Proverbs, Tall Tales, and Humorous Sayings of a Bygone Era

Fred G. Wilson’s childhood was set against the backdrop of The Great Depression and World War II, formative years that shaped his own character and the character of a nation. “Having a sense of humor seemed to ease the misery of those bygone days,” he writes, “and people poked fun at each other and sought to make light of the woes they were experiencing. Out of this era came some colorful, humorous, and enlightened sayings. In every part of our nation, there were colloquial expressions that summed up the feelings of the local region. This book contains some of these…Many of these expressions were learned at home from Mom and Dad. This was before television and we learned to amuse ourselves with ‘home-grown’ entertainment. Farm work, taking care of the livestock, and the many chores kept us busy. When I reflect back on those days, I wouldn’t change them even if I could…” Country folk have a language all their own. In Say What?, author Fred G. Wilson has gathered many of these expressions in order to save them for future generations, shedding a light on what it was like to grow up during the forties and fifties in rural America.

About the Author: Fred G. Wilson was born in 1935. He lived through the Depression, spent four years with the Navy, went to college, was employed at the Kennedy Space Center from Gemini 7 through Apollo 11, was a letter carrier with the U.S. Postal Service, earned a Bachelor of Divinity degree from Bible Baptist Seminary, and worked as a teacher. Along the way, he suffered intense personal tragedies and experienced amazing moments of love, which have made him the man he is. Mr. Wilson currently lives in Tennessee with his wife, Linda.