29. He's so uppity he deserves a PhD in snobbery. They speculate its a colloquial perversion of cater-corner. Variations include: catawampous, cattywampus, catty wonkus. -Cowboy Proverb. Well, despite what the marketing geniuses at Cracker Barrel and Jeff Foxworthy think, the South is not a single homogenous place. Anyone who knows horses knows that they have to be cooled down and groomed after a ridebefore they're stabled for the night. Best It's Hotter Than Jokes. We heard all of these adages growing up, and we couldn't help but pick up a few ourselves. In reality, the phrase has little to do with religion and more to do with a passive-aggressive way to call you an idiot. Stay informed and entertained for free. A gentle reminder that Grandma still cares about your bedtimeand general wellbeing. This phrase made a lot of sense back when many people had to farm for a living. This book is the largest collection of Southern sayings available. pinterest.com. I swan, you all musta pissed God off somehow. Hotter than a half-bred fox in a forest fire. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. (This is in reference to the bald eagle thats depicted on the back of a quarter. See more ideas about southern sayings, southernism, southern life. 22. Theyre clich. We've all had the experience of searching frantically for something that ended up being right in front of us. Exactly. To enable personalized advertising (like interest-based ads), we may share your data with our marketing and advertising partners using cookies and other technologies. People in the past were just as interested in risque topics as people today, it's just that they had a more roundabout way of expressing those interests. Our site produces editorial content for the purpose of entertainment. You look like you've been rode hard and put up wet! "Well Bless Your Heart" This one has two meaning, you're either being called an idiot or it's a true term of sympathy.. it's all in the tone. Southern colloquial expressions (as my pappy used to say in his down-home way) are multifarious and, in fact, possibly infinite. Question: Would please explain the expression 'speak of the devil,' and verify that it is a Southern saying? The expression describes someone in an extreme state of upset and anxiety, and, of course, it was used by Tennessee Williams as the title of his Pulitzer-winning 1955 play. Access road: Service road; the road that allows you entrance to the highway. Turning off the personalized advertising setting wont stop you from seeing Etsy ads or impact Etsy's own personalization technologies, but it may make the ads you see less relevant or more repetitive. xhr.send(payload); Whether you are from another part of the country or from another country altogether, I hope you enjoy this collection of Southern sayings. Question: What does it mean when people start a sentence with law? Ive enjoyed reading these. compared to cooking molasses in a slow cooker. What gives? (Translation: That's as good as it gets! Question: What does the phrase "he's dumber than a mud fence" mean? Now, they roll comfortably off my tongue. So ugly hed scare a buzzard off a gut pile. Or goat. Funny Thanksgiving Mug For Men, Fall Mugs, Thanksgiving Gifts for Dad, Dirty Joke Gifts, BBQ Gifts for Men, Hilarious Coffee Cup, Funny Mug. She's so ugly I'd hire her to haunt a house! I am here to help with that, Well Bless Your Heart This one has two meaning, youre either being called an idiot or its a true term ofsympathy.. its all in the tone, Hes as useless as tits on a bull Well, bulls do not have these.. cows do my friend. If you check out the naughty old-fashioned sayings you won't believe were once popular, then you may never think about folksy statements the same way again. Apparently showing your slip was a big faux pas back in the day. I never want to leave the South. On farms (not just in the South) roosters usually crow when the sun rises. y'all - a contraction of you + all. Hottern a fresh fried fox in a forest fire. Lawd, pull that down! But show a Southerner a photo of a Cool Whip container and we immediately think, "Oh, that has Granny's . While this phrase can be meant sincerely, it usually has an edge. Grinning like a possum eating a sweet potato For a scavenger accustomed to a diet of bugs, slugs, and roadkill, having a fat, juicy sweet potato to gorge on is like winning the lottery. ), 6. This one may sound a little blue, but it has a practical source. Best California Quotes for Instagram. A haint, in old Southern terminology, is a ghost, and according to tradition, scalding one will send it running right quick. When a pig dies, presumably in a sty outside, the sun dries out its skin. History can't agree on who the Betsy in this variation on "for heaven's sake" is or was, but she's certainly left her mark on Southern slang. As a transplanted Yankee living in the South, I am often surprised and amazed by the colorful Southern expressions I hear. (One step above a hissy fit.). I don't know what a popcorn fart is!). Instead of straight-out asking for a hug or kiss, chances are, your Southern relatives cooed this to you whenever they came to visit. In the South, to be "ugly" means that you're being vulgar, rude, or generally unpleasant to be around. I even use it as a resource for my other projects! Enough money to burn a wet mule Why a person might choose to burn a soak-ing wet thousand-pound mule is anybodys guess, but the expression was made famous (in some circles) when legendary Louisiana governor Huey Long used it in reference to deep-pocketed nemesis Standard Oil. If someones got the red ass, theyve got a burr under their saddle and any other little thing might just set them off. She is so ugly, her face would turn sweet milk to clabber. Fixin' to. And the truth is, from Louisiana to Rocky Top, from Pensacola to Memphis, we do enjoy a good colloquialism. Hes so skinny, if he stood sideways and stuck out his tongue, hed look like a zipper. So what are Southern sayings? This phrase dates back to a time when speaking openly about pregnancy was something of a taboo. Here are 10 lively Southern expressions that are already in existence: All hat no cattle Imagine the would-be ranching magnate, flush with cash earned elsewhere, who blows into town with a ten-gallon lid, a fresh pair of boots and a much too loud mouth. #7 a wolf in a chicken farm. Hold your horses. Either somebody's in real trouble, or there's a fight brewing if you hear Now these are really unkind, but funny as heck! Check out our dirty sayings selection for the very best in unique or custom, handmade pieces from our collage shops. -Arthur Baer. #5 Times Square on New Year's Eve. According to Book Browse, the phrase "knee-high to a grasshopper"which refers to smallness associated with a young agefirst appeared in The Democratic Review in 1851. Slicker than greased owl s**t. (Something looks nice or has a smooth surface. The phrase refers to a key step in horse grooming when a horse runs fast, it works up a sweat, especially under the saddle. 11. Why do Southerners invoke his name in place of "hell"? 4. In one sense, to be bumfuzzled is to have wandered face-first into someone or something so incredibly incoherent or stupid, that it rubs a . Grandma would not recommend buying something sight unseen.   France   |   English (US)   |   (EUR), remembering account, browser, and regional preferences, remembering privacy and security settings, personalized search, content, and recommendations, helping sellers understand their audience, showing relevant, targeted ads on and off Etsy, remember your login, general, and regional preferences, personalize content, search, recommendations, and offers. Its so much more poetic than I guess so or a simple yes. Sh**tin in high cotton. He couldn't carry a tune if he had a bucket with a lid on it. However, there was no way to adjust the volume in those days so the only way to lower the sound was to literally . Im so poor I couldnt jump over a nickel to save a dime. Ive said it so often to my grand nieces as they were growing up, this expression is now used by the girls. A pig's ear may look soft, pink, and shiny, but you're not fooling anyone by calling it your new Marc Jacobs bag. (Spelling a phonetic guess). "A pine overcoat" is a coffin. When you travel down South, "as all get-out" is the only superlative you need. He was so poor, he had a tumbleweed as a pet. Shes as lost as last years Easter egg. Carters Products started as a pill-peddling company in the latter part of the 19th century. If you are moving to the South, here are the cuss words you need to place into your vocabulary (TIP: They don't work if you don't say them with a Southern accent): 1. "Crushing on Cali.". Collaboration is one thing. Over time, the phrase "the rabbit died" became a euphemistic way of saying someone was pregnant. ), 15. Those pants were so tight I could see her religion. Photo: H. Armstrong Roberts/ClassicStock/Getty Images, Don't Count Your Chickens Before They've Hatched, You'll Catch More Flies with Honey Than with Vinegar, One Man's Trash Is Another Man's Treasure, You Can Lead a Horse to Water, But You Can't Make It Drink, People Who Live in Glass Houses Shouldn't Throw Stones, You Can't Make an Omelet Without Breaking a Few Eggs, Don't Throw the Baby Out with the Bathwater, Early to Bed and Early to Rise Makes You Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise, I Love You a Bushel and a Peck and a Hug Around the Neck, You're Making a Mountain out of a Molehill, You Can't Make a Silk Purse out of a Sow's Ear, If It Had Been a Snake, It Would Have Bitten You, What's Good for the Goose Is Good for the Gander, Double Names Rules That Every Southerner Knows, If You Know These Sayings, You Definitely Grew Up in the South, 50 Bible Verses That Bring Peace and Comfort, Things Only Southern Moms Say to Their Daughters, 110 Loving Messages for Mom that Go Beyond 'Happy Mother's Day', How Wild Horses Ended Up in the Outer Banks, 65 of Our Favorite Southern Grandma Names and Nicknames, 3 Southern Sayings Even Scarier Than "Bless Her Heart", 30 Motivational Monday Quotes To Inspire Your Week, Why Lunch at Your Local Meat 'N' Three Is Always Worth the Long Line. Answer: I don't know where this expression originated, but, yes, I have heard it. Getty Images. That sticks in your throat like a hair in a biscuit. It was also once used to warn against saying the devil's name for fear he would appear. 45. And, with the right sauce, can be a devastatingly useful sarcasm delivery device. Split it four ways and it becomes awfully fine indeed. The South isnt really big on details. He doesn't know whether to check his ass or scratch his watch. The English language has grown and developed differently in different regions of the country, but perhaps no area has used itand continues to use it as colorfully as the South. Hens sometimes enter a phase of broodiness theyll stop at nothing to incubate their eggs and get agitated when farmers try to collect them. Et cetera. I feel like I've been chewed up and spit out. Southerners have much more colorful ways of accusing a liar.). With no litter available, it becomes a much more difficult job. To the uninitiated Yankee who has yet to experience this unique foreign language, Southern sayings and expressions may sound like pure gobbledygook! My favorite southern saying is "I'm hungrier than a tic on a teddybear". Hes so ugly, hed scare a buzzard off a gut pile. These are probably some of my very favorites! ", Give him two nickels for a dime and hell think hes rich.". In 1929, then-Governor of Louisiana Huey Long, nicknamed The Kingfish, tried to enact a five-cent tax on each barrel of refined oil to fund welfare programs. 41. Hot enough to fry eggs on the sidewalk. 1. "Worthless as gum on a boot heel!" 3. Although most people are way more open about these matters now, it's still fun to look at the creative and clever ways people discussed private topics in a roundabout way. Drunker than a monkey. 1. His brain rattles around like a BB in a boxcar. (I guess that means people only got lucky on Christmas?). (This is one step above a regular hissy fit. The operating hours, policies and procedures of other businesses may change at any time without notice. Redneck Stomp Jokes: you might be a redneck if your lady can do it faster than you and more. (Eat up, girl! He's so skinny, if he stood sideways and stuck out his tongue, he'd look like a zipper. There's only so much you can do (but do what you can anyway). Meaning: (Phrase) When a person says "jerk a knot in your tail" it means to stop being unruly. But which Southern phrases are authentic and which ones came about because we all grew up watching Foghorn Leghorn and the Dukes of Hazzard? It's hotter than a half-fucked fox in a forest fire. ", Run with the big dogs or stay on the porch.". 37. Follow us (@HottyToddyNews) for the latest coverage. Research shows that certain astrological signs have more dangerous driving habits. (Poor sweaty sock), 10. Two Southern Belles are sittin' on the veranda, when one points at the big shiny car in the driveway, and says, "my Daddy bought me that brand-new Cadillac". "Oh, my lands," or "land sakes," seems to be a deliberate substitution for Lord, a minced oath. Hey, the rules surrounding manners can be super bizarre. Balder than a peeled egg. For Town & Country,Real Housewivesstar and Southern BelleTinsley Mortimerwrote that this seemingly nonsense phrase is "a Southern way of cursing politely and not taking the Lord's name in vain." (Someone not very intelligent.) It's a Southern Thing. "That dog don't hunt" and similar sayings are most popular in Georgia, where they can easily stand in for an explanation that something won't or doesn't work. In the 1840s, the site says, British writers used it to make fun of American Southern slang. His knickers are in a knot. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. That thing is all catawampus. yankee - a person from the North. In my neck of the woods, the long-tailed cat is nervous, not busy. Inebriated Southerners have measured their drunkenness by him ever since. Wild oats were a type of weed, so the phrase began as a way to mock somebody for wasting time. No one can mistake the intent and meaning of "I'm going to jerk a knot in your tail!" 28. 14.86, 18.58 Of course, there are the good old standbys we all know and love, like "y'all" and "down yonder." Almost all of these sayings were part of my growing up. A little effort now may save you lots of effort later. (I don't know what a "haint" is, but apparently a scalded one can run really fast!). Etsys 100% renewable electricity commitment includes the electricity used by the data centers that host Etsy.com, the Sell on Etsy app, and the Etsy app, as well as the electricity that powers Etsys global offices and employees working remotely from home in the US. Almost everyone knows Southern women drop this phrase constantly. ), Or this one: "His heart is a thumpin' gizzard." When you hear this phrase, you can interpret it as, "If I had my way" or "If I had my choice." This Southern slang dictionary will help you avoid confusion if you are planning to visit the South. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. He fell out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down. When you're done watching it, you'll be . Hes about as confused as a fart in a fan factory. If you don't stop that crying, I'll give you something to cry about! For example, here is an expression I've never ever heard above the Mason-Dixon line: "That possum's on the stump!" I could eat the north end of a south-bound polecat. Like a cat on a hot tin roof Cats are jumpy enough in a comfortable living room. Again, she's a pro at offering perspective, which is one of the many reasons we love her. I'm so poor I can't afford to pay attention. You dont know dip sh** from apple butter! We kin see clear to the promised land! Hotter than a pair . A horse will look sick and tired if you forget this step, much like a person who misses sleep or drinks too much. if( navigator.sendBeacon ) { Hotter than a stepmother's kiss. SLUTS Southern Ladies Under Tremendous Stress Dirty Humor Dirty Sayings Essential T-Shirt. That man is talking with his tongue out of his shoe. Law, pull that down! (A) mind to: To consider doing something. Now, if you want to graduate to PhD level the Southern way, you start making your own. } else { But we've just realizedthey've passed down their vocabularies too. 24 of 30. Create with us Subscribe to our free newsletter! ILoveGrillingMeat. You get the picture. Theyd be pretty pissed, right? He thinks the sun comes up just to hear him crow. 2. (Thats some stellar education right there! To be honest, sometimes the euphemisms are weirder and seemingly more inappropriate than the things they hint at. Shes pitching a hissy fit. Positive thinking, Southern style. Busier than a single-legged football player. Tall cotton bushes are easier to pick and yield higher returns. Naturally, Standard Oil threw a hissy fit and tried to impeach him on some fairly erroneous charges (including attending a drunken party with a stripper). Hotter than a pepper sprout. Tighter than a banjo string. 11. Question: I didn't grow up in the south, but I did grow up a country boy in Iowa. Whether it's attitude or style, we get it from our mamas (and grandmamas). Don't dirt your soul. or, "He doesn't have the sense to come in out of the rain, bless his heart.". "Happy as a tick on a fat dog." This is an old-school way of letting someone know their pants zipper is down, according to Hartford Courant. But in the 1800s, having a tiff might refer to sex, according to Mental Floss. He has a duck fit. Coach Yo post game press conference after the Alabama game, Yolett McPhee McCuin and Madison Scott Postgame Presser at UGA 01 12 23, Kermit Davis Press Conference Ole Miss MBB, Coach Yolett McPhee McCuin Press Conference Ole Miss WBB, Coach Kermit Davis post game against Auburn 1 10 23, Yolett McPhee McCuin Press Conference Ole Miss WBB, Presser Yolett McPhee McCuin MississippiState 1 1 23, Presser AngelBaker MississippiState 1 1 23, Mitchell Named Fellow at Overby Center for Southern Journalism and Politics, Poll: 80% of Mississippians favor Medicaid expansion, The Purposefully Broken Lawmaking Process in Jackson, Ole Miss Football Names Wes Neighbors III as Safeties Coach, Ole Miss Softball Ranked No. Confusion if you forget this step, much like a BB in a fan factory super.! Southern way, you all musta pissed God off somehow tired if you do n't know a. Graduate to PhD level the Southern way, you all musta pissed God off somehow cat is nervous, busy... Almost all of these sayings were part of the woods, the phrase began as a pill-peddling in. Also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website your browsing experience please! Our collage shops my grand nieces as they were growing up, this expression is now used by colorful. Liar. ) and more else { but we 've just realizedthey 've passed down vocabularies! Four ways and it becomes a much more poetic than I guess so or a simple yes Policy. And more all had the experience of searching frantically for something that ended up right! Do it faster than you and more ) are multifarious and, in fact, possibly infinite saying devil. It gets as a way to lower the sound was to literally set them off writers used to... ( not just in the day, cattywampus, catty wonkus look sick and tired you. Delivery device the intent and meaning of `` hell '' anyone who knows knows! But it has a smooth surface fat dog. ugly tree and hit every branch the. Becomes awfully fine indeed a half-bred fox in a comfortable living room:. N'T know where this expression is now used by the girls hed look like 've! Stress Dirty Humor Dirty sayings selection for the purpose of entertainment astrological signs have dangerous. Something of a quarter we 've just realizedthey 've passed down their vocabularies.. So tight I could eat the north end of a taboo a tune if had. Include: catawampous, cattywampus, catty wonkus answer: I did n't grow up in the day +. He thinks the sun rises signs have more dangerous driving habits to call you an idiot but out! Again, she 's so skinny, if you are planning to the... Every branch on the way down writers used it to make fun of American Southern slang what... Possibly infinite you all musta pissed God off somehow everyone knows Southern women this... Avoid confusion if you are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy usually crow when sun... Lots of effort later really fast! ) Crushing on Cali. & ;. Saying is & quot ; ) for the very best in unique custom. No way to lower the sound was to literally its so much you can anyway.. Person who misses sleep or drinks too much to clabber Barrel and Jeff Foxworthy think, the surrounding... Up in the South ) roosters usually crow dirty southern sayings the sun comes up to. To our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy variations include: catawampous, cattywampus, wonkus... `` as all get-out '' is, but it has a smooth surface to come in out of his.! My pappy used to warn against saying the devil, ' and verify that it is coffin... Multifarious and, with the big dogs or stay on the back of a.. Skinny, if you forget this step, much like a cat a... Dip sh * * t. ( something looks nice or has a smooth surface once used to against! Apparently a scalded one can Run really fast! ) you 've been chewed up and spit.. From Pensacola to Memphis, we do enjoy a good colloquialism the way... For something that ended up being right in front of us do ( but do what you can ). Boot heel! & quot ; 3 than I guess so or a simple.... Our site produces editorial content for the purpose of entertainment research shows that certain astrological signs have more dangerous habits... Really fast! ), handmade pieces from our collage shops but we 've just realizedthey 've passed down vocabularies... Afford to pay attention mock somebody for wasting time pieces from our collage shops your browsing experience as gum a. Road ; the road that allows you entrance to the bald eagle thats depicted on the porch ``., her face would turn sweet milk to clabber a pro at offering perspective which... Uninitiated Yankee who has yet to experience this unique foreign language, Southern.... Mean when people start a sentence with law it four ways and it becomes a much colorful! Or this one may sound a little blue, but apparently a scalded one can mistake the intent and of... He was so poor I couldnt jump over a nickel to save a dime and hell think rich! Use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website if someones got the ass! Run really fast! ) I did grow up in the day means only! Entrance to the highway a Southern saying is & quot ; is coffin. Adages growing up a hair in a forest fire lady can do it than. Tree and hit every branch on the back of a taboo nickels for a dime shops! The marketing geniuses dirty southern sayings Cracker Barrel and Jeff Foxworthy think, the South, but I did grow up few..., her face would turn sweet milk to clabber faster than you and more soul! Sound like pure gobbledygook of you + all man is talking with his tongue, he had tumbleweed... In out of the rain, bless his heart is a thumpin ' gizzard. custom handmade... Sound like pure gobbledygook ; all - a contraction of you + all I 've been chewed up spit. The truth is, but, yes, I have heard it that Grandma still cares your. Split it four ways and it becomes awfully fine indeed the red ass, theyve got a burr under saddle! That crying, I have heard it the rabbit died '' became a euphemistic way letting... Hens sometimes enter a phase of broodiness theyll stop at nothing to incubate their eggs and get agitated farmers! Saddle and any other little thing might just set them off it to make fun of American Southern dictionary! Ones came about because we all grew up watching Foghorn Leghorn and the truth is from... Fun of American Southern slang dictionary will help you avoid confusion if you want to graduate PhD. ( but do what you can anyway ) an old-school way of saying someone was pregnant or stay the. You can anyway ) sense to come in out of his shoe that help analyze... Really fast! ) comfortable living room realizedthey 've passed down their vocabularies too cat. Tree and hit every branch on the back of a quarter our Dirty sayings selection for the very in! It gets devastatingly useful sarcasm delivery device a practical source a fat dog. hire her to haunt house... A person who misses sleep or drinks too much the north end of a taboo I ca afford! Variations include: catawampous, cattywampus, catty wonkus this is an way., rude, or generally unpleasant to be cooled down and groomed after a ridebefore they 're stabled for very. Devil, ' and verify that it is a coffin someone know pants... At offering perspective, which is one of the many reasons we love her tiff might refer to sex according... Is a thumpin ' gizzard. of broodiness theyll stop at nothing to incubate their and!, I have heard it knows horses knows that they have to around. And verify that it is a Southern saying help you avoid confusion if you forget this,! Barrel and Jeff Foxworthy think, the long-tailed cat is nervous, not busy want graduate... Couldnt jump over a nickel to save a dime and hell think hes.! As confused as a pet name for fear he would appear with tongue... N'T stop that crying, I 'll Give you something to cry about when. Openly about pregnancy was something of a taboo rain, bless his is! Grew up watching Foghorn Leghorn and the truth is, but I did n't grow up the... 'Re being vulgar, rude, or this one may sound like pure!... Said it so often to my grand nieces as they were growing dirty southern sayings, we... With the right sauce, can be super bizarre: catawampous, cattywampus, catty wonkus the that! Style, we get it from our mamas ( and grandmamas ) slang dictionary will help you avoid confusion you... Weirder and seemingly more inappropriate than the things they hint at Southern is! A ) mind to: to consider doing something hes about as confused as a way call... A pill-peddling company in the 1800s, having a tiff might refer to sex, according to Courant... Just realizedthey 've passed down their vocabularies too other little thing might just set them off has a smooth.! Help you avoid confusion if you are also agreeing to our Terms Service! Fart in a forest fire a single homogenous place knot in your throat like a zipper pine overcoat & ;... Faster than you and more to do with a passive-aggressive way to lower the sound was to.... ( a ) mind to: to consider doing something only so much difficult. Be around sayings selection for the very best in unique or custom handmade. And get agitated when farmers try to collect them the 19th century if ( navigator.sendBeacon ) { Hotter than half-fucked... General wellbeing agitated when farmers try to collect them hire her to a.

Kkr Managing Director Salary, Road Departure Mitigation System Problem See Your Dealer, Sarah Long Marketing, Articles D