Eric and I and the kids had a fun conversation a few days ago about all the Southern words and phrases that are different to us Westerners. It was interesting because although Eric has lived in the West for the past 17-18 years, he was raised in the South. We had fun discussing it. The kids came up with a lot of these from things their teachers and friends have said at school too. I'm going to try to spell it as it sounds. Enjoy!
Southern/Western
Car-a-mel (mel as in smell) /Car-mel
Wuffs/ Wolves (this was a favorite of mine to tease Eric about in college)
Pingiuns/ Penguins
Poim (as in coin) /Poem (pome)
U'ins /You
Y'all or All y'all/ You all
Fixin' to/ Getting ready to
Buggy/ Cart(in the grocery store)
Cut the lights/ Turn off the lights
Ain't/ Ain't (but used a lot here)
Sett-lers/ Set-tl-ers (this is a big one for us since it's the street we live on)
Di' nt/ Didn't
Wa' nt/ Wasn't
Ha' nt/ Hadn't
Perdy/ Pretty
Slap Your Pappy/ Pat your Stomach
Two-legged Varmint/ Bad guy (robber, scoundrel, etc)
Skedaddle/ Get out of here
Druthers/ One's own way/preference
Reckon/ Assume
All tore up about it/ Upset
Cotton pickin'/ Despicable
Hankeror Hankerin'/ Crave or Desire
Smack Dab/ Exactly, Right on
Young-in/ Child
Here's some more interesting Southernisms that I found online. I've heard a lot of them.
Sayins'
You scared the livin' daylights out of me.
Birds of a feather flock together.
Bleedin' like a stuck pig.
Butter my butt and call me a biscuit! (term of amazement)
Deader'n a doornail.
Don't flog (or beat) a dead horse.
Don't get your cows runnin.
Keep your britches on. (calm down)
Don't monkey with that.
Fast as all get out.
Gee willikers.
Getting too big for his britches.
He thinks he's the best thing since sliced bread.
Highfalutin'.
Hotter than a June bride.
If you don't do that, I'll be all over you like stink on a skunk.
If it'd been a snake it would have bit you.
If you lie down with dogs, you'll get up with fleas.
Live and learn, die and know it all.
Madder than a wet hen. (Don't be monkeyin' with wet hens)
My mouth is dry enough to spin cotton.
Petered out.
Pipe down.
Plumb tickled to death.
Running around like a chicken with its head cut off.
Scarcer than hen's teeth
She's so poor she ain't got two nickels to rub together.
Slower than cream risin' on last years buttermilk.
That's a fine how d'ya do.
Thick as flies on a dog's back.
Southern Colorful Insults
He looks like he got beat with an ugly stick.
He was so buck toothed he could eat an apple through a picket fence.
He's so low down he could crawl under a snake's belly.
If you had bird brains you'd fly backwards.
She's three pickles shy of a quart.
She's ugly enough to stop an eight day clock.
You look like something the cat dragged in.
Compliments
Cute as a bug's ear.
He's handier than a pocket on a shirt.
He's as fast as greased lightening'.
I wouldn't trade you for a farm in Georgia.
She's as purty as a speckled pup under a red wagon.
She's as purty as a spotted horse in a daisy pasture.
Sure as the vine twines 'round the stump, you are my darlin' sugar lump.
Things Only a True Southerner Knows
The difference between a hissie fit and a conniption fit.
Pretty much how many fish make up a mess.
What general direction cattywumpus is
How long "directly" is---As in "Going to town, be back directly."
That "gimme sugar" don't mean pass the sugar.
When "by and by" is
The best gesture of solace for a neighbor who's got trouble is a plate of cold tater salad.
The difference between "pert' near" and "a right far piece."
The differences between a redneck, a good ol' boy, and po' white trash.
Now, for Eric, I'm going to add a couple of Idahoisms...(ones he liked to tease me about when we were dating, especially when the topic of *wuffs or wolves* came up). :)
Idahoan/ Other
Crick/ Creek
Barrow Pit/ Area next to the edge of the road
Jockey Box/ Glove compartment
Roof (oo as in look)/ Roof (as in aloof)
7 comments:
Rozanne--Love the Southernisms but I've got to admit that I CRACKED UP on the Idahoisms--especially barrow pit and jockey box. I was shocked when we moved away and I used those words how people would look at me like I was from another planet. I would think "doesn't everyone know it is a barrow pit?" Too funny. Thanks for sharing the local culture you are experiencing there.
Ah, you gotta love the Southerners. Are they soda or pop drinkers?
That's fun! Reminds me of when I first lived in Utah and they told me I had a Washington accent?! What the heck? Like how Utahns drop the t's (buh'in instead of button, etc.) and call all denim pants (jeans) levis--that one drove me nuts! Is that the same in Idaho? My dad still says jockey box (Oregon) and many of those southern sayings remind me of my Grandma (also from Oregon)--I guess they're just from days gone by...
You forgot "fixin'" as in I am fixin' to go to bed. I got teased about that a lot. Also "oal" said as in I need to get my "oal" (oil) changed in my car-that also works when you say "toalet" (toilet) I miss the south!:)
It is for sure a different culture, I get the jockey box thing as well. In fact, I had one guy google it after I had said it, because he never got what I meant! lol
Jared and I both got a big laugh out of this! Funny enough..... my family says a lot of those things and I don't think they are from the south! Though my dad is from Idaho. You for got to put that Idahoinns always say "She DON'T know that" instead of "doesn't" It drives my mom crazy. And my dad says "hay bells" not "hay bails". Anyays, what a funny thing you blogged!
This was really funny but I had no idea "fixing to" was a Southernism until my husband starting teasing me about it (I grew up in Alabama but my parents aren't from the South). He also told me the whole idea of "backwash" was a Southern thing--I thought it was scientifically sound. :-)
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