Here’s a great simile to express when you’re really stuffed (had enough food) after a meal. He’s fit as a fiddle! “You can catch more flies with honey than vinegar,” I once advised my husband. This phrase is used to show that you either don’t care if someone leaves or you want them to leave right away. It’s a negative phrase to use if you’re annoyed or angry at your guest. Read the listicle below to learn what came out this month in alternative rock music: I know the last thing you want to think about right now is exercising, but it's time to put down the controller and put on your workout clothes. I believe working in media is a big responsibility, as well as a valuable way to advance our world. Britches refers to pants and comes from the more proper term “breeches.”. When someone says this, it means that they are really hot and sweating A LOT. Georgia-born blogger Jennifer Collins says she always rolled her eyes when her mom said this to her. The nabbit, gonnit, gummit, blasted, and burnit match the rhythm of damn it, but they can easily be modified for use as an adjective or adverb: “That dagnab idiot didn’t look to the dadgum left and, dadburnit, he crossed over in my dad-blasted lane and dadburn near hit me.” When used as a stand-alone oath, hold out on the first syllable and accentuate the second: “DaaadGUMMit! 9 Of The Most Annoying Responses And What To Say Instead, The Most Epic Words You’re Probably Neglecting, How To Write Presentation Slides That Aren’t Boring. This phrase means that you are being EXTRA slow. But we declare if your only knowledge of Southern sayings comes from Gone With the Wind, you’re missing out on a lot of Southern expressions. “Dissent” vs. “Protest”: Why Choosing The Right Word Matters. Hold your horses is a way to tell someone to be patient or wait. That pronunciation suggests a clever word-smoosh between tarnal and damnation, so the savvy Appalachians could euphemistically express their anger without wasting an extra breath. If you refer to it—no matter the brand or flavor—as Coke, chances are you grew up in the South. FluentU is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Historically, Southerners in the Appalachian mountains pronounced eternal as "tarnal." Southern American English in particular has its own set of words and sayings that you won’t hear elsewhere. , Scarlett O’Hara says: “I do declare, Frank Kennedy, if you don’t look dashing with that new set of whiskers!”, The distinct English dialect of the American South, which has a close relationship with Black English (African American Vernacular English), is fascinating—and plenty lively. July 18, 2017 Skip gallery slides. Example: This BBQ is slap yo' momma good. My favorite saying. After I beat her at chess, she was madder than a wet hen. However, looking back, I'm so lucky my addiction started and ended when it did. One day, as I was laying in bed contemplating my laziness, I decided that I wanted to do something to make myself more healthy. All American kids typically use the word daddy, but most drop it when they get older. You probably understand that ma’am (short for madam) and sir are polite ways to address other adults. My story is what's shaped who I am today. However, I have made an effort in the past couple of weeks to move up exercising to at least number three on my priorities list. As someone who has also been living on a bed since March, I can guarantee you that working out has been the last thing on my priority list. Speaking of I declare, this now old-fashioned phrase acts as flustered response to an insult or an unbelievable story about someone who sadly made it into the rumor mill. Why Are A, E, I, O, U, And Y Called “Vowels”? Don’t worry, if you’re helping a friend make groceries, you’re not expected to create food from scratch. The South has a unique culture that’s made up of specific music (like bluegrass and country), sports (we’re huge baseball fans), religions (like the Baptist and Methodist Churches) and food (like shrimp gumbo, sweet tea, fried okra, collard greens and grits). I reckon is the way many Southerners get to surmising about something or other. Don’t let the screen door hit you on the way out! Mostly this saying is used in a sarcastic tone in response to someone being offensive. This just means that it really doesn’t matter, although I’m not sure where the funny “hill of beans” part comes from! Your opinion doesn’t matter a hill of beans. If you liked this post, something tells me that you'll love FluentU, the best way to learn English with real-world videos. Curiously, this word might have roots in offbeat British humor from the 1840s. It's not actually raining cats and dogs, people. This phrase enjoyed national exposure in 1988 after Texas Governor Ann Richards remarked: "When we pay billions for planes that won’t fly, billions for tanks that won’t fire, and billions for systems that won’t work—that old dog won’t hunt.”. The coffee beans are on the shelf over yonder. Bless your heart. Often said as “Lord willing and the creek don’t rise,” this expression means, with a little bit of luck and no unexpected problems, things should work out. It can be said if you are looking for something that you are searching for or if you are just really busy. When you’ve met the girl of your dreams, chances are she is “pretty as a peach.” If you just heard your mama come home and you haven’t finished your chores, she will definitely be “madder than a wet hen.” Take a look at some of our favorite Southern sayings that we just couldn't live without. It will be your turn next. Something needed to fill in the gap: Y’all is one solution associated with the South, with all generally serving to clarify more than one you is being addressed. Lastly, the South is much more than a geographical region. Now, she admits to saying this to her children. And yes, they roll their eyes, too. What better way to sweeten the sour than with a classic Southern libation? Keep in mind that beauty is only skin deep. It means that there is anyways more than one way to fix something. Though you're likely to hear Southernisms such as. This is a frequently used simile (comparison) to give someone a nice compliment by telling them that they’re very pretty. This is a phrase that simply means “That stinks!” Use it when something unpleasant happens. It is an empathetic phrase that is usually uttered when the speaker believes the recipient to be sweet, but misguided or stupid. Southerners use this phrase instead of the standard “I’m going to” when they’re about to do something. FluentU brings English to life with real-world videos. If you’re raisin’ (raising) Cain, you’re getting into trouble. When you say "I reckon", you believe that something is true. It's pretty far down there, along with my motivation and brain cells I used to use for work. Though I could write about the South till the cows come home, these new words and phrases should be enough to get y’all ready for listening to some good ol’ (old) Southern American English! !”, Reckon has ancestry tracing all the way back to the 1000s (and maybe older still), and originally means "to count, calculate.". When you say "holler" you are basically letting the other person know something. Mama, will Daddy be coming with us to Grandpappy’s house? Yelling out this humorous backronym for sh*t might just tame the anger a bit. Curiously, this word might have roots in offbeat British humor from the 1840s. This is another way to tell someone to be quiet. This is a rather funny saying that’s used when someone is drunk. There are many names and ways to refer to the South. The way Americans say “you” in the plural is a big indication of where they come from, with Northerners typically saying “you guys” and Southerners sticking with y’all. Yes, I know I'm a spitting image of my mother. “I have no idea what you mean!”. He’s already three sheets to the wind and it’s only 6 p.m.! For those of you who may need a little help understanding the slang of a southern, I made a list of the top 50 phrases and sayings, along with their translations. If you are from the South, you have probably been asked this more than once, especially when you left a door open. Camille Turner is an experienced freelance writer and ESL teacher. Cain refers to the world’s first murderer referenced in the Bible. Everyone's journey to feeling healthy is very personal. This string of double negatives is actually meant as encouragement! Since then, there have been rallying efforts both in the streets and on social media demanding justice for Taylor and keeping her name known. The spittin’ (spitting) image of means that someone looks exactly like someone else. That’s why I’ve created this guide to English in the American South. He can run a mile in four minutes. It’s typically used to describe a situation that’s gone askew, awry, or out of alignment. When you are "as good as gold", it means that you are well-behaved and obedient. I recommend the following classics to get you started: Y’all is an abbreviation for “you all” and is a trademark (distinct common feature) of Southern speech. After a long day of work, I’m worn slap out. The videos cover all types of American, British and other varieties of English, and they all have interactive subtitles. Black Lives Matter And 9 Other Influential Calls To Action You Should Know, How Words For Tastes Became Words For Traits. Mama, Pappy and Grandpappy are typically only used in the South. This is a very colorful saying used when something is headed for disaster. When you and someone else are "two peas in a pod", it means that either you almost always together or that you two are almost identical in the way you think and do things. African Quotes: 108 Popular African Sayings that Will Get You Thinking Africa is known to have a very rich culture and part of it can easily be seen in African quotes. “I reckon she skipped town on account of her mama being madder than a wet hen.” Alongside fixin’ to, this is a quintessential term to strike a match under your vocab and hear it holler “Yeehaw!! If you’re not using this phrase ... what are you waiting for? You’ll discover that the South is actually a huge part of the U.S.! In March, the whole country shut down. Rebecca Alvarez is many things: founder, sexologist, CEO, mentor, and more — as a Latina businesswoman, each of her endeavors is grounded in the strong principles of inclusivity and diversity, especially in sexual health and wellness. Example: Holler at me when you are ready to get something to eat. This means that the wind is getting very strong and a storm is on its way. We simply use Coke to refer to all types of sodas. Somehow, the word went full circle and is now considered a distinctly Southern invention. If you answered soda, you probably hail from either coast or some patches around St. Louis or Milwaukee.Pop lovers congregate mostly in the Midwest and western states. When you tell someone that they are a "hot mess", you are simply telling them that they don't have it together. When a feller’s fixin’ to do something, they're “about to” do it.