Thank God I'm a country girl...
I was just taking a little break today and had a pack of nabs with my sweet tea, and I wondered how many folks would know what a nab was. Well do you?
Here are a few words and sayings that came to mind that are southern-speak. There are many I could list, but I'm going to limit this to things I either say myself or hear on a regular basis.
Reckon = suppose. Mom, can I go outside? I reckon you can.
Fixin' to = getting ready to. I'm fixin' to jerk a knot in your ass. OK, so I've never used this one. Never. It's a term used by a particularly frustrated parent with an out of control child. I've never actually had a knot jerked in my ass, but it's been threatened many times.
By the time someone threatens jerking knots, she is undoubtedly ill as a hornet or mad as a wet hen.
You could cause a parent to be ill as a hornet by acting like you don't have a lick of sense or like you didn't have no raisin' in public. You know, like you were born in a barn, running around like a chicken with its head cut off.
At this point I'm sure the parent will agree they've had a bait. Meaning you've had enough. I've had a bait of you. Of course, the f in of isn't pronounced, it's more like I've had a baitayou.
Directly = an increment of time, in the near future, shortly. What time are you going to pick me up? I'll be there directly.
If someone swannees, they...Well, I'm not sure what exactly it is to swannee- but I do it on a regular basis. Swannee and swear can be used interchangeably. It's a mild expression of frustration or surprise. I swannee!
A pigpickin' is a party that involves a whole pig being barbecued. This is done on a hog cooker and it's a long slow process resulting in some real good eatin'. My brother-in-law takes great pride in his hog cooking abilities.
If someone offers to give you some collard or turnip greens from their garden, they may ask if you want a mess of greens. Mess is a quantity, I'm not sure how much it is or if it's more or less than a peck.
I'm sure you've heard bless her heart. An insult is no longer an insult if you follow it with bless her/his heart. That poor girl looks like she's been beat with an ugly stick, bless her heart. See how that works? Now rather than being an insult, it's a statement of concern.
My granny used to ask me if I was out of my cotton pickin' mind, which translates are you crazy?
She also told me to quit lollygagging if I was goofing off instead of doing my homework. Speaking of doing homework, if you're from the south, it's likely a grandparent has told you you can play after you get your lessons up.
If you don't have time to do a thorough job of cleaning house, you may just give it a lick and a promise.
In the south, a soda isn't called a pop, it's a drink. I'm gonna run in the store and get a drink (pronounced more like drank) and a pack of nabs.
If you take you mother to the doctor in your car, you say, I've gotta carry mama to the doctor. And the doctors office is probably in town, so you've gotta go to town to carry mama to the doctor.
Within the south, there are also sub-regions with region specific terms. Where my husband is from to inquire about your mode of transportation, he may ask, did you come on the truck or the car. What he means is did you drive the car or truck, because if you drove the truck he may get you to haul something. This is not one I use. I know you ride in a car not on it. But I'm from Cumberland county and he's from Sampson county and everyone knows we are much more sophisticated on this side of the river. (he-he, that's what I tell him anyway)
This was fun. I'm really revealing my hick roots and it don't bother me nary a bit.
Got any you want to share? How about where you're from?
