When I was about 7 years old, my mom explained to me that we'd be moving from Ohio to a place called South Carolina. I was too excited to think about leaving my friends.. I had a million questions. I can remember her joking with my dad about southern accents and immediately I realized we were moving to little house on the prairie... because that's where people say "y'all" and "Paw" and things like that. I was convinced moving south meant going back in time.
Once we got to South Carolina I realized there were no prairies to speak of. We arrived in the sweltering August heat and I was relieved to learn that our neighbors not only had a POOL, they brought us pies and plants and told us to come right over and swim. I fell head over heels in love with the south from that moment forward.
I will never forget sitting wide-eyed and amazed in my new classroom as my new friends recited vowels. "Aaaaye, Eeeeei, Aaaah, Oooooh, Eeeewe, & sum tahms waaaai." I still remember the first time I ever said "y'all."
Southern accents are only half the story, you see. Idioms are just as much a part of southern speech as slow vowels and made up contractions. It's only since I've moved away and return home that I realize just how much I adore the idioms of my childhood. Some of them aren't exclusive to the south, but people tend to look at me funny if I use them. Just thought I'd share a few with y'all today:
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Once we got to South Carolina I realized there were no prairies to speak of. We arrived in the sweltering August heat and I was relieved to learn that our neighbors not only had a POOL, they brought us pies and plants and told us to come right over and swim. I fell head over heels in love with the south from that moment forward.
I will never forget sitting wide-eyed and amazed in my new classroom as my new friends recited vowels. "Aaaaye, Eeeeei, Aaaah, Oooooh, Eeeewe, & sum tahms waaaai." I still remember the first time I ever said "y'all."
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| yuh-ya-y'all? |
Southern accents are only half the story, you see. Idioms are just as much a part of southern speech as slow vowels and made up contractions. It's only since I've moved away and return home that I realize just how much I adore the idioms of my childhood. Some of them aren't exclusive to the south, but people tend to look at me funny if I use them. Just thought I'd share a few with y'all today:
"well, bump you!" (basically translates to 'screw you!')
"that boy's too big for his britches!" (used to describe an arrogant man)
"well, I declare!" (when you really don't know what else to say)
"I swanny!" (used instead of 'I swear')
"Lord help 'er.. poor thang's giggle box turned over" (when a person can't stop laughing)
"high cotton" (high society)
"my old stompin grounds!" (familiar territory)
"hold on, I've got a beep!" (call waiting)
"mash the button" (push the button)
"cut on the lights" (switch on the lights)
"the commode" (toilet)
"I'm fixin to" (I'm preparing to, I'm about to do something)
"y'all reckon?" (do you think?)
"carry me to the store" (drive me/take me to the store)
"bless her heart" (used after saying anything negative about another person)
"them youngins carryin on" (those children are misbehaving)
"chunk me that" (toss me that)
"I like to fell out" (I almost fainted)
"she's laid up in the bed" (she's ill/hurt/unable to work)
"that boy's a mess" (usually refers to a mischievous person)
"I played opossum" (I pretended to sleep/play dead)
"he's a down rite sorry SOB" (worthless, lazy)
"I might could go" (maybe I could go)
"I'll jack you up" (said when you threaten to fight someone)
"done got beat with the ugly stick" (this phrase usually followed by 'bless her heart')
"if it was a snake, it'd a bit ya!" (referring to something being nearby)
"the devil's beatin his wife" (it's raining while the sun is shining)
"jeet yet?" (did you eat yet?)
"yawn't to?" (do you want to?)
"get me a buggy" (a grocery cart)
"mama n'em" (Mama and them= my family)
"that girl looks rode hard & put away wet" (she looks rough/hungover/in bad shape)
"he's dumb as a box of rocks" (he's a total idiot)
"he's doin like you" (he's behaving like you/ doing what you are doing)
"Mama's gone cut your tail" (Mama's going to spank you/ you're in deep trouble)
"where you stay at?" (where do you live?)
"raisin' cain" (raise hell)
"cain't never could do nothin" (negativity is pointless)
"dirn! It's cold as all get out!" (it's really cold)
"I plumb forgot" (I totally forgot)
"hush your mouth" (shut up)
"put the winda down, we're freezin our tails off" (close the window, we're cold)
"turn him aloose" (let him go)
"I'm gonna beat the tar outta you" (I'm going to get you good)
"are you telling me a story?" (are you lying to me?)
"she was madder n'a wet hen" (she was very angry)
"let's go over yonder an take a look-see" (let's go over there and see what's going on)
"ahm 'bout to burn up!" (It's really hot)
"she's 'bout three sheets to the wind" (she's drunk)
"they were just talkin up a storm" (they were gossiping, talking about nothing of importance)
"he's a lump on a log" (boring, inactive, not reacting)
"they were fighting cause the crowd egged 'em on" (the crowd encouraged them)
"love me some goobers" (I like peanuts)
"he hadn't much goin on upstairs" (he's not very smart)
"they got to fightin, but he got in the first lick" (they fought, but he threw the first punch)
"I'm fixin to go down the road a piece" (I'm going down the road a short distance)
"I'll jerk a knot in you!" (usually used by a mother threatening her kids)
"give me some sugar" (give me a kiss)
"got me a hankerin for some fried okra" (I'm craving fried okra)
"they was in a whole heap a trouble" (they were in a great deal of trouble)
"I hear tell it" (refers to secondhand information, rumors)
"gone get ready lickety split" (in a hurry)
"he's just tore up about it" (he's very upset)
"who keeps your youngins?" (who babysits your children?)
"All I can say is that there's a sweetness here, a Southern sweetness, that makes sweet music. . . . If I had to tell somebody who had never been to the South, who had never heard of soul music, what it was, I'd just have to tell him that it's music from the heart, from the pulse, from the innermost feeling. That's my soul; that's how I sing. And that's the South."
-- Al Green
-- Al Green
Y'all got more for me? Let me know, ya hear!
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