Helpful Sayings

Feb 14, 2022 | ENGINEER & COMMUNICATE, Uncategorized

Maybe you are looking for a new “angle” or just want to reinforce your existing thought train – This list of Helpful Sayings will get you on the right track to find A Better Way

Helpful Sayings – To Engineer A Better Way

The following is a list of Helpful Sayings which can be used to create a positive mind set in order to focus on and drive success for “A Better Way”.
Helpful Sayings can form the basis of essential management technique, decision making and well being. They can reinforce or trigger thought trains or fire up your motivation.
Over the years, important Helpful Sayings can slip from memory or there may be very apt sayings which you have not encountered. – Therefore, it is important to regularly review the lists of Helpful Sayings.
Some will assist in determining a critical decision, some will fire up your motivation level, some will be amusing, some will help you to manage psychological challenges and some will reinforce your existing thought train.
So whether its “The Buck Stops Here” or you need to avoid “Paralysis By Analysis” or need that extra reason to “JFDI” you will surely find that Helpful Saying in these lists.

Consideration was originally given to separate categories of Sayings – such as Engineering Design, Personal Well Being, Business Management etc – but the Sayings cut across all of the categories – so that would not work.
Therefore, and maybe not ideal, it was decided to randomly list them in groups
As with may aspects of life – Some may seem contradictory and it becomes a value judgement decision regarding which one takes precedence. Some are explored in more detail in the Engineer & Communicate Topics section of this site.

An Example of helpful sayings might be….
As we all know from our own experiences – Even tho’ all of the correct process and procedure have been followed – There are times when something can come out of “Left Field” to disrupt the “Best Laid Plans Of Mice And Me” – And we all know that sometimes – “Sediment Just Happens” – And when that Sediment does “Hit The Fan” – there is a need to have a very good “CYA” plan in place

List of Helpful Sayings ……

In no particular order

List 1

• Think 3R        Review – Refresh – Reset
• Do It Once – Do It Right   Why is it that there are many instances when we do not allow enough time to get a job done right, the first time – But we can always make time to come back and fix the foul up
• Nil Illigitamus Carburundum Desperandum – When the pressure is on – remember this old Latin saying   –  Which roughly translates to – Don’t Let The Bastards Grind You Down
  
• Don’t Die in a Ditch over non critical issues which you can not win. Bite your tongue, walk away and save yourself the time, effort and mental anguish. Pick the fights you can win and let the others go
• JFDI – Sometimes there comes a time to cut the procrastination and “Just Flipping Do It”
• Paralyses by Analyses – Sometimes there is just Toooooo…. much information and a job or project suffers from – Paralyses by Analyses – Then it becomes time to JFDI
• Never say Never – if a decision is wrong – it’s WRONG – don’t get sucked into the argument that… “well we have done 95% of the work so its too late to change now – lets just run with it” – As painful as it may be – the bottom line is – It’s never too late to change – if something is wrong – it’s WRONG.
• Don’t change horses mid stream – This may seem at odds with “Never Say Never” – BUT unless something is patently wrong – don’t change it mid way through on a whim or stray thought.
• Do not use the word Compromise – there is always likely to be “give and take” – but using the word compromise sends a bad signal – use the word “Balance” or a similar word or expression.
• Always Have A Plan – Any Plan – “It is better to have a bad plan than no plan” is attributed to chess player Garry Kasparov

List 2

• Pick The Low Hanging Fruit – The job/work might be low priority – but it is easy to do – This can have advantage when there is a need to demonstrate “progress” with a stalled or slow moving job. Or it could be “in your face” all the time and distracting you or others from the more important jobs. It’s easy – so knock it over and it’s gone – so that you can move on.

• The Definition of Insanity – Doing the same things over and over again in exactly the same way and expecting a different result – this definition is usually attributed to Albert Einstein
• The Definition of Stupidity – Knowing the truth, seeing the truth, but still believing the lies.
• How to Eat an Elephant – When the job just seems to be too big and overwhelming – take “One bite at a time”
• Tunnel Vision – Can work for you or against you – If you need to finish a job and block out all distractions it is good – If you block out all ancillary vision of things which could help you – then it can be bad
•  Too Many Balls In The Air At The Same Time– can mean that you are unable to give the correct focus to any of them – If you feel that may be the case – Prioritize and  Park the non critical ones
• Murphy’s Law or a similar name – If there is any possibility that something could go wrong – It almost definitely will go wrong
• Coming out of Left Field – In an ideal world – Everything will go to plan – But we do not live in an ideal world and the likelihood is that something unplanned for will happen i.e come out of left field
• It Doesn’t Matter How Good We Are – ( or think that we are) We Can Always Get Better – Don’t rest on your laurels – keep pushing ahead to get better
• Think KISS – Keep It Simple Stupid

List 3

• When You Are In A Hole And You Realize That You Are In A Hole – Stop Digging
• It doesn’t matter how bad things are – They can always get worse !!!
  
• Always think Positive – don’t be your own worst enemy and talk yourself into defeat – erase any negative thoughts
  
• Back To The Drawing Board -” Back To The CAD System” doesn’t have quite the same ring to it
• Knowledge is Power – Francis Bacon – Meditationes Sacrae (1597)
• Do not fear the Unknown – Find a way to make it Known
• The Peter Principle – whereby people within an organization will rise to their level of incompetence
• Parkinson’s Law – whereby work will expand to fill the allotted time
• The Devil is in the Detail – Fairly self explanatory
• If a particular job was deemed to be “Easy” – Anyone could do it and they wouldn’t need you

List 4

• Remind people that you do not have a Magic Wand or Fairy Dust in order to fix a difficult issue
• Don’t Get Stressed Over What You Can Not Change – Fairly self explanatory
• If it’s Not Documented – It Never Happened – Fairly self explanatory – there are times when it is vital to keep documented records of events and activities
• The Only Person Who Never Made A Mistake Is The Person Who Never Did Anything – Fairly self explanatory – Obviously it is important to learn from your mistakes and not to repeat them
• Learn from your Mistakes – and do not repeat them
• Rome Wasn’t Built In A Day – I should know – I was on that job!!
• Brute Force And Ignorance – Sometimes, when all else has failed and you have  just run out of ideas – the only option is Brute Force And Ignorance – surprisingly – it often works
• Eureka – “I have got it” or similar expression
• When The Going Gets Tough – The Tough Get Going – Fairly self explanatory
  
• Grasping At Straws – When you are so desperate that you will grasp at anything which might offer a solution – regardless of whether it is of any use or not

List 5

• It’s 6 Of One And Half A Dozen Of The Other – In other words – don’t get caught up trying to distinguish between two very similar scenarios
• The Grass Is Always Greener On The Other Side Of The Hill – Whilst ambition is good and desirable, there can be a false mindset that what lies ahead and out of sight is always going to be better than what we already have
  
• Always CYA – Have a plan to Cover Your Anatomy – if something goes wrong
• Don’t Be Afraid To Get Your Hands Dirty – Fairly self explanatory – get involved at the coal face so that you understand any issues which may arise
  
• Avoid “Tilting at Windmills”  – fighting imaginary enemies
• Genius is 1% Inspiration and 99% Perspiration – according to Thomas Edison
• Remember the Pareto 80/20 Principle when decision making
• Water Under The Bridge – Learn from your mistakes but do not dwell on them unnecessarily – they are gone, history, just like water which has flowed under a bridge – it’s not coming back
• The Only Person Who Has Never Made A Mistake – is The Person Who Has Never Done Anything
• We Are Only Human – And we all make mistakes – Don’t beat yourself up – Learn and move on – Remember that the only person who never made a mistake is the person who never did anything

List 6

• At The End Of The Day – or a similar expression – When many issues are being brought up and clouding or confusing the judgement process – it is very likely that with clear thought – they can be distilled down to a single or relatively small number. An example may be something along the lines of – All of the issues have been considered – But At The End Of The Day – it all comes down to ……… “insert comment here”
• Crystallize – Same as “At The End Of The Day”
• Boiling It All Down – Same as “At The End Of The Day”
• Do Not Sweep It Under The Carpet – If something needs to be done – Do It or plan to Do It – Don’t put it to one side and forget about it – It will surely come back and bite you
• A Square Peg In A Round Hole – typically applies to the wrong person in the wrong job – for any number of reasons – Although this saying could also apply to other aspects, such as design, detail methodology, process etc –  It may not only apply to a person – but the wrong entity
• Opportunity For improvement – Consider the option of NOT using the word “Problem” with its negative connotations – But instead turn a negative into a positive by using the phrase – “Opportunity For Improvement” ….. So that “Houston we have a problem” – would become “Houston we have an opportunity for improvement” !!!!
• Think Outside Of The Square – For fairly routine activities – it probably doesn’t make a lot of sense to try and Reinvent The Wheel – However for more challenging issues with no obvious solution, solutions which have been tried and failed or solutions which obviously need improvement – there may be a very good argument for Thinking Outside Of The Square – and there are many methodologies which can be applied
• Don’t Reinvent The Wheel – If it works fine and does not need reinventing
• If it ain’t broke – Don’t fix it
• If the mountain won’t come to Muhammed – Muhammed must go to the mountain – In simple terms: In an Ideal World – You may want events to happen a certain way – However in the Real World there may be very sound reasons why those events will not happen – For example the mountain will never move – In which case there is a need to “swallow your pride” and do what needs to be done to get a result.

List 7

• Time and Tide wait for none – Recognize that there are some entities which can not be manipulated – Ultimately there is a need to work with them on their terms
• If You Cannot Stand The Heat – Get Out Of The Kitchen – If the pressure or a similar function is too great to manage – Don’t keep putting yourself under unnecessary stress – which can only have a negative effect on your well being – Walk away from it
• Such is life – c’est la vie
• Throw In The Towel – When you know that you are on a loser and can not win the battle – Save yourself from taking any more of a beating and accept a dignified loss – You can recover and try again when you are fully refreshed
• Pedal To The Metal – Accelerator to the floor – When there is a need to go hard and fast
• Dogs Breakfast – A big mess or a similar expression might be more apt
• Shot In The Dark – or a Stab In The Dark –  Random guess based on no knowledge at all
• One Door Closes – Another Opens – Opportunities can be lost (for various reasons) – But stay positive – There are always new opportunities coming along
• One Mans Meat Is Another Mans Poison – We are all different – What suits one person might not suit the next person
• Grasp The Nettle – A nettle is an English stinging plant – When there is a need to “Just get on with it” – Grasp the Nettle – Accept the pain of the sting and just do it

List 8

• Do Not Try To Run With The Hare and Hunt With The Hounds – Be clear and positive on issues – Don’t flip flop between differing sides – depending on what you think other people want to hear you say or to curry favor
• Dig Deep – When the going gets tough – There are times when you Need To Dig Deep and draw on courage, stamina and all of your Intestinal Fortitude (or Testicular Fortitude)
• Do Not Put Lipstick On A Pig – Putting a veneer over a poor quality entity does not change the fact that it is – Poor Quality
• Do Not Try And Make A Silk Purse Out Of A Sows Ear – Poor quality is just that – Poor Quality – It can not be manipulated to pass as a higher quality item or entity
• Ships That Pass In the Night – Ships can pass each other on a dark night without knowing that each is in close proximity to the other – In a similar manner – people may be close or similar in many areas but not actually make contact or be aware of each other due to many and various circumstances
• Snouts In The Trough – Typically – Taking monetary advantage of a situation at the expense of others – for example politicians may be paid extra money for committees and they may deliberately extend those committees in order to be paid extra
• Herding Cats – Sometimes organizing something can be difficult and likened to Herding Cats
• Follow Like Sheep – To mindlessly follow without thought or commitment
• Could Not Organize A Booze Up In A Brewery – Not having very good organizational skills
• Have A Chat With Mr Daniels Or Mr Beam – Sometimes, when The Going Gets Tough – There can be a need to take a few steps back and to maybe think Outside the Square – typically a “conversation” with Jack Daniels or Jim Beam can help

List 9

• Jump Before Being Pushed – Know When To Jump Before Being Pushed – Learn to read the “vibe” – Sometimes things do not go to plan and very likely my never go to plan and it may be that there are changes afoot to remove you from your current position – If this is the case – It is advantageous to apply for another position whilst still employed – Rather than be applying for a new position after being “let go” – Positive references could be hard to get
• Done and Dusted – Finished and signed off
• Cross That Bridge When We Get To It – Sometimes it is just impossible to get enough data on an issue in order to make a sound decision – However – Going forwards – A much clearer picture will emerge and decisions can then be made, relative to the new available data. There are times when it is necessary to not waste time on speculation – But to move on and make decisions when more data is available
• Hitting A Brick Wall – There are times when it is impossible to follow a particular path – There are just too many obstacles – You have hit a barrier which is impassable. There is then a need for a rethink and to look for alternative pathway or a way to dismantle that wall
• Plenty More Fish In The Sea – When something doesn’t work out or go to plan – There are always lots more opportunities to explore
• Urinating Into The Wind – There are times when you just seem to be Urinating Into The Wind – Hopefully this saying doesn’t need an explanation
• Storm Clouds Are Gathering – You can see the problems starting to form – Start the contingency plans early and Batten Down The Hatches
• Batten Down The Hatches – The Storm Clouds Are Gathering – The problems are coming – It’s time to put those contingency plans in place
• Drop In The Ocean – Something may be a very minor part of a much larger entity and not worth spending a significant amount of time or energy on – In relative terms – It is only a Drop In The Ocean – So lets move on to more important issues
• Always Keep a “Work- Life” balance – fairly self explanatory

List 10

• Best Laid Plans Of Mice And Men Often Go Awry – Always expect something to come Out Of Left Field

• Every Cloud Has A Silver Lining – According to the old saying – Tho’ sometimes it may be hard to find !
• Strike While The Iron Is Hot – Pretty Self Explanatory
• Run The Gauntlet – To accept the known risks – But to do it anyway
• Kill Two Birds With One Stone – To get 2 or more outcomes from the one action
• More Than One Way To Skin A Cat – may not be politically correct in this day and age – but neither has being Hung Drawn and Quartered or having your head chopped off – which was was the punishment often metered out to human beings – back in the middle ages
• Cunning As A Fox – Pretty self explanatory
• Unstoppable Force And Immovable Object – “What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object?”
• If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck
• If The Boot Fits (American) – or If the Cap Fits (UK) – Wear It – Basically – If a criticism or comment is directed at someone and is obviously or blatantly correct

List 11

• Straight As A Die – Typically applied to someone who is honest and trustworthy
• The Die Has Been Cast – typically used to state that a decision or action which has been taken is irreversible
• Sixty Million Frenchmen Can’t Be Wrong – The number may vary depending on who is quoting the saying – – But the meaning is the same – Technically – Many of the things they do are incorrect – But it works for them

• Dragging Your Heels – Typically – Trying to avoid the inevitable

• You Can Only Play The Cards You Are Dealt – Circumstances can change due to a variety of reasons and we have to deal with them as they appear
• A Road Well Traveled –  A path which has been taken by many others before you
• Sticks and Stones May Break My Bones – But Words Will Never Break Me – Good in theory – But does not always work in practice
• Cold Enough To Freeze The Balls Off A Brass Monkey – It is very cold
• A Friend In Need is A Pain In The ASS – Humor – No explanation needed
• Where There’s A Will – There Are Relatives – Humor – No Explanation Needed

List 12

• A Stitch In Time Saves Nine – If there is a problem or issue – fix it before it evolves into much bigger problems
• Pushing Sediment Uphill – You are repeating the same actions – But they are just not working – You may describe a frustrating, repeat activity as –  Pushing Sediment Uphill –  Because it keeps coming back to you
• Would Not Touch It With A Ten Foot Barge Pole – When you think that something is dodgy or dicey or spurious or similar and you have decided to stay well away from it – You may declare that you do not want to go anywhere near it and Would Not Touch It With A Ten Foot Barge Pole
• It’s A Crock ….. Of Sediment – It’s absolute garbage
• Turn A Blind Eye – Pretending not to see or be aware of something which would go against what you really want to do and have made up your mind to do. Horatio Nelson is often referenced in relationship to this saying
• Caught Between A Rock And A Hard Place – pretty self explanatory – it may be that you have a decision to make and there are two choices – both of which are not very good. Therefore you are Caught between A Rock And A Hard Place
• Hold Your Horses – and have another long hard look at the situation When there is an urge – either by yourself or you are being pushed by others – to make a quick decision – then it might be wise to hold off and review that decision. This probably stems from the old days when someone is holding horses – the horses can easily get stirred up and just want to run – generally anywhere, in order to release their pent up energy
• Kick The Can Down The Road – Whilst it is a good idea to make a firm decision and act on that decision – there are times when all of the relevant information may not be available and it is not possible to accurately make a firm decision. If the circumstances/conditions are not going to change and there is no negative impact – then it may be wise to “hold off” making a decision until all of the relevant data is available. i.e Kick The Can Down The Road
• Turn The Other Cheek – Although an insult or similar comment may hurt and there can be an urge to immediately react – that may not be the wisest course of action in the long term. It may be that a comment is “taken out of context” or delivered by someone under stress and is completely out of character for them– then it is wise to take a step back and try forgive or understand the circumstance. Without jumping to incorrect conclusions
• Storm Clouds Gathering – or trouble is brewing – the ancillary signs are showing that there will soon be a big problem

List 13

• We All Have Our Cross To Bear – In simple terms – We all may have inherent issues or characteristics which can not be changed. Sometimes they can be minor – sometimes more serious – sometimes humorous. e.g. “I am on the small side and my feet do not touch the floor when I sit on a chair – that’s just the cross I have to bear”
• Can Not See The Wood For The Trees – When there are many very similar issues BUT you are confused and unable to see the obvious
• Snow Blind – When there are many similar issues but they all blend together to obscure the real issue
• Always Play To Win – Do not get into a situation where you are simply “going through the motions”
• Seize the Moment – Act positively when the time is right – Don‘t hesitate or pontificate
• Fact Can Be Stranger Than Fiction – Sometimes something just happens and despite the fact that it seems impossible – it did happen
• Hear Both Sides Of A Story – or “there are always two sides to a story” – hear them both before forming an opinion or taking action
• Crucified – Being unjustly punished or for a belief or action
• My Gut Feeling – There are times when you can not give a reason – but something either does or doesn’t feel right
• Pee In The Same Pot – sometimes there are different people with seemingly different agendas but they all seem come together over a particular issue

List 14

• Perception And Truth – There are times when someone really wants to believe something – even though it is not factually correct. They are able to manipulate the facts to convince themselves “Perception is reality to the one in the experience.”
• Trojan Horse – Using a benign unrelated entity (or similar) in order to “sneak” in a different agenda This expression traces its origins back to the Greeks and the Trojan War
• Sort The Wheat From The Chaff – there can be a lot of useless information interspersed with very useful information – It is important to sort the useful from the garbage
• Second Sight – Second Vision – A saying which recommends taking a second look – There are times when a “Second Sight” may give a “Second Vision” of a particular issue
• Any Port In A Storm – When there is a problem or issue you may go for any seemingly reasonable solution that you can find – regardless of it being the best solution because it needs to be done quickly and there are no other obvious solutions
• It’s Easy When You Know How – skilled people can make even the most difficult tasks look relatively easy because they know what they are doing and have done these tasks many times. However that doesn’t mean that it is not very difficult for the untrained person
• Don’t Become Complacent With Routine Tasks – It doesn’t matter how many times you have done a routine task – and you may say that you can do it standing on your head with your eyes closed – there can always be something different which can come out of Left Field. Always follow due process and procedure and do not cut corners
• Wild Horses Would Not Drag Me Away – A pretty straightforward meaning to this one
• Is The Glass Half Full Or Half Empty – Are you an optimist or a pessimist ?
• Having Someone “In Your Corner” or Having Someone “In Their Corner” – Having “not obvious” support from a third party.

List 15

• The Gospel According To “saint (insert name)” – A humerus/sarcastic comment directed at someone who has made a profound – possible overbearing statement or similar
• Draconian Measures – Harsh measures
• Light At The End Of The Tunnel – The end is in sight
• Built On Sand – The entity does not have a solid foundation
• A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words – Pretty self explanatory and very true
• Like Water Off A Ducks Back – It may be praise or caustic comment or some other verbal comment – But the person it is aimed at simply ignores it next to sticks and stone
• A Road Well Traveled – A circumstance which is well understood by the person in question. They have been there many times before and successfully navigated it
• Many A True Word Is Spoken In Jest – pretty self explanatory
• Back Of The Envelope – A simple, brief written idea or concept – usually without a great deal of detailed data. Typically something was written on the back of an envelope because at the time – there was no other paper available – it could also be the back of a drink coaster – many innovative ideas are formulated during a few after work drinks with work colleagues
• A Spanner In The Works – As the name suggests – a foul up. A spanner was accidentally left in the machine and it caused the workings to foul up

List 16

• The Standard You Walk Past Is The Standard You Accept – It is easy to walk past a problem which is not your responsibility and to justify the lack of action you may say – “Not my problem” – But if something is obviously wrong and you walk past it – you are accepting that as your standard. It may be something as basic as walking past a piece of litter on the pavement – when there is a garbage bin nearby. Or something much more serious.
• Bad Apple – It only takes one rotten apple to ruin the whole bin. Typically, in a team environment there may be a single negative player who can infect the whole team with negativity
• Don’t Shoot Yourself In The Foot – Be careful with your actions – and avoid doing anything which could cause self harm
• The Boot Is On The Other Foot – The circumstances have changed and your position is now reversed
• Don’t Look A Gift Horse In The Mouth – It might not be what you really want – But if it is a gift or similar and comes at no cost to you – then gratefully accept it The phrase, “don’t look a gift horse in the mouth” originates in St. Jerome’s commentary (400 AD) on Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. In Latin the proverb is “Noli equi dentes inspicere donati” (never inspect the teeth of a given horse).
• Hell For Leather – To tackle something with reckless abandon
• Stabbed In The Back – Taken out by someone you thought was on your side
• Hit By Friendly Fire – Accidentally attacked or taken out by someone who is “on your side” – it was not intended – but it happened
• At The Coalface – Where the “hands on” work is done i.e. actually digging out the coal or doing the “dirty work”
• Grass Roots – At the base or starting point

List 17

• Birds Of A Feather Flock Together – Fairly self explanatory
• Ten Thousand Frenchmen Can’t Be Wrong – Is a variation of the 60 million Frenchmen can’t be wrong but with an opposite meaning – That is – If you have an opposing view to a majority of people – don’t be coerced into accepting their view – Ten thousand Frenchmen could be wrong and you could be right
• Cut To The Chase – Get to the point or the crux of the issue without the flowery ancillary description – link with article
• Practice Makes Perfect – Fairly self explanatory

Not Only – But Also ……

When there is a need to take a deep breath and take a break

• Go to List Of Topics – Engineering Nostalgia for pages of memories from Engineering practice in the 1960’s/70’s/80’s – with a bit of armed forces and medieval trivia thrown in
• Regardless of your current status – always ask the question – Is there a Better Way and
  visit the 3R web page for an overview of the 3R Philosophy        Review – Refresh – Reset
• Whenever possible – always follow the KISS Principle
• Challenge yourself and your colleagues with an Engineering Quiz
• Check out Engineering Odd Bits for odd subject matter – including humor and comment

Engineer & Communicate – Engineering Trivia Quiz – Engineering Nostalgia – Engineering Odd Bits