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Statesman, inventor, and diplomat Benjamin Franklin offered a few warnings in the form of admonishments. 鈥淎n ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.鈥� 鈥淎 penny saved is a penny earned.鈥� 鈥淎 stitch is time saves nine.鈥�

I鈥檓 not sure who gets credit for this one: 鈥淔or want of a nail a shoe was lost. For want of a shoe a horse was lost. For want of a horse a rider was lost. For want of a rider the message was lost. For want of a message the battle was lost. For want of a battle the kingdom was lost. And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.鈥� Did someone else say, 鈥淭he devil is in the details?鈥�

Here鈥檚 one I鈥檝e heard for most of my life: 鈥淚f it鈥檚 worth doing over, it鈥檚 worth doing right the first time.鈥� Speaking of doing over, friend Steve Wilmore鈥檚 late mother use to say, 鈥淵ou鈥檙e going to have to lick that calf again.鈥�

My father had a few favorites he used when a job was almost done. 鈥淏oys, we鈥檙e getting in the short rows!鈥� he would say; or 鈥淏oys, we鈥檝e just about got this little ball of yarn wound up!鈥� Friend, the late Buck Woodard, told me his father used to say, 鈥淏oys, the water is at the end of the row!鈥�

Here are a few others that readily come to mind: 鈥淎n idle mind is the devil鈥檚 workshop.鈥� 鈥淢easure twice, and cut once.鈥� 鈥淚t鈥檚 better to be safe than sorry.鈥� 鈥淚f at first you don鈥檛 succeed, try, try again.

Here鈥檚 one from my childhood days: 鈥淪ticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never harm me!鈥� I have lived to realize that is not true. Sometimes words can do much more damage than sticks or stones. With that thought in mind, here鈥檚 a great quote from long ago: 鈥淭he swiftest horse can n鈥檈r overtake a word once spoken.鈥� Sometimes, 鈥淚 take it back!鈥� just isn鈥檛 good enough.

My mother used to quote this little poem:

鈥淎s you travel through this life, make sure your words are sweet.

Because you never, never know which ones you鈥檒l have to eat.鈥�

Some sayings are so spot on you just can鈥檛 miss their meaning. Like 鈥渟licker than snot on a doorknob鈥� or 鈥渟licker than a peeled onion鈥� or 鈥渟harp as a briar鈥� or 鈥渦gly as sin鈥� or 鈥渕eaner than a junkyard dog.鈥�

I have an old friend who, with dismay, was once describing how he thought a young woman was dancing too close to her partner in a public setting. 鈥淲hy, she was laid up against him like a sick kitten to a hot rock!鈥� he declared. Now, that is just too close! But you get the picture.

Sometimes a line worth remembering can come from a great song or a classic movie. Here are a few of my favorites. 鈥淗is horse was as fast as polished steel.鈥� 鈥淚 guess every form of refuge has its price.鈥� 鈥淭here is iron in your words.鈥� 鈥淥f all the trails in life, there is one that matters most. It is the trail of a true, human being. I think you are on this trail. And it is good to see.鈥�

鈥淲hy, he鈥檚 poor as a snake,鈥� or 鈥淗e鈥檚 poor as a church mouse, or better yet, He鈥檚 as poor as Job鈥檚 turkey!鈥� I鈥檝e heard people say. Or, of someone else, 鈥淗e鈥檚 got enough money to burn a wet mule!鈥� Quite frankly, I鈥檝e sometimes wondered how much money it would take to burn a wet mule. I would think you would have to have a pretty good blaze going. That would take a lot of money!

鈥淚鈥檒l see you in the funny paper!鈥�