Just the other day Finn was digging in the garbage

[conuly]

And I saw him, removed the garbage bag, and said "Finn! Bad dog!" while doing "shame on you" fingers. (Not seriously, I mean. Obviously we're the bad humans, leaving the tempting bag out where he can get it.)

Apparently Eva had never seen this before, and wanted to know why I was rubbing one finger over the other at our dog. And here I thought everybody knew that!

But I haven't seen it in a while. It's like another thing that used to be fairly ubiquitous, the image of a finger with a string around it meaning a "reminder". Of course, people joked about tying a string around your finger to remember things, but I doubt anybody ever really did it, and maybe that's why it fell out of use. Or maybe I'm looking in the wrong places.

***********

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Comments

[pebblerocker]

I remember stickers to put on when we billed late-paying customers: 'A Friendly Reminder - your account is overdue' with a picture of a string tied around a finger. Escalation went yellow friendly sticker, orange Urgent Action sticker, debt collection.

How about knots in the corner of a handkerchief? I feel like I may be one of very few to carry a hanky in this day and age. A tactile reminder is very helpful for the easily distractable; my mother prevents between-room memory lapses by crossing her fingers and not uncrossing them until she does the thing she came in for.

[jesse_the_k]

Ooooh, tactile reminder is a brilliant idea. Now if I can remember it for the next time I need it....

[conuly]

Tie a string around your finger...?

[conuly]

I thought handkerchief knots were for good luck!

And yes, you'd think more people would carry hankies. More environmentally friendly and kinder on your nose. Sniff.

[pebblerocker]

I definitely remember a children's story - or several - where characters tied knots in hankies as a reminder. There's also something jiggling my memory about tying up the wind in a handkerchief, then untying knots one by one if becalmed at sea? A wind blowing the right way is a specific type of good luck, I suppose!

Hankies can go through the wash without filling everything with white fluff, if one forgets to turn out one's pockets! They're also better for carrying around just in case, as they don't disintegrate over time. I wouldn't be without one now that I have mild but seemingly year-round hay fever.