Too cheap to be without is sort of self-explanatory, but I thought I’d share it because it’s one of my favorite expressions. I got it from my old friend Karen Luder Edens, who said she picked it up from an old boyfriend at Wharton Junior College, Garry Moore.
What I love about that saying is the rhythm of it. One thing that Texas English (especially the East Texas kind) shares with Southern English is the love of rhythm. We automatically add and subtract words, letters and syllables to make the rhythms of the sentences come out right.
From what I’ve been able to find out, we Anglos learned that from our African American friends and neighbors, who are language virtuosos. That’s why they have so successfully revived poetry as a modern performance artform called slamming. We have some champion slammers here in Texas.
Anyway, as a shopper I always like having another excuse to buy things. And I thought you might like to have one, too. So I pass it along to you, wherever you are, as another apt Texas expression that just might come in handy sometimes.
Besides, it has a nice rhythm to it, and I think you’ll agree that it’s fun to say.
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