The WWII generation had phrases for practically everything, and it’s a real shame we don’t use them today, especially since they fit modern life a little too well.
Keep something going a little longer
The older generation didn’t immediately throw things away when they were damaged or slightly broken. No, they were big believers in the line ‘Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without,’ especially during World War II.Â
The government asked Americans to stretch everything they had back then, after all. It’s a message we could do with following today. Replacing our possessions feels a lot easier than finding out why they stopped working, and that’s part of the problem.
Some information doesn’t need sharing
People took ‘Loose lips sink ships’ pretty seriously in those days. Posters would warn civilians not to casually discuss troop movements or shipping schedules during World War II. Any information that could reach enemy ears was a no-go.
That basic idea hasn’t aged badly, and we’d do well to hear that phrasing today. Not every detail needs to be posted or forwarded to other people, and sometimes, private really does mean private. The topic itself doesn’t matter. Keep some things to yourself because you don’t know where those words might end up.
Work with what’s actually available
The WWII generation knew a lot about practicality, and the saying, ‘Make do,’ shows that. People couldn’t simply replace their clothes or appliances while the war was going on. No, they patched and substituted anything they could. They’d improvise as much as they could.
The UK actually had an official ‘Make Do and Mend’ campaign, it was that serious. Such a message is still quite useful. You’ve got what you’ve got, so start there, and figure out what you can do with your stuff. Any improvised fixes will probably turn out perfectly fine, anyway.
Leave tomorrow’s problems in tomorrow
We’re in an age of constant anxiety, mostly due to social media. It’s easy to worry yourself sick over something that hasn’t even happened because of what you saw online. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
The old saying, ‘Don’t borrow trouble,’ is older than World War II, yes, but it was very much part of the language that generations knew back then. It had a simple enough message. Don’t start suffering over tomorrow’s problem today, especially when tomorrow’s problem might never appear. It’s easier said than done, of course, but try to ignore those worries.
Finish it properly
‘A job worth doing is worth doing well’ was common enough before 1939 that it appeared in American newspapers during the war years. It’s one of those lines you’d probably hear at home from your parents.
No, it doesn’t mean everything has to become a masterpiece. It’s simply saying that if you’re already doing it, don’t leave the last screw loose. Put your effort into every piece of work you complete, and treat the task like it’s worth something. Because it is.
Fix the small problem first
Benjamin Franklin actually used the line ‘an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure’ back in the 1730s while he was talking about fire prevention. Later generations kept repeating it. The math is hard to argue with, in all honesty.
You’re better off spending the time and money on preventing a problem, rather than trying to fix it. It’s easy to apply that kind of thinking to technology or even healthcare. Do the boring little things early on so that they don’t become expensive later.
Know what you’re doing before charging ahead
The term ‘half-cocked’ used to refer to firearms, and it became part of the saying, ‘Don’t go off half-cocked.’ The full phrase has nothing to do with guns, though. It actually means that you shouldn’t act before you’re properly ready to do so.
That’s something a lot of people should hear today. There are way too many people who charge ahead by sharing their opinions or talking about things they’re not even fully aware of. Get the full context first, and then react.
Finally, you’ve got it
It was during the 1920s that ‘Now you’re on the trolley’ first became popular as American slang, and it stuck around until the 1940s. It’s from a time when actual trolleys were still an ordinary sight in many cities. We don’t have that context today, though, so the comparison seems a bit strange.
But the point still stands. The saying essentially meant ‘Now you understand’ or ‘You’ve got the right idea.’ It’s a reminder that understanding the point matters a lot more than arguing around it, or pretending that you get it.
Things are better than you realize
People used to say, ‘You don’t know you’re born’ when they wanted someone to know they had things easier than they realized. It was quite a familiar saying for families living through ration books and shortages.Â
We could use that thinking today. Try saying it anytime someone complains that the Wi-Fi is taking eight seconds to reconnect, or when the barista gets the order slightly wrong. They’re things that would’ve looked fairly extraordinary not that long ago.
Don’t pretend you’re holding a winning hand
Being a four-flusher isn’t as cool as it sounds. People used to tell each other, ‘Don’t be a four-flusher’ because a ‘four-flusher’ was someone with four cards of the same suit in poker. They don’t make the hand.
The saying’s telling people not to brag or pretend to be more impressive than they actually are. A lot of people on social media would benefit from hearing that kind of message.
Enjoying the silence
You don’t need to fill every silence, and sometimes, the room just goes quiet. That’s okay. People understood that during WWII, and they’d say, ‘Can the chatter.’ It’s not polite, that’s for sure.
But it’s a good reminder that silence is okay now and again. You don’t need to keep talking or doing things to try and avoid a few minutes of dead space. Let the conversation breathe, now and again.
Everybody knew one of these guys
Sad Sack wasn’t even a real soldier, but plenty of real soldiers knew exactly who he was. It’s the nickname for the Army character from George Baker’s comic in Yank magazine. People started using the name as shorthand for the guy who always seemed pathetic.
You know the kind of person, the one who misses the bus and drops his coffee all the time. It was funny. The younger generation would benefit from learning how to laugh at ordinary failure without turning each setback into an identity.
Sources: Please see here for a complete listing of all sources that were consulted in the preparation of this article.
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