It’s been said that foul language is the mark of a limited vocabulary and a poor imagination. A person who can’t hold a decent conversation without the use of expletives is oftentimes referred to as a potty mouth.
Well this takes that concept to a whole new level…
And you thought it was going to be a photograph of rough-and-tumble Willa. But no, it’s the prima donna herself, Miss Lexi—sheesh!
Certainly not perfect, I can remember having my mouth washed out with soap on a few childhood occasions. And I can still hear my mother’s wise advice: Make your words sweet and tender today, for tomorrow you may have to eat them.
Have you ever had your mouth washed out?
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Tuesdays with Laurie 
Hi,
It certainly does bring potty mouth to whole new level, just love the photo, taken at just the right time, it is obvious to be that Miss Lexi thinks the toilet water is whole lot better than the clean water in her bowl. 😆
Oh yes I have had my mouth washed out, my Mum also did the soap thing, nasty stuff. 🙂
Magsx2 – I try to keep the camera handy. When I heard Lexi’s tag clinking against the toilet bowl in the bathroom, I snuck up and snapped a shot.
What a great photo! I’ve never had my mouth washed out with soap, but I HAVE wished for “sweeter words to eat the next day” on a couple of occasions…
Dana – I’m so glad you’ve never had the occasion to have your mouth washed out. It’s funny three or four decades later, but not at the time 🙂
Oh yes……
Bar soap……
Probably Coast………
Never again!!!!!!!
Kim – Well at least you got Coast. I got Lava.
Our Mom used to say something very similar about foul language and it seems to have stuck. Even when the temptation is there, the words are hard pressed to escape. Although there can be a certain secret satisfaction when at times (rarely, thank heavens) they have done just that 🙂
Colleen – It’s good that your lips are dutiful guardians that don’t let that kind of stuff pass. (Every now and then my guards fall asleep on the job)…
My mum used to say it but I don’t think she ever carried it through. If you have your mouth washed out with soap would you be like Dopey when he swallows the soap in Snow White?
Andrew – I like the funny word picture you painted about Dopey in Snow White!
I haven’t had the pleasure, but my youngest brother did when he was really young. (He was the rebel in the family!) We learned very early on not to use the ‘f’ word in front of my mother. She hated it so much she actually slapped a picketer’s face when he swore at her as she crossed the picket line in front of Supertore. Then, he had the nerve to charge her with assault! She was about sixty at the time. When the guy explained what happened to the judge, the charges were thrown out of court. The judge as much as said to the guy that he should have had his mouth washed out with soap and the judge didn’t blame my mother for slapping him!
Mywithershins – Oh, I love the story about your mom. And now we know where your brother got his rebel spunk!
Yup! 🙂
Mywithershins – That single word conveys oh-so-much 🙂
Ha ha ha….brilliant 🙂
Xx
Vikki – I’m glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Wondering why dogs think the water in the toilet bowl tastes better than the water in the dog dish…
Never had my mouth washed out with soap. My dad swore like a sailor so he didn’t have a leg to stand on when it came to correcting us. Whenever my sister or I uttered a curse my mother would look sternly at my father and remind him, “Monkey see, monkey do.” I resented being compared to a monkey so I kept my swearing to a minimum.
Ohmygosh, laughing hysterically! I couldn’t quite imagine what your potty-mouth blog would be about. April Fools, Laurie! I have, thank goodness, never had my mouth washed out with soap. Have a great day, my friend! (I love your flexibility and sense of humor when the Universe points in a different direction than planned.)
Kathy – I knew I was gonna have to flexible — bend like Gumby — when I accidentally pushed the “publish” button last night! It’s much more fun to laugh than to cry, especially since no amount of tears was going to undo what was already done 🙂
So will you be blogging on Tuesday, too?
Kathy – Absolutely! I’d had a different one set up to post this coming Tuesday when all of a sudden Miss Lexi pulled a potty mouth and I couldn’t resist posting it first (although a few days earlier than expected), so I’ve got one waiting in the wings 🙂
Love the post. I have never had my mouth washed out. Good grief I couldn’t even say shoot because it sounded like something else!!!!!!!!!! 🙂 I never heard cursing growing up, but I was fascinated to hear my grandfather use mild words because that was sooooooooooo off limits. And there he was just liberally saying whatever he wanted in front of my parents. I wondered how he could be so brave!! 🙂 🙂
Terri – Your remembrance made me remember my mother telling us that paternal grandfather used to try to get us (at a very young age) to say “ketchup” because it would come out as “cat shit” and he would crack up laughing!
Laurie, I’ve had my mouth washed out more than once, indiscretion in speech has often been my downfall. I’ve often uttered words that were more on the tough and leathery side than the sweet and tender ones you mention. As the Old Farmer says, ” too late closing the door when the mule has left the barn.” There have been many times I wished I had shoved my fist into my mouth before I jammed both feet in. These days I have no one who is willing or able to wash my mouth out with Dial soap ( can’t stand the stuff, won’t use it! ) so I have to make sure my filters are in place when I get over-excited. But sometimes the occasional bad word hops out anyway and I am glad to let it go.
Sandi – Over-excited as in finding a ginormous snake in the Chicken Ladies house circled around eggs, having already eaten two? I still can’t get over the fact that you went and got your camera and actually went back — to the snake! — to get multiple photographs 🙂
Gosh, this is hysterical, Laurie. Reminds me of our dog Ralph, who if we don’t watch, will eat his sister Lucy’s poop in the yard, before we can get it picked up. I wish I could get him to drink out of the toilet instead.
Hugs,
Kathy
Kathy – Shame on Ralph 🙂 I agree that “eau de toilette” is the preferred choice.
Zip is too short for potty mouth! Muddy street puddles for him.
My mother was right and proper and there was no swearing in her house and thus no soap routines of punishment. There was also no drinking allowed or smoking – ever. No sloppy table manners, proper grammar and we had to study at a desk not on floor or bed. You get the picture
My daughter #2 was the big exception to her rules. When she started to talk her first word was loud and excited – she saw the DUCK at the lake – only her version came out with an F at the front of the sound/word. My mother never said a thing and just enjoyed the child talking, but she would carefully work on how my kiddo pronounced her words and listened/heard things. The 38 years of teaching 1st grade kicked into natural habits and within a year this child was speaking with stunning diction.
I will say I swear more than my children do My preferred word will follow…it comes from Europe when they were shipping bags of manure to Africa to create food gardens. If manure gets wet it can kill everyone on board a ship…so all the bags were stamped
Ship
High
In
Transit
or they used just the first letters…..Daughter #2 wrote a whole paper on this word in college and our family just took it on in style – but not in front of my mum
Patricia – The story about daughter #2, your mother, and the ducks made me laugh! And thanks for adding “ship high in transit” to my knowledge base, that’s cool!
Ha! Love that visual metaphor for a “potty mouth” Laurie! Luckily I never did have such a terrible thing happen to me as a kid, as I wasn’t really a swearer at that point. Still, I mumble to myself now mostly when I’m miffed or flabbergasted, as I have no desire to pass on a bad habit to the younger ones. But the washing the mouth out with soap has quite a success rate I know.
Sam – I can well imagine that keeping one’s language clean and tidy with five children under the roof is important. Otherwise, you could end up with quite a blue streak throughout the house.
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Yes, I have been angrily face raped by a bar of handsoap, on more than one occasion. I think that the offending word was probably poopy butt or poop face. Thankfully, I didn’t own the full arsenal of words that I do today or I probably would have been pummeled for asking my mum to get that f…ing bar of soap out of my mug!
Bob – I can just picture you and your mom wrestling over a bubble-laden bar of soap. Sometimes it’s better to “run fast, run far!” Make it a stellar day!
Hi Laurie,
Can’t say I’ve had my mouth washed out, tho I should have! 🙂 We have small dogs now that cannot reach the toilet – had a Lab once who loved to drink toilet water so it got us in the habit of putting the lid down. Besides, I read in some feng sschway or whatever book that to leave the lid up is to allow your money to float away. Being more into conserving money than toilet water, I trained myself to put the lid down! 🙂
Hugs
SuZen
SuZen – That’s good to know about the feng shui 🙂
Miss Laurie I love this picture! It made me smile this morning. Thank you!
Beth – I’m glad you enjoyed it. Make it a stellar day!
No, I never had my mouth washed out with soap. I grew up in the ’70s and was such a perfectionist that my sixth grade peers tried to get me to swear but I refused. Now, however, it’s a 360 degree turnaround, and my elementary aged boy asks me not to swear while driving.
Jessica – Funny story! Now your sons are monitoring your “colorful” comments as you drive 🙂
I have on several occasions shot off my mouth before taking careful aim at what I was shooting at and ended up hitting a few folks who were just minding their business and being themselves. I have a couple of mottos that help me keep myself in line, but my favorite one is: never miss an opportunity to keep my mouth shut.
Barbara – “Never miss an opportunity to keep my mouth shut.” Having stuffed my foot in my mouth on any number of occasions, the taste of shoe leather has gotten old. I will remember your wonderful motto — it’s fantastic!
Oh my gosh, that is so funny….my daughter is also over here laughing her head off 🙂
Anne – I’m glad you enjoyed this post 🙂
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This made me smile, especially the photo 🙂
Ann – Every time I look at that photo I grin 🙂
Yes, good old Ivory soap! I never said the word again. Although, I don’t even remember what it was. Yuk! A nostalgic post that brought back some fun memories.
Oster’s Mom – Ivory soap. I’m gagging just thinking about it…