'Nita-isms. In celebration of Mother's Day, I am initiating an occasional series of posts on 'Nita-isms. 'Nita is the diminutive of Juanita, my dear mother's name. Her father, Carlos, named her "Juanita" when she was born in Atlanta in 1920. Not an ounce of Latin blood there. I have no idea from whence the name "Carlos" came for my grandfather. "Juanita", my mom tells me, was the title of a song popular at the time she came into this world.

A 'Nita-ism is something that my mom is fond of saying. I can think of two of them right now, but other's will come to me and I'll post them when they do.

"Busier than a one-armed paper hanger." This -ism has a pretty obvious meaning, though politically incorrect.

"Lower than a snake's belly". This refers to a state of melancholy.