms' Best Catchphrases, And Some Are Simply Iconic "Dont come crying to me later...".

cr1msonxo , RDNE Stock project Report

Final score:

59points

Trillian 3 months ago

Spoiler alert: They absolutely WILL come crying to you later.

39points

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#15

30 Adult Children Online Open Up About Their Moms' Best Catchphrases, And Some Are Simply Iconic Me: *does something stupid *

My mom: "common sense, not common in everyone.".

anon , Pinkinesss Report

Final score:

53points

Channon Doughty 3 months ago

My Mom's version was "They couldn't find their way out of a paper bag with both ends marked exit"

31points

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What else is left to add? Maybe to suggest that you scroll this list to the very end, read all these stories, smile and smile once more - and, perhaps, recognize the features of your own mom in someone’s nameless parent? In the end, mothers are all the same, at least in terms of love for their children. Even if these kids do not always realize this. Well, let’s just read and have a great time reading!

#16

30 Adult Children Online Open Up About Their Moms' Best Catchphrases, And Some Are Simply Iconic When she gets startled she'll say "Heavens to Murgatroyd!" which we've come to understand was stolen from a Yogi Bear character.

sloBrodanChillosevic , cottonbro studio Report

Final score:

51points

Jonathan 3 months ago (edited)

Snagglepuss! 🙂

44points

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#17

30 Adult Children Online Open Up About Their Moms' Best Catchphrases, And Some Are Simply Iconic “You can’t fly with the eagles when you run with the turkeys” It’s served me well so far.

lord_mandrayk , Andrea Piacquadio Report

Final score:

49points

MotherofGuineaPigs 3 months ago

Good advice - turkeys are mean. We have a forest preserve down the street and whenever we need to drive in that direction, Mr. Turkey is always ready to attack the car.

13points

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#18

30 Adult Children Online Open Up About Their Moms' Best Catchphrases, And Some Are Simply Iconic “Choices and consequences” recently I quoted it to my daughter (she was dancing in the bath,slipped and banged her head) and I realised I am my mum.

pinkglitteryseaglass , Karolina Kaboompics Report

Final score:

49points

Did I say that out loud? (he/him)cis/het 3 months ago

I hope you then told her not to come running if she's broken her leg.

22points

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#19

30 Adult Children Online Open Up About Their Moms' Best Catchphrases, And Some Are Simply Iconic "You catch more flies with honey than vinegar.".

anon , Polina Tankilevitch Report

Final score:

47points

Did I say that out loud? (he/him)cis/het 3 months ago

You'll catch even more with a steaming great turd.

24points

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#20

30 Adult Children Online Open Up About Their Moms' Best Catchphrases, And Some Are Simply Iconic “All I know is, I love you”

followed by a close second

“I’m doing the best I can”

Grinder901 , Bruna Saito Report

Final score:

45points

Parriah 3 months ago

Yeah, we only see our mothers as humans when it’s too late to have the compassion and understanding towards them. But this is the message most of them just wished we understood in our tumultuous growing up years.

9points

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#21

30 Adult Children Online Open Up About Their Moms' Best Catchphrases, And Some Are Simply Iconic I brought you into this world and I'll take you the f**k out of it. Usually while holding this giant metal rolling pin she had.

Diligent_Slide , Katerina Holmes Report

Final score:

44points

MotherofGuineaPigs 3 months ago

Mom had a wooden spatula - that sucker had no wind resistance in the swing

26points

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#22

30 Adult Children Online Open Up About Their Moms' Best Catchphrases, And Some Are Simply Iconic “Finesse, not force”

I have to admit over the years it’s helped me step back and take a breath before I end up breaking something to shit in frustration.

LittleBupBoy , Andrea Piacquadio Report

Final score:

44points

driedgrapes 3 months ago

Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.

11points

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#23

Every time we went on vacation when we started complaining she would yell "We are making MEMORIES."

fluffypuppiness Report

Final score:

43points

Did I say that out loud? (he/him)cis/het 3 months ago

To be fair, she didn't specify *good* memories.

29points

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#24

30 Adult Children Online Open Up About Their Moms' Best Catchphrases, And Some Are Simply Iconic "Wait! This bit's poisoned!"

Said every time she walked past me, while I was eating something; then promptly followed by her grabbing the "poisoned" bit of whatever I was eating and eating it herself.

She did this everyday while I lived under her roof. She still does it every time I visit or we go out for dinner.

vmlm , Elina Fairytale Report

Final score:

40points

Kare Deter 3 months ago

I call it *Mom tax*

19points

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#25

30 Adult Children Online Open Up About Their Moms' Best Catchphrases, And Some Are Simply Iconic At the grocery store and looking at prices:

"What? Do they put gold in it?"

GoreyFeldman , Jack Sparrow Report

Final score:

38points

AKA AKA 3 months ago

also - put that back, we have that at home

16points

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#26

30 Adult Children Online Open Up About Their Moms' Best Catchphrases, And Some Are Simply Iconic "We've got food at home"

Andy_7071 , Greta Hoffman Report

Final score:

38points

Did I say that out loud? (he/him)cis/het 3 months ago

Yeah, but I've got to cook it and then clean up afterwards.

16points

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#27

30 Adult Children Online Open Up About Their Moms' Best Catchphrases, And Some Are Simply Iconic "Know what I mean, Jellybean?"

My bf says if you asked his mom what's for dinner, a common response would be.. "fried farts, and pickled a******s" lol - shes very eccentric.

d0ubl3l0v3 , Katerina Holmes Report

Final score:

36points

UncleJohn3000 3 months ago

She must be eccentric. You don't fry farts, you poach them.

37points

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#28

30 Adult Children Online Open Up About Their Moms' Best Catchphrases, And Some Are Simply Iconic "Look with your eyes, not with your mouth"

heard this one too many times when asking mum to help me find stuff.

w0w0lf , SHVETS production Report

Final score:

35points

TheOneAndOnlyLightFury 3 months ago

My mom's version is "close your mouth and open your eyes"

16points

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#29

30 Adult Children Online Open Up About Their Moms' Best Catchphrases, And Some Are Simply Iconic You reap what you sow.

MadLintElf , Danik Prihodko Report

Final score:

34points

Magenta Blu 3 months ago

Saw winds you will reap storms

2points

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#30

30 Adult Children Online Open Up About Their Moms' Best Catchphrases, And Some Are Simply Iconic Muuuuuum what's for dinner?

"S**t with sugar on top".

anon , Andrea Piacquadio Report

Final score:

31points

SlothyK8 3 months ago

My Latina grandmother used to say "caca con cebolla". Sh!t with onions.

19points

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Note: this post originally had 44 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.

Oleg Tarasenko

After many years of working as sports journalist and trivia game author and host in Ukraine I joined Bored Panda as a content creator. I do love writing stories and I sincerely believe - there's no dull plots at all. Like a great Italian composer Joaquino Rossini once told: "Give me a police protocol - and I'll make an opera out of it!"

After many years of working as sports journalist and trivia game author and host in Ukraine I joined Bored Panda as a content creator. I do love writing stories and I sincerely believe - there's no dull plots at all. Like a great Italian composer Joaquino Rossini once told: "Give me a police protocol - and I'll make an opera out of it!"

What do you think ?

Binny Tutera 3 months ago

My mom always said, "You can make the world better, or you can make the world worse. But you cannot leave it the way you found it."

15points

LauraDragonWench 3 months ago

I'm surprised I didn't see one of the more famous phrases: "There are starving children in Africa, so finish your food!" Never did understand the correlation - I was always perfectly willing to mail those poor kids my unfinished food, but that answer never went down very well. 😜

10points

Auntriarch 3 months ago

We went to Africa when I was five, I noticed pretty quickly that there were no starving children in evidence, my mother had to backpedal smartly and assure me that the starving children were in a different part of Africa because it was big. She was actually right on both counts...

5points

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Gale Carmona 2 months ago

In my house the starving children were in China-

1point

Kelley Baltierra 3 months ago

I know. I never understood why my eating all my food is supposed to help them

0points

Trillian 3 months ago

"I am not your external hard drive" for my son who expected me to remember all his things for him.

9points

Michael Largey 3 months ago

Somehow my mother (born 1923) never came up with that one.

4points

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Binny Tutera 3 months ago

My mom always said, "You can make the world better, or you can make the world worse. But you cannot leave it the way you found it."

15points

LauraDragonWench 3 months ago

I'm surprised I didn't see one of the more famous phrases: "There are starving children in Africa, so finish your food!" Never did understand the correlation - I was always perfectly willing to mail those poor kids my unfinished food, but that answer never went down very well. 😜

10points

Auntriarch 3 months ago

We went to Africa when I was five, I noticed pretty quickly that there were no starving children in evidence, my mother had to backpedal smartly and assure me that the starving children were in a different part of Africa because it was big. She was actually right on both counts...

5points

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Gale Carmona 2 months ago

In my house the starving children were in China-

1point

Kelley Baltierra 3 months ago

I know. I never understood why my eating all my food is supposed to help them

0points

Trillian 3 months ago

"I am not your external hard drive" for my son who expected me to remember all his things for him.

9points

Michael Largey 3 months ago

Somehow my mother (born 1923) never came up with that one.

4points

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