Immortal Quotes from FS Representatives

Hi all…

In my previous life working for a major aviation company (Boeing)…I heard many phrases used by the guys that I worked with on a daily basis. Some of  these phrases I questioned, as to why not just say what you mean and mean what you say…haha!  I received questioning looks when I said this and so I said “oh well, why beat a dead horse! “  One of my favorite Reps said…”you are not using that phrase correctly!”  Yeah! OK.  🙂 I still think I was using it correctly!  🙂

Please don’t misunderstand, as I have great respect for these white collar Rep employees, as they work tirelessly with major (and minor) airlines, walking a fine line to balance support as well as keeping in mind who signs their checks.  Their job is to try to keep everyone happy and “on the same page”….I just thought I would throw that idiom in.  haha! But I digress!  

I started collecting their phraseology and in 2008, I composed my “ode to the Reps” … using only their sayings and phraseology to tell a story… or as a new follower to my blog, Thomas Hay calls them, “Idioms”. (Click on   You talk funny…do I talk funny? post to see Thomas’s comments!

See, I always knew these idioms would come in handy someday! So I dug back in my archives and found the  “Immortal Quotes” document which I have reprinted below; although I am sure there are many new idioms out there in that word phrase world of FS Reps! 😉 

 Many of these guys remain my friends…and will long after my retirement. Just remember guys…I still love ya like my luggage!!!

So below is the “story” all in phrases!

Immortal Quotes from Reps….. 

I wonder if it all is just peanut butter.  I mean are they blowing smoke up our dresses? Most of the time they are down in the weeds and looking to pick the low hanging fruit. We’ve drawn a line in the sand and are jumping over the wedding stick….. but we have got to remember who is the bride and who is the bridegroom in this deal. You try to take the high road but that light at the end of the tunnel is a train… and it is coming at us.

We’ve put all our cards on the table, but you have to know when to fold them. And we certainly know what happens if we throw the baby out with the bath water. I know they all say my baby ain’t ugly, but lets try and get the seasonings right. The dancers are dancing and there is no music. It is like the emperor’s new clothes. All of a sudden the music stops and there is no chair.  Now, you can leap into the water, but one day you will be one lily pad short. You must be the sharpest knife in the drawer. Don’t be like the guy whose elevator doesn’t go to the top. He is one slice shy of a full loaf. He has the Napoleon complex. They will all stand by and watch Rome burn.

The circus is coming to town and we have all seen the dog and pony show. Send in the clowns, never mind, they are already here. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, but we know the squeaky wheel gets the grease. This is not my first rodeo.

Remember, he is the latest one in the cave, and you can’t fix stupid.  The heavy breathers are here from the head shed,…we must keep moving…they can’t hit a moving target. Keep your name out of lights. Keep a low profile or step up to the plate.  Ignore him; he is just pounding his chest.  Posturing! Shoulder taps, moving to the left….moving to the right.  We can cascade it to you, but the laundry list is long.

If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.  If you don’t want the answer, don’t ask the question. It could be time to circle the wagons. They fly em’ and they break em’.  The umbrella is not big enough for all of us. You are preaching to the choir.

There is a staff infection going on here today.  Call the ball…. if you have the bandwidth to do so. You know, we are trying to nail Jell-O to the wall. Slap and go stuff.  Are we still in that game? Are we drinking the kool-aid? Take it up the mountain; you know Daddy Warbucks is the one making out the check

Everyone has to leave their fingerprints on it….something different would be nirvana for all of us. I don’t have any heartburn with that. I am a real bear.

You said you don’t care what they say…and they do talk.  Belly button to belly button. We know there are different ways to touch an elephant, but it is still an elephant.

Little fish are getting hammered by the shark. Don’t forget who’s who in the zoo? You know he is chained to his desk. Tell me, is there something in your arsenal that would be a better mousetrap? Let’s massage this a bit.  Right now it’s like, give me your money before you go into the store to buy your groceries. We can’t boil the ocean. Frankly, I think I have been voted off the island. That is how the round robin works. And yes, I really did see a mountain lion and the deer hit my car.

We have this big nebulous cloud out there and we do feel we are out of the loop. Let me just throw something over the fence….is he part of the parachute team?. This is not Burger King, you can’t have it your way.

Hugs to all my “buddies”…and I do luv ya like my luggage!