Southern folks or everybody

OK, so if you have read my blog in the last week, ya know I am a Texan and ya know that I have an accent. Because of my recent experiences, I got to thinking about accents and southern words.



I got to looking at this website and some of the words I didn't know (and still don't believe) were a southern thing. Some are just words I say different because I am a native Texan*. Some are embarrassing but I will still admit to them (I have no shame). Some (on their list, not mine) I have never said and never will.



Here is a list of the words I use a bunch and some I didn't know were "southern". On some I am using my own examples because I didn't like theirs. I'll explain as I go so you don't get lost.




Ain't - v. cont Contraction of "am not." Not really a Southern contribution but usually attributed to them. The problem is not the word, but the use of the word to replace "isn't" and "aren't". I say this all the time. Drives my mom crazy!


Awl - a. Ever damn one. It's really spelled "all". Yes, I do say it like that.


Booger - n. Nose stuffing; a rascal, as in "Come here, you little booger!" That's actually one of my dogs name because when we got him, Benny said "He looks like a little booger".


Britches - n. Pretty much anything worn over the legs: pants, dungarees—trousers. I don't say this much but Benny does all the time.


Cain't - v. aux. Can not. My mom and I say this but she hates the word Ain't. Makes no sense to me.


Catty-corner(ed) - a. Diagonal. One of the words I thought we all used.


Cattywampus - a. Askew, awry; not straight. I actually say caddywhompered but whatever.


Conniption - n. A major fit, total loss of control of one's temper; you pitch a conniption. I don't say this but is one of the words I didn't think was just southern.



Coon - n. (Rac)coon. Syllables preceding the accented one seldom catch the attention of people born below the Mason-Dixon line. I do say this. Just lazy I guess.


Critter - n. Creature, with special preference for animals. That's actually one of my labels I think. Also, I thought everybody said this.


Dawg - n. An animal of the canine persuasion. Yes, I say it like that.


Differnt - a. Not the same, different. I actually say "diffrent".


Doohickey - n. A Southern thingamabob. Another I don't say but thought everybody did. I actually say thingamajig.



Everbody - pro. Not excluding anyone. (The pronouns "everyone", "someone", etc. with "one" instead of "body" are avoided by real Southerners.) Yes, I say "everbody" but type "everybody". Notice how the 'Y' is not in the first one. I also type "everyone" but seldom say it.


Fetch - v. Go, get, and bring back. Another example of clever compacting in the Southern dialects. That can't just be a southern thing!


Fixin - v. aux. Getting ready to: "I'm fixin to leave." Say this ALL the time. Who doesn't?


Fokes - n. People (good ol' boys and girls). Yup, I drop the 'L'. You know, instead of saying folks.


For crying out loud! - Well, I'll be damned! I usually just say "Well, I'll be damned" but sometimes do say the other.


Give out - adj.Exhausted, tard, tuckered out, as coming home from plowing 40 acres plumb give out. Once again, thought everybody said it.


Goodness gracious! - int. An expression of surprise you can use in front of your mother. I say this when the kids do something funny or surprising except I put "Well" in front of it.


Hafta - v. aux. Modal auxiliary indicating obligation. (Must is a word not found in most Southern dialects). Actually, I say "gotta". Ex: I gotta go get some more beer.


Hawg - n. An animal of the porcine persuasion. Guilty of talking this way.


Hissy - n. A minor fit, slight loss of control of one's temper; you pitch a hissy or hissy fit. I say this and still think everybody does but I use it for adults only. Like if Benny is getting pissy over something stupid I say he is throwing a hissy fit. Pisses him off even more which is usually the plan.


Howdy - int. Short for 'howdy do', a common greeting down South. Yup, say this all the time but I say it fast. Not long and drawn out.



Idnit - Isn't it. I'm all over this one.


Lick - n. The smallest amount, whacha might lick up from the bottom of the plate. Ex: He doesn't have a lick of sense.


Liddle-biddy - n. About the same size as a lick, very small. Say it all the time. I never say something is small.


Like-to - adv. Almost, nearly. Ex: I like to busted my ass.


Lord a'mercy! - inter. What you say when thangs get outta control. Don't say this one but put it in here because of the next one.

Lordy, lordy! - int. Something else that works in a bad situation. Yup, this is the one I say a lot.


Mash - v. (1) Push (a button). (2) Squush up, as in "mash 'taters". I don't think this one is just southern either.


Member - v. Remember. Another one I say but I think people say it because of the lazy factor.


No 'count - a. (contraction of 'no-account') Worthless. Ex: You no count son of a bitch! I know I have said that once or twice.


Ornery - a. Mean, hard to get along with. Ok, I KNOW this is nation wide, right?


Pitcher - n. (1) A vessel for holding and pouring sweet tea. (2) A visual representation of something, as a photograph. The "t" is silent. Guilty on both. Theirs said water but I changed it to sweet tea.


Pistol - n. Someone who is unpredictable: "Sarah Lee Got married last night? She's a pistol, I'm a tellin you!" I don't use this much unless the person really earned it.


Plain(a) - a. Somewhat ugly, e.g. "She's a plain girl" Just like using the word "homely", same thing.


Plane (a) - adv. Downright, as in "That's plane stupid". Use it all the time.


Plumb - adv. Completely: "Are you plumb crazy?" All the time.


Pooch (out) - v. Stick out: "Why are ya lips pooched out like that, honey?" Another I figured (figgered) everybody used.


Possum - n. Opossum. Southerners are characteristically uninterested in what comes before the accented syllable of a word. I always thought the 'O' was silent. Idn't?


Puny - a. Weak, sickly. Who doesn't say that?


Reckon - v. Think, figure (figger). Ok, I use it instead of the word guess. Ex: "What are we gonna do today?" "Well, I reckon we'll go to mom's."


Recollect - v. Remember. Thought this was normal everywhere.


Seeins how - v. Since. Use all the time. Ex: Seeins how you are up anyway...


Shore - a. Positive. The real spelling is sure. I use both. Ex: I'll say "You shore are pretty". Or, if someone asks me to do something I will say "Sure thing" instead of just saying yes or ok.


Smack (dab) - a. Precisely, as in "smack dab in the middle." I use this one a lot.


Sorry - a. No good, as in, "Ain't he a sorry scannel?!" I don't know what a scannel is but you get the point.


Sugar - n. As in "Gimme some sugar": affection, a chance to snuggle your neck, huggin' or kissin' or both. I say sugars when talking about kisses. Ex: Give me some sugars! Oh, I also had a dog named Sugar.


Tarnation - An acceptable substitute in the presence of ladies for "damnation". Ex: What in tarnation is that?! I usually just say "what the hell is that" though.


Tater - n. The potato. I love me some taters and onions!


Them - pro. Those. Ex: Where did you get them britches? And yes, I say it a lot.


Toad - v. Past tense of "tell", as in "I toad you so!". I usually drop the 'I' and just say "Toad ya so" with a smirk.


Upside - adv. On the side of. I have explained this one before. I say it daily.


Vetern - n. Somebody who fought in a war and came back home. My daddy is a vetern.


Wadn't it? - Wasn't it. Say it all the time.

Young'n - (See -n) A young thang, a baby. Yup, say it too.


Yousta - adv. An adverb indicating past frequented activity. Ex: I yousta be fat but now I'm not.




Now, I don't usually type this way but I do talk this way.

I love the line in Sweet Home Alabama "Just because I talk slow doesn't mean I'm stupid." except I talk really fast usually. So to me it's "Just because I have a Texan/southern accent doesn't mean I'm stupid."



So how many do you say?


By the way, the spell checker had a field day with this post.




*I didn't mean ALL Texans talk this way, just all the ones I know.

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