Your Favorite Southern Sayings
I just love all of our SouthernSayings and talking about them never seems to get old. A few times now I’ve asked people to tell me their favorites on our Facebook page and that page lights up with hundreds of contributions, everyone tickled to get to talk about them and see what quirky sayings others have to contribute as we all walk down memory lane. So today I want to start that conversation on this post as a fun way of celebrating our silly Southern sayings and learning a few new ones we might want to work into our vocabulary.
Katy Rose’s shirt in that photo is from Sweet Tea T Shirts and demonstrates wearing one of their shirts, that demonstrates the Southern pronunciation of “Cat”. Isn’t it precious? ~giggles~
They’ve got a whole passel of t shirts with different sayings such as “Ah’m bout to burn up!” or another one of my favorites “Who’s pluckin’ this chicken, you or me?”.
So I’m gonna step aside here and let y’all have at it. Leave your favorite Southern Saying below and if’n ya see one that don’t make no sense feel fre to ask what it means by replying to it. This hyar is gonna end up being a Southernisms 101 of sorts and we’re all gonna have fun with it! I can’t wait to see what you have to offer!
I want to start by saying YES, Bless your heart CAN be a good thing. In fact, I’ve heard it used more often than not in situations where it really is a good thing. If someone is going through a rough time or suffers a loss, you’d hug them and say “Bless your heart” as a show of compassion.
“You think I don’t have culture just because I’m from down in Georgia. Believe me, we’ve got culture there. We’ve always had sushi. We just called it bait.”
~Ben “Cooter” Jones
Posted by Christy Jordan
on May 10 2010. Filed under Misc, Southern Classics.
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ALL carbonated beverages are ‘Coke’.
“Would you like a Coke?”
“No thank you, I’m not a Coke drinker.”
(after picking your Southern self off of the floor)
“Are you sure? I’ve got Mr. Pibb, Sprite, Cherry Coke, Coke..’
LOL I’m from south eastern NC and my husband is from ME, he had the hardest time wrapping his mind around that. Likewise, the first time I heard someone call ‘Coke’, ‘Pop’, I puzzled and puzzed (as the Grinch says).
Oh, yes, it is definitely a Coke!
Standard conversation:
“Would you like a Coke?”
“Oh, yes, I believe I would!”
“Very well, what kind?”
“Dr. Pepper”
I’ve heard that one, but more common here in South Carolina is calling all sodas “drinks.” When an older person offers you a drink, it is a soda, more specifically a Coke, which is called a Co’cola. A Pepsi is called a Pepsi-Cola and other sodas are identified as a specific drink, like an orange drink or a grape drink. Now, alcoholic beverages is a whole ‘nother thing. I’ve heard my grandparents offer a “sip” or a “taste” or a “toddy.” A toddy is also an alcoholic concoction that is heated, for medicinal purposes only you know. Sometimes it is called a hot toddy. A gentlemen will sometimes offer visiting male guests a “sip of tea,” which is a polite way of excusing themselves from female company to have an alcoholic drink and male conversation, sort of the poor man’s way of the men gathering in the drawing room for brandy and cigars. Then there’s the real house-wine of the south, iced tea. We just call it tea, and it is assumed you like it with sugar unless you have ‘sugar diabetes.” A hostess is usually aware of any guest’s dietary needs as such and will provide alternatives, but that is usually done very quietly, so that the person who needs something different isn’t made to feel like the center of attention in a negative way by pointing out ill health. The quality of a hostess’ tea is often a topic of discussion between guests before and after the dinner party, particularly the strength of the tea and how sweet she makes it. A typical comment might be, “We’re going to Aunt Edna’s for supper, so prepare yourselves for some strong tea.” And everyone partakes of the tea without any negative comments, even if the tea is not to their own taste. Most people don’t make the syrupy concoction that restaurants serve.
When I went to college (1964-68) I had two roommates from NC and it took a while to catch on to “could you bring me a pop and a nab?” I was used to using the work Coke for Pepsi, root beer, Double Cola, Dr. Pepper or anything that had fizz to it. A nab was the peanut and butter crackers made by Nabisco. It also was strange hearing them say, “just put it in the boot of the car” (trunk).
Give me a coke. Pepsi be ok? That’ll work
We used to call any soft drinks “dopes” lol
A dope and Moon Pie
SW Missouri by the way of Batesburg/Leesville SC, North Charleston SC, Huntsville Ala, and Memphis, TN
Icebox…….Freezer and or Fridgeator
Sissy………Sister
Bubby……..Brother
I reckon
Yonder
Soft drink……Coke or Coca Cola
Yes Sir No Sir…….receive demerits in middle school if you didn’t say this
Never say yea
Never say Yesm
I found this web site that has alot of Southern Sayings:
http://ashlandbelle.com/Southern.html
When I read through the list, my relatives had to use over half of them. I just about fell out of the chair. What memories.
“Good Lord willin’ & the creek don’t rise”!
The correct saying is: “Good Lord willing and the Creeks don’t rise”. It refers to the Creek Indians in the 1700′s in the Carolinas and Georgia not to a flood in a creek.
In Tennessee I always hear, “Good Lord willin’ and the cricks don’t rise” in reference to when the rains came and washed out bridges and made big gullies and overflowed the banks of the creeks and you couldn’t get your wagon through because of miring down in the mud. Guess we are “doing it wrong” in hillbilly land.
That’s how this Tennessee Hillbilly always heard it.
Wantin’ ain’t gettin’!
Bless your little pea-pickin’ heart!
Come hail or high water.
If wishes were horses, then beggars would ride.
It’ll never be noticed on a galloping horse!
Ain’t no shame in gettin’ lice, but there’s a helluvalot wrong in keepin’ ‘em!
That’s a long row to hoe!
…so many more!
I’m from northern Ala.and don’t think i’ve ever heard the one,It’ll never be noticed on a galloping horse. i love it and these do bring back a lot of memories.love my roots… by the way what does it mean? lol
My mama used to say “A blind man on a galloping horse would never notice…” and then whatever it was – usually implied a small flaw in someone or something!
Anyone ever have a Coke in a bottle into which a small bag of Lancer’s salted peanuts was poured?
Most folks think I’m nuts when I mention this!
And I always though it was Tom’s Peanuts……
the salted peanuts in the glass bottle of Coke is one of my favorite memories from childhood. Of course, we kids couldn’t drink Coca Cola until I was 8 or 9 years old. My parents thought it had cocaine in it.
It did have cocaine in it ……..way back when!!!!
My uncle loved peanuts in Dr Pepper. I think it’s pretty good, but rarely do it ’cause peanuts tend to give my heartburn.
Ain’t nothing better. But we always used RC cola and Tom’s Peanuts here in Columbus GA!
The brand name was Lance’s. Tom’s Peanuts were better because they were less salty and thus didn’t make the Coke fizz as much.
My daddy always put peanuts in Sundrop!
Hasn’t EVERYBODY?! !!
Surely THIS is not an unusual practice. : )
oh yes!!
I’ve had many of a coke with peanuts poured in the bottle, still do sometimes!
yes i have and it sure is good.!!!!!
Nobody from East Tennessee would think you are nuts!
Its a little off the subject, but a bigger snack, or maybe even lunch would be a rc and moonpie
WOW one of my most favorite “snacks” when I was a kid. I am in my 60s and still love this every now and then. Also, peanuts in vanilla ice cream. At school on Fridays you could get a little round carton of vanilla ice cream for 7 cents and if you were “rich” with a dime you had 3 cents left over to get a pack of peanuts. DELICIOUS!! Tennessee “hillbilly”
I used to drink/eat this all the time . I have not had that in years!
Had hundreds —back in the 60′s when i worked in a service station i would make my meals with Tom’s Peanuts and Pepsi—-that was when there was service—chech under the hood,wash the windshieldand check the air in your tires.
…many a time. In my neck of the woods it was an RC cola and peanuts, while walking home from school. The store was half way between the school and home. I’d collect enough empty bottles (back when ya got a nickle a bottle for returning the empty to the store)between the school and store to get myself a soda and some peanuts. Those were the days!
yep I hear that
Being from Mississippi, if we did not do an assigned chore correctly our Mama would say, “You better lick that calf over again.” Also if we were nosy or doing something we shouldn’t our Daddy would say we were “pillering”. He also called a drinking straw a “quill” and the glovebox in the car a “cooter-hull.”
@Tara Pratt = long “row” Bless your heart for gettin’ it right!!, I’ve heard so many times “road to hoe”..?… what in the world is hoeing a road???? You gonn’a chop asphalt with a hand tool???
And @Tara & @Wendell for Lancer’s or Tom’s peanuts.. you really caught me out with that one. I had always had peanuts with a Coke, or a MoonPie & a rootbeer at the hardware store on a Saturday morning when young. oh, the memories are flowing now.
ps-Bless your heart Christy!, I am a gentleman with southern roots that is mocked for saying ‘Yes Ma’am & Yes, Sir” all day at work, but I won’t stop.
I love your recipes, and will submit a coupel more as I get a chance. I have a great apples ‘n cheese that my Dad made that is easy & outstanding.
Thank You Ma’am,
Joe
Ha ha ha ha, can tell you’re not off the farm, it’s a long ROW to hoe, as in a row on the farm or in a garden, a lot of work ahead….long row to hoe.
I still love to hear someone say, yes ma’am or sir. To me it shows character and good breeding. My grandchildren are still taught to use these when replying to older folks or teachers, etc. It would be a nicer world if some of the “old time ways” were still being used.
Thank you Sir!
Alice from Tennessee
Justasoon (just as soon or rather)- such as, I’d justasoon eat supper as sit here and talk about it.
Get-together – family reunion
They live just a little piece down the road.
Wellllll, doggy!….probably from Beverly Hillbillies but we used it any way : )
Ya’ll come by and see us sometime.
Telling a story – not telling the truth
Thank you for you wonderful recipes and stories, Christy!
1. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
2. If that don’t beat all!
3. I got a hitch in my get-along.
4. Purt near, as in purt near right. Could also be Purt nigh.
5. Plumb tuckered out.
6. Plumb lazy…
7. Catty-whomp for diagonal or skewed, as in, “Fix that picture. It’s all catty-whomp and crooked.
I hail from Northwest Alabama in the smallest of all small towns. I’m enjoying all of the ones above and can think of a couple more that have flown from my friend’s and family’s lips:
1 – Making a silk purse out of a sow’s ear – meaning making something good out of something bad
2 – That’s the way the mop flops. (Essentially – “oh well”)
3 – Fixingta, or fiddin’a – meaning about to do something (Go wash your hands, we’re fiddin’a eat.)
4 – In the short rows now – meaning we’re almost done!
5 – Tennis (pronounced “tenny”) shoes – I never heard a soul use the word “sneakers” or “running shoes” until I was well into my 20′s…
6 – Wore slap out – meaning tired or in need of being replaced
7 – I swahnee! – honestly, I don’t know what this means, but it’s the exclamation usually used in desperation or frustration. (I swahnee! Auburn’s new quarterback couldn’t have put the football in the end zone on Saturday if someone had picked ‘im up and carried ‘im there!)
8 – Fiddlin’ around – meaning wasting time
9 – Cotton-pickin’, ding-dang, lots of others – these are some of my favorites and show how creative Southerners can be in making up our own version of “bad words” (That cotton-pickin’ washing machine has leaked water all over the floor again! Get these ding-dang toys off the stairs before somebody breaks their neck!!)
Another one I love is the Southern distinction between “dinner” and “supper”. I have to remind myself of my Alabama vocabulary when I go home now; my brother has on more than one occasion positively FLAMED me for inviting him to “dinner” in reference to the evening meal. “WE ate dinner at noon. But if you want us to come for SUPPER, we’ll be there at 6.” (Well, excuuuuse me.)
This has been great fun, thanks!!
I smiled at the dinner/supper. My husband (age 54) still asks me what’s for dinner – and I know good-n-well he wants to know what I packed for his lunch. He calls me on his way home from work many days, “hey, what’s for supper?” My daughter (age 32) rolls her eyes…she’s citified, you know.
My daughter and her husband were invited to ‘Sunday dinner’ at her in-laws home. They arrived promptly at 6:00 PM and were served left-overs from the noon meal!
In Tennessee I always heard it, “You can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear” meaning if it is bad you can’t do anything to fix it and make it better.
Also, “you have champaign taste and a beer pocketbook”
I grew up in Texas and now live in San Francisco and the saying that gets the blank stare is “If it was a snake ita bitch ya” (bit you) meaning something is right in front of you.
Cannot believe I forgot this one – “Child, I will slap you nekkid and hide your clothes!”
Today in class I told one of my students he needed to “straighten up and fly right” Those kids thought I had lost my mind. My hubby says this all the time but the kids had never heard it. lol
My dad used to say that all the time!!! Thanks for the memory!
Coke with peanuts in it… oh yes!! Sittin’ in front of my grandpa’s general store!! Great times!!
My uncle had a store out in the country in Florence, MS. I well remember Stage Planks, Moon Pies, RC with peanuts, chocolate “coke”, Orange Crush, cheddar cheese cut from a whole wheel, sittin’ by the potbelly stove. I’ve enjoyed all your stories and comments; brings back sweet memories.
I just love all of these !! : )
Thank you. You brought back so many memories.
The trunk of a car – Turtle hull.
Also RC Cola – RC Bellywash.
Slap out of time and money.
divorce – splittin’ the blanket
My parents always told me and my siblings”if you don’t behave I’m gonna set you on fire”.With a little “hickory tea” applied to our legs it did feel like we were on fire.First time I told my daughter that for misbehaving it broke her little heart.Needless to say I never used that phrase again when she was misbehaving.
I’m full as a tick.
My father in law used to say that, and having a very photographic mind, visions of ready to burst ticks put a quick end to my meals too, whether I was full or not!
When someone visiting is getting ready to leave they say, “Well, y’all go with me.”
When we’d help our uncle dump baby chicks in his chicken houses we always got paid with a “korter” (quarter), an RC cola and a moonpie. And for us, a soda or cola was always a “cold drank”.
I love Cheerwine. The soda reference growing up was “co-cola”.
I’m originally from Indiana however, alot of my family were born and raised in the south. KY VA etc. I am now living in Charlotte NC LOVE LOVE LOVE THE SOUTH. I always looked forward to summer vacations while everyone was going to FLORIDA (which is nice) We headed to KENTUCKY or VIRGINIA.
I heard a lady i worked with in indiana, near lunch time one day she says:
IM SO HUNGRY I COULD EAT A HORSE AND CHASE THE RIDER.
That tickled me purty good.
I say (while waiting in the drive thru) MY GOODNESS THEY SLOW AS POND WATER. (heeheee
As mentioned above, all soft drinks are still referred to as a “coke” in my “neck of the woods”.
A childhood bicycle jaunt to the local country store meant buying an “aRuhCee” Cola and a moonpie. An added treat would be a Redhot Fireball or “jawbreaker” candy.
When something was done the wrong way, Mom would tell us that was “bass ackwards”.
“Keep your nose clean” was considered a fond farewell.
How about ” I’m so hungry my stomach is suing my backbone for non support”.
“I’m so hungry I could eat a bow legged biscuit”. To give something “a lick and a promise” was to give it a light cleaning. A stupid person :Couldn’t pour water out of a boot”. And my choice was peanuts in a Pepsi-Cola or a Co-cola. good stuff!
How about “put the spider on the eye”?
I ate till I stuck out.
Skinny-cat
I’m fixin’ to
Y’all/ You all
Fellers,
When I was a little kid (about six) I heard someone say the word Pecan on television pronouncing it ‘Pee-can’. Later that day my southern mama was making fudge. I came up and asked:
“Mama, are you gonna put PEE-CANS in the candy?” She stopped what she was doing and stared at me.
“Where did you learn that?” She exclaimed. “It’s ‘PA-CON’. You talkin’ like a YANKEE girl!”
To this day that memory still makes me smile. XD
My dad STILL says he’s going to ‘warsh’ the dishes, put the clothes in the ‘warshing machine’, get a ‘warsh rag’ for his bath, etc.. My grandmother would admonish us to ‘stop motsy-ing around’ meaning we were goofing off, not doing what we were told to do, wasting time… you get the drift. And there’s always the
‘Poe-leese” stopping somebody speeding.
My great-grandmother used some interesting words in place of swear words (cussin’ – you know what I mean). I’ve heard her say “My foot!” when she disagreed strongly with someone, and “Sugar!” when she was frustrated. She once told me that any word spoken in anger was as bad as cussing. Now, here’s one that is as colorful as any I’ve seen here – “The wind don’t blow up the same dog’s ___ all the time.” Now, that woudn’t have been said in mixed company, but is definitely a unique one to me. It means that things change.
North Carolina-born and bred….
U-ns come to see we-uns
lollygagging
I reckon
a favorite from a Georgia friend- How’s ya mama an em? -How are your moma
and the rest of the family?
Bless your little heart
ain’t worth a hill o’beans
purdy is as purdy does (Pretty is as pretty does) Means if you aren’t pretty
inside you aren’t pretty outside)–one of momma’s favorite sayings
Would you like a piece of Pepsi? (My grandmother’s way of asking if
you’d like a glass of Pepsi cola).
Do you need a poke? (Would you like a bag to carry that?)
Going to bed with the chickens. (early bedtime)
Early bird gets the worm. (One of Daddy’s favorite sayings, and he was
always punctual).
Thrilled to peanuts.
Gawd.
Good to see ya.
Although I love to meet others who were born outside the south, and all
over the world, I cherish my southern “upbringing”. I learned generosity,
kindness, manners. I had great food, great family ties, and love all around
me as I grew up in small town, NC. These are the values I tried to instill
in my children. They will work anywhere in the world, but I thank my
parents and my roots for who I am today.
if ya thirsty go get a drink outa the hose. (drink from the water hose). im gonna bust your britches. im goin over yonder.
If yall dont stop lollygaggin Im gon tan your hide! Meaning stop playing & get your chores finished or you will get a spanking.
I loved reading all these. Brought back some memories & gave me a laugh too. Im from nashville,TN. I have family all over Tn.
I was born and bred in Ontario Canada and a lot of those sayings were familiar to me. Bless you little pea pickin’ heart, tan your hide, not worth a hill o’ beans, long row to hoe, if the good Lord’s willin’ and the crick don’t rise etc, They must have come from the UK originally when the settlers came out to populate the “new world”.
Tump – You keep leanin back in that chare you gon tump over.
Bless yalls hearts for adoptin this Cali boy and his lil lady out here in NC!
We’re just honored to have you in the family!
Christy, I just wanted to say i love this here website of yours. lol I have just learned about it a few weeks ago . Thanks to my momma! These southern sayins have brought smiles to my face and i have laughed until my liver quivered. I love looking through the recipes i am goin to try some very very soon.
GOD BLESS
I am so glad you joined us Julie (and please tell your Momma thank you for introducing us)!!! Let me know what you decide to try first.
My NC grandma was full of ‘em:
Ya’ll come – an invitation
Directly – soon (Ya’ll come directly.)
Better’n – better than
young’uns – kids
Looky here
‘Hear’ was pronounced differently but I don’t know how to spell it. The R was silent.
I thought everybody put peanuts in their coke or Pepsi or, for us, always RC Cola. Anybody remember the afternoon snack of cumbled corn bread in a glass of milk or buttermilk?
It’s been fun traveling back to my chidhood. Thanks.
Every adult was Ma’am or Sir and I never heard it was rude to say “Yes’m”
I wish sir and ma’am was still used. Shows respect. We also said “No’m”
One of our sayings here in Va. is Great day in the mornin! or look a yonda, ain’t that somethin.
Here are a few I haven’t seen yet:
He’s as lost as a hog in high weeds…
ugly as a mud fence
meaner’n a strip-ed snake
My grandma always used to “pack” babies (carry them)
Fun:)
From NC
I’m pretty bowlegged so I always heard…
“Boy couldn’t hem a hog in a ditch”
Probably know a few less inappropriate ones that dad always said…
“I wouldn’t trust him in a s*** house with a muzzle on em”
“It’s hotter than a fresh f***** fox in a forest fire”