There was an old saying that started with, "He don't bit-mo"...

and, it ended with, "than a man in the moon!"

The saying had words between bit-mo and the man in the moon. Sometimes a few, sometimes more. But, the meaning was unmistakable. I didn't wonder about that old saying back then, never thought much about its origin, that is...until lately.

A few months ago mister papa dellgirl began to tell me his plans for completing a project that has been in the works for a long while. I listened patiently, nodded appropriately, grunted or sighed whichever response his confused ramblings elicited from my flabbergasted brain. He had it all planned out down to the last detail, every meandering syllable. Oh, LAWDY!

When he finished, I reiterated; just to be sure he knew that I heard and understood him. He nodded in agreement as I did my reiterating. Whereby upon concluding my reiteration I asked sweetly, "What are we going to do with X if we do it that way, Honey?"

You would have thought I hit him up side the head. His impatience with my inability to see his logic beamed through loud and clear.

"Dang, dellgirl. You sure do know how to make it hard for me, you didn't listen to a word I said."

Then it dawned on me. "He don't bit-mo know what he's doing than the man in the moon!

I've revisited "Bit mo' and the man in the moon" several more times since papa's and my conversation. I find that a good many people "don't bit-mo' know what they're doing or saying than a man in the moon!"

© 2009 by Leona G. Shankle