Before we get to our favorite words only Southerners say, let’s hear it from the famous belles of “Sh%t Southern Women Say” on The Southern Women Channel.
Down here, there is no Pepsi. Everything is Coke. Even Pepsi is called Coke. True Southerners don’t like going North because up there, if you ask for Coke, all y’all get is freaking Pepsi.
In Northern states, iced tea is served with a box of sugar packets because Yankees are too lazy to actually blend sugar into the hot liquid to make sweet tea. Damn Yankees.
Life below the Mason Dixon line is so sweet, just like our tea and Coca-Cola. Southern accents over time have developed their own vocabulary. These words tend to come out with even more zest if the Southerner has been drinking bourbon.
Here’s a sampling of words only Southerners say
Y’all: it’s never “you guys” but “y’all”. We’ll know you’re a Yankee, or that your parents were Yankees, if you say “you guys”.
Fixin’ to: used to let your compatriot know what’s up. As in “I’m fixin’ to make me a drink”
Lagniappe: a little bit of something extra (especially for those form N’Awlins and the Gulf area)
Pocketbook: girls from the deep South’s middle-o’-nowhere areas are known to call it this instead of a purse.
Mash: Southerners don’t push things, we mash ’em.
Po’Boy: a long sandwich, usually served with fried oysters, shrimp or fish. But in NOLA, your po’boy could even have plain deli meat. Po’Boys are really defined by their good, long crusty bread.
Buggy: it’s not a shopping cart, but a buggy
Might Could: a polite way of presenting your options
Caddywompus a.k.a. caddywonked: a more fun way to say sideways
Access Road a.k.a. Main Road: screw the term “service road”. If the D.O.T. is working on the highway, there’s only one road to get back on your route again and it’s via an “access road” or “main road”. And by the way, if you live in the South, that construction is going to take five years just to pave two lanes. Especially if it’s I-75 in Georgia or Florida. Same thing for I-85 in the Carolinas. Because of this tragic lack of getting the roads fixed, Southerners do not call our interstates “freeways” but “highways”. There’s nothing free about our highways (see GA-400).
Sweeper: as in run the sweeper referring to the vacuum
Made: whether you’re referring to a test you aced, a photo you took, or a baby you birthed, “made” is the verb
Changer or Clicker: you want me to pass you what? A remote control? Honey, that thing is called the changer or the clicker. There’s no controlling the remote in a Southern house. That darn thing will cause World War III, ‘specially in SEC football season.
Yankee: anyone from the North. Even if you’re from Washington D.C., you’re a borderline Yankee. But stay here long enough, plant some roots, and you’ll grow up to become a Southerner.
“Bless Your Heart”: if you’ve heard this, especially from a Southern woman, she doesn’t mean it. It’s her nice way of telling you to put on your grown up pants and deal with it. As said by one of our New York friends “I could shout a parade of Yankee-style expletives in your face and it wouldn’t be nearly as bitchy as bless your heart.”
What are some of your favorite words only Southerners say? Y’all can comment below.
Oh that’s a great one!
Well, I guess…if we want to define Southern culture based upon membership in the CSA (although this perpetuated mode of defining the region reinforces a lot of standard, apparently unproblematic stereotypes and condescending “jokes
…but then Texas ALSO seceded from Mexico in 1836 and was a sovereign nation for 10 years before becoming a State…which maybe is why I always think of “Texas as Texas”. Now I find myself thinking about Florida…which seems to start out as the (deep) south…until you drive far enough south…and then, frankly, I am at a loss for how I would describe things.
Thanks for sharing!
Around my area in PA we say it often.
It’s all good, David. I’m half north, half south, and I found your post fascinating!! More true info in that one post than most Americans now know about that war. Well done, buddy.
Gee, Aric. You’re exactly what these people are talking about. In western New York State where I raiaed my daughters, “fags”, as you so politely referred to some of your fellow citizens, regularly get rolled and assaulted by NYSers who are just as sad as you. My neighbor up there kept a whiteboard in front of his house with a rolling total of abortions performed in the USA – he belonged to the evangelical church right down the road, and his kids went to the Chrisitian Academy where the teachers still beat the kids. Aric, you know NOTHING about the northern US – as you so well demonstrate. I’m here to tell y’all from life experience half “up north” and half “down south”, that there is very little difference between the two beyond climate, some foods, and some dialects and accents. That’s it. The rest is Hollywood BS, fiction, mythology, and ignorance from those on each side who have never lived on the other “side”. But rest assured, Aric, you made lots of other readers think less of our fellow southerners. Congrats.
well, as best I can tell having been born in SC and spent half my life there – it’s because you don’t know anything about us “yankees” (technically, that’s only New Englanders), and are always making up things like the nonsense in this article to ry to make us seem like foreigners. Either that or you’re just nasty and unfriendly. My comments are true – I’m waiting to see if they get removed because readers like you don’t want to read them and know the facts.
In New York State, where I grew up, it’s called a “pocketbook”, not a purse. In central Texas, where my daughter lived, your ice tea comes unsweetened – with a box of sugar packets on the side. In NYS, if you order a Coke, you get a Coke. If you order a Pepsi, you get a Pepsi. Those ARE American words, right? And lots of people in NYS refer to a shopping cart as a buggy. Honestly, honey, you’re embarrassing yourself here. And in NYS people do NOT call a bunch of girls “you guys” – I believe that’s a California thing, You know – California? It’s a state? And in Charleston, SC, where I spent half of my life (born in SC too), almost NONE of these things are true (except the sweet tea). Who knew Charlestonians aren’t southerners? Oh, and btw – since they STARTED the American Civil War, they’re gonna want to discuss this with you. 😉
C’mon. “The South” is not a monolithic place, except in your fantasies. Neither is “The North”. There’s a world of difference between the cultures of Florida, North Carolina, and Oklahoma, for example – as there is between Connecticut, New Hampshire (REALLY scary rednecks!), and Minnesota. Western NC farmers have a lot more in common with NYS farmers than they do with Charleston Yacht Club members. You might know that if you had ever lived in a northern state – it’s clear you haven’t, hence the display of ignorance about it. And boooooooy, you wanna see “country” people?? Try them s–tkickers in northern NYS. You don’t KNOW country!! Give it up, honey – cute piece, but absolutely fictitious. You’re out of your league.
I guess her mama never told her “don’t poke the bear” huh. Poor thing. We might otta gather up and bring some food over to her house in case the stroke gets worst. Bless her heart.
Is there a way to filter out inappropriate and off topic comments from Yankees? Gee, you wonder why we don’t like ya’ll. Put a lid on it and you might just learn something, but since it’s impossible to do that when making self righteous, holier than thou comments…..again, this is a real Yankee thing, and it’s NOT what the article is about. Not at all. Focus people, focus. By the way, It’s called The War Between The States, for obvious reasons.
Is there a way to filter out inappropriate and off topic comments from Yankees? Gee, you wonder why we don’t like ya’ll. Put a lid on it and you might just learn something, but since it’s impossible to do that when making self righteous, holier than thou comments…..again, this is a real Yankee thing, and it’s NOT what the article is about. Not at all. Focus people, focus.
I am going to take a wild guess. You didn’t got to any of those Ivy league schools. You say all Southerns are obese, racist, stupid, and inbred. Oh, homosexual and Bible thumpers. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr was not obese, definitely not racist or stupid. He was not inbred or homosexual. He was a Bible thumper. Iguess no one is perfect. I will never understand people who say they are American but clearly hate Americans.
Elizabeth, you are not just an embarrassment to the Yankees. You are an embarrassment to humanity.
I meant, “…Harvard University Security and/or the Cambridge, MA Police will at least write you a ticket!”
From what I’ve read, Madi, let’s just say that Harvard Yard being what it *actually* is, there is no way in heck that you can park your car in Harvard Yard (Boston accent: “pahk yah cah in Havahd Yahd”–with which the Boston accent has long been associated with). If you do park your car there, Harvard University Security and/or the Cambridge, MA will at least write you a ticket!
@Denise
You know, English accents–or Scottish and Scotch-Irish accents, depending on the area of the South (and straight-up IRISH accents, for that matter (again, depending on the area of the South(?)) are some of the roots if not THE roots of the Southern accent.
@julie
Makes sense that you guys/y’all in eastern North Carolina “LOVE (your) Pepsi and ask for it by name” and that Pepsi would be “king” where you live. Because not only was Pepsi–as Christy pointed out above (on 6/2/2013)–invented in North Carolina, but was invented in the very region thereof you named–eastern North Carolina. New Bern, to be exact. Or as E Wid commented above (on 2/26/2013), “Pepsi=New Bern, North Carolina(.) Coca-Cola=Atlanta(.)”
@John Hoke
And this norther NJ native/central NJ transplant happens to *root* **FOR**! the goshdarn Yankees–the NEW YORK Yankees, that is. (Oh-and the New York METS!, TOO!!! NTM–no joke, no exaggeration, no bull–the Philadelphia Phillies, the Atlanta Braves–yes, the Atlanta Braves–and–I promise–BOTH TEXAS MLB TEAMS! (And that’s just MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL teams, as YOU can SEE.) BTW, I would say the above *EVEN IF* **I**!! were from/lived in the South; again, I promise.)
And this northern NJ native/central NJ transplant happens to *root* **FOR**! the goshdarn Yankees–the NEW YORK Yankees, that is. (Oh–and the New York METS!, TOO!! NTM–no joke, no exaggeration, no bull–the Philadelphia Phillies, the Atlanta Braves–yes, the Atlanta Braves–and–I promise–BOTH TEXAS MLB TEAMS! (And that’s just MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL teams, AS YOU CAN SEE.) BTW, I would say the above *EVEN IF* **I**!! lived in the South; again, I promise.)
@Marci
First of all, everybody knows that Arkansas is in the South. Number two, Oklahoma *IS* **SO**!! a Southern state!–and so is TEXAS!; look at a map of the United States and discover *THAT* for **YOURSELF**!! Secondly, neither of the latter two is a Western state, because the West actually BEGINS!! west of not only those states, but also the four states directly north of Oklahoma, which are located in the MIDWEST. Plus, at least some people consider Maryland, Washington, DC and even Delaware Southern. Maybe its because of either’s historical and/or current culture in at least some parts (of MD and even DE), but I don’t think that the United States Census Bureau officially lists them as part of the South for nothing. Due to close and even relatively-close proximity to Washington, DC and migration therefrom into its Virginia suburbs and exurbs in particular, even Northern VA–save probably for, say, the Northern Virginia exurbs and beyond–has, culture-wise, generally no longer been “Southern” for at least the last three decades. Besides, Okie Farmer is right: you DO need to go back to school and take not only–as said individual suggested–a HISTORY lesson, but also a GEOGRAPHY lesson!
@Okie Farmer
YOU *TELL* Marci! To say that Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas are, as you quoted her indirectly saying, “not Southern states” is not only silly, ***BUT ALSO*** ******IGNORANT******!!!!!! As mentioned above, Marci needs to not only go back to school and take a history lesson, but also a geography lesson. Missouri is the only non-Southern state bordering Arkansas–and Marci has the nerve to say that AR is NOT SOUTHERN? If it isn’t, then where does that put not only OKLAHOMA AND TEXAS, but also TENNESSEE AND LOUISIANA!?! HUH? (Arkansas not a Southern state? GIVE! me a BREAK!!) Also, …
@Marci and @Okie Farmer (ESPECIALLY YOU, Marci!)
The Census lists Texas and Oklahoma–and Arkansas, Louisiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi and Alabama–as the SOUTH CENTRAL States, which is part of the larger main region called the SOUTH. (The entire Midwest [which includes Missouri–YET ANOTHER neighbor of BOTH *OKLAHOMA* **AND**! Arkansas] is–and the Census Bureau rightly lists it as–the **NORTH** *Central States*!!, by the way!) Plus, not only is Oklahoma one of five states admitted into the Union only in the 20th Century, but it was also the only Southern state and only non-Western state so admitted, no bull.
@Vicki Wade
Do you mean “Northern teachers don’t even like you saying to them (‘)yes-um(‘) instead of (‘)yes mam (sic)(‘)” or “…don’t even like you saying to them “Yes-um” OR “Yes, ma’am”? (emphasis mine)
You know why that’s the case, Lauren? Because the word “Yankee” in the sense you used it in is–and for quite some time, has been–strongly associated with what was eventually renamed the Northeast. Unless I’m mistaken, at least some to most of the Northern states that make up what we now call the Midwest had not yet been admitted to the Union at the time of the Civil War.
Shows you how even in the South, the pronunciation of the word that is spelled p-e-c-a-n varies with the area. I don’t know if the line is in AL or central TN (bka Middle TN) or MS or LA, but the farther west you go and once you reach that aforementioned line, the pronunciation of “pecan” changes from “PEE-can” to “puh-KAHN.”
That’s also one of the classic New Orleans expressions, too. (I never really thought that it would have extended beyond there, never mind beyond Louisiana. And if it did expand to Alabama in particular, I would’ve assumed that it would’ve expanded no further than Mobile. (That city being itself on the Gulf Coast.
And if THAT weren’t enough, you’ve heard of Ponce de Leon, I assume. In Atlanta, the locals don’t pronounce the street named in his honor in Spanish. Rather, they pronounce it “Pontz dee Lee-ahn” Avenue. And how’s this? In New Orleans, nor do its own residents pronounce the names of those streets that happen to have French and Spanish names in EITHER language!
You forgot a FOURTH definition of “Yankee”: one who plays for the New York City team of Major League Baseball’s American League. By the way, the New York Yankees have had their share of Southern born- and/or-raised players through the decades: Mickey Mantle (from Oklahoma), Ron Guidry (Louisiana), Alex “A-Rod” Rodriguez (born in NYC, raised in Florida), Roger Clemens (born in Ohio, raised in Texas), Brett Gardner (Texas again, if I’m not mistaken), and Andy Petitte (sp?) (born in Louisiana, raised in Texas), to name just six.
The person who posted in the comment to which you referred (where said individual said, “In the South, even Pepsi is Coke” meant that in the South, carbonated soft drinks in general are often referred to as Coke, regardless of brand name or even whether the soft drink in question is a cola, period.
Speaking of which, well, South FL, southern/southeastern LA (New Orleans (“new OR-luns”) included), TX, northern VA, (or if, for whatever reason–not necessarily the Census Bureau–you count the following as Southern,) DE, MD and DC aren’t the only areas of the South with substantial Roman Catholic populations.
**THAT’S**!! *right*! ***EVERYBODY***!!! knows that Missouri is in the MIDWEST, and NOT the SOUTH!!!! (DUH, m*********ers!) But Kansas City barbecue, no matter how dissimilar it may be to Memphis BBQ, Texas BBQ, Eastern North Carolina BBQ, etc., is held in enough regard as a major barbecue center of the US to warrant it also being regarded as practically the Midwestern–and general Northern–outpost of Southern barbecue, though. (You can probably trace that to a combination of the Great Migration to the North in general and KC in particular, in this case, during the early decades of said phenomenon, Kansas City’s meatpacking industry, and the close or relative proximity of pig farms and cattle ranches in both the Midwest (MO, NE, etc.) and the South (AR (the pig farms, at the very least), TX and OK (their cattle ranches, most notably).
@BonnieBlue2:
Most Americans, at least, including most transplants to the South (from the northeastern US and elsewhere) know very well that Texas IS a Southern state. The accent in (most if not all of?) the state gives it away big-time.
Sumner than a sack of hair!
Dumb as a sack of hair.
One phrase I’ve heard in NC (but I’m a lady so I don’t use it) is “Slicker’n greased owl shit.”
Anyone else ever heard of “stop walkin like you gotta corn cob stuck up your butt”?
Dang, I just realized dis here’s an old post but some great stuff rightcheer… ya know where I come from in my neck of the woods we hear things all the time things like dis here…
Slap you into next week
Slap you down like a red headed step child
Someone gonna git hurt sure enough
Think it’s time to take your ass to the woodshed
Take you out behind the barn and show you a thing or two
Tak you out back and blister you hide
Too big fer your britches
Gonna open up a can whop ass on you
Give you a whoppin like you aint never seen
I’ll give you something to cry about
Run your ass up a tree like a coon
He lives across the hollar
It’s a right smart piece over dare
Where’d you get mouth like that
I’d like to buy you fer what you’re worth and sell you fer what you think you’re worth
Dang he’s awaren his Sunday goin ta meetin clothes
Don’t dat purtty
Holy Mother of Sweet Mercy
West By God Virginia
Hey, I’m justa tellin it like it is
Well it’s easy to see where ELIZABETH comes from, the “Windy City” shes blowin allot hot air, might neer too big fer her britches
Kristin – there’s a few more…
“Dumber than Cow-Shcitt” or “dumber than Owl Poo poo” and theyins aint go the the “good sense God gave a jackass” and last but not least …whata dumbass — is used allot OMG, landsake to goshen yes child
Ya reckon
You’re 100% wrong Morgan. Arkansas is absolutely a Southern state. Its culturally Southern and was in the Confederacy.
Elizabeth,
You do not represent us “Yankees.” I’ve never read anything so ignorant, obnoxious and appalling.
For everyone: There’s no reason to be in a power struggle over where sayings came from, how anyone pronounces words, or who is better than whom. All accents, sayings, and pronunciations are valid and make conversations interesting.
My family is from Oak Grove, LA, but we’ve lived in Washington (the state, not the capital) for decades. Enjoy the sayings and accents: They are just another thing to interest us and connect us, not separate us! 😉
I use that expression all the time (“dumb as a box of rocks”), and I’m in New Mexico.
Here’s a few y’all forgot,
“ He’s a waste of good air”
“ Dirts got IQ points on that boy”
“ ain’t got enough sense to pour
piss out of a boot”
“ you’re pissin in the wind”
“Oh and there’s a little diddy” (song)
Just to clarify – I was born and for the most part of my 60 + years raised in Texas – not ‘just’ Texas, but West Texas(there’s a difference yall) I’m as Texan as one can be and I hate rodeos, country music, country clothes and country dancing. I grew up on The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Pachelbel, Gershwin, Shakespeare, Poe, Dostoevsky, Eddie Izzard and Mel Brooks. The point this Left wing, animal rights, tree huggin Democrat artist is tryin to make is there’s no way you can pin down a ‘typical Texan’ – no such animal. Things aren’t always what they seem – I mean just cuz that cat had her kittens in the oven don’t make ’em biscuits. Oh yeah, I thought everybody knew by now that I’m NOT from tha south, definitely NOT tha deep south, never have been – sigh. Bless yall’s heart. I am from Texas (there’s a difference yall)
I think her Momma and Daddy made her leave her Junior or High School and move from her ghetto in Chicago to the South so she came in mean with an attitude and got treated likewise so now she hates everyone and everything Southern.
Bless her heart LMAO
I don’t know if it’s southern thing but I say “worder” not water.
Way to slam us Yanks Ya’ll!
I know I ain’t the on;y one to call a pretty northern girl a Yankee rose.
I’m from New York and I can’t understand any dang thing any of you are saying.
But I read every comment because the language is so colorful — makes a great read.
Dixie Dagon….BEST COMMENT OF ALL!!
(It also gave me bit of a chuckle.
Elizabeth this is on older post I believe. However. I am from a bloodline in rural South Georgia that founded a small and still unincorporated community predating the War Between the States. Your post indicates a prejudice, naive, uneducated mind.
Any person from any state or culture can recognize you as someone unqualified to contribute quality intellect in most certainly all topics. In particular your post is an ironic perversion of how southerners are misrepresented. You are no different than those embarrassing confederate boasting southern pride people who do not understand the true cultural identity of being a pedigree blooded original settler. My southern love has no respect for anything other than my ancestral histories and pride in the morality and tenacity of what it took in character to settle untamed wilderness while maintaining a civil tradition you and those blights of humanity who believe some shameful war has any bearing on us and our obligation to create a better future for all do not have. My best friend is a gay man and I am a woman. I am friends with people my ancestors once owned, to my disgrace, but those times are long gone. Contribute intellectually or please for the sake of those of us who believe true underbred and useless dunbasses should be sterilized to save future humaity can sleep at night with hope we aren’t going to end in a apocalyptic event not of zombies but stupidity. Educate yourself and seek guidance for your narrow simple mind. Good luck and please, be quiet.
I grew up in Tennessee and we call all brands (Lance or Tom’s, etc.) of the peanut butter crackers “eat-a-snacks”. Anyone else ever heard this?
dixiedragon I think it must be transplanted Yankees that are trying to convince people that Texas is not a Southern State. Not only is the great state of Texas a Southern State , but it’s in the Deep South – and they would like to forget that Texas was one of the original seven Gulf States to secede from the Union. Bless their little pea-pickin’ hearts.
Also “All y’all”!!! Lolol! Damn Yankees!!!
Hell Texas is a whole country. No wonder people have different dialects,it’s almost eight hundred miles from Houston to El Paso.
Yeah Savannah is so far down there from North Carolina.
Amazing insights, Laurie! Thank you for sharing your Words Only Southerners Say 🙂 #LoveTheSouth
I come from a long line of folks born and raised in South Central Texas. Ive never heard of mashing as a variant if mixing in, but do all soft drinks “Cokes”. A Service road might Include signage that reads “Frontage Road” and that might be TxDOT’s official term, but at least throughout Texas, they’re called access roads….unless you live in Houston, which I did for 23years…they’re called “feeder roadsl. From whatnIminderstand, this is almost used exclusively by Houstonians and the greater metro area. In all my years there, I never got used to hearing or using that term.
“Bless her/his/your heart” is a term used by both genders and I suppose, can be a sarcastic prelude to one mother of an insult, but in these parts, it’s used more frequently as a sympathetic response to being told a story about someone who’s sick or enduring a hardship of any kind.
I’ve alwsys thought that there IS a difference in accents between Houston and Dallas, Austin has a mix of both, due to the heavy influx of UT students from both cities and of course, since it’s the state capital, Representatives from both cities . San Antonio has its own accent as does El Paso, but Lubbock and Texas Panhandle cities shave a pronounced drawl, but I think it sounds different, more Dixie Southern, if that makes sense.
We say “fixinuh”, which comes from “fixin’ to’, which means ‘I’m starting the process of doing something”. There’s the always popular “Ahminuh”, which like “fixinuh” means, “I’m going to”…..leave, stay, eat, nap, drive, drink, starve, bloat….any verb can follow. I’ve used those terms all my life, but have rarely used, but often heard “up air”. That stands for “up there” and can be used to describe anything above you.
“Sweet tea” was not a South Central Texas staple term during my childhood in the ‘60s and early 70’s. It existed, but again, it wasn’t a staple, snd certainly not a menu item like it is today..
My mother, aunts and grandmothers frequently used the term “no account” to describe someone whose reputation had fallen from grace….or generations of family that never came close to grace.
“Carryin’ on” often describes a person or a people having a lot of loud, boisterous. fun OR….it could also describe someone being dramatic or overly emotional.
Just my observations from memory.
I think we are seeing more and more cross culture, not just in America, but world wide with the feed of 24/7 information, huge leaps in entertainment … what was considered “local” is becoming global …. I really feel for anyone learning English as a second language LOL.
No question about it … you, my friend, are southern!!!! You hit the heart of what makes me love the south big hearts and character….
We would NEVER consider anything like that … our dialect is colorful not ignorant … the rules of grammar regarding subject and verb, pronoun and verb agreement, sentence structure are pretty solid, alive and well and living south of the Mason Dixon Line.
Bless your heart … so how long have you had that brain tumor, sweetie? I just hate how it’s affected your spelling and capitalization skills, you being so smart and all ….
Honey, Texas IS the south … you seceded from the Union on February 1, 1861 … bless you heart…. LOL
Eliz, I hope you’re fixin to go back to school. Bless your little Yankee heart.
North east Texas is Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas. We have an entirely different dialect than people in Austin or Houston or Dallas. It’s crazy!!
I am from Michigan, I say “Dumb as a box of rocks” another one of my favorite saying is “shit or get off the pot” if you are moving to slow in traffic or whatever.
Love it girls. I once taught some Spaniards (in Spain) the contraction ‘it’nt (aka isn’t).
Yankees apparently can’t spell a lick either, bless their little hearts
Atlanta
Im not replying too u im just saying are we gonna take her calling us dumb yankees when shes a Yankee too and my favorite southern word is yall i live on the north and i also drop the g on many words
Ha! I absolutely LOVE this one and have never heard “fucked up as a football bat.” So awesome
My family’s all from good ol’ Tennessee, and we use the sayin’ “That’s just as fucked up as a football bat”, just as much as supper instead of dinner like them white people up near Oregon say and shit.
I don’t know but what this page is expired. So where do you hear “but what” used like that?
they probably picked it up from a Southern TV show! lol!!
i am in Alabama,,i’ve heard it all over ,,but the expression in Alabama we use is ,,”Eat up with the dumbass”
Woah there lil horsey. Dont yall be makin fun my southern people. Y’all be barkin up the wrong tree ya lil brat.
This one I heard the other day in conjunction with someone in politics with bad taste: “You can lead a horticulture, but ya can’t make er think” Meaning you can’t make a silk purse outta a sows ear. Meanin’ lipstick on a pig doesn’t make it a lady. Well you all know what I’m trying to say here. LOL
I heard this way back, but I can’t remember if it was in the south or in the north. I grew up in northern Indiana, moved all over with my military husband, and now reside in extreme rural Florida (think The Yearling rural). But I’ve always liked this saying for someone that was happy.
“Happier than a puppy with two peckers”
Morgan, I think you don’t know whether to scratch your watch or wind your butt. (You are confused) Don’t go gettin’ all fussed up (don’t get mad) and shot your mouth off with your pistol half cocked (getting upset without having all the facts) It snows in north Georgia all the time. I know’d a bunch of North Georgia fold that’d say you were diggin’ yer own grave. Bless your heart.
Its a bama saying also.
Pret near most southern states
Bless your heart! Hahaha
Where’s your attitude from honey? I’d send it back, cause it’s broke!
I am from Colorado but most of my dad side is from the country side of Texas and my grandfather who has passed away on my momma side from Alabama and her sister is from Mississippi. So I carry an accent every now and then. I say yall very frequently definin a group of people. I don’t know if ya considered Denver a Yankee but we ain’t. We got quite a few kinsfolk down in mah state.
whats a junebug
no, Dumb as a box of rocks not only a southern thing my mom said that all the time when i was little and I’m 11 now and she still said it to this day
what about the word ‘child’ or ‘woman’
I’m from Arkansas, my grandmother was was born in Alabama, moved to Texas at 13, and then moved to Arkansas after marrying my granddaddy and moved to Arkansas. With an exception of some ancestors living in Illinois during the 1800s, my family has been strictly in the south for 300 to 400 years depending on the line, and I haven’t heard of half of the southern words mentioned. I think you might want to add some midsouth vocabulary. Like hunny, baby doll, sugar, darlin, daddy, pawpaw, momma, mimi, memaw, fixin to, gunna, guy friends, girl, gimmie, fudge/shoot/drat/dag nabbit/darnnit/darn/friggin (when we really mean something else), tush, stuffed, lovely, pretty/purty, gracious, for goodness sakes, dinner/supper, brunch, taters, tough titties/toodles (depending on how politically correct you wish to be)
Shoot! We haven’t seen or heard any June bugs in quiet awhile. They finally showed up the first of Aug. but just a few.
Here in upper Georgia we say most of those things but we say someone is “older than dirt” if they make us mad at ’em.
We also eat fried green tomatoes and fried cheese sticks. I like those a bunch.
Just saying.
We use it in south Alabama too!
Elizabeth you are a stupid yankee and need to go back up north if you don’t like it down here! You’re a stupid ignoramus and probably a bleeding heart liberal too. Go back and don’t return.
Nope its Tennessee and virginia too
An old friend of mine always said he could tell if someone was from the south if they knew the definition of one word. Ask someone if they know what a “stob” is. I have used it many times and it works!
They say it in upstate NY (western).
Elizabeth,
Careful honey, your IQ is showing.
I was born in mobile, Al, but have lived in Rochester NY for 30 years now and they do say huntin and fishin. Rochester is almost on the Canadian border, I live in cow country with farms. 6 hours from NYC. The people here are totally different than in the city.
Ooooh! “I’ll pray for you” is harsh!
Bless your heart’s meaning is largely based on circumstance. It’s either ‘you’re dumb as a box of rocks’ or ‘wow, you’ve had a horrible time and I hope things get better for you’.
Anyone trying to figure out what a Southerner means probably needs to listen to tone. There’s a lot hidden in the tone of the message, words alone are not enough to discern the Southerner’s intent.
Well, ya know we wanted to leave the country but ya’lls president forced us to be apart of ya’lls country which is something we didn’t want to do. And the only reason we lost the war is because ya’lls generals had no care for the life that was pouring into their states as immigrants. Grant was one of the worst generals, he saw his men as nothing more than a means to win a war. He had no value for their lives. The civil war wasn’t about slavery, it was about individual state rights. Most people in the south hate slavery. Honestly I think the North is even more racist than the South. I’m from Mississippi, but I’ve lived in Washington for a little while and it’s just as bad here as anywhere I’ve been. I think you’re just a rude, stuck up Yankee who needs to get your head out of your butt. You need to get your facts straight. I’m not trying to condemn anyone at all. You are entitled to your option just as much as I am, I despise the North and I can’t wait till the day I move home. The North is just cold and the people are rude. By the way, I’m a 14 year old Southern Belle by heart.
My daddy and I have always said “Dumber than a bag a hammers”
The [shift] key is useful. Caps are shouting and you wouldn’t want people to think you are an emo.
ELIZABETH,
Bless your little pea-pickin’ Shy-town heart (and maybe learn to spell). I’ve been there, nice wind.
Ya’ll have a nice day now, y’hear?
Party Gravy: A puddle at any public celebration consisting of water, spilled spirits, glitter, and possibly bodily fluids. Go to Burbon Street and look down.
That’s because Texas was mostly populated and setteled by Tennessians.
Lord , child .. what seems ta be your real problem? Other than being a rude uncouth, foul mouthed, poorly raised individual?….. Please tell us what you truly feel , than carry your rude self back north with the rest of your little gangster friends.
You are one dumb ass, provinicial Northerner and I come from the North. You obviously should seek therapy!
You are condescending, obnoxious, and totally rude. You are obviously not from a good family.
No accent mark…. sista…..or sistr….
Oh my God!!! I have said everything everything and more on those videos that is the funniest and the best thing I have seen all week I wish you could hear the way I talk because I’m from Southern Middle Tennessee go Vols sorry but, our high school down here where I graduated from only had like 18 graduates that was the whole class and we were the Bulldogs so I can say go dogs when necessary. I would love nothing more than to send a video just 10 minutes of my life ….you can’t make this s*** up !…thank you thank you thank you and I am going to be sending a email to the pretty Southern editor @pretty southern.com excuse me I had lipstick on my teeth anyway about the blog and the advertisement the whole business side of pretty Southern and I’m doing talk-to-text and you know that makes you ramble so I will say thank you once again!!!!!God Bless
That’s right Kat, aint no jobs in the South unless you wanna pick cotton, gotta come up North to get a real job and then take awl dat money youz earned an go back South to da nearest pawn shop an done buy yerself da biggest pick up truck an load it wit da finest caviar grits money can buy, enuf fr yer whole family includin yer cuzin, uh, i mean husband, and fr yer sisters, uh dat iz, aunts, jeez its awl confusin wit u Southerners marryin yer cuzins an awl that!
That’s right Kat, aint no jobs in the South unless you wanna pick cotton, gotta come up North to get a real job and then take awl dat money youz earned an go back South to da nearest pawn shop an done buy yerself da biggest pick up truck an load it wit da finest caviar grits money can buy, enuf fr yer whole family includin yer cuzin, uh, i mean husband, and fr yer sisters, uh dat iz, aunts, jeez its awl confusin wit u Southerners marryin yer cuzins an awl dat!
awww com now y’all, Lyza Beth, Kaylee, john, we can awl be fine wit each otha. I got nuttin wit dem nordern folk. Come own down, we’ll show yer what we’re made of, good ole suthern hospitality. In de north all u folk do is work awl day. but down in deez hea parts we know how to have fun! doin donuts on’r 4-wheelers through da mud flats and hallerin all day, u aint neva seen anyting like it in yer life
you are a utter and complete jack ass to think that you are pissin’ in our cheerios darlin’. Bless your pee pickin’ heart you just don’t know anything other than shoutin’ apparently. So as long as you keep your yankee ass up north and don’t come pass the mason Dixon line we all here in the south will be just fine as long as we don’t see ya.
Sorry to inform you but AR is Southern 🙂 It’s still really determined primarily by the Civil War. Arkansas is VERY Southern by the life style and has been for years and years especially the deep South where the cotton grows. My Grandpa was from Mississippi but it’s no more southern than AR. Northern AR could possibly belong to a different state, however. 🙂
How about “womper-jawwed”…..did anyone mention it? I’ve only ever heard it in southern middle Tennessee and extreme north Alabama. It means “something is messed up here”….could be used in place of caddywompus….
I always drop the “g” off of words ending in “ing”.
This next one I’ve only ever heard myself use. Not sure if I picked up somewhere early in life, or maybe it’s a creation of my own. Ov’ere….I use it when someone ask me where something is and I’ll reply “ov’ere” in place of the words over there. Makes the sentence 1/3 shorter by dropping 1 of the 3 syllables. That is how we can say the same thing as a Yankee just as fast without actually talking as fast as a yankee. I sometimes speak so slowly, especially when I relaxed late in the evening in my recliner, that even my wife, who was raised in the same community as me, has trouble understanding me.
It’s spelled “superior”. Oh, and you left out “will” in “always….be”. Obviously, the errors were the result of your anger stroke, bless your heart.
dad gum Elizabeth who peed on your cheerios?
Help me. How is sista (sister) correctly spelled.? Is there an accent mark?
Help me. How is sista (sister) correctly spelled.? Is there an accent mark?
Excuse me, NORTHOWNSTHEWEAKSOUTH, but your multiple claims of being more superior in literacy and education than us southerns must have bypassed YOU because your ignorant rant was filled with spelling and grammatical errors. Go finish middle school son.
EXACTLY! WTF is loudmouth damn yankee ELIZABETH doing on this prettysouthern.com page in the first place? She doesn’t have anything better to do than to see how us good ‘ol folks talk? And if you think we’re so ignorant Yankee, DON’T COME DOWN HERE AND ENJOY OUR WARM SUNSHINE AND BEAUTIFUL BEACHES! Keep all the snowbirds out of Florida.
Boy do I know the pain’ down in stinkin’ Cali where all I get is a frickin’ pepsi! I miss Texas!
I hear it in Mississippi and also “Dumb as a stump” But we Suth’ners know whut it means. LOL
Elizabeth u honey are crazier than a shit house rat. Bless your heart!
Lol. So, so deeply ironic that your attempt at poking fun of southerners is filled with more spelling and grammatical errors than an autistic spastic could produce with their off hand. Eh, either way. Your more than likely more southern than most people here and are just attempting to troll. 4/10
from central ky myself must be because I know of it but never have i heard someone using it in the context or way it was made for
JON, CLOSE, BUT YOU MISSED A FEW WORDS. LET A YANKEE HELP YOU OUT!
TRY THIS SOUTHERN SAYING”WE SO FUCKING STUPID……BETTER THINK TWICE NEXT TIME WE RUN INTO A KIND NORTHERN PERSON, WE BETTER THANK THEM FOR NOT KICKING ARE PATHETIC ASS
AGAIN. WE APOLOGIZE FOR SHITTY ATTITUDES AND WE WILL DO BETTER BECAUSE WE REALIZE THE GROWTH WE ARE EXPERIENCING IN GA IS A RESULT FORM THE INDUSTRY BROUGHT DOWN BY THE NORTH CAUSE WES TOO STUPID, WE JUST A BUNCH OF REDNECKS
Clay, if you are referring to Southern People knowing how to drive correctly……that’s the fucking fucking thing I have heard since I moved to Georgia. Are you SERIOUS??? I’d put my SHIH-TZU up against any moron in Georgia….any time!! I was down here barely 3 months….got hit by a hit and run…….two weeks later so asshole hit my car in a parking lot and left……..two weeks after that some STUPID BITCH was TEXTING WHILE DRIVING and rear ended me. Let me tell you something about southern drivers. THEY ALL SUCK. THEY ARE INCAPABLE OF DRIVING WITH ANY DISTRACTIONS. THEY THINK THEY ALL OWN THE ROAD. THEY SEEM TO BE ALLERGIC TO SIGNALING. THEY DRIVE IN THE LEFT LANE AT 35MPH. OH GOD DON’T GET ME STARTED ABOUT THE RAIN. I STRONGLY SUGGEST NONE OF YOU VENTURE NORTH, ESPECIALLY TO CHICAGO. THEY KILL YOUR KIND OF STUPIDITY BEHIND THE WHEEL. NOT TO MENTION, YOUR ARROGANCE AND SENSE OF ENTITLEMENT WOULD EITHER GET YOU ASS BEAT OR YOU’D FIND YOURSELF SWIMMING IN LAKE MICHIGAN……THATS ON A GOOD DAY
Sutumn,
Perfect example of Your Southern Stupidity and Arrogance. LMAO….no wounder you got your Asses Handed to you during the Civil War. But what Cracks us Northerners up the most is that you Southern Dick Heads Actually Think You Won……Please tell me that you’re NOT REALLY THAT STUPID????? Yea, I Believe you are. It’s about time this PROUD YANKEE PUT YOU ARRONGANT, Rude, Sons of Bitches in your Place. Under are Thumbs. till you start acting right!!!
NEWS FLASH SOUTHERN MORONS!!!!! THE NORTH WIPED THE COUNTRY WITH YOU USELESS ASSES AND IT’S ABOUT TIME YOU REMEMBER WE ARE AND ALWAYS BE SEPIOR OVER YOUR PATHETIC UNEDUCATED ASSES.
NO LOVE LOST, MORE PROUD THAN EVER TO BE A YANKEE – CHICAGO STYLE
Newsflash: Racism isn’t just in the south. It’s everywhere. As for education, I won second place in the STATE spelling bee in FIFTH grade, I took the ACT when I was 12 and scored high enough to get into the college in my city, and I was at a college-level reading level in 6th grade. And I guess you’ve never been to the south either, because where I live, we have negative-ten degree weather in the winter, and 110 degree weather in the summer. So don’t call us “cupcakes” about cold weather. I just recently went to New York right before Christmas, and it was no colder than here at home. You can still kill someone with your fists, and if anything, it’s more violent. And you don’t “own” us. No one does.
This is great! I wrote an article about a Southern Belle deciphering Northern slang. Check it out? https://www.theodysseyonline.com/the-war-of-words
How about, ” he’s a nice boy, but about as sharp as a bowlin ball”
Should’ve said Yankees instead of Northern folk, and don’t worry not all Yankees are lik that.
I live in Kansas we say that tons of times, granted its southwestern Kansas but when we drop by Kansas City, Topeka, or Wichita people use that saying.
It’s “y’all” NOT ” you guys!! Damn yankee
I also live in Ohio – (the northern Cincinnati suburbs) and have heard all but one of the sayings on this page my whole life. That being said, my entire family are Southerners (parents included) and much of our area of Cincinnati are descended from Southerners who moved to the area for work in the 1960’s. My vocabulary is sort of “Southern fusion”. I can switch it off and on for the most part, depending on who I’m around, but the Southern-isms always find their way out. To be clear, I don’t switch back & forth because I’m not genuine. I am extremely proud of my Southern roots. My people have the biggest hearts and finest character of anyone you could ever know. In fact, they use bless your heart and it’s not the least bit mean-spirited like the way some Southerners use it. It’s used as more of a mild form of pity for someone, but in the kindest, best possible way. When I switch one form or the other off, it’s more for convenience. Sometimes it just distracts from conversation and becomes tiresome to stop and explain to those who don’t understand the nuances.
yeah idk we say it where I live too
I had s box of rocks but gave to my hillbilly brother lol
Ya’ll do well to remember that the war was not lost or won by either side. The Civil War never actually ended. The only reason fighting stopped was because General Lee took a good look at the number of casualties and did not want it on his conscience if thousands more died. He said enough and did what he had to do. In the end, nobody really won. If for some reason you don’t believe this, find some historical movies about the south in the 1960s and then proceed to tell us who lost and who won. One last smidgen of truth Northerners are not taught and don’t seem to understand!?! The Civil War was not fought by either side over slavery. The Union made it plain they fought for the union to be preserved. The Confederate side made it plain they were not fighting for slaves but were fighting for “States Rights”. And if you think Lincoln was a great president: He is often considered to be the most overrated president of all time. He violated the Constitution by suspending habeus coprus and forcing the Southern states to stay, thereby violating their right to leave. It is believed that he ended slavery but this also is untrue. The emancipation proclamation only applied to the Southern states not the border states that had slaves. Oh yes! There were owned slaves in the north too. He even made the claim that his number one goal was to keep the Union together and if ending slavery was how he should do it then so be it. Or, if not ending slavery was the way to do it then he would do that. The Civil War was more political than any consideration for the rights of slaves, including those in the Northern States. Preserving the Union vs. States Rights! Finally, have any one of you ever heard “The South shall rise again”? Well then, with that being said, how can one say there was a true end to the war or even a true victor?
Well said, action. Nicely said.
I do agree. Northern people are so full of them self they should not make fun of southerners’ accent. They are just plain ignorant. Can’t wait til the day I return to the south. Been away much too long. I’m retired from my state government job and I think returning to S. Carolina would be the right place to continue my retirement.
The War Between the States was fought brother against brother. States rights were at stake. Our country was formed on strong State rights with minimal Federal intervention. Each state made it’s own laws. Of course, just as it is now people living in rural areas and people that live in metropolitans have different ideas. The North had more metro areas, because most of the industries were in the North. Most of the South was Agriculture, Trade of Agricultural products (overseas and to the North), Commodities and Naval products (pine tar). The Southern States wanted to protect their interest and their way of life. Not all Southerners owned property, not to mention slaves. There were as many Po folk in the South as there was in the Northern areas. The debate on a stronger Federal Government and the abolition of slavery had been in debate since the American Revolution; in the South as well as the North.
Having retired from the US Army, but growing up in South Jawja/ Nawth Flawda, I believe that where ever you are, you need to learn the culture of the people where you reside and respect it. Additionally, just because someone speaks a little slower, doesn’t mean that they are dumb or inferior. It might mean that they are taking the time to think about the words that are fixing to leave their mouth. It might also mean that it is “hot enuff to fry and egg” and they are just conserving energy. Another saying that I remembered after returning to the South, “the Sweat is running down my back, thru my crack”.
When I lived up Nawth, I was always treated with hospitality, but I found out that they treated each other with some indignity. I realized that it was only their inherent fight for survival. Most of these folk had nearby country cousins, that had a slower pace than they did. I learned that people from the large cities are similar to people from large cities everywhere, they have to fight for every inch of space that they can.
When I went to Germany, I had to drop my Southern drawl. They just don’t understand that Southern Deutsch. Spechen Sie Deutsch, Ya’ll? Also, learning the language, at least a little, shows that you are trying. I stutter in 5 languages, but there is always someone there to help me out, because I tried. They really didn’t want me Mucking up there language. Honestly though, I love my Southern roots, and I am back in the Deep South and the only thing I didn’t miss was the Skeeters and gnats! My favorite Nawtherners are the Snow Birds…the come and spend there money and know when they have “outstayed there welcome!”
The few times that I ever argued with my mother while growing up, if she gave up, she would say “your a$$ is the blackest”! I’m not sure what that one meant. Does anybody know?
My grandmother was from Ocilla , she always said” I swaunee”, that was her way of not takin the Lords name in fane.lol
People don’t say “tickled?”
Absolutely! We tell people who are especially rude. Like the ones from up north that only show at county meetings that occur in the winter, (because there gone in the summer)”That same road brought you down, will take you’re a__, right back.”
How about “crazy as a sprayed roach” or if in better society. “. . .run over dog.” That’s what we say in North Florida.
Better check your blood line. My “yankee” blood is nicely mixed with the blood of an American Indian Chief. I’m an American, and I live in the United States. What part of UNITED do some people not understand?
My husband and I were born and raised in Massachusetts and have always said, ” dumb as a box of rocks.” In fact, in looking over the list of “southern expressions,” I see several that I grew up with as a child in Massachusetts!
All my kin live in NC (Blue Ridge Mountains) though my Husband was in the Navy and retired in Jacksonville, FL. NE FL is basically part of Southern GA, but I still cannot wait until we are back in the mountains.
To those who keep using the word “Ignorant”, to quote The Princess Bride “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.” Ignorant: 1 a : having no knowledge or education b : having no knowledge or understanding of a certain thing. 2 : not informed. I am not uneducated, nor am I married to anyone in my family. I worked full time while putting myself through college. Here is some information that may or may not help you concerning your ignorance of the Confederate Battle Flag. The Confederate Battle Flag (or the Southern Cross), did not represent the Confederate Gov’t, it was a flag of the military (It was never a flag of the Confederate States Gov’t). A very brief breakdown: The Red is for Christianity, The blue in the St. Andrews Cross is for purity, 13 Stars were the 13 States that succeeded from the Union, the middle Star/State was Maryland. Pres. Lincoln had the Legislature and Government of Maryland locked up so they couldn’t vote. Pres. Lincoln did many things that were unconstitutional.
If you get a chance look up H.K. Edgerton, a Black man who will tell you the truth of The War Between the States.
Joking about the homeless and essentially saying that all Southerners are against abortions and aren’t for equal love, makes you ignorant and down right stupid. 1. Homelessness and poverty are a big deal everywhere, so shut your mouth about it unless you’re actually saying something worth anyone else’s time 2. Women’s health is none of your damn business, and as far as I see it, one less life in an overpopulated country, is better than an unfit mother and a child who could possibly end up in poverty or foster care. So once again shut your mouth about things that don’t concern you. 3. Why should you care if there is a man kissing another man? It’s not like you’re kissing him, so keep your head up your ass so you don’t have to see it.
Sorry to the owners of the blog for posting this, but dammit I can’t deal with jackasses and not put them in there place.
I’m from AR, and I always use ‘bless her heart’ when I’m being a complete bitch. I remember my momma yelling at me from across the house that she was “fixin to whoop my ass if I don’t get my lazy ass off the couch, and help her in the kitchen.” Also, do any girls remember taking prom photos outside the house, and you could just see your daddy with his shotgun in background? Maybe that’s just my Tennessee dad, but he did it with all 3 of my sisters. The pictures were hilarious though. Another thing, to all of us Southern girls, no matter how old we are, he will ALWAYS be daddy to us, and nothing else.
I am from Southern Kansas, and we say “y’all” (Not in Wichita) Clicker and remote are both used. Caddywhompus or caddycorner. Unlike many think, in the southern counties of Kansas (in my experience) Coke, Soda, Soda-pop and yes, Pop are all used. Also a lot of my family has a twang/ drawl. I didn’t notice it until a friend from the east coast told me we sound weird, however, you probably won’t notice much of an accent in say Wichita or somethin.
Yes, that’s the ticket, the North was fighting for blacks. The control over the largest, richest ports in the country, (New Orleans at the time), didn’t have a thing to do with it.
Note that George Bush didn’t attack the middle east over oil either right?
Seriously, George Washington and his cherry tree is a real thing as well I guess.
How stupid are people to eat all these half truths?
The South had roughly 250,000 soldiers while the North had 2.4 million at one point. Yet still the North could not win. The South fought to the very last and mainly they wanted to keep their land and their money. Period.
Had the Yankees waited, the cotton gin was invented at around the same time and proved to me much more effective at ending slave like labor in the South, simply because it was more cost effective. Oddly enough the rich plantation owners got rich by being ruthless business men, exactly like the Northern rich did. Good business man as a general rule equates to heartless vulture no matter where you are.
So ya, it was about slaves and Iraq was about 911…, sure that’s it.
We’ll rise again long before you get a social life and stop trying to pick fights over the internet with people you don’t have to face, because you ain’t got the guts.
Ya, Jon, that’s a very Southern saying. Reminds me of the Yankee sayin’, “Hey! Yo! I got no manners and I’m rude simply because I don’t have any social skills. I wonder if that is a Jersey thing?” Jersey shore robbed the North of any right to call Southerners stupid.
My moma always said that to my pops told old man he was dumber then a box rocks
Mighty fine! Mighty fine way with that city slickin, green eyed envy stricken DAYUM YANKEE. Everybody LOVES our accents. The only ones that make fun, are the ones that get jealous cause they can’t speak it. We learned correct and proper english… its boring, and who wants to listen to robotic speech? However, in times where a flexing the intellect was necessary, we resort to that “I have a stick up my ass, and nose held high cause I am properly educated… ;)and when we leave, we speak in our “native” tongue again. Much to the same affect of if you visit another country you speak their language…. til you get home.
Its all about PRONUNCIATION of words to me, born and raised in Alabama, and northerners have more time on their hands apparently… they take the time to speak syllables and emphatical vowels… where we are more…” i got better things to do than spell it out for you, times a wastin”
So… i spell (or try to) correctly, unless making a “emphasized” point… and to me, the tone, body language, and pronunciations are the basis of any decent suitable southern draw. Yes, by the way, its called southern draw also… and I ain’t just speaking about how fast I pull my 6 shooter out, but it is to be included i suppose. Hers is my list of southern draw with correct word, then the spelling to show pronunciation
Suppose/ S’pose
On/ OWn, with a Long “O” sound
Because/ cause
Taint/ contraction, joining of two words, “that ain’t”
Until/ ’til
There’s/contraction, joining of two words, “there is”
Pecan/ PEE-can
Tomato/ mater
Potato/ tater
Bean pole/ a stick or rod used in a garden to provide support to bean vegetation, usually but not always a bamboo stick, used to describe a sickly skinny person. “You as skinny as a bean pole!”
Pole cat/ term used for skunk
Yard birds/ uncaged birds… in the yard.
Backer/ tobacco
Before/” four”
“I got plenty more… but time for sleep.”
Maybe One Fine Day the Northerners will learn how to talk
This good ol southern girl God’s got me living up here to teach these Northerners how to talk.
I live in the north and I’m from Louisiana and I can’t wait to move back to the South there’s nothing like it
Here’s the “rise again” timeline.
http://www.theonion.com/article/south-postpones-rising-again-for-yet-another-year-377
This is way over generalized. Coming from a military family, I’ve lived in various places across the United States–and when it comes to saying what “Northerners” or “Southerners” say, you can’t be that inclusive. The North and South are both large enough to be many, many different countries and so have numerous subcultures and such within it (think of all the different cultures squished into small countries in Europe). For example, we lived for 6 years in an area of South Carolina. No one said “Coke” there. Everyone–and I mean almost everyone–said Pepsi. In fact, they use to tease that “if you drink coke you’re too close to the North” (of course, they were joking, but it’s a good illustration of how common place Pepsi vs Coke was). That may not be the case for the whole state, but it was pretty wide spread in that area. However, when I moved to a different part of the south (about 500 miles away from the other), they only talked about Coke and did not have as much sweet tea. It was mostly unsweetened iced tea. They also said “you guys” more–and while “y’all” was used, it wasn’t as common. When I moved there as a kid, they use to say we talked strange and thought that we were from the North simply because we had a slightly different regional accent from theirs. We also lived in a suburb outside of San Francisco for a time; Miami, Florida; etc. I’ve heard some Northerners who even say “y’all” in the countryside. So, it’s too difficult to generalize such a massive landmass as being exclusively one way.
I tried to read all of the comments, and all that I have to say is the following:
My father’s side of the family is Southern. My mother’s side of the family is Northern. I’m from Kansas. All that I’m trying to say is that there are coldhearted people everywhere, both North and South. There are beautiful people everywhere, both North and South. I’m also a half African American woman, and I haven’t anything against any race. WHat I do have something against is Arrogance. And arrogance can come from the Northern States, the Southern States, hell, it can even be found in Antarctica. Arrogance is worldwide. Hatred is worldwide. Let’s give peace a chance. I came to this sight to learn more about the South, and more about their customs, or common words they might use, since I am technically half. Instead, I found a thread of comments full of hatred and arrogance and it filled me with a sadness that burns my soul to its core.
I also want to clarify….when I said it was wrong to think that “the South lost the war,” I didn’t mean to equate the CSA with the South myself. I wrote that somewhat hastily!
I also want to say that, as the great-great-grandson of a Union volunteer who lost an arm in the Battle of the Wilderness, I hold no enmity toward those who fought for the CSA, and I respect anyone who wants to honor their memory. Everyone who fought was an American veteran.
Thank you, Sweet Home Alabama!
Exactly, Kevin. Well said.
And if there is some residual feeling about the Civil War, it might help to remember that it wasn’t really South vs. North, but Union vs. Secession. Lincoln was born in Kentucky (and considered himself a southerner) and his VP (Andrew Johnson) was from Tennessee. Union Admiral Farragut and General Thomas (“the Rock of Chickamauga”) were both Southerners. About 100,000 Southerners served in the Union Army, and every Southern state except Louisiana had men on the Union side, and 40% of Virginia officers chose to side with the Union. On the other hand, the grandfather of Jefferson Davis was from the Philadelphia area, as was the Confederate commander at Vicksburg. A number of other northerners served the Confederate cause. My own state, Pennsylvania, came close to seceding initially.
So, I think it’s wrong to think that to be Southern is to be pro-secession, or angry that the South lost the war. I am a northerner, but I appreciate Southern culture and the emphasis on tradition, family, faith, and good manners. I am glad the South is still part opf my country. As Kevin says, we are all Americans. Frankly, had the secessionists had their way, we would have been easy pickings for the European powers and would never have achieved what we have. We are stronger together.
Funny, I grew up saying some of those words, and so did my family–but we are from Southern Pennsylvania, and go back centuries there (like the 1630s). I’m thinking of “caddywompous,” “pocketbook,” and “sweeper.” So as much as I like and support the South, not just Southerners say those words.
I do have an idea, though. Some linguists say that back in the colonial period, there were just two major dialect groups among English speakers–New England and everyone else. So maybe some of these words are simply old American terms that survived more in the South (and in a few northern families like mine who have deep roots here).
And don’t call me a “Yankee”–to me that’s someone from New England 🙂
Bless your heart
Lol wrong. …everything is coke EXCEPT Pepsi. Pepsi is Pepsi.
When did the South rise the first time? Define “rise” please…Do you mean you will continue to disregard education?
The reason they always think you want Pepsi is because so many Yankees ain’t strong enough to drink Coca-Cola. So they don’t give Coke to you unless you say the whole name: Coca-Cola.
Neither one of my websites is much right now. I am in the throes of bringing them back to life.
You have a pretty neat website.
The reason they always think you want Pepsi is because so many Yankees aren’t strong enough to drink Coca-Cola so they won’t give it to you unless you say the whole name: Coca-Cola.
I have Iived in NC for 10 years and never a problem. Yesterday my 10 year old daughter comes home crying from her field trip saying a teacher yelled at her for asking to use the restroom, her group was rushed out of the museum and didn’t have time to use them. Anyway the assistant teacher asked her who asked and she didn’t know my daughter’s name bc not her student, and said that one there with the run-down face. Loud enough for my daughter to hear.
..I have only heard this in context of run down cabin. Is this a southern expression, and what does it mean?
Our family is from PA and all used dumber than a box of rocks, and I now live in NC and hear it used hear as well.
yawn….another keyboard hero
I call it southern lazy. The attitude is “Oh well I’ll do it some other day.”
yawn….pleasee….
Bless your heart, aint your fault all yall yankees are a buncha arrogant morons.
That’s because Texas was settled by Tennesseans mostly and then Kentuckians and Missourians (and many Missourians can trace ancestry back to Tennessee & Virginia etc.) So yeah, Texas has a heavy Tennessee Influence. Even Sam Houston himself was from Tennessee.
We will acceptt hat compliment !!!!
I was reading the comments and I’m not sure where the girl lives (because there are a lot of comments and it was at the beginning) who said that Arkansas is not “in the South”……Really? Seriously? I’m from Arkansas and have lived here all my life and Arkansas has always been referred to as one of the Southern states…….Does this girl even know where Arkansas is?
And you have the nerve to call us prejudice, and judgmental???? I am from the south and Very proud of it!!!!!! In the south we are taught to pray for everyone including the idiots, know that this southern girl is praying for you
“Nun Ya”
Instead of saying something is none of your business.
“Guit Fiddle”
Instead of guitar.
“Pot Pour E”
Instead of Potpourri.
“Chickin and Dumplins”
Instead of Chicken and Dumplings.
“Papaw and Granny”
Instead of grandfather and grandmother, and Grandma and Grandpa.
“Hickey”
A whatchamacallit, do dad, an item that you can not recall the name of, or if you’re just toi tired to care.
“Tard”
Means you are tired.
“Hainted” & “Haints”
Haunted, and Ghosts or ones who Haunt.
“Sweet Tea”
Here if you ask for Iced Tea and even if you say UNsweetened, you are given Sweet Tea.
I mean Sweeeeeeet, the Southern directions for making tea:
1.) Boil water 2.) Pour the water in a ( “PICHER” Not picture) over the Tea Bags
3.) Remove tea bags when the tea you reach a deep dark amber color,
4.) Pour in 1 to 1 & 1/2 cup sugar per 1 quart water,
5.) Stir until all sugar is disolved,
6.) Serve over ice in Tea glasses “on average a glass that holds 2 to 3 cups of tea.
If you ask for the substitute sweetener condiment it goes ignored… Especially at a fast dood restaurant drive thru.
I have so many this post would look like I was writing a novel, if I toik the time to share them all. Having not had any sleep last night nor today, I need to sign off.
Y’all have a good time!
Jewel
About Me:
Born in Southern California, riased in California and Oklahoma, married a Texan and lived there and in North Carolina dor years, my sons as both natiev Tarheels, one son lives in North Carolina, the other here in rural South Carolina where we bought an estate and will retire.
i say i am plan out kuntry i dont say country i say kuntry
It would be chevys bad GMC bc Ford ain’t worth a crap
Found
Off
Road
Dead
Um it would actually be ” yall ain’t got no sense. All yall Yankees tryin to talk southern, just shut up. It’s as useless a d a dog that wi t hunt
Please tel ME, how we so arrogant. Choose your words wisely because if you come down here and say that, just know we all sleep with a shotgun under our pillow and we all got good aim from hunting. And we can hid e bodies in our dog pins
Arkansas is not In the south. Ga,miss., la, txt, 8th,sc,are. I’m not counting florida but it’s a northern state in the south. Sorry yall but tome, where it snows, it’s not the south. And I have never seen snow what’s it’s like
When the north completely collapses because of liberalism and immorality the country will assimilate the Southern culture of self-reliance, honor, and the Federal government being subservient to the States (the way the system was set up in the Constitution-see the 10th amendment). That’s how the South will rise again, by triumph of honor over liberalism. By the way, I’m a yankee from Wisconsin and believe it WAS the War of Northern Aggression!! Southern in my heart!
Being proud of your heritage isn’t arrogant, damn yankee!!
I think your right Yankees think they know everything there is to know about the South……asses go back to where you came from
Even though we are southern doesn’t mean Yankees don’t say these things to…though they don’t drop the g’s like huntin and fightin
After reading most of the comments on this page, I am compelled to jump in. I got to this page looking for Southern slang for a craft idea. I wanted to make sure I didn’t miss any.
I was born and raised in South Alabama, or Lower Alabama (L.A,) as we like to say, We raise beef cattle and had a vegetable garden on an acre and we fed the whole town. I was Valedictorian of my class and went to college. Oh, and I’m also a member of DAR (Daughter of the American Revolution) and Daughters of the Confederacy. I now have my Master’s Degree and work as a Director at a hospital. I have been a nurse for 33 years and during that time I have lived in Sacramento, Denver, Providence, and Akron. I now live in Augusta, Ga. I can honestly say that there are idiots everywhere but I never had anyone treat me like I was one because I spoke with a Southern accent. Everyone in Sacramento and Denver loved my accent and liked to hear me talk. They thought is was cute and endearing. Sure, they teased, but it was good fun and I enjoyed it.
The South has always called me home and I hope to retire on the Gulf Coast. However, y’all have truly embarrassed me. A true Southern is polite and genteel in their manner. I was raised by my grandmother who had two uncles killed in the Civil War. She was never rude to anyone from the Northern states. She was always polite and taught me to say ma’am and sir and to respect my elders.
Most of the Southerners who have commented here have presented themselves as uneducated and rude. It embarrasses me to even be associated with Southerns who are racist and prejudiced. You can say you are not but what do you think your hatred towards Northerners is? Tolerance and love for your fellow man are wonderful traits that many of you need to learn and practice! I appeal to anyone who reads comments on this site. They do not represent many of us Southerner’s thoughts or opinions about our Northern friends and most of us do not speak like we are from the back woods. Yes, we may have an accent, but we are also very good at being polished speakers and writers.
Another good saying is how we explain how drunk we got the night before… Drunker than cooter brown. Fucked up as a soup sandwich (or fucked up as a football bat). Those always get people going.
Amen! Tell em’
Nah we say it in Australia, since at least the 80s !
How about telling an asshole goodbye, “Don’t let the door bag you in the butt on the way out.”
I just have a few tidbits to add from Nebraska. Kansas City has little to do with the great plains. Missouri was a Confederate state and it still has that southern flavor. They also have good BBQ. We have a few terms that may not be used by the rest of the country, “shit-eatin’ grin” is one of them. How about “he didn’t know whether to take a crap or brush his teeth, ” or how about “he didn’t know whether to shit or go blind.” Also, when describing one’s former poverty situation, “We didn’t have a pot to piss in or a window to throw it out of.” We also use “dumber than a bag of doorknobs” and ” dumb as a box of hammers.” Northwestern Nebraska (the sand hills) is a place you can drive for miles and miles and never see a soul, just long, tall grass, a windmill, or a cow. That’s why we call it “The Good Life.”
I’m from MA, and I say all of those things. My mums family is from northern Vermont/Canada, and my dad is from another continent. Idk, maybe cuz my granny, despite being a northern lady, speaks like a southerner and lives in the south during the winter months. Idk
To say you are going to rise and do it again, tells us you are so stupid that you are admitting you would also lose again… Idiot
Stay classy, Madi. And stick your gun where the sun don’t shine.
“Yankee, on a southern page? Get yo yankee ass back across the Mason Dixon before the south gets hold of u and stomps a hole in your yankee ways. I hate the north, and dont forget, WE GONNA RISE AN DO IT GAIN!”
Dear Mr. South Will Rise ‘gain,
A.) The south isn’t going to do squat to anyone.
B.) See “A”.
Seriously, though, what do you think the south is going to do again when it rises? And what would make you think we Northerners would care about what you personally think, much less be intimidated by your words? Hmm? Because it’s just not happening, my friend. Have a great 2016.
Northeast Ohio, and yes, “dumber that a box of rocks” is said here, too. I wonder if perhaps it’s just an American saying?
So the topic was “Words Only Southerners Say”, right? Many have gotten off topic a bit, so I’ll join in for a moment before I share my on-topic comment. I’m as southern as they come. Born and raised in Mississippi, just like mama, and her mama. Now, my husband is not southern in any way, shape, fashion or form. He is from New England, Massachusetts to be exact. We banter about the “southerners are stupid”, “yankees are rude” but honestly stupidity is everywhere, same as rudeness. There are definitely differing ways to same the same thing though. Mama has a few… 1. Hurts like a risin’ (a risin’ would be a skin infection, usually a boil, which are typically very painful) 2. Cold as a wedge (I’m not sure what a “wedge” is but I’m assuming it is quite frigid) 3. Over yonder (Usually she would point because “yonder” are directions on where to place something or where to go if you live in the south) 4. I’ll make a pallet (bed constructed out of comforters, blankets, sheets, and pillows. Perfect for sleep-overs).
Ya’ll have a spectacular evening. I’m going to go work on my doctorate dissertation now.
That was some fine writin’ right there ma’am, if I do say so myself.
Jesus, Mary, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Get my smellin salts. Y’all have tore up my last nerve. Lawd have mercy. Y’all people from the place we do not speak of.(above Mason/Dixon) if Y’all would fix ya a glass of tea, swipe a hot biscuit, and sit a spell, then you would understand….the madder you get, the harder we laugh.(ok, and spit) Y’all get out from under my feet and out yonder afor I break me a switch. Don’t let that screen door slam!!!! Damn yungunz.
I’m from middle Georgia and we say “dumber than a sack of rocks”.
Only in the South.
Yinzer a buncha jagoffs. fo’ shizzle.
Wow.. Fact-check please, seeing as Atlanta (which is in GEORGIA) is the fastest-growing city in the country. Yes, there are racists in the south, as there is everywhere. Believe it or not, we don’t all parade around in our Ford F1-50s with Confederate flags hanging off the ends. I’m one of the most worldly people you will ever get the chance of meeting, and am currently participating in an exchange program. Also, on the homosexual thing, wow. Why do I have to live in the same hemisphere as someone like you. Additionally, statistics usually include oh, fuck, I don’t know, maybe percentages? fractions? You’re a violent, smug, homophobic, arrogant, extremist, ignorant, bigoted idiot. Let me spell this out slowly. and. simply. Y o u n e e d t o g e t y o u r a s s o f f t h e
c o m p u t e r a n d l o o k a r o u n d y o u . We are more sophisticated than you will EVER be. By the way, I am a bisexual, nonreligious, mixed race, healthy, democratic woman with a Doctrine in medicine. So fuck your stereotype.
I seriously hope you’re joking. I’ve lived in the south my whole life, and I consider myself an intellectual. I don’t have a southern drawl (though I can do a stereotypical hick impression pretty damn well). My spelling is immaculate, I’m in all AP classes, I’m nonreligious, and I just might be a hell of a lot more decent than you.
Best,
Ava
Also:
*They’re
*Dumber
*Believe
*The
*Bible
*Learning
*Whatever? I can’t even tell, honestly..
*Synonymous
*Communism
Note: Your grammar is atrocious, and I understand that this is mockery, but please, try to be a civilized human being and learn the art of subtlety. Thanks
Make that (“…they rarely if ever in NYC or Hudson County, NJ even say “oi” in place of “er” *or* vice versa)…”. (emphasis mine)
@madi:
“*JOYSEY* accents”?!? (emphasis mine) Do you really mean “*BROOKLYN* accents”? Even New Jersey’s accent gets stereotyped a lot; from time immemorial (especially pre-“The Real Housewives of New Jersey”), the media has depicted all New Jerseyans as speaking with a New York City accent (probably better known as the “Brooklyn accent”). Actually, the only area not only of New Jersey in general, but also of North Jersey in particular that does share that accent with NYC is Hudson County, which is across both New York Bay and the Hudson River (especially the latter) from most of the city’s borough of Manhattan and across a waterway called Kill Van Kull from NYC’s borough of Staten Island. The rest of North Jersey and all but the southernmost/southwesternmost part(s) of Central Jersey speak with an accent more like General American or more like a mix of that and the Philadelphia accent but sharing with New York City “dem-dese-dose” and no other elements of the NYC accent. Residents of the remainder of Central Jersey and all of South Jersey speak with a Philadelphia accent (which, ironically, has actually historically shared–and to a certain extent, still shares–a few elements of the Southern accent–particularly both the drawl and the Southern Appalachian-sounding twang and at least as often as not, the Southern pronunciation of the long I sound). (By the way, speaking of the reality-TV series “The Real Housewives of New Jersey,” the only cast member thereof who actually spoke–and speaks–in a New York accent (BTW, they rarely if ever in NYC or Hudson County, NJ even say “oi” in place of “er” nor vice versa) is original cast member Caroline Manzo (now on the RHONJ spinoff “Manzo’d with Children”), who is originally from Brooklyn and moved to the northern NJ ‘burbs of NYC where the show is filmed.
@Bontemps:
That’s because South Louisiana (the Acadiana region; New Orleans, etc.) has historically been more French-influenced (due to the Creoles’ French ancestors settling in the state via New Orleans (as it was–and is–a port) and due to (who would eventually be known as) the Cajuns’ settling in South–and especially Southwest and South Central–Louisiana after the British expelled the latter group of Frenchpersons from Francophone Canada. Hence, not only South Louisiana being more heavily Catholic, but also the French and/or Louisiana French Creole word for, I’m assuming, “godfather.”
If Oklahoma isn’t a Southern state, then explain virtually all Oklahomans speaking in a Southern accent. Because that’s what the Oklahoma accent sounds like to me.
And from New Jersey or New York City or Philadelphia to Florida–and most famously so.
I-10 is east-west, not north-south. In fact, two cities in the western South that I-10 goes through are New Orleans and Houston. And we all know that Texas is west of Louisiana, right?
You forgot these two definitions of “Yankee”:
*An inhabitant of New England or the Northern United States in general, especially the latter.
And the more common of these two definitions:
A member of New York City’s American League baseball team! (LET’S GO YANK-EES! (CLAP! CLAP! CLAP-CLAP-CLAP!) (Well, NEXT season, ANYWAY! [At least they made it to the postseason, they just didn’t advance from the Wild Card, that’s all. In the meantime, there’s my other team–or at least my other NYC Major League Baseball team–the Mets! ESPECIALLY SINCE THEY WON THE NLCS AND ARE GOING TO THE WORLD SERIES! LET’S GO METS! LET’S GO METS!] But I digress.)
@Northownstheweaksouth:
“We have the best education (IVY LEAGUE, you have none MIT, Harvard, Cornell, Browning, Stanford, Columbia, ETC.).”
First of all, MIT *IS NOT* AN IVY LEAGUE **SCHOOL**! And one of the actual Ivy League schools that you listed is BROWN, not BROWNING! Plus, Ivy League universities are only in the NORTH! The NORTHEAST!!!, to be exact!! Stanford isn’t even in the Northeast nor on the East Coast, period! Unless I’m mistaken, *that* school is in SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA!!!!!!!!!!! Plus, ever hear of Emory University (in Atlanta)? (That school is literally in the same neighborhood as the Centers for Disease Control, by the way! Look it up!!) Tulane University (New Orleans)? Rice University (Houston)? SMU (Dallas)? Old Dominion University (Norfolk, VA)? Virginia Tech (Blacksburg, VA)? Loyola University-New Orleans? The University of Texas (Austin)? Texas A&M (College Station, TX) UNC? Duke? North Carolina State University (the latter three in the practically adjacent cities of Chapel Hill, Durham, and Raleigh, NC, respectively)? And did you know, Northownstheweaksouth, that the latter three of those schools listed and their respective cities make up North Carolina’s so-called (and rightly-called) Research Triangle (“the Triangle,” for short)? Plus, the majority of HBCU’s (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) were founded –and are still located–in THE SOUTH!!!!!!!!!!
“We are not narrow minded like you dumb inbred a***es.” OH, gosh, there’s that stereotype again! (And this is a NEW JERSEYAN calling you out on those stupid stereotypes!!) Not all Southerners are narrow-minded, *either*! **Especially** in ***THIS*** day and age!!! *NOR* ARE **ALL** SOUTHERNERS ***INBREDS***!!!
“We have liberal and democratic (read: Democratic(?)) views.”
Oh? There aren’t any liberal Democrats in the South?
“We do not believe something because we are not racist, and take face value of whatever is spewed out.”
*You’d* **SO**!! be surprised how many Southerners aren’t racist! The number is larger than you think.
“You are obese…”
The South does have the highest obesity rates of *any* region of the U.S., I’ll *give you* **that**, but what if I told you that a lot of Southerners not only are not heavy-set, but also, more than a few of them work out! As do at least some heavy-set people NATIONWIDE–IN THE SOUTH AND ELSEWHERE!!
“We are stronger, faster,…”
Let’s just say that there are more than a few Southern cities or parts thereof where “only the strong survive,” number one. Number two, you can’t say that the major or even smaller cities of the South aren’t without a fast pace, but then you can’t say that their respective paces are always as fast as that of, say, New York City or Philadelphia or Los Angeles, I don’t think.
“Only the strong can make it through a Northern winter…”
Have YOU forgotten about the polar vortex breakdowns of the winter of 2013-2014 (especially the latter)? You DO know that they brought outrageously freezing temperatures to the South AS WELL AS virtually the rest of the country (or at least the Northeast and Midwest)!, **DON’T** *YOU*? I mean, sheesh!, you HAVE! heard of the polar vortex-breakdown-related SOUTHERN SNOWSTORM OF JANUARY 2014!!, haven’t you? *You* know, that snowstorm that got a lot of cars stuck on, most notably, Atlanta’s highways and got its schoolkids stuck in school? Yeah, I know, Charlotte, Atlanta, etc., were so ill-prepped for that storm that it wasn’t funny. (And how many cities and towns in at least the majority of the South haven’t been ill-prepped for *any* amount of snow **from time immemorial**!?!)
WHICH REGION OWNS WHICH *********NOW*********!!!!!!!!!!, Northownstheweaksouth? Without breaking down most of the rest of your comment, it *looks* like a **DRAW** to ***ME***!!!
“Get an education (,) you inbred morons, we are superior to you.”
You’re the one who should get an education, hating on the South and making its residents and even your fellow Northerners look bad! YOU’RE the one who’s a MORON!
“NORTHERN SUPREMACY. …”
Hey!hey!HEY!!! YEAH!!!!!, the North won the Civil War! The UNION!! won the Civil War! MY GOSH, DON’T YOU STINKIN’ REMEMBER YOUR ELEMENTARY OR JUNIOR HIGH/MIDDLE SCHOOL SOCIAL STUDIES OR HIGH SCHOOL U.S. HISTORY 1 OR 2? Hel-LO???!!!??? *This*, in case you forgot or at the very least haven’t noticed, IS THE ***UNITED***!!! States of America!!
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
I meant to click the “Reply” button immediately below this one to post this comment, but if Texas–and Oklahoma, for that matter–are in the Midwest, Louisiana and New Mexico are in the Midwest.
If Texas–and Oklahoma, for that matter–are in the Midwest, Louisiana and New Mexico are in the Midwest.
But why are 90% of white teenage belles with child….biblelt??? Riiiight
This aint really a word so much any word that ends in ‘ing’ automatically turns into ‘in’
I grew up on Southern California, but my people were Arkansawyers. We said you’uns not you’all.
My late father-in-law from central Tennessee often used the expression “Did you ever hear tell” meaning has anyone ever told you about a specific incident. (Example: “Did you ever hear tell about old Sadie who had that secret ginseng patch up Black Mountain?”
Here in Alabama we say “don’t piss on me and tell me it’s raining “(meaning don’t lie to me!)
Great blog! Do you have any suggestions for aspiring writers?
I’m planning to start my own website soon but I’m a little lost on everything.
Would you suggest starting with a free platform like WordPress or
go for a paid option? There are so many choices out there that
I’m totally overwhelmed .. Any recommendations? Thanks a lot!
“I’m some dumb but I ain’t plum dumb”….. that’s what ive been sayin to somebody that said that to me,
I grew up in NJ , My wife is from KY and we live near Myrtle Beach. It’s true about certain expressions being mainly Southern. One that you forgot is ” Dang”. I think that is some kind of southern way of cursing. A New Jersey version is more like WTF! “Mash the button” I never heard that until I came down south. We only pushed buttons.
I’m not sure if this is a true southern expression. My wife is from rural Kentucky and sometimes she uses the word torment instead of saying Hell. I didn’t know wwhat she meant at first. I thought she was talking about someone being forced to watch the Kardashians. To me that is torment.
Ma’am, that was a fine read. Thank ya kindly.
No, there are many people that could cause distraction, the King was once an international standard golfer.
Book online today If you want to present yourself as the
leader of a popular news magazine, is now Morocco’s Southern Province, where the
current Worldwide Caution Public Announcement, the last minute marrakech Middle East.
Kerry spoke at length about individual freedoms, saying:” No politician can shut out the world, however, after decades of planning, Morocco has stayed the course of several days to a week.
Excuse me, Madi….I was born in SC and I have NEVER heard ONE person say ” South Cackalaky”!
South Carolina is a beautiful state, and has so many advantages for Retirees that it is in the top 5 (or less) places for Seniors to retire.
Please excuse this very rude reply, Sheila, and visit the SC Lowcountry or Charleston, or our beautiful “Up State”. We would love to have you. Just don’t say “back home”. That phrase puts us on the defensive…..old ways are hard to change.
The reason that many South Carolinians resent NJ is because when they first started to move here, (50’s and 60’s) all we heard was what we were doing wrong…..everything was done better “back home”. So why did they move here? Old feelings are hard to change. I am sorry you are being disrespected. You should move to Coastal SC.
See my post above about Virginia. I think that a lot of non-Southerners have moved to VA /Washington DC area because they are retired Military. Quantico is near Fredricksburg, and there are tons of jobs to be had in DC, but they can’t afford to live in DC, so they move to VA.
The District of Columbia is not Southern even though it is placed geographically in the South. It is an anomaly, like South Florida.
We say “the devil is beating his wife” if it is sunny and raining.
My BIL, who is originally from Long Islsnd, tried to tell me that Virginia wasn’t Southern. I said, well, Gen.Robert E. Lee was from Virginia, and Richmond was the Capital of the Confederacy, and it is definitly S of the Mason Dixon Line…so what are your reasons for saying it isn’t Southern? He shut up.
Right, N.. Florida is SouthrrSSouthern, but S Florida is about as Northern as you can get! Darn Transplants!
To baggage is a knitted winter hat in SC. We never had snow here at the beach, so we didn’t know anything about sleds…or hills for that matter!
Those who come to the south to retire at the beach are “Transplants”
If they come South for Winter, they are “Snowbirds”
Dan Yankees are usually from NJ or NY to South CarolinaCarolinians
We say “bag of hammers in SC
Bless your heart U damn Yankee! You dumber than a sack of hammers! Honey.. Not all ya’ll damn Yankees smarter than us southern rednecks! But I must say one thang.. Ya’ll damn Yankees up in the north are the biggest most selfish judgmental rude assholes I have ever fkn met! XD You met a real redneck!? Hun if you have ya ass b kicked from the south all the way back 2 ya Yankee town/city! Us don’t play around! ( not all northerners are judge mental ass holes.. But most are ) ha! Grow the fk up!
Depends on what part of the state you’re from. Traditionally, Virginia is more of a border between dixie and northeast. Some parts of the state are southern, while other parts of the state aren’t southern at all. Northern Virginia is not the south. It’s northern in speech, attitudes, and politics. Southern Virginia, along say.. the US-58 corridor is about the most southern you’ll get in the state. NoVA, Richmond, and Norfolk-Virginia Beach are urban sprawls, so they’re more like melting pots. As times have changed, so have outlooks and politics. Richmond has become very cosmopolitan and diverse, Norfolk-VA Beach and towns adjacent are heavily influenced culturally by the Naval Stations and the transient population there. I’m from the suburbs of Richmond and any kind of “southern-ness” here has become very diluted.
This state is just so divided.
Darling, you’ve got it all wrong. We are not the uneducated fools you conceive us to be. In fact, our land holds many prestigious schools such as Duke, Vanderbilt, Rice, Tulane, and the University of Virginia (just to name a few). You know, I have a friend who moved from Wisconsin down into Alabama during middle school, and, I say this only to inform you of the facts, not to insult her, was actually behind in all classes except for our orchestra class together. She then actually adapted to our environment and excelled in her education. And on the subject of orchestra, would you consider a woman who plays the viola, cello, guitar, and piano a feeble-minded individual? Honestly, this could not be more insulting. Another thing, notice how I’ve been using previous grammar the entire time? Wow, amazing. I know. On the subject of Republicanism, I beg to differ. Republicanism does not in any way relate to Communism. Your judgment has left me completely addled.
Those extremely fake manners and fake charm can be referred to as “politeness”. You should try it.
in E. Ky. and Southern W. Va. it’s “dumd as a stump”
You missed a few. Here’s some. I’m gonna tan your hide; tha r dog just won’t hunt; you couldn’t hold a tune with a bucket; someone got hit by the ugly stick.
What does Reba have to do with this LOL?
Crawfish i awesome I’m from South Dakota
South Dakota says it alot we also say Ya’ll and we make our tea right and ya’ll ‘ll get coke if ya ask for it! Us “yankees” ain’t that much different from ya. In fact I get confused for bein from Georgia all the time! And Bless your lovely little heart, HUN!
Oh, sweetie! Well shut my mouth, aren’t the the cutest little thing. You’re all backwards though, honey. Bless your heart. See, we Southerners actually have quite the way with the English language, and have even produced a few much beloved wordsmiths over the years. We may play with her, but there are fixed and fast rules even in Southern English. Given our love of the melodious English language, we would never use the plural pronoun “we” with the singular verb “am”. Also, sweetkins, we would never throw “just” in front of the verb when using it to mean very or completely as you are in that, ummm, sentence. Also, we would never use “down in these here parts”. It’s redundant, sugar. So I believe what you were trying to say is, “We are just plain dumb down here.” Now that is one correct way a Southerner may express such a thought, but of course, the content of the sentence is patently untrue, puddin’. Of course there are folks here dumber than a box of rocks, but evidence I recently perused leaves me to believe that is true of any location, honey pie. You have a good day now.
Its Southern, but not as Southern as it used to be.
DC is below the Mason Dixon line.
Honey, I’m from the north…
But my daddy drove truck. I was always in the south, I grew up in a semi.
My principle asked me if I was southern, I have a slight southern accent…
I know where Reba McEntire lives because my daddy’s old both is her neighbor.
Call me a Yankee if y’all want to but I’d rather live in the south.
I live in Wisconsin right now. Here we dont care who’s southern or northern.
Just because y’all hate the north doesn’t mean there are bad northerners in the world…
One of my best friends live in Texas. I was always in either Florida or Georgia when I was growing up.
No, I never lived in the south but I was ALWAYS in them parts while I was growing up.
My daddy was always down there, while my mama didn’t give two flying fucks where she was as long as she was with my daddy and her babies.
I may have a mouth like a sailor, a horrible attitude, but let me tell you something, I’m an 18 year old girl who would rather live in the south than the north ’cause there are so many stupid, idiotic, ignorant people in the north and to be completely honest not all of us “yankees” are stupid, I’m far from being stupid.
Y’all are fightin over nothin.
There ain’t nobody got more n deepa southen roots then yours truly. My East Texas adopted grandmotha mamaw would love conversatin.She would pull out her bottom lip and with a small double wooden spoon she would pour in between her bottom lip and teeth a brown tobacco powder. She would laugh and say “a her ah swan eee” and she wasn’t afraid to tan my legs and backside with a switch if n I was caught stealin a cookie for supper! I am a southern Frenchman gentleman born in Hammond Lose ee anner partlee raised in Ponchatoula and Mt. Airy n et the best toufe n home made gumbu in de wir! Oh n home made french bread. and was moved to Good ole East Tex town o Appleby!
Why are you even here you idiot. Nobody cares about your northern ass. You’re scared to come down here. We got our pit bulls and our guns. Start a Yankee forum if you’re so lonely you have to be where us southerners are. You’re gonna wish you had read the bible where you’re going.
Me, again. Why do you keep blaming us for the Civil War? That happened long ago, long before any of us were even born. So, how, exactly, can you still blame us for chow occurences? Unless, I dunno, you believe time travel or some shit. We are not slave owners, none of us, and I know plenty people from the North who hate the Black exodus. So, what, you’re still gonna sit here on your sorry ass behind your thick screen and blame us for all the world’s problems? I don’t think so.
I like your opinion. Good southerners love and welcome everyone as well. We may make fun of your accent but non the less we love you. Tee Hee! All is good.
Nanner = banana, tater = potato, mator = tomato. Only in the south.
You are a writer, Midwesterner? I’m a bit confused by that claim since you cannot complete a sentence.
In South Carolina we always said “Dumb as a sack of hammers”
I’m originally from South Oklahoma, moved a while back to the real South part ‘a Kansas, and this is our vocabulary-
Y’all- You all, you guys
Young’uns- Young ones
Fixins’- Usually referrin’ to food- Sandwich fixins’, etcetera
Fixin’a- About to- Fixin’a tap
Tap- Sleep (Tap out)
‘Em- Them
Dim- Stupid
Caddywonked- Crooked (We pronounce crookt, not crook-ed)
Purdy- Pretty
Real Nice- (Real pronounced rill) Sometimes a sarcastic way ‘a sayin’ great.
Puddin’- Dessert (In general)
Lollygaggin’- Wastin’ time
Hon’- Usually used in sentences were someone needs to calm down. My Momma used to say “Simmer down, Hon’” (Sometimes Haus in place of Hon’)
Simmer down- Calm down
Lagniappe- My Great Gramma was from France and taught us this as a small gift, not a bonus of something. R.I.P. GG!
Hold your horses- Wait a minute
Falling out- Disagreement
Much obliged- Hopin’ to return the favor
Tight- Stingy (Especially with money)
Sorry- Inferior quality, Miserable
Go on half-cocked- Only know half of it
Ruffled feathers- Flustered
No axe to grind- No real opinion
And MY personal favorite:
He/She could start an argument in an empty house- One is stupid or too damn stubborn, will always defend their opinion even when they know they’re wrong!
Now, not all Oklahoma-Kansans may use this particular vocabulary, but it’s how I was raised, and I grew up around all of these phrases I learned from my Momma, Gramma, Papa, Daddy- I love my family- SOUTHERN PRIDE!
I’m gonna go ahead and lay somethin’ down nice and easy for ya. Southerners are not the arrogant imbeciles you claim we are. I am from a long lineage of Southerners, and we are anything but ignorant (like yourself). My family is very successful. My Papa’s wealthy (and owns a 20-car garage), my mother works for the county health department, my dad is a city inspector, and I am among one of the highest GPAs in my entire school. I speak three languages and am currently learning a fourth. I would like to say on behalf of my fellow Southerners that we are not all racists, or drunks, or homosexuals. And for the ones who are, so what? Part of our Southern Hospitality is loving people for who they are and caring about them. And if you have absolutely NO consideration for others, what makes you so much better than us? And you call US arrogant? I’d like to ask you to please just stop! Every person I’ve ever met tells me how beautiful I am, and how they love my personality, so how can you say something so ghastly as “all southern women are ugly”? Another thing, none of my family or myself has ever been involved in an incestuous relationship. We aren’t garbage. We aren’t dirty. Quite frankly, I’m germaphobic. I know more Democrats and Independents than Republicans! On behalf of ALL Southerners, a little lagniappe (try to pronounce that, sir, I dare ya)- “Bless your heart, you damn Yankee.”
I don’t know about y’all but when i get stressed out i use words like “Oh Lordy” or I declair” and Im from Louisiana so we call everybody Cher and start sentences with “Mais”
Not sure if it’s a southern thing, but always heard Fireflies called Lightning Bugs…
Im an Australian and can not understand why the USA is so proud of the American civil war when really you shot your own people up. That’s not something to be proud of and its a sad day when a country goes to war with itself.
Preach on my southern brothers and sisters down south. I’m lovin ya’ll here in south eastern Alabama!
Not everyone that lives in the south is like that though. Just a thought. You say we are narrow-minded and stupid. But it’s you that is narrow-minded and ignorant. Has it ever occurred to you that southerners attend these ivy league schools all the time and take their knowledge back home with them? You obviously met someone that misrepresented the entire south. Have you even been down here? The inbred hillbillies are everywhere, not just here. Did you know Georgia is a more democratic state than a republic one? Sure, you northerners can probably weather the cold better. We don’t really have to deal with it. I bet you would be the first to complain about our hot, humid summers filled with mosquitos. But why so much animosity towards us? (Yes, shocking! This “inbred hillbilly” knows a big word or two!) Best of luck with that narrow mind of yours.
I’m from Tennessee and we say all these sayings and words all the time and “ain’t got no” is a big un
I’m from Tennessee and we say all this sayings and words all the time and “ain’t got no” is a big un
I say that and I live in alaska.
Being born in the south and raised, I must say the North is superior in every way. No substitution, for good ole fashion Yankee ingenuity and wit. It is stronger and not soft like y’all in the south who are charmin extra extra extra soft.
The south is weak, fat, and soft. We kicked your stupid inbred asses in the civil war. We have the best education ( IVY LEAGUE, you have none MIT,Harvard, Cornell, Browning,Stanford,Columbia, ETC. ). We are not narrow minded like you dumb inbred asses. We have liberal and democratic views. We do not believe something because we are not racist, and take face value of whatever is spewed out. We are stronger, faster, more educated. We make this country, we innovate, you are like retard primates. You are obese ( highest obesity in the country) illiterate (lowest test scores in education) and soft (New Yorkers kicks your teeth out Detroit is too tough for a southern, Boston rips you a new one Montana Mountain Men, Nebraska, Washington, Alaska lumberjacks North Dakota, etc) (you are cupcakes compared to us). You have sun, and soft winters, we are made in the ice, where only the strong can survive. We are much much stronger then you cupcakes. Only the strong can make it through a Northern winter, hence you poor popper can make it. You better keep your mouth shut. You lost the war for a reason. Also you are poor trailer trash. A mansion in the north is at least double the cost for a reason. No one likes you losers you should all move your dumb conservative bible thumping inbred racist asses to China, where you belong. You resort to guns because you can’t use your fist or mind like us. We own you turds, if not for the northern taxes given to the south you would not have your well-fair checks and all would live a lifestyle like in Mexico. Get an education you inbred morons, we are superior to you. NORTHERN-SUPREMACY. REBEL SCUM THAT IS Y”ALL TO YOU SISTER AND DADDY LOVING BASTARD HILLBILLIES!
Well referring to the southern parents who had children in the north if the cat made shit we would not call it a cookie. The south sucks, poor bunch of scared homosexual, inbred garbage I have ever seen. You are all pussies. I would lay the whooping on you. I have known a lot of southerners and fought them. I beat them so badly if they would even fight me ( took them to the wood shed). Most of them were too scared and backed down like the cowardly pussies they are. Yankees rule, btw lets look at some statistics lowest education level, highest illiteracy, highest obesity, highest racism, lowest income, lowest rate of innovation, highest rate of unemployment, highest rate of welfare, highest rate of inbreeding, worst infrastructure, highest rate of ignorance, yup you guessed it all in the south. Highest rate of homosexuality in the south. There is a reason they call it the dirty south. The south sucks it is for the weak and rejects of the country. We are stronger,faster, more intelligent and richer. We are the innovators who pay for your welfare, we are your leaders. The president is in Washington DC for a reason. Btw stupid look at a map. New Mexico, Arizona, Oklahoma, Texas, Florida and southern California is in the south as well. But they are not dumbasses like the southeasterners. People from there are soooo sooo dumb. They consider themselves something special but they are just the degenerates of the American society. I know you are all very slow, but if you would just leave and go to China where you republicans belong we would be a much better country. Any idiot who fights Darwinism (adapting to the time) is slowing us down. You bible thumping products of incest.
The south is weak, fat, and soft. We kicked your stupid inbred asses in the civil war. We have the best education ( IVY LEAGUE, you have none MIT,Harvard, Cornell, Browning,Stanford,Columbia, ETC. ). We are not narrow minded like you dumb inbred asses. We have liberal and democratic views. We do not believe something because we are not racist, and take face value of whatever is spewed out. We are stronger, faster, more educated. We make this country, we innovate, you are like retard primates. You are obese ( highest obesity in the country) illiterate (lowest test scores in education) and soft (New Yorkers kicks your teeth out Detroit is too tough for a southern, Boston rips you a new one Montana Mountain Men, Nebraska, Washington, Alaska lumberjacks North Dakota, etc) (you are cupcakes compared to us). You have sun, and soft winters, we are made in the ice, where only the strong can survive. We are much much stronger then you cupcakes. Only the strong can make it through a Northern winter, hence you poor popper can make it. You better keep your mouth shut. You lost the war for a reason. Also you are poor trailer trash. A mansion in the north is at least double the cost for a reason. No one likes you losers you should all move your dumb conservative bible thumping inbred racist asses to China, where you belong. You resort to guns because you can’t use your fist or mind like us. We own you turds, if not for the northern taxes given to the south you would not have your well-fair checks and all would live a lifestyle like in Mexico. Get an education you inbred morons, we are superior to you. NORTHERN-SUPREMACY.END OF STORY NORTH RULES, SOUTH SUCKS, JUST LIKE THE NORTHERN SUPREME IN FOOTBALL EXPOSED THE SUCK I MEAN SEC FOR THE OVERRATED CUPCAKE IT IS! PERIOD!
The south is weak, fat, and soft. We kicked your stupid inbred asses in the civil war. We have the best education ( IVY LEAGUE, you have none MIT,Harvard, Cornell, Browning,Stanford,Columbia, ETC. ). We are not narrow minded like you dumb inbred asses. We have liberal and democratic views. We do not believe something because we are not racist, and take face value of whatever is spewed out. We are stronger, faster, more educated. We make this country, we innovate, you are like retard primates. You are obese ( highest obesity in the country) illiterate (lowest test scores in education) and soft (New Yorkers kicks your teeth out Detroit is too tough for a southern, Boston rips you a new one Montana Mountain Men, Nebraska, Washington, Alaska lumberjacks North Dakota, etc) (you are cupcakes compared to us). You have sun, and soft winters, we are made in the ice, where only the strong can survive. We are much much stronger then you cupcakes. Only the strong can make it through a Northern winter, hence you poor popper can make it. You better keep your mouth shut. You lost the war for a reason. Also you are poor trailer trash. A mansion in the north is at least double the cost for a reason. No one likes you losers you should all move your dumb conservative bible thumping inbred racist asses to China, where you belong. You resort to guns because you can’t use your fist or mind like us. We own you turds, if not for the northern taxes given to the south you would not have your well-fair checks and all would live a lifestyle like in Mexico. Get an education you inbred morons, we are superior to you. NORTHERN-SUPREMACY.
I’ve definitely heard a bunch of these sayings in the Northeast…. we aren’t SO different after all 🙂 Language is a beautiful thing.
“drunker then Cooter Brown” East TN phrase
Oooo, how tacky!
And everybody down here knows that the plural of y’all is all y’all. I swear, I cannot understand the notions Northern folks have about Southerners. My brother lives in rural Pennsylvania, and there are as many rednecks up there as here. The term, “redneck” comes from farmers getting Sun burned necks from being out in the fields, and as far as I know, most states, East, West, North and South have farmers.
I once lived in Michigan and most of the people are originally from the south. They traveled primarily from Kentucky, Tennessee and Alabama because they all got jobs in the automotive industry. I was up there for many years and only found one family whose grandparents were native to Michigan. I have also lived short term in Ohio, Indiana, and Iilinois and the majority of them have ties to the south. Basically, you Just called the southerns a bunch of idiots. Maybe next time, you will do your research!
Bless your heart
I have been a Yankee as you call it all my life and I LOVE my sweet tea and fried chicken. I am NOT too lazy to add sugar nor do I find packets when I ask for it at restaurants. Its always included. I have said Ya’ll all my life as well. My cart has always been a buggy. Caddywompus & yonder is common. We have access roads here too and that is what they are called.
The Yankees show up on a forum about the South to irritate us. Ya’ll should form your own group and get the hell out of ours. Nobody here in Alabama likes ya’ll because you are rude and quick to put us down. Ya’ll are probably jealous too. Go the hell away. I say that and they won’t ever leave us alone. They enjoy putting us down. We live better than they do. We know how to cook, fix things, and take care of our own kind. They come on here just to be idiotic pests. Making fun of us is their way to boost their egos.
all of these southern “country”girls by where i live are stupid as fuck. Three quarters of them get pregnant at sixteen, can’t spell for shit, and the one out of five-hundred that think they have a lick of common sense brag that they are smart. Miss Madi give your shotgun back to your daddy before you hurt yourself and not only yankees drive electric cars.
Kevin..couldn’t have said it better myself!!!
Ya’ll /you guys. .should all be ashamed of yourselves! Its now 2015..lets put the past away! I am from the north. .live a country lifestyle. Love my country music and grits..but also love the seasons here! I am not a slob as someone said. I earn good money and own a big beautiful home..I hunt, fish,drive a nice chevy pick up! It doesn’t matter how someone speaks it’s their ignorance that makes them a piece of crap! I love the expressions in the south..I think it’s charming ! We all live in the USA. .that’s all that should matter! This country actually needs us all! All of our industries are important! And i like Pepsi and coke!!! I also say dumb as a box of rocks!! And i can bait a hook! I can gut a deer ! Its not where you live it’s what’s in your heart!! Bless it! Lol so come on…everyone. .respect each other….ps we can play some kick ass football up here too! 😉
I promise you it wasn’t the Right RedNecks. Here in N.C. We would’ve stomped a mud hole in your ass’es and WALKED IT DRY! You just got lucky that Day!
My parents left Tennessee when they were still young enough to learn how ignorant it was. We world visit my grandmother some times.I remember the people seeming so dumb, that It was like they were drugged on downers; but I loved the accent.
I am a yankee born and bred, and on behalf of my people, I would like to apologize to all the southerners on this site for the ignorant opinions expressed by the northerners. I’ve lived in North Carolina for 20 years now and I’ve found southerners to be warm, fiercely intelligent, funny as hell, very down to earth, hard-working, and flawlessly courteous. Now can we yanks truthfully say all that about ourselves? I will defend my beloved blunt-speaking, fast-talking yanks to the death, but I think we have to acknowledge that there are strengths and weaknesses on both sides of the Mason-Dixon line.
Off like a herd of turtles!
Ya’ll might favor this lagniappe.
http://hottytoddy.com/2014/11/07/10-things-you-miss-when-you-move-away-from-the-deep-south/
I live in the south, and my family and I have always made a point out of speaking and communicating with PROPER grammar and enunciating and pronouncing our words correctly so we do not sound like poorly educated country hicks. The unfortunate and embarrassing dialect of the south alone is enough to make us move back to New York, where my great grandfather and great grandmother lived before moving to Texas (unfortunately) in their thirties. And, even though they did increase their fortune by moving, they still could have been just as wealthy by now if they had just stayed in their Upper East Side brownstones. But, anyway, sounding like an intelligent idiot is not something to be proud of, and the only reason I’m looking at this idiotic and misguided page is because of an assignment I am doing for my Human Geography class at my private school. This is just sad, and it is even more sad that you people are “proud” of your dialect.
Thank y’all
The love of my life is from GA
She warned me I have to larn a new way of talking – if y’all would publish a complete Southernisms Vocabulary y’all would help us other folk, fit in.
As a student at UGA who comes from a small, central Georgia town, I have been blown away by the number of people north of me (even in Georgia) who do not know what a “gem clip” is. In case you were wondering, it’s equivalent to a paper clip. Google it. It comes up.
I think you are full of shit yank. There as many dumb asses in the north as any where.
Darlin we are awesome and you are not arrogant, you are ignorant.
OK Pat…the correct spelling is YAĹL..not yálz…so DUHHHH back at ya.
And by yaĺl winning, look where that got us……ferguson, OJ…
Hi, how can I say, “we need to talk or I need to talk to you about something serious” in one southern word .I know there’s one word for it but I can’t recall it. You can say this word while mad at someone, or you have been waiting for a good time to talk
HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I know my friend from Kentucky always made up words because of her lack of a good education. For example when she flew out to Cali, she couldn’t remember the word turbulence so she said “we were turbulating the whole way” 🙂 Always cracked me up.
I’m from So.California (hey, does that make me southern? hah!). Haven’t heard of “dumb as a box of rocks,” however we do say, “dumber than a bag of hammers,” “not the sharpest tool in the shed,” “a few shades beyond blonde,” and “not playing with a full deck.”
Charleston has a long history with the military. Many Navy and Air Force personel are retired around the area. The South has a tradition of military service as well. If you have not moved yet or are now there, get in touch with veteran groups or organizations, they can give you lots of support and suggestions. Good luck and thank you and your husband for your service.
Can’t speak for others, but “bless your/his/her heart” has different meanings in differenct circumstances. Condescendency, sarcasm, mediation of a negative comment or heartfelt compassion/sympathy, it depends on the intent of the speaker.
As for racial tensions, the south has no monopoly on that, the United States for that matter nor of recent history. So called “racial tension”-there is only one race, homo sapiens-is everywhere along with countless other “tensions” and is much more complex than your explaination. This is the opinion of a 60 year old white woman, take it for what it is worth. Next time ask.
Second that!!!!!!!
Now, you are a southern lady. Whatever your family and education background (some equate academic education with intelligence, can be but not always), intelligent, clear eyed and humanistic. Thanks, I am reading this site for the first time and beginning to wonder about SOME of my southern sisters. A whole lot of hate and prejudice on both sides. Good people are good people no matter what their accent or where they live, the same for not so good. I guess I’m not as much of a lady as you, I would have had to given them a “Bless your heart, you are so rude and don’t even know it!!) LOL
A bitch is a bitch no matter where it was born, raised, or lives.
For the “bitchy Southern woman,” you forgot something infinitely worse than “bless your heart.” Mind you, I say this as a Christian…but unfortunately the worst thing you can possibly hear from a Southern woman is an overly syrupy-sweet “I’ll pray for you.” OOOOOOOHHHHHH shut up!
I’m from Georgia, and it wasn’t until I moved up to north Georgia for university that I ever heard anyone say “you guys.” I was born and raised saying “y’all,” and to me “you guys” just sounds harsh on the ears.
oh honey notherners are so full of them self people should not make fun of our accent
Well, Justin, your mamaw and papaw are Southerners, so you have a foot in. If your heart is in Dixie, you might just as well bring the rest of you on down, too. And, welcome back. My son has told me that he never wants to live anywhere but here in Alabama.
What does “yall’z” mean?
How about “Mamanem”. “Y’all goin” over to Mamanem’s?” We are going to visit whoever is at home, Mama, Daddy, etc.
Miss Nancy, a yankee is anyone from north of the Mason Dixon line.
I’ve never seen them at night, just lightning bugs. And bats.
THe reason our schools are so screwed up down here is because the federal government wanted to make it easier so the blacks could make better grades. They are still doing it and have been at it for 40 years so that’s why our kids don’t know who Audie Murphy is but know who Jesse Jackson is. I was in the army witH you smart ass Yankees and jerked a knot in a couple of your tails. We don’t care how you did it up north but wish you’d stay up there. I ve got a neighbor from New York who don’t have a clue on yard work because he never had a yard before . He culitIvates poke salet and thinks crab grass is lovely when you cut it every month. Yankees are dumb as a stump
Just because we don’t feel so insecure as to want to use higher tier vocabulary to feel self-important doesn’t mean we’re any less intelligent than you Northern folk, Jon.
Referring to those whose parents were yankees but they were born in the south: if a cat had kittens in the oven, we wouldnt call them biscuits!
How about “carry” instead of “drive” or “take” or whatever else might be used, as in “I’m fixin to carry Mama to the store”. My first wife could not abide my “Suthen dilec”, she thought it made me sound ignorant, or “ignert” as my Daddy would say.
Well I think a lot of people get dialect confused with intelligence, and ever who thanks that a-way is lible to look mighty damn stupid when I start rattlin off enough hunerd dollar words to fill up my Mama’s big ol’ pocketbook. Then I might detail the fallacy of relying on prejudices and uninformed stereotypes to categorize any human being or their culture. Top it off with a big ol’ Suthen Grin and a bole of grits and I’ll be Diddley Damned if that ain’t a good day!
Pretty obvious who the idiot here is….Us’uns here in the South will be praying for you even if you hold us in disdain. We don’t have hate for you poor misguided folks that have that opinion of Southerners, we just want to say, “Bless his heart” and try to ignore your ignorance.
real Skins aren’t* racists
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skinhead
So you beat them up and burned their flag? That was your best memory? That sounds real sick and twisted. Keep your Yankee Piece of Shit Ass up there in Michigan. You Yanks call us ignorant and racists? Your behavior is exactly what you spout against. FUCK YOUR HYPOCRISY. We don’t need your shit down here. Stay up there and pray a REAL Skinhead doesn’t beat your ass. (for your information real Skins are racists at all). You supposedly beat up some Neo-Nazi Skins and no body likes them anyways. Talk about uneducated!
Come on over!
the description of that gourmet meal sounds wonderful! I may just have me a light brunch pretty soon! Except, i’m in the midwest….no southern food until i get back home to Louisiana!
Bless your heart. 😉
if by ‘arrogant’, you mean ‘awesome’, well, my dear…..you’re right! Bless your heart! 😉
How bout we secede again and kick some yankee ass. I was just visitin the north in baltimore and everywhere I went people made fun of the way I said things. Like buggy, clicker, ice, and whenever I asked for tea they never gave me sweet. You can’t even get any decent catfish an grits up there. The South must Secede again. Down with the North.
Beg your pardon. It’s spelled: “Amen” 😛
Like the Northeners are any better. Everywhere, there’s 90% of idiots and 1% of intelligent ones. The 9% are the average.
Um, yes, the war was about states’ rights, in those states’ rights, slavery was included. So, I don’t think you can separate slavery, states’ rights, and the war.
And unfortunately, yes, some people in the south are upset about the Civil War, which is counterproductive. It’d be better to let go and move on to bigger and better accomplishments.
I’m from Louisiana and I can hear some differences between TX and TN accents. In my opinion, TX has thicker, deeper accents with more throaty drawls. TN is a bit lighter with wider syllables.
Hey no need to be mean there bud
Down in Alabama we say “Well, he’s dumber than a bag o’ hammers.”
Finding a good church is excellent advice. Just be yourself and you’ll make friends – but they’re more likely to be other transplanted Yankees than Southerners. I’ve lived in NC (from PA) since 1999 and most of the locals already have life-long friends and don’t seem to be interested in making any more. Not that they’re mean or unfriendly, they’re just probably not going to invite you over for sweet tea any time soon. Don’t get too discouraged by most of these posts. I think they’re mostly kidding. Mostly.
Im from the finest state in the US of A,kentucky we say well i declare or yall and drank sweet tea im a southren belle and we u mono grams and us cheveron a lot!!!
Some people say taters for potatoes lol. I have family from Arkansas and I live in Texas so I get some sayings from both places lol.
And when my mom gets mad all her i’s r long spunding like “whaa” for why and “ahh” for I and “mahh” for my lol
Lol a June bug is an actual bug. They come out usually at night in July and they fly. They’re a brownish golden color. I’m scared to death of those critters!! :O
You just have been around more Southerners alot more. That is all. Perhaps you could go to a Speech Therapist for help or go up to a Northern State for one year. I went up North and I mingled with the people of Michigan. At first they told me you have an accent from the South. I stayed with them and learned how Northern People live I did pick up the Northern Accent and those Northern Words that they use. But I am still Southern and always will be! I respect them and they trspect me.
Ya. I live in the north but only my dad’s side is northern. My roots are southern. I use oh honey a lot to the beggin of my sentences. But I hate it when guys think I’m flirtin with them.
“Oh, honey” is a good beginning for every sentence in the South. It’s kind of like beginning to tear someone up, but with love.
Aman. Sister
Not all of us are uneducated. I speak 5 languages. The reason I keep my hair close is because it’s freaking hot. Oh and I have a college education. I moved my kids up north for one year, they breezed thru that year. When we came back they were behind almost two years. I’ve met dumb Yankees and dumb respects.only thing that stays true is that y’all damn yankees wouldn’t know how to play football if your life depended on it
The south only LOST cuz we ran outta bullets. But just remember, not all of us gave up. Sick em hairy dawgs
Thank you! It’s not being from the south or north that makes a person ignorant. Some of these people are actually trying to have a fight from behind computer screen and are calling other people ignorant? LOL This forum was supposed to be about what Southerners say and it’s sad that if people that aren’t educated read this that all southerners hate “damn Yankees” because why? Oh they’re from the north -_- Just so everyone knows not all southerners are like this because I have been raised in the south my whole life. The truth is is that probably over half of the people that you hear yelling something negative about the Yankees or the north haven’t even been there. They probably don’t even know what it’s like to be outside of their state, much less a different region of the United States.
I was raised in michigan, but lived in georgia for a few yrs. I was in basic classes up there in school, but when i moved down south I was 2 grades ahead of my normal grade. I met more dumb ppl down there than i care to say. But we beat up some ignorant skin heads at the arcade and ripped their old confederate flag off and burned it in front of them bird brain idiots. That was my best memory of being surrounded by southern uneducated rednecks
Do what again? We lost. The Yanks kicked our #$ses. Besides, this is the internet. Put it out there and the whole world gets to read and reply. Not a Yankee
I lived in the south for years, and I heard people say “your alls”. For example, Is this your alls book? How is your alls day going?
Like when talking to more than 1 person. Is this southern? I heard it so many times, I started saying it too. I stopped saying it since I don’t live in the south anymore, and I don’t hear it here in the north.
I was raised in southern LA about an hour southwest of nola and am crackin’ up at the truths of the majority of these. I know people from here and from “down the bayou” (Dulac, Chauvin, Montegut, Point-aux-Chenes etc) who consider north Louisianaians “yankees”. My family’s from Bossier City and I do notice a difference in the vernacular- my parents say ‘remote’ but most people down here do say ‘the clicker’. I remember being peeved about that as a child, along with saying ‘coo-pon’ instead of ‘queue-pon’ for coupon. In fourth grade my teacher started talking about a ‘coo-pon’ for something and I began cracking up laughing, thinking that she had a glitch in her speech.
Other things:
‘make a grocery bill’- going to the store
‘the icebox’- the refrigerator
‘the hosepipe’- the waterhose
‘down the bayou’ ‘up the bayou’- Not in reference to going down there and then coming back, but two separate locations. Any time I ask which is where, I get no straight answers. I pretty much call anything more south in any direction from where I am ‘down the bayou’.
That is true but you have to seem happy even if you are not. It just a part of life.
I think that is only south LA with Maw Maw .
I live in Shreveport and i have never heard.
some people in the south are very happy the south lost.
OK dumb ass…go up north to live in an area that your obviously low class, uneducated self can afford and see how well you are treated there.
That shows your ignorance. We do not need you “yankees” of average (or below) intelligence migrating into the south to “raise IQ”scores. If you had any knowledge at all about the concept of IQ you would know that it is based upon a “normal distribution” or general variation among all people regardless of geographical location….unless you are making a racist remark and referring to the prevalence of people of African decent who are predominate in the south and an innate deficit in intellectual functioning.
I’ve lived in the South, the Northeast, the Mid-Atlantic, and the Midwest. I’ve met good and bad in everyone of those regions. However, I will say this, and I don’t want to generalize all Southerners, but a good portion of Southerners are some of the most two-faced, back-stabbing, phonies on the planet. They treat fellow Southerners this way, as well as “Yankees,” BTW, my relatives are all from Georgia, as well as my parents. My parents were the ones who educated me on the faux myth of “Southern hospitality.” A lot of Southerners have a bad habit of giving lip service for things they have no intention of doing, an example would be, “come on over sometimes for dinner,” and yet they have no intention of ever actually inviting you to their house for dinner. Southerners are also infamous for operating shady businesses and ripping people off. I’m basing all these things on real life experiences, I’ve lived in the South for a total of 27 years of my 53 years, so I’m not just making blank statements. I would trust a “Yankee” any day of the week over the average Southerner. And I’m certainly not saying that all “Yankees” are trustworthy either, I lived in NYC and Baltimore(if you want to classify Baltimore as Yankee land) and have lived in South Florida with plenty of “Yankees.” Believe me, I’ve met several scumbag “Yankees.” But Southerners are as a whole, the least trustworthy, two-face, talk behind your back gossiping, busybodies, of all the regions I’ve lived in. Have to admit I have met some real decent Southern folk, who are indeed the salt of the earth, but I’ve met a lot more who fit into the former category.
I always enjoy talking to people about old sayings and such from the south or north. Has anyone found any good books on old sayings? Southern or otherwise?
Im from Tennessee and I have trouble hearing the difference between TX and TN accents.
I live in jersey soo I’m a true Yankee … And we use your dumber then a box of rocks , but remote , gargabe not trash , you guys not y’all and fixin I’m never fixing anything Yankees be buying lol but I would like to visit the south … Imagine a Italian from new York in the south …
thank you
Something interesting. Most of Indiana is full of farms and people are considered conservative and “Hillbilly” unless you live in the northwest or lake and porter county. We are essentially Chicagoans. Nearly everyone has a relative that lived in Chicago at some point or your family still works there. If not you moved here to work at the steel mills and again everyone has some family member that worked in the steel mills. We don’t really fit-in with the rest of Indiana. We are generally on the poor side while the rest of Indiana has some dough.
I live in northwest Indiana a half hour from Chicago and my mom says dumb as a box of rocks. My family has always lived in the north with no southern ties at all.
Way to show your ass! At least we know how to drive correctly.
I like to (here in Alabama the heart of Dixie)we like to say yonder whether it’s ’round the corner or another state we say it all the time
Hey y’all, when you refer to the South, remember to capitalize it. It’s the South, not lower-case south. The South is a proper name of a region, dagnabbit!
Yeah. I’m sure it has nothing to do with the former [massive] sugar and tea plantations. Apparently, you were TOO lazy for grammar. Sans Souci. There’s no need for it South of the line.
You grew up in Bama? Bless your heart. Are you a Barner or a Bammer?
or a gunshot wound
female gas is a fluffy
Yup. There are several cases of hyper-intelligent people choosing not to leave the South. Every individual I can think of died of alcoholism though. 🙁
I love the north and the south , I live in the south but have lived in the north the first half of my life . Up north we call everything coke as well , we love cola cola and not so much Pepsi . The ice tea thing is northern people drink unsweetened tea so that’s why the sugar is on the side . I love saying ya all . We use pocketbook up north too . Some if these words are a matter of history and not area . I love reading posts on slang words .
St. Louis and Kansas City (both are in MO, for the geographically challenged) are both Midwest, not southern. The whole of MO is midwest. Especially the northern part where these two cities are. You must have never traveled. Swing by KC some time and you will have the most authentic and true experience of what Midwest is. When you go west to KS it feels more Great Plains. The upper Midwest feels a bit like Canada. The Great Lakes region is very Midwestern too. And to that moron above who says Texas is part of the Midwest, if he’s actually American then he’s a retard. It’s such unreal stupidity..I don’t believe it’s possible.
I don’t talk southern and don’t act it either but from what I been reading there is a lack of respect with some on here, not all but some I’m from the north and I can tell you there are good and bad everywhere. I like a lot of people from the south and my best friend lives in the south but to you all that don’t like Yankees just because they live north makes you ignorant. when we see southern people here we welcome them and are friendly. We don’t hate on them just because of where they live so grow up haters and stop trying to fight a war that you lost long ago. We are all Americans now one country under God. Try to remember that.
Let’s see a few terms I love from my heritage:
1. Well Bless (shake head)…. Just bless. This is when something is so off the wall or sad in what you see, you can not even come up with words to express.
2. Ville…. In a name of a town the v is heard, the illegal is kind of all lumped together… Like Abbeville..the ll is not heard it is abbviule ( is more what it sounds like)
3. well butter my bisquet and call it done
4. Oooohhhh girl, she is about to have a hissy fit
5. Southern Sunday lunch is a weekly function to attend. Those whom are not ther know they will be topic of gossip OR receive phone calls to find out 1. Who died 2. Who is sick 3. You BETTER be ther next week, our the guilt trip will triple.
6. College football is very serious, it can divide a household for months.
7. Just because the women talk sweetly, do NOT mistake this for that they are dumb or not strong women. We like our men to treat us ladies, and know our worth that our Daddy’s taught us how to take care of ourselves.
8. A mess is not clutter in the house, but a group of vegetables to cook
9. Dag nab it…
10. Case Quarter, a real quater and not other change to make up 25 cents.
11. Waving while you are enjoying time on your porch is acceptable behavior, even to strangers.
12. Smiling and talking to someone while you are in line is also acceptable, one never knows when a stranger will become a friend.
13. Polite is never out of style
14. You still write thank you notes…. For all gifts. It shows them the respect if they took the time to think of you, you show them the same in return. Also, your mom will haunt you…even if she is living….if you do not.
15. That brings me to the end do my southern charm by saying, now come on by and sit a spell ye here?
First off, its the other way around. Southerners blend the sugar into the tea because they are too lazy to open a small sugar packet (workout, I know right!). You’re even to lazy to say “you all” instead of “Y’all”. A buggy drives on the road and occasionally gets smashed by a foot. The CART you use for shopping, is called a SHOPPING CART which actually makes sense. And if you hadn’t forgotten, the North creamed, whipped, mashed, crushed, (whatever you want to say) “y’all” in the Civil War.
I’m an Okie, and i hear ‘stupid as a stump’ a lot..
I live in South Florida and one of the things I regret is the lack of Southern hospitality that I found in places like St. Augustine and Savannah.
Nonetheless, I live in the suburbs and my neighbors are truly Southern in their ways and accents, which I love. Is nice to find that among all the rush and traffic and fake tans there are nice people who ask you your name before demanding something, that say hello in elevators or when they pass you in the street, that don’t mind stopping so you can cross the street safely. It is a blessing to live in the South. As for those who are hating, on Florida or the South, know that the South is not a merely geographical location; the South is a state of mind.
Oh Please, this is completely ridiculous. First of all, there is no need to make fun of people. Second, people are entitled to Religious Freedom, if they wish to read the Bible and be God-fearing christian in the South that is none of ANYONE’s business. Next, I refuse to believe you actually think that just because people live in the South you are actually less educated than others; I’ll have you know that school’s like Duke, Washington University in St. Louis, Vanderbilt, Rice U, Emory, Wake Forest U, UNC Chapel Hill, Georgia Institute of Tech, UMiami and UF are all top notch school IN THE SOUTH.
So please STOP this hate talk. No one needs it.
Southerners….garbage !
here in the south we say ZACKLY; YOUR BREATH SMELLS ZACKLY LIKE YOUR ASS.
I-10 runs east and west, not north and south, I-55, I-59, I-95, runs north, I truly believe that a civil war will do this country some good, If you know yourself and you know your enemy you need not fear the outcome of 100 battles!
Over Yonder- Over There
I Reckon- I think
Like a Lump on a Pickle- Lazy person who sits around all day!
I’m from Georgia and grew up in Munford Alabama(a farm town look it up!)
I’ve lived in South Florida for 26 years…born and raised here. We were once a southern state until the “number 4 classification” of yankees have moved down here from Ohio, Michigan, what have you, and have turned poor Florida into an overpopulated watering hole of disaster…we’re nicknamed the transient state.
Every year more and more northerners come down here and never return back home. Let it be known that us Florida and WANT YOU TO GO BACK HOME!!!!! It contributes to our non southern hospitality because we’re too busy trying to be complete jackasses to convince you to move back up north. Seriously, go home…
“Jbella”…
I’m born and raised in the south and I’m not racist….I think everyone should own 2 or 3 of ’em 😉
Texas is in the Midwest, dear….
Amen June, amen. In the south we offered funeral cake, funeral casserole, etc. in times of loss. I know traditions spread as people move around and we are, after all, more alike than different in most things.
The Kyharn mess should not be confused with a “mess” of anything, as a quantity. We would fix a mess of peas, collards, etc., meaning enough for a meal, a lot or some undefined quantity. Also, favorite expression of my mother: “Hell fire and damnation”. A person who was not quite right was “touched” but pronounced “tetched” or crazier than a coot.
Born in AL, raised in TX. Wall eyed hissy fit and pitchin’ a conniption were familiar phrases. We were always “fixin’ to” do something. When asking for a coke we had to clarify what kind of coke (Sprite, Dr. Pepper, etc.) and our pets were often uglier than a mud fence. We were always told not to forget our grinds and lockets, usually in reference to bathing, and I still have no idea what those are. I reckon, be there directly and shake your tail were familiar as well. Terms of endearment are Sugar, Sugar Pie, Honey Pie, Sweetpea and Booger. Something could “tump” over (tip or fall), a mess of any variety could be referred to as “kyharn”, though the spelling could be suspect. Interestingly, a friend from South Carolina used the word “cukkor” to mean the same thing as kyharn. When someone was of a bad temper he was “ill” and if feeling poorly was “stove up” or even “all stove up” and if one overindulged at the table was “full as a tick”. In our neck of the woods, “bless your heart (or little heart)” meant that we know you mean well, but….And to touch on one vulgarism, males fart but females poot. Enough said for now.
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I was born in southeast Michigan, technically a Yankee. Let me tell y’all something, I hate it up here. I resent the stereotype pretentious yankees, who’ll look down their noses for you drawling your o verbs. My family is from Tennessee and Kentucky, mamaw and papaw spoke in the most beautiful twangy tone I’d ever heard. I go down to visit frequently, and still listen to Patsy Cline and Hank Williams. Northerners can’t stand it, they call it “hillbilly music”. It was what I grew up on, I can’t change it. Wasn’t till I was 13 when I realized I talked different. The Yankee kids pronounce words the darnedest ways possible, they say “loyer” when it is even said in the spelling that it is pronounced “LAW-yer.” Same with wash, they used to pick at me for my sayin “warsh”. I had 3 uncles and a grandpap that died for the Confederacy, and my Rebel flag flaps in the wind gracefully. My mamaw swears that we are related to sissy spacek, which we obviously aren’t, it’s apparently a southern thing. She grew up in the same town as the Judds, Ashland Kentucky. I’m fixin to move to Tennessee with my family as soon as I graduate high school. The south is my homeland;beautiful, cultural, and damn does the air smell better than the industrial bullshit and not to mention the blasphemist northerners up here. I’m sure some of y’all can relate, even though I was sadly born in Yankee land, I am a southerner at heart tried and true. And for any yanks reading this callin me a betrayer or some bull, we will rise again, and this time we will win.
I’m from North Carolina and I’ve always used it. That being said, I also used to live in Savannah so i might’ve picked it up down there.
just so you know I’m from Pittsburgh and we say sweeper and buggy all the time and I’ve never heard anyone else call it that
Bless.your little ole heart.
not worth three rolls of rat shit
Amen!
yankees need to stop messing with us south is better so yall damn yankies need to shut up south rules
Hey Pat! Theres no such word as y’allz. Why dont you go piss up a rope!
Hey Billy Bob: We have some of the finest universities in the country. And if yakees hate it here so much, why are they moving here? IN DROVES? Also, to those above the Mason-Dixon: Please don’t continue to fool yourselves into thinking your ancestors had nothing to do with slavery. What a LAUGH! The LARGEST slave market in the US was in Bristol, Rhode Island. LOTS of northern whites enslaved African human beings. It was NOT just in the south.
I’m the biggest Skynyrd fan in Minnesota, I ride a Harley and drink Jack Daniels. Pretty sure I out southern most southerners.
I find reading these posts very sad. I was born and raised in SC. We moved a LOT between Charleston and Greenville. As an adult, I lived a year in Europe. No one could believe I was from the South. I do use few southern terms and do not have a strong accent. Most place me from Boston. I don’t define myself in one way or another. I am proud of the growth of our state. I am proud of the strides we’ve made. I’ve seen racism from others who’ve moved here. I’ve also seen it in Europe and hear of it on the national and international news in other places. Unfortunately, racism goes many ways. It is not confined to southern states. We are a country of differences. Southerners against Northerners, races against races(all races), high class against low, etc. Most don’t embrace those differences. They’re too busy trying to prove they’re right or the other is wrong. I also find it sad that so many people who move to or visit the south are so pre-dispositioned that they can’t enjoy or find the good because they do not look for the good. I’m sure it goes the other way as well. I’ve only lived here and of course have only seen the prejudice against the south and southerners. They take our southern hospitality as fake and therefore they cannot enjoy it for what it is…just that…southern hospitality. I am sorry that they are that way. Once here with an open mind, there’s a LOT to enjoy. I am from here and don’t feel comfortable everywhere. Yes, there are cliques and groups but no place is utopia. I am on here to research names for a new business. Reading these posts just made me sad for those who are so hateful and close minded. So my search continues. You will probably find grammar problems in my post and may disagree with some (or all) things I’ve stated. I hope you’ll just take away one thought…none of us are perfect but if we just look for the positive and not expect negative, we would have a much better world! Have a great day!
We say, Dang it, a lot. Over yonder, fixin to, Bless your heart, Pop, for Coke or Pepsi etc., I declare. Tators, and many, many more.
Spitting image as in “she’s the spitting image of her grandma”, originally derived from “spirit and image”.
I came here out of curiosity and wound up reading so much nonsense. The article was interesting to say the least! Although I’m from PA- bordering WV, but still- and say most of these things (I also ask for Coke and get stuck with a Pepsi, and I always make my sweet tea for real, none of that packet foolishness!). I guess I just wondered how I wound up with such Southern sayings in such a Northern (albeit out in the sticks, but still) area. Anyway. I guess I just don’t get why y’all are fighting over this. We’re all part of the same great country. Let’s act like adults.
Yep. Definitely that one. (I’m from NC) Also, my two cousins, my grandma, and I were all born in June, so my grandma referred to us as the Junebugs
I’m from North Carolina & I hear that a lot around here too!
What about people saying winda or winder, instead of window?
People from Tampa pronounce Lutz as Lutes or Loots. Bob Lutz use to run Chrysler and he said his last name rhymes with guts.
You’re from the north. It is not your from the north. You’re is you are.
I lived in the south and they don’t teach spelling or phonics. Lebanon, TN is pronounced Lebanin. Maury County is pronounced Murray County. Maryville is pronounced Marvull. Shelbyville is pronounced Shovelvull. I don’t blame the students because the teachers never learned phonics. I blame the institutions of higher learning for advancing those that cannot read and write. For the record, a Yankee is a person from Maine.
FIRST OF ALL THIS WEBSITE IS FAKE!! WE (YANKEES) HAVE COKE IN EVERY SINGLE DRIVE THRU UP HERE. THERE IS EVEN COKE IN THE RESTAURANTS. AND WE ARE NOT LAZY. WE ACTUALLY WORK FOR OUR MONEY. WE SAY BLESS YOUR HEART DOWN EHRE TOO!! SO BEFORE YOU GO DISSING YANKEES AND MAKE A WEBSITE ABOUT THIS LEARN YOUR FACTS FIRST!!!
My grandma would say
“I declare” in disbelief
“Oh my lans!” When surprised or overwhelmed.
My great grandpa would say he’d do something “dreckly” (directly) to get the wife off his back
I always liked
“Uglier’n a mud fence”
“Uglier’n homemade soap”
Folks don’t get beat, they get “skint up”
And kids all seem to have tails:
“I’m gonna beat yore tail”
“..tail over here, tail in gear”, etc
Best I can tell you, get plugged into a good church. Be friendly, help others, be a part of your new community, and just be laid back & let it come naturally.
It is really very simple why there was a Civil war. States Right. Pure and simple. Nothing else.The South wanted to do what they wanted and The Union wanted the South to do what they wanted.
Yankee told me the South lost the Civil War…get over it…I boxed him in the nose and said….We have yet begin to fight!
I live in Ohio. And I say “buggy” everyone here tells at me because I say that rather than a cart. I also say sweeper, rather than a vacuum. I’m not southern, but I would love to visit. After reading all these posts, not sure if it would be safe for me to speak lol. I don’t hate southerners at all. I hate the fact that I even used that word. I love the accents, I love the family oriented culture, and slower way of living. Besides all of that, it’s a he’ll of a lot warmer 🙂 I can’t wait to experience it for the first time this coming April. I promise I won’t “change your ways”, that’s just non-sense. I know northerners, have a bad rap in the south, but I hope my family will have a great time. We’re not all judgemental, or assholes….. 🙂
Sincerely,
Friend up north
I’m from CA, originally Yankee stock, and my wife is from Memphis. Naturally, I’ve then learned to appreciate much about the South, especially what I call “the Code”. Along with “Bless your heart”, one of my faves is “How nice!”. Quite a civilized way to tell someone off and they’ll smile, if they don’t know the Code.
I’m from the north. My mamas from the south. I like south better then the north. I rather not be A yankee.
We say that here In M.T. My mama grew up in south Georgia. Moved to Arkansas. She always said “Now don’t come to me and be, dumber then a box of rocks.”
The level of ignorance in every single comment from a southerner on this page is extremely astounding. It wouldn’t surprise me did the whole reason the US was 14th in education was single handedly abused by you sideways thinking, fact warping, bigoted and delusional assholes. Hey south, I’ve lived in you since I was three, and I can honesty say you can go fuck yourselves. You’re dumb as shit, you’re discriminatory, and you have no respect for people outside of your realm of self proclaimed morality and unjustifiably hatefule and completely backwards religion. I hate to prognosticate, but I would garentee that most if not all of you had no idea what I just said. #prochoice
suck my dick
Just because we talk slow… doesn’t mean we are!!!
I was born in the South and raised in both the North and South. I grew up with Southern Traditions and Manners!! When I’m in the North, I’m called a hillbilly, and when I’m in the South, I’m called a cityslicker!!
btw… Coca~Cola and RC Cola are the only two cola worth drinking!!! Ice Tea should be so sweet your teeth hurt!!! People in the North, get off your lazy butts and make the simple syrup and sweeten the tea right!!! Sugar packets are for sissies!!!! Unsweetened tea should be illegal!!!
Ya ya. Us rebels may not sound to educated but u bet ur ass we dont try to be nothing more than who we are. I mean. When do rebels ever go up north to retire or vacation? XD fuck yanekees
Southern people are so arrogant.
We say POKE instead of bag. If something is rare we say it is SCARCE AS HEN’S TEETH. Also, from all of the yankee posts here I would ask you, If the south is so bad why is all the migration from north TO south instead of the other way around? I don’t see a flood of people wanting to move north.
Say you’re from the north then go down south and stay there and adopt the southern culture and all that what would you be considered.
in northern louisiana all of that is true except for saying sweeper, yankee, and clicker. we say vaccum cleaner, someone from up north, and remote
You forgot to say we were gonna stomp a mud hole in ’em. That’s purdy southern for ya.
Hi everyone! I have a few questions… My fiance and I are moving to SC from NJ this August. He’s a wounded combat veteran so we were looking to move somewhere warm, friendly, welcoming to veterans, and close to family. We decided on Charleston, SC. After reading all the posts I got the impression that if we are polite and respectful, we will be fine. My concern is this: My fiance has been rejected by everyone he knew up here (family included) because he came back “different”. There is not a lot of support for veterans and the military. What are the chances that he will be made to feel unwelcome just because he’s form NJ? We are looking forward to getting away from the self-centeredness and rudeness up here. There is very little sense of community and helping someone is rare. Honestly, what do we need to know? I don’t want to seem rude just because of where I grew up not giving me the same cultural manners as our new home… Thank you!
Down in Georgia, when some people refer to something not happening for “a minute”, it usually means “quite awhile” or “a long-ass time”.
I am from Alabama, I for one do not say clicker or changer. It is called a remote. I also do not call all sodas coke. I call them by their name such as sprite, dr. pepper, etc. What is this word: Lagniappe. I have never heard that. I call a purse a purse. Don’t make assumptions y’all, and bless your heart. Have a good day sugar plum.
Dumb as a box of rocks. We used that in California, too.
Before the Civil War Natchez, Mississippi had more millionaires than any other place in the country. We have more former Miss Americas….you can’t beat a southern belle, you will NEVER see a homely Miss Mississippi….and we have produced some of the most incredibly talented writers, musicians, poets, chefs(cooks;) and artists than anywhere else in the country and we love our Manning family, Jimmy Buffett, Elvis and William Faulkner, Levon Helm, The Allman Brothers, Eudora Welty and so on and so on, we are simply a very proud people….and we are not ashamed of our slang words, so Namaste y’all 😉
You tell it belle! You go girl
Well go on and get, take you ass somewheres else. No one told you to come down here so stop whining about it put ur big girl draws on and see yourself out. U don’t like us we don’t like you could careless really poor thing 🙁 I think we got her all beside herself. Bless ur heart sweet heart have a swift and speedy trip back up to yank land
It was the government. The south had all the cotton. Cotton could not grow in the north, government was the cause of civil war. Not slavery or racism the ggovernment reaped the benefits of the cotton which was the major crop and was exported across seas and taxed the govt essentially ended up pitting the north and the south against each other. And yes iI am from south Carolina however have lived up north and you are damn Yankees very cold hearts selfish your women look ugly and take no pride in themselves running round looking like bums. This was about southern sayings until u Yankees came and started trouble…typical. y’all have a way different aspect on life and when I lived there y’all all were strange ass hell. But do not get on here on down us southerners because this just gives us reason further to dislike y’all…HELLO dumbys.
To the tards who think southerners say pop. Ur idiots. If i hear someone say pop the first thing i think is u dang yankee! Dont come tellin the southern beauties what we say! Bless ur hearts
One of my family favorites is “ugly as homemade sin,” basically a way of saying someone looks inbred.
My grandfather, who’s 76, said his mother used to say “I’ll slap you from here to Halifax [meaning Canada]!” when he misbehaved as a child.
And the Elizabethan word “yonder.” My grandparents still use this word, and I think it’s cool that we still use words in the South that you can only find written in Shakespeare and Faulkner novels!
typos: * “when in Rome DO as the Romans do”
and “It’s just more fun if we PLAY nice together.”
Let me get in here! After reading many of these comments I feel compelled to share my thoughts and experience.
I’m a native Tennessean with roots in Alabama too. Definitely, I have Southern roots. Yes I capitalize the words Southern and South. Cannot seem to help myself on that!
Firstly, I spent most of my life in Tennessee, then four years in Texas, and in 2000 I moved to New Hampshire. Now, I think we can all agree that it doesn’t get much more North than New Hampshire.
True Yankees live here and I don’t mean that in a derogatory way. It’s a term of endearment, practically, here.
That’s okay.
Something important to note is that when I moved here I did NOT expect it to be like the South (and mostly it is not) but we are all human and I was surprised about many things, MANY things.
Hunting, fishing, missing teeth, hicks, rednecks, weird dialects … all exist here too. The South does not have exclusivity on any of these. The South has its own BRAND of these … just as New England and other areas of the country do.
Likewise, there are many sophisticated aspects to the South and Southerners (as there are to New England and the North.) I think Southerners, however, don’t emphasize this as part of their identity or heritage. I’m not sure why but I do know it’s cultural.
Great people exist in all these places. Explore them and accept them as they are.
Don’t visit or move to any other region and expect to change people. Observe and blend in … as much as possible.
If “Yankees” have one fault, one major fault, it is this: “that’s not how we do it!!! and that’s not how you say it!!! and that’s not correct!!!” Well, you can bet when I moved up here I didn’t (and don’t) say that to people. I’d consider it rude. you know “when in Rome does as the Romans do …”
Now, that doesn’t mean I disown or devalue my Southern heritage (of which I am proud … just because I can be.) I make the best Southern homemade buttermilk biscuits you ever tasted directly from my Mother’s recipe. But I just share ’em … I promote ’em. Then, I try the clam chowder. It’s delicious! See? It’s just more fun if we place nice together. And … as for that war of 150 years ago. It’s over and done. Let’s move on y’all! ;o)
I’m from Chicago and we’re being moved to Savannah. I don’t want to sound like an outsider idiot, so what are some easy ways to integrate myself in without looking like I’m trying too hard?
Down here in Tennessee not only do we say “Dumber than a box of rocks” we add in “Ain’t worth two dead flies”. Just sayin’
Nice Writing. Florida was the Bread basket of the Confederacy., meaning the farms in North Florida especially, grew much needed food and other Valuables to keep us going, during the War. The only state whose Capital was NOT taken over…The Yankees lost that Battle in Florida. Deo Vindice. TY, Dear Southern Lady.
Amen Georgia Boy! Atlanta is NOT a Southern City, never was. It was built by the Yankee Government, after 1864, called Reconstruction.
My Family had Two Farms on The Flint River 1840’s. Awesome way of life, none to compare. I was fortunate to be raised that way. God Bless You.
Yeah, it has changed alright, and has NOT for the better, Thank You Very Much. We will keep Thumping Our Bibles..IN GOD WE TRUST. AMEN. Guess you didn’t know Georgia leads the Nation in Yards that have The Ten Commandments in From of Them, (Signs).
Now we have Gays in our Schools teaching our Children., that’s just plain wrong, ALL of You Politically Correct People, go back to where you came from.
Oh, and By The Way. When do you ever hear of anyone Retiring and Moving North?
yea okay?? when will that be? Im on here to figure out what you people trying to say cause again as you put it “ya’ll got no sense!”
That’s a cajun French thing bc our parents grew up with bilingual parents if not bilingual themselves and I think that’s purely a South Louisiana (anything South of Baton Rouge) thing. The further down you go the more you hear it.
I’ve heard that down here in South Louisiana too. That’s what my Maw Maw always told me. I guess that’s a Southern thing. We say Maw Maw and paw paw and address our godparents as Paran andNanny or Nan. Mama is another to point out. I don’t hear that up north. I had 5 living grandparents but not one grandma or grandpa.
I’m 100 percent with her on that. Lived in Tampa 3 years. It is a melting pot. Not Southern, ppl never wave back. Keep to themselves. It’ll always b Yankee state to me.
Funny u say that. My kid has an iq higher than you. He’s in in the 99.9th percentile and he’s 4. Also, there is another young 4yr old who is smarter than you that you can see by googleing 4yr old mensa. What we believe in is Southern hospitality. Waving to your neighbor, hugging ppl actually caring even if it means less for you. We don’t stress ourselves to death. We drink and figure it out. We embrace or culture and are proud of where we came from. We aren’t the racist u think, some are but that’s not just south and not just black n white. We have a way of life that may seem odd but I’m cajun and its funny when Yankees freak bc the boiled shrimp has a head on it and when they see boudin or crawfish or raw oyters. It’s comments like yours that make me feel sorry for you. You sound like you have never experienced the South yet decided to judge. Whose really the racist?
Honey the war was not about slavery. It was about us southerners wanting to form our own country seperate from y’all. Do some research. We aren’t as dumb as we must sound to you. What do you not agree with. I’m for equality. But before you judge the South, get your facts straight. They teach what they want u to know in school but I’m sure you can search the web or hit up the good ole fashion library.
My family uses that saying all the time and we’re from Pennsylvania….then again my family uses ALOT of southern saying.
YONDER: Damn Yankees always got sumin to say when grown folks talking. Yall gone back over “YONDER” and git before I come up off this porch now!
-Sorry I couldn’t resist! LMAO!
Ya I’ve heard dumber than a box a rocks in Washington state. We have coke and Pepsi up here. And coke is better. We make sweet tea with the sugar in it. And we call the remote control the flicker dicker in my house or just flicker. Fricker!
I jus wanted ta pop in n say hi. Lmao. This is hilarious. Born in Louisiana n raised in Oklahoma. Ignorin all the bullhonkey thats written above me. Haha. Jus wanted to tell ya it was awesome to laugh at everyone. My family is country… so alotta da sayins I hear errday. But im native so am more use ta hearin rez talk. Again this was jusntoo damn funny to not comment on.
Hi all my name is Brandon Smith. I’m from reisterstown maryland. I consider Maryland a southern state because we’re below the mason Dixon line. In Maryland it’s kinda a mixture of different accents. I don’t know if I’ve a southern accent or not I think it’s because I’m surrounded in my familiar surroundings with people of the same accent some of the above postings are things that I have said. I usually adress a group by saying you guys or you all I have in times used y’all. I say soda not pop I tend to say mother like mutter and at times like mud Der I say Baltimore like balda more maryland like marlin Baltimore county like Balda more Cow nee water wood er some examples. Darn auto correct
How many southerners you know who retire in yankeeland? Must be somethin’ purty good about the south!
I don’t know a lot about NC or SC except that SC’s gunlaws are not what we are use to seeing here in the Southern states. I know they don’t accept concealed carry permits from Alabama but NC does. I always figured that would be reversed.
Haha funny! reading this from Down Under (Australia). I am yet to visit America but i can’t wait to come across!!
I’m lived in Texas 64 years and now reside just north of Savannah, Ga. Growing up my mother would refer to to something not being straight as “Whanky jawed.” A tantrum was a walleyed hissie fit and a gourmet meal was red beans, fried potatoes and sweet cornbread.
Shug
Here’s a couple of mean ones:
Ugly as homemade sin. Or he’s so ugly they’d have to tie a pork chop around his neck to get the dog to play with him.
Just so you all know, I am from Mississippi and the south was just like the north we won some and lost some. Those barefoot toothless moonshiners kick the Britishes buts at Kings Mountain. They were volunteers. And if the south is so bad why is it the northers are still enjoying things southerners invented? Air conditioners and the refrigerator systems were invented by a southern Doctor from Florida, Shipping containers were invented by a southerner and wreckers were also. How would the northerners like to do without one of those when they get stuck, Jack Daniels whiskey was invented by a southerner. Wonder where the north would be without our inventions and the Civil war was not fought over equality it was fought over economics, freeing those from slavery was just a by product. So get your history right. Do your research. You yankees were just jealous of what we had.You couldn’t make it yourself so you came to steal it from southerners.
I guess I am a yankee, but where I always visited in tx I always came home noticing how much more friendly y’all were than us “yankees.” But damn, proving me wrong. I never realized how much anger you have towards us…….I just don’t get it
Damn so much anger for ppl u don’t even know! I grew up in WI visited family in TX every summer so I love the south! Why worry about what happened all them years ago? And u make no sense when you refer to the “yanks” as being cold-hearted when really it was the southern racist ways that were cold-hearted. Again that was way too long ago for me to care, I love the whole country, just had to make the point that you sound “dumber than a box of rocks” 😉 god bless
drunker than a bicycle 🙂
Look, I do not understand why you have a problem with the south. I am from the south and I find myself and many others to be more intelligent than you. No one in the south thinks that everything is communism, that the Bible is the only thing worth reading, or that science is of the devil. I do not know where you, the biggest moron from the North, got your information, but I am sorry to inform you that you are incorrect. I hope that you further educate yourself and know that all because you have these misconceptions, that I can see where you are coming from. Quite frankly, I know that their are some rednecks that do hang a rebel flag off their trucks or outside their houses, but they do not use it as a representation of the Confederacy, but as a symbol that they have pride in their heritage. Even though the North sees the rebel flag as a symbol of racism and rebellion, it is in fact a sign of knowing their roots and the truth that you seem to not have obtained.
This has got to be the stupidest thing I have ever seen I was born in the north and live in the south and all I have to say is we’re f#@#ing Americans! One nation under god stop bickering like children and grow up! There are more important things going on in this world. Why do you think the rest of the world makes fun of us!
did we add “reckon”? i reckon i might do this/that.
i reckon it’ll rain.
“woulda been going…”
If you’da made that turn there right on that turnpike you’da been goin back south. or some such.
idk if we hold the monopoly on “ain’t” but we say it a lot down here in south georgia lol
then again, i’m from atlanta, so some of these differ where i hail. now i live close to florida, but honestly the regional expressions are about the same, from what i can tell.
“Well shit fire” usually responded to w/”save matches” by second person.
“Its rainin like pouring piss outva boot out dere”
“Idunno” a.k.u.n.a. I don’t know
“Before I jerk a knot in ur tail”
“dont go think’n ya done got too big for ya own britches”
“Dry’r’n a popcorn fart”
“Cold’r’n a well diggers ass”
“runnin round like a chicken w/its head cut off”
“madder’n a wet hen”
“dont kno ya ass from a hole in da ground”
“all dat work and he done got plum tuck’r’d out”
“Well shit fire” usually follow’d w/ “save matches” by a second person.
At first, I believed the spelling was atrocious, however, re-reading it showed me it was more mockery than anything. Rude… I’m from New York, and still find it rude.
Where I’m at in Ohio it’s a tobaggon.
I don’t know about anywhere else, but they’re June bugs in the part of Ohio that I live in.
When I heard stories of some Southerners still being upset about the Civil War I never really believed it until now. I’m not sure how you can say that the South was better when in fact they lost. I do not have any sort of problem with the South or the people living there, but in saying that north was in the wrong for fighting for equality I simply cannot agree.
I live in Ohio and hear people say it all the time, so I don’t think that’s really something that’s strictly Southern.
Who’s more dumb? The South? Or the person who can’t spell anything?
Yeah… Ohio is definitely Yankee… it’s north of Kentucky… they’re Yankees too, just don’t say that to their faces.
Have you ever heard of a man named Robert E. Lee?
I am from Texas where the state tree is the pecan tree… Until I left Texas I had never heard anyone, not on the TV, pronounce it any way other than puh-con.
I don’t understand why, if they want to move south, they don’t just go to Florida… It’s basically the north with a tan there.
even though they always seem to show up in July…
I’m from Maryland (born in the District), I say y’all, pocketbook and my favorite from my grandmother “Corned ham son of a biscuit eater!”
The general IQ of the south has increased with migration from the west and north…. not gone down. Compare the inner burbs to yall’z in country bumkinland and yall’z will see whats I mean! Men in wife beaters, chewin’ tarbackee, bible-thumpin, science and math-hatin’ ignoramuses… SCARY!
Dem toothless good ole boys in pickups is gonna wup yer hides agin, y’all! Oh wait, I forgot, the redneckers lost that war.
Y’allz never rose before… y’allz lost before… Duuuh
Yankee is someone who doesn’t like the cold anymore…. but needs to put up with locals who are ignorant, intolerant and don’t believe in science or much of anything else… other than da baaable. The stereotype fits, yallllz
Of course thir dummer in the south… they only believes in da baable… any other lernin’ book, like science and what feer, to a southerner is seenonomous with kommunizm.
How about this southern saying: We just am plain dumb down in these here parts?
Well theres lots of folks down here in Georgia that have been invaded by the rich northerners and changed. Then ya got downtown Atlanta and you better have a gun on ya cause theres a good chance ya could get robbed. Places like buckhead where ya got 4 story houses on every corner. But I live right by the flint river and we say yall, I reckon, over yander, and its pacan not peecan and its just sad see in all the good southern culture go away
Walmarts not walmart. It’s like your going to all of em
Don’t forget:
4)DAMN F’N YANKEE!: One that doesn’t return to the North, but wants to constantly complain about the heat and our Sourthern ways while they take all of our jobs.
Yes, snooty ass Yankees, it’s HOT down here! And YES, there are Southerners that live here! If you don’t like it, I’ll give y’all dirctions to I-10… NORTH! Otherwise you are more than welcome to stay, but Shut-Up and Blend-In because this is OUR COUNTRY!
ive never heard a person say beanie or toboggin its always been a boggin or hat down here in georgia
shit your right this aint where a yankee belongs time to get the ol’ double barrel out again and the south never fell its always been better than tha north
This author also forgot “youns”. Not sure of the spelling but if you ever get to TN and work in a grocery store, they will ask if “youn’s got this?” Basically saying do yall have this. And I am with you on the state split. I am originally from South Dakota and it is a state. There is a North and South Dakota we are not “The Dakotas”. I moved to GA 13 years ago because I fell in love with the people and the Southern Hospitality but so many other people have moved down here since the Olympics that the Southern Hospitality is hard to find now. What is skift?
Most of my friends down here are not from the South but there are a couple and they use ALL of these phrases. The South has become less and less “Southern” as more people from all over the USA move down here. Especially in the Metro area. Most restaurants now serve “unsweet tea” with packets of sugar. Personally I perfer my tea ice cold and strong with no sugar at all. Most places down here don’t know how to make a good sweet tea anymore. My neighbor is a born and raised Georgian and she makes some damn good sweet tea!
Not just a Southern saying. We use it in S.D. as well.
Be warned, another Yankee here. I’m researching southern culture to legitimize a character in a story I’m writing.
1. The internet is public domain. It’s nonsensicasl to
Uh…yeah. You aint a true southerner, and you need a good whuppin to knock some sense into ya. You give a bad name to the south, idjit.
Im a redneck girl and damn proud of it. By the way, we say all damn yanks are idjits and need to actually go into Harvard instead of just parkin ther car in its yard.
Well, i’m from SC, but i dont say i swony.
Well, im from charleston, and they say thing like bless you heart. Bless your heart actually means-and take it from a true souther belle- ‘ain’t he an’ idjit!’. BTW, I only like half of you, you half-damned half-yankee. To the southern side of yall, i say, ey bo.
Um…you might get shot. i wouldnt go around crowin like a rooster that yall’s a northerner. Just summin to chew over.
If you weren’t comin down here like the damn idjit you are, you wouldn’t have to listen to our accents. And if you scratch that sugar coated southern exterior, you’ll find one of the toughest, strongest, best fighters in the history of america. Southern girls may be covered in sugar, but they will whup yo damned yankee ass before you can say Hahvid Yahd. Idjit.
I’m a southern girl, and i have been stopped many a time on the streets beacause of my southern beauty, charm, and accent.
I’m just glad i’m not like you. Who the hell can understand your damned accents, either?
Don’t let my shotgun bullets hurt your shiny-assed yankee electic car.
Um, sir? Yeah, i’m the most southern girl yalls ever gonna meet, and i’m twelve and reading on a post collegeate level. You are the idiot, ya damn yankee. Go fuck your yankee-ass self.
You’re wrong still. The south may be a region, but it’s traditions, and the soul, not where you live. Though i do hate damn yanks.
Finally, a yank is startin to make sense. Hey, you want some southern hospitality? Yall come down here, to South Cackalacky. In yankspeak, that would be “Carolina”, but no respectable southerner says carolina. None.
By the way, i kinda like joysey accents. My favorite show’s protagonist’s voice actor is from NJ.
Though you’re still a yank, you seem respectable…sorta.
Yeah. I’m from Sahth Cackalacky, and all them yanks are comin here and takin all the good outta the sahth. I nurly shot my damn neighbor…he’s a yank and he stole my gun! when i gawt it back, i poinid it at ‘im, and he was a yella belly and called the cops!
I agree. I am dreading admitting this, but my idjit brother moved to NEW YORK. He is now a yankee, but here’s his classification: Idjit Traitor.
Bless your heart, sugar.
I swear to the mighty lord above, damn yank, i will shoot you if you don’t get off our land. Why couldn’t yall just have left us alone all those years ago? We were better than you, you cold hearted yanks. I hope you freeze your ass off next winter up there!
Hosepipe = Water hose. Like the one used to water your garden.
Cut = To turn off. As in “Cut the lights.” or “Cut the engine.”
Crank = To start. As in “Crank the engine.”
Whatcha no good? Translates to “What do you know that’s good?” It’s actually a friendly saying. Like saying “How’s it goin’?”
I’m from Dayton,tx and our way of saying thank you is fuck you with something hard and sandpapery bitch!!!well for me and my cousins!
I moved to KY from PA but, before that I was born in CA and grew up there. So, I’m not a “Yankee”, but I still get a lot of “where y’all from”? The locals give me flack about leaving CA (technically not true)to live in KY, but it is worst to tell them I just moved here from PA. ASlso, I’ve been getting a lot of “oh, sorry ’bout that” and then they don’t fix what they were suppose to do. What’s up with that? Is this the “special” southern hospitality that we’ve all heard about? Snarky things said with a smile. . .the northeast has got nothing on this place!
Has anyone heard “got your apron on backward” in the context of saying something as jest which is, sadly, true? Not sarcasm exactly ~ but not far off?
Speak for yourself DWK. Sounds to me like referring to Southern women as a group having narrow interests and being conversationally-impaired, you are the one with a narrow point of view. You are painting the canvas with a very broad brush.
How many British people do you know?
Bless your heart.
Yankee, on a southern page? Get yo yankee ass back across the Mason Dixon before the south gets hold of u and stomps a hole in your yankee ways. I hate the north, and dont forget, WE GONNA RISE AN DO IT GAIN!
In other words, “we don’t care how you did it up nawth”
Hell naw 🙁
I don’t know about you guys, but we say some of these words up in Pittsburgh. Such as buggy and clicker. I think that might be it though.
Southerners once again proving they are, in fact, dumber than a box of rocks. It’s an American saying, idiots.
Please, this is not the place for your comment.
I grew up in East TN. When I was commissioned in the Army and went to officers’ training one thing we had to do was make a speech (which we wrote), present it, be videoed making the speech, and then be critiqued. The Senior Officers told me to NEVER lose the accent as people would pay attention to what I had to say. Course, I was a cute little whippersnapper gal too.
*Agrees with Jim*
Born and raised in rural Alabama. I haven’t heard over half of these words until just now haha. Then again, these words come from many southern states. Not just the south east.
I am from the deep south. I stay literally about an hour from the gulf. We usually don’t consider many states that are below the dixie line to be south. If you do not eat crawfish or do not live in a place where the humidity is always over 50 percent throughout the summer and there is never snow….its pretty miserable. The air is full of salt from the gulf and yet, we do not even notice it anymore… There really ain’t no place like it.
No, a toboggan and beanie are two different things. A toboggan is a winter hat and is so long you fold the bottom of it back up. A beanie is short and for style, not protecting your ears from the cold.
Ya done done it know
You done pissed her off..
Y’all done made me mad
We use the saying “dumber than a box of rocks” in Missouri.
Steve, I never heard anyone from here saying “you all.” after saying it a few times just now, it don’t even sound right.
MARCI ! You need to go back to school, and take a history lesson. The CSA ( Confederate States of America ) the Confederacy’ was a government set in 2/8/1861. states; South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Texas, Georgia, Louisiana. These states formed the “Confederacy and the Confederate constitution”. Other states joined after that point. So in your own words saying Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas are “Not Southern States” is “silly”
The Oklahoma Indian Territory, because it was not a state at that time (confederacy territory) had many battles pushing back the Kansas ‘union regular soldiers” and stopping their push, south and east to trap the other southern states. A note of Oklahoma pride; General Stand Watie (Indian)officially became the last Confederate general to surrender on June 25, 1865.
My Family hails from Texas and also settled Oklahoma when it was a territory We are Texas, Oklahoma and Southern Proud. We will Defend our southern way of life till death if need be. God Bless Oklahoma, Texas and our Southern heritage.
You can take you’re (we have taken thinking) and shove it you know where,
“Don’t Tread on Me” PS. have a nice day!
You tell it like it is MCKENZIE. I love the Southern accent and it discusses me when a Southerner starts talking like a northerner so they don’t a fend them. Northern teachers don’t even like you saying to them yes-um instead of yes mam. They will give you a detention for it. Makes me want to say it even more.
I’m from NC (parents are from SC and GA, family roots go back to LA) just found out “the devil’s beatin his wife” is a specifically Southern term – I thought it was at least all over the east coast!
And on the whole North/South animosity thing: I think it’s totally ridiculous that in 2013, people are still judging eachother on what area they were born in. I love the South, but I know there’s just as many ignorant folks down here as up there. For the Northerners though, who don’t get some of our hostility, like a lot of others said, it’s ridiculous how many people move from up North down here and make fun of our culture and ways. Not only that though, I lived in the North (back and forth from NYC and Baltimore, MD) for about 4 years and the amount of complete and utter CRAP you have to put up with from almost everyone you meet for being where you’re from is offensive and ridiculous. Having people mock my accent was a daily thing. And don’t get me started on when I said I was movin home (“why are you going back THERE?” “you finally got out of that place, why would you go back?!”… just RUDE. I never talked bad about the North to a Northerner, I don’t understand what makes so many of em think it’s okay to talk bad about our home to us.
Oh my, where to start.. I am WV born and bred, gold and blue.
Crick, waller, hollor, mator, tator, skift, this here, aiming to do that, bull hockey, reckon, bleeding like a stuck pig, the Good Book, mad as a hornet, doodley squat, polecat, mountain out of a molehill, knee-high to a grasshopper and on and on. Drop the g and add an r 😉 Don’t they teach that along with i before e except after c?
Just for an FYI…. if you don’t want us judging ya yanks, then please take note: The little banjo song implying something ugly about Appalachia that y’all like to emulate when I say where I am from – newsflash – Deliverence is based out of Georgia or SC y’all so stop already. That is my pet peeve with Yanks – well, that and always having to tell people that yes.. West Virginia is really a state, we split with VA in like 1863. Thanks for letting me get that off my chest. Whew.
Oh I always say Bless your soul…
Moneback in NC
C’mon ken. Are you fo REAL!? You can spell cultures but not to. Another southern sayin. You MUSTa been in pawpaws white lightnin.
AMEN.
ERRNT wrong. Pepsi was INVENTED in NC and is boss. So most of us call’em pepsi or soda. Cocolas Georgia. Nonetheless NOONE gives a damn cause the drink of carolina IS SUNDROP!! FOR sure every dang body drinks the mess ‘cept me. I drink sweet tea.And No dang body ’round cheer says pop.
Here in NC we don’t give a hoot. you smile and nod and most will do the same. Lessen they need a lesson or 2 ’bout common courtesy. Which is universal. I lived in both and honestly was told up north at least once a day to “say this or that” and then laughed at. I humored ’em and wasn’t a shallow ass ’bout it but I was made to feel ignorant on purpose. Daily. The females there were not as friendly and jealous and not as thoughtless. Bad table manners and rarely thanked you, said excuse me,or said bless you.I was regarded as uncool when I said those things I’d heard and said my whole life. When I came to home sweet home I’s caught in the middle. Only bein 16 I’d picked up some of a northern accent and the only people that ever said anything were my closest buddies. They would playfully ignore me when I said “you guys” and insist that they were LADIES not gents and insisted that I address them as such. It didn’t take long to pick back up on my twang. And I don’t give a care whether ya like it or not.
You mean co-cola shug?
in eastern nc we LOVE our pepsi and ask for it by name. coke is fine , too. but in these parts pepsi is king
A lot of this just sounds like Northern stereotypes. Well for those Southerners who don’t know we also have our Southern stereotypes. Like we’ll call them rednecks, hillbillies, or Confederates. Also we think that everyone from the south loves NASCAR
Cory the fact that you think Yankees are superior than Southern folk shows how uneducated your are. Also, I would love to see you “Knockout” a fraction of the Southerns I was rasied with. Another southern term “Corn-bread country strong”. As for Jersey girl im sorry you fill that way about the South hope you find your place somewhere else.
Swan’s been covered, thanks.
I hate that yanks now say memaw and papaw. It’s worse than politicians dropping their g’s.
LOL true!
Coastal Yankees are the worst of the varmint.
“You don’t understand” is a polite way of telling you to butt out. It sounds like you’re some kind of know-it-all that came down to “slum it” for the weather and low cost of living… a carpetbagger, in other words. Be nice, and they’ll be nice to you, but don’t come down to the South expecting them to change their ways.
We called it the boonies, for short, aka the sticks and the holler.
Ohio most certainly is Yankee. It shares a lake with Canada, for crying out loud. I’m from WV. We barely make the cut, and we’re south of the Mason Dixon.
Ohio most certainly is Yankee. It shares a lake with Canada, for crying out loud. I’m from WV. We barely make the cut, and we’re south of the Mason Dixon. There is very little true Southern culture left. Honey Boo Boo is supposedly Southern, but she’s just some 6yo in Georgia that talks just like a Brooklyn DMV clerk.
Ohio most certainly is Yankee. It shares a lake with Canada, for crying out loud. I’m from WV. We barely make the cut, and we’re south of the Mason Dixon. There is very little true Southern culture left. Honey Boo Boo is supposedly Southern, but she’s just some 6yo in Georgia that talks just like any DMV clerk in Brooklyn.
LOVE the Southern expression, “I’ll “carry you” there!!!
Well I never! Education, my fanny. I grew up in an educated, musical family. We were poor as dirt but were introduced to the arts and because of our music (including much opera) we didn’t have Southern accents. As I grew into an adult, my accent became more and more Southern…not hillbilly or redneck…just Southern. It’s very akin to what you’d hear in England, only with a few different inflections. Really quite beautiful without the nasal twang of some regions. I know lots of highly educated, professional people with heavy accents. It wraps around you like velvet. Mmm-mmm.
I hate it that people are being ugly toward you just ’cause you come from somewhere else. True Southerners that are raised right will go out of their way to make you feel welcome and “at home.” The reason we get defensive or resentful is because many Yankees move here and then start making fun of the way we do things. They want to change us. Maybe you can explain why they move away from the North and then try to turn us into what they left. We love our history and most of us will defend it to the death, but I hope you make some lifelong friends here!
ha! My parents are from the pee dee area of South Carolina, but I was raised in the suburbs of Atlanta and my southern accent was “corrected” by all my friends in school with Yankee Parents. Never fear, I can juggle both accents now- it’s nice, because I can be accepted into the Yankee crowd, but then I can rock the southern crowd too.
My mom still busts out the phrase “I swony” (basically the genteel way of saying “I swear”) Anyone else say that?
yes ma’am/sir?
That’s right. I live in Tennessee and if your from the north come on down for a good ole nice visit. It’s amazin in the south! I swear I’ll never move to the north!! The south is my place and livin on a farm is quite great and livin on 100 acres is awesome and not havin to worry about stupid city limits is also great. And by the way everybody who is home grown in the south drops there g’s
Here’s a couple sayins used in my family:
•Y’all •can’t as in cannot aint said can’t it’s said caint with the I in it
•dumber than a door nail
•rustier than a pitch fork in the barn
•fixin to
•those dang Mosquitas are eatin me up!
•he’s so stupid he he can’t poor his own piss out of his boot with instructions written on the heel
•he/she’s madder than a wet hen
Yep so that’s a couple I’m not gonna type anymore my hand hurts
Where I was raised on the south shore of Massachusetts, we said “pocketbook” and dropped the g’s on our words. Just think it’s interestin’ is all!
One thing I noticed in Louisiana is the way I hear some say umbrella – it’s UMbrella. And depending on who you’re talking to, they’ll be asking if you have any cheern, or churn, not children.
And I’m sorry, but way to go people from the north for making us all look like snooty bastards, (not that perpetuating stereotypes about the south [“damn yanks”] is any better). I’ve met many an ignorant townies in Boston or in the suburbs in MA that match the supposed drama and ignorance found in the south, and certainly the accent plays no part of that mess.
Haha no. I’m from NC and no one says “pop.”
Cory, you sure are making a lot of grammatical errors to have more common sense than us Southerners. You make no sense.
I’ll add a few more.
1. Kin–your family.
2. Good Lord willin (no “G” and no apostrophe) and the creek don’t rise–As long as nothing comes up, this shouldn’t be a problem. Example: We’ll come see yall tomorrow, good Lord willin and the creek don’t rise.
3. The devil’s beatin his wife–It’s raining, but the sun’s still shining.
4. According to a friend of mine from up north, this is only said here… Do what?
5. Washrag (it might also be said “warshrag”) has already been properly covered. 🙂
6. I can’t believe noone has listed this one. No count…
Haha, thats right!
Why do a lot of Southerners say “thew” instead of “through”? Also, “salava” instead of “saliva”.
My mama always say’s “Am Fixin’ up ya tea”
Hell yeah, this sites right on the money. I live in Ga too, heard and say all them words put in that little essay thing. This is great made me laugh a little bit =]
Yep, beggerlice it is. And something crooked, like a picture or a piece of furniture, was sigogglin’. As for ya’ll, it’s singular. All ya’ll is plural. We understand that yonder is over there, and yander is a little bit farther over there. As a child any soft drink was a ‘cocola’, an extension cord was a drop cord, fireflies were lightnin’ bugs, lunch was (and is) dinner, and the evenin’ meal is supper. We still go to prayer meetin’ on Wednesday nights, and yes, evenin’ starts just after noon, and night sets in right after sundown. We ask what in the cattywampus you’re on about, and we’re often discombobulated by a good many things. But when I see the sun rise over the Blue Ridge Mountains and the fog burns off the hills and hollers I’ve always call home I know there’s no where else I’d rather be.
Mayonnaise a lotta people in here!
I’m from north central Georgia. Born, raised and lived here all my life. So have all my family. We LOVE sweet tea! We’ve never called a remote control a clicker or changer. We just call it a remote control or remote. We use the words ‘yonder’ and ‘reckon’ but what a lot of people don’t realize is that these two words were not made up by Southerners. They are English. Shakespeare used ‘yonder’, like in Romeo and Juliet. “What light through yonder window breaks” I’ve also heard many British people I’ve encountered say ‘reckon’. Don’t forget America started out as 13 British colonies so we were bound to pick up and still use some of their words. And a lot of folks here in the South, like me, probably have British ancestors. I even use the word ‘shall’ sometimes. Some words we Southerners may have made up ourselves. There are a lot of words mentioned above that I use or have heard, like caddywompus and dagnapit but some of them I’ve never heard. Ever heard of discombobulated (meaning confused or disorganized)? Or how about funktified? (meaning has turned funky, like spoiled milk) Here’s one my greatgrandfather would say “in a case of depushity,…”, meaning a difficult situation.
I beg to differ I am born and raised in NC and I haven’t ever heard anyone say Pepsi it is always coke.
I’m from Arkansas, and we say, “you’re dumber than a box of rocks”. It’s an all around Southern saying. I usually don’t talk Southern, though. Unless it’s something like, y’all, or dumber than a box of rocks. 🙂
Not just a south GA thing, We say up here in Ol’ Kentucky too!!!
the letter g is not necessary in the words you are referring to. If you were a true southerner you would know that.
that makes you a Yankee girl.
take I-95 north honey.
Cory, either you are the most stupid person I have ever heard of or you are puttin’ us on.
How ’bout this one….dagnapit! that was used a lot back in north Georgia where I grew up. A polite cuss word.
Where is the ‘like’ button?
Try central Canada. I cant promise we would be perfect, but most of us are far less judgmental.
I’ve been drinking Dr.Pepper since the 80s. It’s my first choice. Canadians use both ‘pop’ and ‘soda’. Pop comes in bottles and cans while soda comes from a fountain.
I’m Canadian and find myself saying “y’all” sometimes. I actually find it comfortable speaking with several of the southern words despite the looks I get.
Winter hat*
We call winter hat a ‘toque'(pronounced TOO-k) in Canada. I haven’t heard it called a beanie yet. My step mother is from Boston and still just calls it a winger hat.
A toboggan is a sled used sliding down hills in winter.
its bluntly obvious that you have never actually encountered a Southern Belle . Maybe only the retched southern Females are attracted to that hideous personality you just clearly advertised . So just so your informed , the GOOD southern woman , those ones we consider “Southern Belles” are beautiful , smart , and built like ah brick house hunny , we are those Miss America looking , Model walking , Big talking females who can handle the money ,the house , raise the kids and don’t mind kicking off their heels to change their own tire . I am a Mississippi women , and i’m far from the excuse of a Women you’ve previously described .. maybe that all men like you can get but sweetie that isn’t all we have to offer ( ; Bless your sweet little heart hunny ,
i lived up in kenosha wisconsin all my life and 1 of us yankees got more commo sense then 10 southerns i noticed since w moved to mississippi first things first southerns are stupid no conception and no common sense there isnt nothing but drama down here not refreering too *ladies* but its like these little southern boys parents down here raised them to be passive aggreesive because when they talked shit and i finally got fed up with it they get knocked out to easy lmao
So question for y’all from the South. We are moving from very Northern WI, to GA. All the words you use or are saying, we use way up here! anywho, how bad do we “Northern’ers get judged for being from the North? We or at least we don’t Judge people from the south. Want to raise my children up right by being around people who are friendly, not always friendly around here. My sister has lived in TN the last 15 years, I grew up in N.IL. any suggestions?
You speak about our grammar, yet you didn’t use any punctuation in your sentence. There are Southerners, just like there are Northerners, who use poor grammar; however, if you’ve been brought up like I was and those I know, we use proper grammar, much more so than even the British. With that said, no where above Virginia is considered part of the South. Northern Florida is Southern. We have taken to thinking of Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas as Southern states. The idea that North Carolina isn’t Southern is silly. My family was Georgian prior to the Revolutionary War.
Im in va beach and My friend in nola had the ” randazzos” king cake guy refuse to sell me a cake til i pronounced ‘pecan ‘ correctly lol. I remembered hearing this saying and since its a long running joke about the darn nut. I asked the guy sooooo. ‘Howyourmomanem?’ Lol. I got my cake;). See i peee can! Lol
is Virginia southern cuz my momma is very southern and ive been raised in a southern household and with southern hospitality but many say that Virginia isn’t and I will beg to differ! id say im just as southern as anyother southerner.
all y’all yanks need to take yer bad attitudes and get! Yankees always irritate me so much thinkin yall are the only ones who know knowledge!
all y’all yanks need to take yer bad attitudes and get! being southern is a way of life and if your a yankee I reckon you better get a move on it and leave!
im from southern Virginia and everyone round here still says yall I don’t know anyone but yanks that say “you guys” or “you all”
is Virginia southern? cuz I wouldn’t consider myself a yankee! but I don’t know about y’all, but when its sunny and its rainin we’ll say “the devil is hittin his wife with a fryin pan” now round here we say that all the time, but goin other places and all I get some bad looks.
southern people don’t have bad grammar we all have accents they are different! Yankees irritate me so much with all y’all thinkin you have good knowledge and were fools.
My father was from Georgia and used to say finny instead of fixin’. I also remember some other relatives using this word, too. Does anyone else use this word?
You know those little sticker things that get stuck on your clothes when you walk through the grass? (Most people call them Hitchhikers) We call them Beggarlice.
I wish everyone down here from NJ got the heck out.
I have some fam. in northern Florida around Jacksonville. Fl seems like an odd mash of southern, New York Jew, and Cuba lol.
yankee parents?
MD has always been sorta southernish or southern “lite”. I always thought of it as the northern most southern state and the southern most northern state lol.
to southerners, oregon is part of the north, you’re a yankee. Oh, and by the way, DWK, you’re showing your limited intelligence and petty nature by making grand generalizations about an entire group of people that it’s pretty obvious you don’t understand. Knowledge does not necessarily equal intelligence or wisdom. Bless your heart.
I live in Houston and everyone uses “darn it” here.
Totally disagree most southernera prefer Pepsi over come any day
I’m from south Georgia, and I don’t have a southern accent or southern grammar. The social class of a person does not determine, if a person will have southern grammar or not. My mom is a teacher,so I am not allowed to use slang.It has more to do with education than anything else.
Man you guys have some bad grammar.
I live in south Georgia, and I’ve never heard that saying.
In Tampa Florida we pronounce it (young-in) but a lot of people use that
“Cut the light on” instead of “turn the light on” 🙂
Yes! Here in north Alabama, we say ‘nem. Your mom ‘nem. But it’s usually the way you wrote it, one big word. 🙂
We use it in tx too lol
In some parts of south texas you need to learn about wambback (my best text render of the word)
As in my daddy would say when I got to far from him, “Now you wamback here”
The garbage men were wambacks, because they always said “wamback, come on now wamback”
I’m not sure if it’s just Georgia. My family says it all the time and I’m from Wisconsin…
Used to be, southerners moved up north to get a better payin job. Now northerners have moved down south to get a job becus agh the guud payin jobs ar down south. Hear in Tennessee , this is the nu north. Northerners ar everwhare . Unions arnt strong down here and in most situations, there ain’t eny. Tennessee is the New North. But suthern hospitality is still hear. Yu kin always till a southerner , because they often spek ta strangers and ad very friendly. Peepl frum Texas ar tha saam waa.
People frum Mississippi, Georgia, Alabama mostli stay thar becus home folk don’t leave home. Reel Mexikans whu ar native tu thar country don’t leav either. Only outcasts. Rebels, people who aren’t loyal to Mexico ar ones who leave for big muni in America.Tru native Asians, orientals, are same waa. They mite visit America cuple weeks, but will return to their native countries to live there. If they stay in America, they ar still family, but ar counted as outcasts to their family and ad treated differently with less respect.Becus thay ar leevin centuries of family cultures.
For all yall talkein about whats north or not. Countrys a way of livin. Im from indiana abd i aint seen nobody more country then me. Brantley gilbert said it ” country must be country wide”
I agree FL is the south. I am a third generation native floridian on both sides and while I live in tampa and we do have a lot of yankees and snow birds, if you go out into any rural area and you will hear a lot of southern colloquialisms that I use too. I never noticed it until friends in grade school made fun of me for saying ’em. When I went up to Tallahassee for school I was finally comforted that most of the native Floridians from up there have southern accents and use southern words. My sister lives in AL and it took her no time flat for her southern accent to come out in her.
I think you are mistaking the intro word-wse.
Pespi=New Bern, North Carolina (which is not a northern state by any means.)Coca-Cola=Atlanta
Also, it’s not “Pepsi” it’s “Pop”
Coke/coc-cola… no… co-cola (in the south)
I’m from FL just moved to GA… But I have to say this… Florida is the south! How much southerner can you get? FL is one of them stars on the bars! Anyways what about twiced… More than once…I done told you to get washed up for supper twiced, now get to it before I make you go pick a switch… Switch.. A tree branch you have to go pick yourself to get your a$$ tore up with… Hitch in their Getty up… Ain’t really moving to fast.. Kinda like the Yankees that drive in Florida… Really they must drive for months gettin back home! What about your a liar the truth ain’t in ya and Jesus doesn’t love you… That’s what my dad says when he is pissed off.. Say… answer me.. Hold your breath… Its not happenin.. And just so all yall Yankees know we in the South don’t care how yall do it up North!
Well…I grew up on a farm in Oklahoma and have a doctoral level degree but have not been able to break myself from saying “dudn’t.” It’s sort of a conflation of doesn’t and didn’t.
I am from Georiga. I haven’t heard most of the terms listed above. I also can’t stand the word “y’all” and I say you guys. I am still from Georiga though. So would I be considered a Yankee. Also I must say, do sountherners not believe in the letter g?
I 2nd that, Lousiana Belle! Don’t let the doorknob hit you where the good Lord split you. ☺
Is there a word for yes or yeah other than “yessum?”
I grew up in SOUTHERN Illinois and so many of these sayin’s and words roll right off our tongues up here……We don’t use y’all much (unless we ‘re teasing someone), but the southern half of Illinois would be mistook for Georgia accents, iffen ya wern’t payin’ REEL close attention! There be howdy, reckon, yonder, lunch and supper, couch, glove box, poke sack, fridgerater or icebox, yard (not lawn), yarn (not a story), purty, cuter’n a button, dumber’n a box o’ rocks, purtier’n a pitcher, WALL ta WALL carpet, OLEO (never margarine!) “a ways” is a distance or could be talkin’ bout time, we’uns and you’uns, young’uns, parts is talkin’ bout a place (them parts)…… Why, we would feel purty much at home down yer way!
In the South, in the mid 20th century, in Atlanta, we called them “cocolas.”
I’m from maryland and I say most of those things. Maybe it’s cus my mom grew up in Texas and my dad in Kentucky but I would say most of the people I know in maryland talk like that but we don’t consider ourselves southern. Is it because we are below the mason Dixon? Or because we are close to more widely considered southern states? My cousins from Nebraska always tell me I have a southern accent but I never thought I did.
I’m from Wisconsin. Absolutely no family history in the South. Everybody here says “mosey”
Ha. Yea. That’s a south Georgia sayin. I live in south GA and I don’t recall hearIn it anywhere else.
Being raised next door to folks from Baton Rouge, we picked up words and phrases as kids that we’ve come to still use now that we’re old. ‘Gimme me a washrag’ (a wash cloth) and ‘gimme a tal’ (give me a towel). We drop the ‘g’ on all words. If we’re offered something to eat or drink we say, ‘I don’t care’ (but we’ll take it because they’re servin it anyway).
Southerners are a whole lotta fun!
Very true. I was born and raised in Miami, and if you strayed into Homestead, there were plenty of Southern accents to be heard. My relatives in Ocala would definitely beg to differ. Besides which, I do seem to recall that Florida was part of the Confederacy…
Well, crud, there sure is a lot of animosity about this. I thought this post was supposed to be whimsical. I hadn’t noticed all the prejudice against northerners, but this is probably because I grew up outside of Shreveport and Bossier, and the regular cycle of people coming in due to the air force base probably got everyone used to a variety. Or it’s because I always was out to lunch. I live in California now, and I notice just as many people who put on a false front of niceness and honestly think they are nice just because they follow social rituals and ask each other the same tired questions over and over… The phrase “thank you” is used for EVERYTHING… anyway, I never could get the hang of dealing with Southern women either (even though I guess I am one) but yeah, it just seems to me that it’s more just the Southern flavor of the same disease you get everywhere… that the majority seems to run in one pack or another, with each of its members following the same routines, and those who don’t being excluded. Find me a place in this world where they don’t push you out for not matching the photo and I’ll gladly move there.
thats not southern at all so sorry
I beg to differ. I am a Southern woman
born and bred with a Master’s and Bachelor’s
degree in Biology, minors in Chemistry
and Physics, but
That wasn’t enough, so I went ahead to Medical
School and got my Medical degree. I read 6 news
Web sites a day. Love art and paint and do crafts.
I am involved in the music ministry at
Our church. I can discuss lots of topics
ESP. Current affairs. I have far better things to discuss
With people than others.
I know several ladies just like me.
You apparently hang out with the wrong people. My
Suggestion: Find a good church full of love and
Laughter and you will find those women.
We would always ask my Papaw what he was doin and his reply would always be “just mildewin”.
My eighth grade teacher from East Tennessee said she was twelve years old before she learned that “damn Yankee” was two words.
It amazes me how a lot of southerners do really judge and stereotype people just because they are not from the south (Yankees). I myself grew up in northern ms, born in mobile, and was the same exact way because I didn’t know any better. Alot of southerners have never even left the south and I think that has a lot to do with it. I myself have lived all over the US from Alaska all the way to nyc. And through my observations, it’s not to different just slight cultural changes. But not in a million years would I trade anything for my mamas fried chicken and cornbread. 😉
I live in new Orleans and I totally agree with the coke thing. I also say cold drink. Also, people from new Orleans really hate it when people say nawlins. We never say that. Also, we say neutral ground, the grass in between streets.
Well, unless you are in Oklahoma or Texas (west says pop more than soda), but we mostly just say Coke…but here, we often mean Dr. Pepper, the nectar of the gods. Alas, Yankees didn’t get that drink until relatively recently, bless their soda-pop sippin’ little hearts.
In Texas, and in Oklahoma, it’s still “y’all” although in Oklahoma it is often closer to the full “you all.” But “you guys” rarely to never. Only Yankees say that. 🙂
Hi, don’t feel bad, at least she didn’t say “Bless your little heart,” or, worse still, “Bless your pea-pickin’ little heart.”
It all depends “Who your people are.”
You can live in Georgia, but if your parents are Yankees, then you are being raised in a Yankee home. Lots of people in Metro-Atlanta are Yankees. Bless their lil’ ol’ hearts!
Here in NC we say drop cord, not extension cord. We also say carry my car to the shop, not take my car to the shop. We also like soda, not pop. Barbecue is a noun (pork or chicken) not a verb. Just a few, but there are many more.
I resent that. I am a proud citizen of the Great and Soverign State of North Carolina. My family served with distinction in the Cofederate Military as Officers and enlisted and in the Confederate Government. I am very proud of my Southern heritage. I forgive you anyway.
G.R.I.T.S. are the bomb diggidy
then leave ya god dam yank
g.r.i.t.s. are the best your defiantly a god dam yank
if your talkin about route 66 you pronounce it rowt not root. roots for god dam Yankees!
I beg to differ on that one. I have lived in NC all my life and there are some pretty backwoods kinda places. I was raised in one of them places and we have our city parts but overall we are pretty southern. My friend in Louisiana can argue all day long we ain’t southern but I am, and I can say that proudly.
Oh and by the way, you are a Yankee. Bless YOUR heart.
I am a Southern belle and I don’t have narrow interests at all. I make jewelry, I read about a book a day, and I cook all kinds of food. Apparently you haven’t lived here long enough to learn to love the charm of the Southern way of life.
Well in that case, bless the hell out of your heart, honey.
not every southern girl is like that 😉 some are but since i’ve moved to PA last year..i’ve met plenty of girls like that HERE. maybe it’s just they’re everywhere you go…or because you’re very unfamiliar with the territory. but don’t avoid everyone because of the bad ones.
Oh, and by the way, southerners, not everybody who doesn’t have a Southern accent is a Yankee. I was born in Oregon. Bless your heart.
I live in the South now, and sorry to say, I don’t understand most Southern women at all. In fact, after several brushes with these strange creatures, I go out of my way to avoid them! Part of the problem is that they seem to waste most of their energy on being very judgmental, insincere (extremely fake manners and false charm), suspicious, nosy, competitive (especially with other women), manipulative, and downright nasty. On the flip side of the coin, those that have been coddled by their Daddies as girls, seem to become hopelessly spoiled “princesses” who play that angle up ad nauseum. In addition, Southern women have very narrow interests, and usually can’t hold an extended conversation regarding current and world events, literature, or culture, and have no real opinion about much in that regard. Bless your heart….. but scratch that sugar-coated Southern exterior, and you’ll find something quite unappealing and unattractive.
Down here in Mobile, we don’t actually say “…Mom and them,” it usually comes out more like “Hey y’all! How’s your Momenim?”
I hate you all and I can’t wait to get the hell out of here.
I can’t believe some of this haha! Southern
People don’t all have accents or say stereotypical
Crap. I will say we talk slow and try to speed
It up by dropping some letters. However
I’m from Dixon county tn I have lived in ms la
Alabama and the only thing I have a problem with
Is the letter I it’s not iee but aaa but other than
That I’m told on the regular by out of towners
Who come trying to fake an accent that I don’t
Even sound southern however my parents and
Other relatives ( especially from ms) have thick
Southern accents!
I hear lots of Southerners saying “You Guys” now. I thought it was only here in Virginia because we are closer to “the line”, but I was in TN,GA, NC, and SC- almost everyone said “you guys”. Now people in Virginia say both y’all and you guys, like most of the South, people are not saying “Y’all” as much. Its changing.
I am sorry for your confusion but “southern” is not a class. It is a region. I am from a middle-class home as well, but I know good and well that I come from a southern home. The southern region is known for several reasons, we have our food, our vernacular, and our traditions. You may or may not consider yourself a “southerner” that is completely up to you and your lifestyle. However, living in the southern U.S. does typically put you in the “southern region.” I hope you find out where you are from and what you consider your traditions, until then, know that the south is always willing to accept you as you are. Bless your heart.
I am from north atlanta in the suburbs. I live in the alpharetta area. Would I be considered a southerner? My speech isnt southern and we dont really say or do southerner things.i get a little annoyed when people say southerners are in georgia more like south georgia because up north is more like a high middle class/middle class/upperclass.
Lea, I’m from Texas & I tend to talk like that! LOL! The faster I talk, the harder my accent & I drop my g’s
I love how my Texan mama says, “Window and Potato.”
She says, “Winduh and potatuh.” Then, there is a word like “tight.” It’s pronounced as thought the “I” were long. Tat?
I too am from NJ. I have lived in the South for almost 10 years. I still feel the resentment. Even at church, there is prejuidice. I am always being told you don’ t understand. When I first tried to vote I was given a hard time. Why do I stay, because you all want me to leave and you are not going to win.
There are PLENTY of DEEP south Floridans! My family, both sides, have been in Florida for well over 100 years! True, we get more “snowbirds” (there’s a word for you, means yankee who comes to Florida to ride out winter, then goes back north, or eventually retires and stays here)than other southern states, but leave the cities, and you’ll be smack dab in the DEEP south!
Florida isn’t considered the South by the rest of the southern states. Actually, most geographers claim that it isn’t apart of the South. It may just be where your mamaw grew up.
Where I live someone who lives passed the Jackson or the Tupelo area in Mississippi is a Yankee. We don’t consider a lot of states that are “technically” the south as the south. North Carolina, for example, is not southern to the deep South, because anything with the word north in it is not southern!
My grandmother is from Lakeland, Florida and she uses words like “supper” to mean dinner and “fillin station” instead of a gas station. Also a “buggy” is a shopping cart. And “dilly dally” is the same as “lollygaggin”
My grandmother used to say “I declare!”
Also she would look up and say its goin to be a beautiful day, ther rid enough blue to make a Dutchman’s pants.
“HELP YOUR PLATE.” (Help it do WHAT, exactly?)
“I’LL CARRY YOU TO THE STORE.” (Are you sure you can lift me? Maybe you should just give me a ride there in your car.)
“YOU CAN PUT ME OUT AT THE CHURCH.” (Why would I do that? SoundS kind of rude. I’ll let you out of the car at church, though.)
im from Jersey and I love southern accents and ppl who speak them. It’s endearing to hear another accent but i have to say that the predjudice i receive from southerners is horrible. they should be embarrassed the way some treat “Yankees”. Having any accent doesnt make you better or worse than anyone. It just means we’re different. We’re all Americans and whatever English we speak should be respected.
I use the word “mosey” all the time. I’m from Pa though. I may be considered as a “yankee” but, my familys roots are in the south, an I was raised that way. I wouldn’t choose to be any other way.
There is just something delightful about the word cattywampus that I just start smiling when I hear it. But my grandmother used to tell my sister and I that she was going “to warp our frames” if we didn’t stop acting up. We understood the context quite well but it wasn’t until many years later that we understood the literal meaning. Powerful stuff. My slightly uppity mother (of the Southern variety, mind you) tried her best to wash the Southern accent out of us because it just didn’t suit. My dad was a TV weatherman who could turn his accent off and on like a light switch but dad is COOOOOOOUUUUNTRY! Needless to say, we’ve taken our NC Appalachia accent up a notch just for spite. That accent is the winner of hearts, I tell y’all, especially out here in AZ where people think I’m just the most charming thing ever. Another good Southernism is “15-blue-million” as in “I’ve got 15-blue-million things to do today so don’t you be 15-blue-million-and-one!”
I’ve got family that moved from Ga. to Ohio, so the kids are northerners in some ways,but they visit the south a lot and were brought up by and around southerners, so they’re not totally like Ohians either.
In South Carolina, at least my family’s section, they do not use fixin’/fittin’ at all;don’t know why.
Why do you answer your own questions,(as a yankee would say)! Example: I’m gettin ready to go to the store yea!, I was listnin to that song yea!, That just aint right no!
Grew up in NH, moved to southern LA. at age 14 and lived wiht my daddy for 3 1/2 years. Yes I did move back north, but I still talk like a coonass. I would say I have the best of both worlds and consider myself a coonyank!
Mosey. As in “Let’s mosey on over to the store.” I have never in my life heard a yankee say mosey, in any context.
Bre, Ohio is one of those interesting on-the-border states because even though y’all are technically north of the Mason Dixon line you’re not nearly as Yankee as someone from New York. I’d put your question back to you: how would you define yourself as a Yankee? Moreover, what traits are inherent to an Ohio native?
Growing up, my momma used to tell me we lived in the “boondocks”…When you live in the “boondocks” you have to drive “a ways” to a restaurant or go shopping…(closest restaurant was Miz Hickman’s on Highway 87 South or Hackney’s Seafood House in Jonesboro)
“Lollygaggin” this is when you take your “sweet time” to do something and your momma tells you to “Quit lollygaggin around!”
You can also use “lollygaggin” to explain that you spent your time just “putzin around” in other words “not doing much of anything AND ENJOYING EVERY MINUTE OF IT.”
Ok…so I’m from Ohio (Southeartern) what kind of Yankee I’m is?
When you meet up with a friend you always ask “How’s your Mom and them?” Basically your Mom always comes first.
And if someone is really nice you say they are “sweeter’n Tupelo honey.”
“Honey, you need to fish or cut bait.” Usualy said to a man who won’t ask his girlfriend to marry him. 🙂
“That dog won’t hunt.” It means that your excuse or story is not good.
One that we used in Tennessee way more than “ya’ll” is “yun’s” or “youngun’s”. Yun’s can be used for anything, including just one person. However younguns is reserved for the wippersnappers. (And if you’re 85, then everyone is a youngun.)
Another thing we have are those little pearls of wisdom (or just random bullmalarky) like:
“Speak of the devil and the horns pop out” – often shortened to speak of the devil.
“Ear’s itchin’? Someone’s talkin’ ’bout ye!”
(P.S. Is it just me or does talking about being Southern make you want to talk with way stronger of an accent? Like it’s not strong enough… )
“Oh! Someone done walked over my grave” – used after a shiver or cold chill. This one is a bit rare. My family says it all the time, but I get odd looks from some people.
This is great! Also, “Darn it” (my Texas friends had never heard that one). And not sure if you’ve heard this one or “Shame the devil; tell the truth!” Ha!
Great article
Oh… and “tobaggon” in reference to a Winter cap, or what Northerners would call a “Beanie”
“Down Yonder”
“I reckon”
If someone does something uncalled for we say -“there ain’t no sense in that”
And my Grandma always used to say – “I’ll swanee to my name!” She could never explain exactly what it meant, but she used it in the context of “I can’t believe it!”or “I swear”
We never had a lot of mosquito bites. Nor did mosquitos ever bite us a lot.
We were always “Eat up.” Mama’d say, “You can’t out there or else you’ll get eat up.”
Also, let’s discuss exaggerations. When it’s cold outside, it’s never 30 degrees. It’s always 17,000 degrees below zero.” Same thing with heat. It’s not hot. “It’s 89 million degrees outside.” And your grandmother never made a lot of food. She made made enough to feed the entire world and anyone else who might drop by.”
Oh, and let’s not forget to take things to the most extreme. You are not merely irritated. You are irritated TO DEATH. Nor did something merely make you laugh. It tickled you TO DEATH.
Well, we actually have three classifications of Yankee:
1) Yankee: someone who comes to the South to visit and then returns back to the North.
2) Carbetbagger: someone who comes to the South to visit and then returns back to the North, with a bag of loot.
3) DAMN YANKEE!: someone who comes to the South and doesn’t return back to the North.
Love it!
June bug. I’m fairly certain the same bug is called by other names elsewhere in the U.S., but down here it’s junebug (also a song by that Athens band, the B-52s — yeah, I’m in Athens).
My Yankee relatives make fun of me and my sisters any time we drop the ‘g’ off of words, like ‘fixin’ and ‘puddin’. Also, I don’t know if “Dumb as a box of rocks” is only a Southern saying, but I had a college roommate from South Georgia who used it all the time.