Hickfonics
|
|
Here's some help to gettin on linguistically in the Lone Star State. It may be true that Texans, & Southerners in general talk differently, but it's tough to pin down a true Texas accent -- a reality evident in virtually any Hollywood picture about the place. Most Texans don't speak with the southern drawl of the Deep South. It's more of a Western twang. And because Texas is such a big place, influenced by the language of adventurers heading west and newly arrived immigrants (Yankees from the north, & Mexicans from south of the border), Texans have adopted a rich vocabulary & colorful manner of speaking. It's not just how they say it, but what they say that makes Texans stand out. Our folksy language & homespun hyperbole seems to come effortlessly. While tracking a barnburner of a presidential election, former CBS news anchor Dan Rather, a native of Wharton,TX described a candidate who "tore through Dixie like a big wheel through a cotton field." The former Texas governor Ann Richards was especially given to colorful phrases like, "That dawg don't hunt." As is our President, George W. Bush. But really, the Southern vocabulary is similar to the rest of the Nation's - it only sounds different. |
|
|
A - A prefix added to the present participle to make it purtier, e.g. "Abe's a-work'n in backer t'day; Ma's a-talk'n to you, son!" ABIDE - To endure, stand or tolerate usually in the negative sense of the word, as in “I Cain't abide him.” AFAHR - on fire. "He lef' his stove on, an' his house caught afahr." AFORE - (prep) Just as good as "before" in some parts, as in "Afore we go, put the dawgs out." AGONNA - (aux. verb) Future tense auxiliary, as in "ahm agonna gichew ifn yew don't quit bothern my dawg!" AGGRAVATIN - (adjective) Bothersome. Etymology: Citified English aggravate meaning "make worse", as in "y'all gonna get plum knocked down if'n you keep aggravatin me." AGWINE - (adjective) Heard mostly in the mountains. Variant of "agonna"
AH
- The thing you see with, and the personal pronoun used denoting
individuality. "Ah think Ah've got somethin' in mah ah." AHERE - (adverb) In this direction, as in, "Yall come ahere; I got sumpn a show yuh." AH'LL BE DAWGED - The equivalent of 'How about that?' or 'What do you know about that?' "He got a new job? Well, Ah'll be dawged!" AHMA - (contraction) "Ahma gonna sit rat cheer til foe the safnoon." AH 'MAGINE - The first word means yerself, or as Southerners say', "yo sef," and the second is an expression of intent or belief. "Ah 'magine she's bout the sweetest gull (girl) in Jeff Davis County." AH-ITE - (adverb, adjective, or maybe even an interjection) An
affirmation; to be in a state of okay-ness; or a request for someone to
stop pestering you. "How ya doin, Bubba?" "Ah-ite." AHMOAN - An expression of intent. "Ahmoan go to the store." AHSPOSO - (phrase) The affirmative response to "Wongo?" AILS
- Else. AIG
- A popular
breakfast food. "Which come first, the chicken or the aig? AINCHA - Contraction of 'aren't you'. "Aincha gonna set another plate? You know Roy can eat enuff fer two." AIN'NONEED - Not necessary. "It looks fine ta me, ain'noneed ta fix it." AIN'T - Your parents' sister (or any female cousin old enough to be your parents' sister). "Hey, Ain't Judy... open tha winder, please?" AIN'T
GOT BUT - Have only, as in “I ain’t got but a dime.” AIN'TNUN - There is not any more. "Momma, thar ain'tnun in the cubbard." AIR - (adverb) Close to the listener, as in "What is that air thang you got air in yore han', Lela May?" Etymology: City-slicker jargon "there" which arrived through normal channels. Not to be confused with what you breathe, err. AIR UP - (verb) Put air in, "I stopped at d'fillin station to air up my tars." AIRY - (pronoun) Any but only singular: "You got airy (a) coon dog left?" Antonym of nairy. ALL - (noun) A petroleum-based lubricant as in, "Fill up d'all 'n check duh gas in mah pickup." Yankees for some reason drag this meager three letter word out into three syllables (o-ee-yul) for reasons linguists have yet to explain.
ALL-FIRED
- Extremely, very. “She’s so all-fired lazy no one wants to hire
her.” ANAR - (phrase) A measure of time. Usage: "I was drivin' my ol' Dodge pickup about a 100 maul anar." ANGLUN - (noun) The country that gave us Anglish. ANHEUSER - (phrase) Question pertaining to one's condition. Often mistaken by Yankees for a brewing company. "How's yer ma?" "Good." "Anheuser pa?" "Fan." ANNYGODDLIN
- Indicates a diagonal direction. "Thar house sets annygoddlin' to
our'n."
ANOMALY - (phrase) My usual practice."Anomaly drink Dr Pepper, but ah'll have a Pepsi few don't mind." ANYWAYS
-
Other Than. going to. "I's gonna do that anyways"
A PIECE - a measurement of distance, usually equal to approximately 1/2 mile. "The Smith house is just up the road a piece." APLENTY - Plenty, an abundance. “I’ve had aplenty to eat, Ma." ARMAGEDDON - (phrase) Reaching a certain state. "Armageddon sick of all them comet movies." ARTHURITIS
- (proper noun)
A painful illness characterized by stiffening of the joints and
paralysis. "Grandma's arthuritis is botherin' her real bad
today." AW-BENNIE (proper noun). Town name. "The capital of New Yawk is Aw-bennie." AWFULLY - (adjective) Substitute for very, which can't be used south of the Mason-Dixon line. Very is avoided in the South. See also "mighty". AWFUL TAR (proper noun). A tall, iron structure on the river Seine. "That Awful Tar may be great, but it ain't no Vulcan!"
AWHFULLEST
- The worst "That's the most awfullest lie you ever told me in your
life." AWHL BIDNESS - A profession in which a viscous petroleum product is pumped from the ground and refined for commercial use. "My father an' his pardner are in the awhl bidness... have been fer years." AX'D - Having asked a question. "I ax'd him if he wanted anuther cup o' coffee." AY-REE-UH (noun). A geographic region. "There ain't a single Steak-N-Shake in this entar AY-ree-uh"
Backer or Baccy - n. A large cultivated weed you can smoke legally. (Southerners don't get all that excited about the syllables in front of the accented one.) Backer barn - n. Where you cure your backer of what ails it (and what don't).
BACKERDS -
Opposite direction from "forward". "Lookit that boy
with his hat on bakerds!" BAD
AS I HATE TO DO IT - (As much as I hate to do it) “Bad as I hate ta do
it, ah’m agonna fire yew fer reading these here
jokes!” BAD SICK- very ill. “Katy got Bad sick eatin them unripe plums!" BAD OFF - Not doing well. "Jim's in the hospital. He's bad off." BAGEL (adj). Quite large. Usage: "That's a bagel bowl of grits you got there." BAHS
- noun. A supervisor. Usage: "If ya don't stop reading these here
Southern words and git back to work, your bahs is a gonna far you!" BAIL (noun). A metallic instrument. Usage: "Y'all come eat when you hear the dinner bail ring!" Bait n. A sufficient portion: "He ate a bait a collards and dey tore his stomach up sump'n awful." BALD - Cooked in water, usually for several minutes. "You want bald okrey for supper?" BALKS (noun). A cubic container, often made of cardboard or wood. Usage: "Bubba, get me a balks of matches!" Bammer - n. The state west of Jawjuh. The biggest town is Buhminhayum, e.g. "A tore-nader jes tore through Bammer 'n left $20,000,000 in improvements." BAR (noun). Largest of the land-living carnivores. Usage: "Davey Crockett kilt a bar wen he wuz only three."
BARD - verb. Past tense of the infinitive "to borrow."
Usage: "My brother bard my pickup truck." BARE
- noun. An alcoholic beverage made of barley, hops, and yeast. Usage:
"Ah thank ah'll have a bare." BARN (verb). To obtain with a promise to repay. Usage: "Thar are two jobs that a bank duz: barn and lyndon." BAWL
- What water does at 212 degrees Fahrenheit. "That gal cain't even
bawl water without burnin' it." BAY-UHD (noun). A place of rest. Usage: "I'm tarred. I'm gonna bay-uhd" BE UGLY - Unpleasant or disagreeable. "Junior, you don't be ugly to your sister." BECKON (noun). A pork product. Usage: "Honey ... git me another play-it of beckon and aigs." BEDURNATT'N - a comparison and statement of superiority. "That's the best one you got? Mine is bedurnatt'n." BEDRID
- Confined to bed for a long time. “Granny was bedrid along time afore
she died.” BEE-HAVE (verb). To conduct yourself in a certain way. "Y'all bee-have or I'm turning this truck around!" BEE-HIND (noun). Posterior, ass. "Git up off yer BEE-hind, Bubba BEE-YUL (Noun). A request for payment. Usage: "Woo-howdy ... did you see this month's bee-yul from the taxidermist?" BEST - Another baffling Southernism that is usually couched in the negative. "You best not speak to Cecil about his car. He just had to spend $300 on it." Biddy n. Baby chicken or a middle-aged female human, as in "old biddy".
BIDNESS
- The art of selling something for more than you paid for it. Bidnis n. What you get down to or stay out of other people's, as in, "That ain't none a yore dad-burned bidnis!" BIG O' - Very large; immense. "Look out fer that big o' rock inna road." Big ol' -- Large. Esteemed. Bile v. Boil. BIL-DUKEY - A sharpshooter shovel. "If you need to did a post hole, you can use a bil-dukey." BLEEVE
- Expression of intent or faith. "Ah bleeve we ought to go to church
this Sunday." Bless Patsy exp. A pleasant expletive phrase expressing surprise. (Patsy is the saint of Southern euphemisms.) Bless yore heart! exp. A nice expletive expressing approval and encouragement. Boat n. (1) A screw with a nut on it that you tighten with a ranch, as in, "Pass me dat-air munky ranch, Homer Joe, sos'n I can tighten up dis-here head boat." (2) A marine vessal. BOB WAR - noun. A sharp, twisted cable. Usage: "Boy, stay away from that there bob war fence over yonder, and don’t go pissin on it neither!" Bobby-Q - n. A delicious meat dish made from pulled pork roasted over hickory wood and doused with red pepper boiled in vinegar: "Pass me some moa dat bobby-Q, Leniel, foh ah stahves to death." Booger - n. Nose stuffing; a rascal, as in "Come here, you little booger!" Booger man - n. Something or somebody that'll gitcha.
BOUND
TO - Certain to. "Too much beer is bound to give ya a hang-
over." BOUNDEN
DETERMINED
- Totally comitted to a course of action, not always the wisest.
"She's bounden determined to marry him." BOY - Any Southern
white male under the age of 50, usually preceded by the words "good ole," meaning he is amiable, likes a drink
now and then and is fond of fishin', huntin' and good- lookin women.
"Clarence is a good ole boy." or "Thet boy aint real braht." BRATS (noun). High beam headlights. Usage: "Turn off yur brats, Bubba! You's blindin' me!" Briarberry - n. The wild blackberry, so called for the briars that afflict their leaves and stems. BRAY-ED (noun) --a baked grain product. Usage: "Bubba, go down to the sto and git me some Wunner bray-ed." BREAK OF - To induce the abandonment of an undesirable trait or habit: 'Ah'm gonna break that dawg of a husband of mine of lyin' to me if it's the last thing Ah do:' BREEDO - A piece of Mexican cuisine. "I'd like two tacos anda breedo, ma'am." BUB- (plural, "bubs") - An electrical illuminatory object made primarily of a hollow spheroid of thin glass. "When you're in town, pick up some more bubs... the one on the front porch burned out last night." BUD
- Small feathered creature that flies. "Lookit the sizeof that thar
bud over yonder." Buffalo chip -- What cowboys kick around out in the fields -- cow dung. BULL BAT - An insect eating bird seen in the late evening. Also known as a nighthawk. "In the summer we see a lot of bullbats around here." BURNT OUT ON - Tired or sick of. “Bubba’s Burnt out on them thar moon pies after he done et 36 in one sitting!” Buzzard - n. Horsefly or other variety of large fly. Southerners don't see much of the scavenger bird, so the word was left over and, well, we put it to use.
Cackleberry n. Egg. Go figure. Caint v. aux. Can not.
Carry on v. Overdo your actions or make a lot of fuss, as in, "Yall young'ns stop a-carryin on so; we cain't hear each other talk." Care v. Take though it sounds more like "carry", as in "I'mon care Mary Sue tooda dance Saerdy night."
Catty-corner(ed) a. Diagonal. Cattywampus a. Askew, awry; not straight. CAUTERIZE (phrase). To make eye contact with a female. "Ju look at that lady?" "Yep ... I cauterize!" CAY-UN (noun). A metallic food container. "Bubba, fetch me another cay-un of spay-um." CENT
- Plural of cent. "You paid five dollars for that necktie? Ah
wouldn't give fiddy cent for it." CETCH / CETCHIN COLD - To get sick. "I don't feel good. I think I'm cetchin' cold." "You gonna cetch cold stand'n in the rain like dat." CHAKE (noun). A financial document. Usage: "I left my money at home ... kin I write ya a chake instead?" CHAWBACCY (noun). Chewing Tobacco , ex. cope, skoal "Bubba! Stop spittin chawbaccy juice on tha porch! CHICK (verb). To inspect or monitor. Usage: "Chick ural, mistah?" Chicken Fried Steak - n. A steak dipped in batter like chicken, fried, then smothered in gravy to hide the evidence.. CHUCK - To throw. "Jethro, chunk tha ball oer here!" CHUNK
- To throw. "Chunk it in there, Leroy. Ole Leroy sure can chunk 'at
ball, can't he? Best pitcher we ever had." CIRIL (noun). A grain or a breakfast food. Usage: "Ju want some more milk for your ciril?" Citify v. To take the country out of the boy; said by some to be impossible. Citified - v. Urban or urbane. Takes yuh pick. City slicker - n. Wunna dem smaht fokes whut lives in town. COAT (noun). A legal gathering. "All rise ... this coat is now in owduh" CO-COLA
- The soft drink that started in Hot-lanta and conquered the
world. "Ah hear they even
sell Co-cola in Russia." COKE - Any soft drink. "Hey you want a coke?" , "Yeah!...I'll have a Dr Pepper." COLDRANK
- Noun. A chilled beverage. Usage: "Becky Sue, you shore is purdy
tonight. Less go git us a coldrank down to the fillin' station." COLE'S LAW - A delicious Southern side dish consisting of thinly shredded cabbage. Collards - n. A
leafy vegetable high in iron and, when cooking, odors. COMING
UP A CLOUD
– It's
going to rain. “It’s
comin up a cloud again” Conniption n. A major fit, total loss of control of one's temper; you pitch a conniption (cf. hissy). CONTRARY - Obstinate. "That girl never listens to me. She's contrary as she can be." Coon n. (Rac)coon. Syllables preceding the accented one seldom catch the attention of people born below the Mason-Dixon line. Coot n. As in "old coot"; a person over 60 years of age. Cooter n. Turtle or a general name of affection. Corn bread A lethal form of bread made from cornmeal fried in pork lard. COTTON (noun). Box or container. "Ju' want a cotton of cigarettes?" COTTON
PICK'N - Despicable,
wretched, usually an insult “Why you cotton pick'n no good low
life lazy sack of bones, you!” COUNTRY
MILE - Any
long distance COW-REES (noun). A measurement of heat. "I'm on a diet ... how many cow-rees are in a Moon Pie?" Cracker - n. A native of Jawjuh. CRACK OF DAY, DAWN- “Around here we git up at the crack of day to do our chores”
Creation - n. The
world: "Where in creation did you git that-air todefrawg from?" CRICK - a small stream of running water. "Come Summer, we like's ta go swimmin' in the crick." CRINE
- Weeping. Critter n. Creature, with special preference for animals.
CUR-SEE (Noun). Generosity or kindness. "Bubba, you show yer sister some cur-see!"
CUT BACK - To turn a specified direction when driving. "Go down this road a piece, then cut back to the right." Note: A variation might be to "dog leg" to the right; this would be more of a veer rather than a 90 degree turn. Cut up - v. Show off
CYST
- To render aid. "Can Ah cyst ya with them packages, ma'am?"
Dadgummit and dadburnit - Common expletives expressing disappointment or frustration. "Dad burn it! Ah hit my finger widda hammer agin!" Damyankee n. City-slickers from exotic places like New York, Chicago or Philadelphia. (Notice down South it is one word.) Dang part. Expresses almost anything you want it to. Dang nabbed a. Characterized by disappointing or frustrating features. (See "dad burned"). Dang nabbit! See "Dawg nabbit".
DAINTS - A more or
less formal event in which members of the opposite
sex hold each other and
move rhythmically to the sound of music.
"Yup he ax'd me to daints with him."
DASSENT - A contraction of 'dare not'; shouldn't. "Yew dassent sass yo' mama!"
DAWFINS (noun). An aquatic
mammal. Dawg n. An animal of the canine persuasion. DAYUM - A cuss word Rhett Butler used in "Gone With the
Wind." "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a dayum." DAY-USK (noun). A piece of
flat top furniture. DEE-YUSK
(noun). A circular object or a storage medium.
DEPPITY - A county law
enforcement Awficer: "Jim Bob's a deppity sheruf"
DID
- adjective.
Not alive. Usage:
"He's did, Jim." DIDN'T
NO BODY GO
- A
common double negative for nobody went Differnt a. Not the same, different. DIKES - A pair of cutters used for cuttin' wahr. "This wahr is too long. Bring me some dikes." (note: also used as a term for any pair of pliers.) DINNER
AND SUPPER
- Dinner
is what Southerners eat when Yankees are having lunch, usually at 12:00.
Supper is what Southerners eat when Yankees are having dinner, usually
around 6:00. DIRTY-UP - To
soil or get dirty Dissermember v. Antonym of "member," to forget: "I planned to stop for a mess of butterbeans but I plum dissermembered." Doohickey n. A Southern thingamabob. DOOTCHER (verb). The
command form in Southern. DO
WHUT
- An expression of misunderstanding or disbelief. DOC
- A condition caused by the absence of light. Usage: "it shore is doc
outside when the sun sits." DONE
AND GONE – Gone DON'T GOT BUT - Only have DOT (noun). The act of eating sparingly to loose weight. "Boy, you look like 250 pounds of chewed bubble gum. You need to go on a dot!" DRAW-UP - To
shrink DRECKLY - Before
long-"I'll be along dreckly" Dried apple An extreme kind of "damn" as in "I don't give a dried-apple damn if you do it or not!" Drink n. Soda, pop. Druther v. aux. To prefer, as in, "I druther watch The Wheel; how abou chew?" DROUNT (verb). Past tense of drown. "Mah grampah almost drount in the Great Flood!" DUBBA WIDE (noun). A mobile or modular home. "That there tarnaida sho did mess up my dubba wide!" DUBYA - (noun). A term referring to the President of the U.S.A. can be used both affectionately or in a derrogative manner. "Bubba voted for Dubya in the current Lection!"
EARL - A petrol
product. EAT UP WITH - Excessively afflicted. "That guy is just eat up with jealousy." EGG
ON -To urge someone to do something “Don’t egg the dawg on,
he’ll bite you!” EMERSON (phrase). "Emerson fine lookin' tars ya got on yer truck there, Leroy." EMPLAWEE (noun). One in the employment of another. "Mary Elizabeth mus be proud ... I just heard she's the emplawee of the week down at the Wal Mart!" E EVERTHANG
- All-encompassing. EVERWHICHAWAYS
- To be scattered in all directions. "You should have been there when
the train hit attair chicken truck. Them chickens flew everwhichaways."
FAID (noun, verb). A grain product. To nourish. "Mercy! You're all skin and bones! Don't your folks fade ya anymore?!" FAINTS (noun). A barrier "Hooo BOY ... that Sammy Sosa whomped that ball clear over the faints!"
FAIRLY- Nearly,
almost
FAIR
OFF-
to be sunny. "It's spose to be cloudy this morning, then it'll fair
off."
FAIR
TA MIDLIN
- an expression of someone's personal condition. FALL (verb). To submit. To store paperwork in its proper place. "Ju fall yer texas yet, Bob?" FAIR PIECE- A long distance. Also known as Fur piece FAR
- noun. A conflagration. "If my brother from Jawjuh don't
change the awl in my pickup truck, that things a gonna catch far." FARD (verb). Terminated. "Coy don't work here no more ... we fard him." FARSCAPE - (noun). An emergency exit. "There was a far, but Bubba got out of the building alright ... he used the farscape." FAR WUD - Material taken from a tree and used to help create a rapid self-sustaining chemical reaction that releases light and heat; fire wood. "Lemme go cut sum far wud so's we can cook dat possum." FARN
- adjective. Not local. "I cuddint unnerstand a wurd he sed
... must be from some farn country." FAVOR
- To resemble. "That boy sure favors his daddy don't he?"
FAWL - (noun). Kitchen aluminum wrap for storage of food items. "Could you please wrap my leftover chicken livers in fawl?" FAY-IR (noun, verb). A sense of anxiety. Anxious concern. "The only thing we have to fay-ir is fay-ir itself!" FEE-UHL (Verb). To supply or provide to the fullest extent. "Bubba, fee-uhl up that there gas jug!"
FIRST
LIGHT- Dawn "We'll go huntin at first light!" FITTY - The number between 49 and 51. "Warshin' will cost ya fitty cents, dryin' still cost ya a quarter." FIX - n. A mess, trouble: "Sally May has really got herself in a fix, now!" FIXIN'- Preparing,
Fixins n. What is needed to prepare a dish. "Come on over for chicken fried steak an all tha fixins!" FIZYU - Abbreviation for If I was you. "Fizyu I'd git outa here soon."
FLAHR (noun). A
plant. Wheat, ground to a fine, white powder. FLARES - The colorful, sweet-smelling part of a plant. "If yer wife's mad at ya, it's smart to take her some flares." FLOSS WATER (noun). A device used to squish flying bugs. "Hand me the floss water, bubba ... I'm gonna git that bee!" FOE (noun). Fav minus one. "Ahma gonna sit rat cheer til foe the safnoon."
FOLLER
- Spies and private detectives spend a lot of time doing this. FORE - Abbreviation of Before. "Fore you go, gimmi a kiss." FORD (verb, preposition). To advance. Ahead of. "We all wanna see this country move ford." FOOL
THING- Foolish
thing “That Bubba done a fool thing, he jumped off the roof thinking he
was Superman an broke his arm!” FRAUD (adj). Cooked in oil. "That Southern fraud chicken sure was good." FRET- To
worry “Now don’t you fret, Daddy will be right back.” FRONCHARD
- Opposite of backyard. "Is the dawg in the fronchard
FUR
- Measure of distance. "It's a fur piece ta Hot-lanta."
FUR
- Because of or to indicate possession. "Fur yew ta get attair new
car ya gotta go see Bubba bout a loan." FUSSED (adj). A premier position "You been here before?" "Nah ... this is my fussed time."
GET
GONE - To depart or to leave
“Now you boys best got gone!” GET
ME - To
get for oneself.
“I need to get me one of them new
Beer Bytch coozies!” GIMMIE - Give me. "Gimmie one of those hats." Gimme cap - Freebie baseball caps, with logos of awl 'n' gas and other companies on the bill. Redneck uniform to be worn as an alternative to cowboy hat. The name is derived from the frequent request, "Gimme one them thar caps." Give a holler - A plea to call, write, or e-mail. GIVE
OUT - Very
tired.
“My back’s about to give out on me.” GOFF
- A game played with clubs and a little white ball. GO
IN - To
begin, especially a church service or school time. "School goes in at
9 o'clock."
GO OVER AT- To Visit. "We're goin' over at mother's this evening." GOOD
OLE BOY
- Any red-blooded Southern or Texan male who has an amiable disposition
and is
fond of boon companions, strong
drink, hound dawgs, fishin', huntin', and good lookin' women, but not
necessarily in that order. "Bubba's a good ole boy." GRACIOUS
PLENTY - More
than enough. “Ma’am, you’ve been gracious plenty with yore
hospitality, that was a good meal.” GRIYUTS
- What no Southern breakfast would be without - grits. "Ah like
griyuts with butter and sawt own em, but Ah purely love'em with red-eye
gravy." GROCERY STORE - Place to buy food. (NEVER supermarket). "I've got to run to the grocery store and git some bread." GUFF - Where the ocean extends into land; a bay. "I gots a beach house right on the Guff o' Mexico." GULL
- A young female. Usage: "Becky Sue shore is a purdy gull." GUMMIT - Noun. A
bureaucratic institution. Usage: "Them gummit boys shore are ignert." Gussied up -- The look necessary for going out in public: dolled up 'n' pretty.
HAHD (verb). To conceal. "Uh, oh. Here comes Bubba. Hahd the Moon Pies!" HAIRY BACK- (phrase). A request to return soon. "You hairy back now, ya hear?" HALE - Where General
Sherman is going for what he did to Hot-lanta. "General Sherman said
"War is Hale" and he made shore it was." HALLER (adj). - Empty "That boy's head must be haller."
HANKER - To
crave or desire "I've been hankering to have some grits." or
"I've got a hankerin for some grits." HAR PAR - Higher Power, often used to describe "divine" occurences. "Ah almost broke mah neck, but my Har Par was lookin' after me." HARD (adj). - Employeed. In the employ of. "Bubba's ain't here no more ... Burger King hard him away from us." HAY-UM (noun). A cut of meat from a pig."I do not like grain (green)eggs and hay-um." HAZE
- a contraction. Usage: "Is Bubba smart?" "Nah ... haze
ignert." HEAR
TELL - To
hear something said HEIDI (interjection). Greetings "Heidi! Hire yew?"
HEP
- To aid or benefit. "Ah can't hep it if Ah'm still in love with
you."
HEP-DESK
(noun). A technical support center. "Puter's broke? Call the hep-desk!"
HEAVY
DEW - phrase. A request for action. Usage: "Kin I heavy dew me a
favor?" HERBAL (adj). Terrible, awful. "He's got hisself into one herbal mess."
HISSY- A fit
"She's gonna have a hissy when she sees this mess!" HOE (noun). An opening or pit. "My brother from Jawjuh drove my pickup into a big ol hoe"
HOODA - 'Who would have'. "Hooda thought we'd see that?" HOMINY (interrogatory phrase). An inquiry about number or quantity. "Hominy times I gotta tell you to don't do that?" HOODATHUNKIT - The equivalent of 'Who would have thought of that?'. "He passed his test? Boy howdy, hoodathunkit?" see also "Hooda." Hook 'em - The cry and hand signal (index finger and pinkie raised like horns) of UT graduates everywhere. As in, "Hook 'em, horns!" HOUSE - used in place of "dealership" in the car bidness. "I've got to take my truck down to the Ford House to get fixed." HOW
COME - Why? HOWDY - Abbreviated from 'how do you do'. "Howdy, and how's y'all?" This is a one-size-fits-all greeting -- singular, plural, who cares? Y'all is a contraction of "you all," but is actually just Texan for "you." HOWSCUM (interrogatory statement). "Howscum Bubba tore down the bob war faints?" HOWZAT - used to tell someone to repeat what was just stated. "Howzat? I didn't hear whut you wuz a'sayin'." HOBUNCH - a large amount; a lot. "I dun had a hobunch o' cornbread." HOD
- adverb. Not easy. Usage: "A broken hot is hod to fix." HOSS - A large solid
hoofed vorous animal, or a nickname for a man. “I gotta take my hoss to
the Smithy to get shoes.” Or “Easy there Hoss!”
HOT
- noun. A blood-pumping organ. HUNNERD (noun). A large quantity. "This knife cost me a hunerd bucks"
I reckon - The act of thinking out loud. "I reckon, I'll go to the store after I finish this beer." I'ONT - Unsure. "I'ont know if I'm goin' to the daints tonight." ICE HOUSE - a small shop or convenience store, such as Stop-n-Go. "I'm goin' to the ice house to get some bread and a coke (which is probably a Dr Pepper)." I-DEER - An idea or supposition. "Me an' the fellers had this i-deer 'bout how to build a better fence." IDINIT
- Term employed by genteel Southerners to avoid saying Ain't. "Mighty
hot today, idinit?" IGNERT - Ignorant. "That guy don't know better. He's ignert." I'll be Dipped - An expression meaning "Heck if I know!" or 2. Expression of surprise. I'MAGINE - Intent or belief. "I'magine we oughta go home." IN
A WAD - Upset. Tangled up or tied up as in knots. "Calm down, Bubba.
Ain't no need to git yer wrangler's in a wad." INNERDUCE - To make someone acquainted with another. "Lemmi innerduce y'all." IN-SHURCE - a policy that protects your home and car. "I sure pay a lot of money to my IN-shurce company." ISSUN - An indication of a specific item; this one."I druther have issun... it's bedurnatt'n. (see also 'bedurnatt'n')"
JAWJUH - noun. A state
just north of Florida. Capital is Hot-lanta. Usage: "My brother from
Jawjuh bard my pickup truck." JEW
HERE - Noun and verb contraction. Usage: "Jew here that my brother
from Jawjuh got a job with that bob war fence cump'ny?" JUICY
- A question. "Hey, Bubba! did juicy that big ole fish jump over
yonder?"
Kicker -- Cowboy who puts his pointy-toed boots to good use.
KLECT - To receive
money: "Ah don't think you'll ever klect own that bill." KUMPNY - (noun). 1) Business, 2) group of invited guests, 3) a Southern euphemism for the CIA. Usage: "Put yo overalls on, Bubba ... kumpny's comin!"
LAW
- Police, or as
we Southerners pronounce it, PO-leece. "We better git outta here.
That bartender's done called the law." LEAVE OUT - To depart. "We're gonna leave out at 7:00am." LECTRICITY - Energy for
irons, TVs, and other things. LEKSHUN - A political contest: "Who you think's a gonna win the lekshun?
LET ALONE - Much less. "He can't support himself, let alone a family." LIEBERRY
- A building containing thousands of literary works. LIKE
TO
- Was likely to have, as in: "Ah like to died laughin' at
y'all!"
LIKKER - Whiskey;
either the amber kind bought in stores or the homemade white kind that
federal authorities frown upon. "Does he drink? Listen, he spills
more likker than most people drink." LOT
- adjective. Luminescent. Usage: "I dream of Jeanie in the lot-brown
hair."
MASH
- To press, as in the case of an elevator button. "Want me to mash
yer floor for you, Ma'am?" MELPYA - A question for assistance; 'may I help you'. "Welcome to Luby's... melpya?" MERE - A piece of highly reflective glass. "Lemme look in th' mere and see if mah hair's mussed up." MINNERS - small fish used as live fishing bait. "I caught a big ol' faish on them minners!" MITE COULD - Might Possibly. "If you play your cards right, you mite could make a lot of money." MOANBAK - A direction used to indicate that you have plenty of space behind your pickup. "Moanbak... I need to hitch up the trailer!" MONE
- Ya'll com MOANIN
- Between daybreak and noon. MOMANEM - Your mother and her current company. "Wanna go over an' see momanem after church?" MUCHABLIGE -
Thank you. "Muchablige for the lift, Mister." MUNTS - noun. A calendar division. Usage: "My brother from Jawjuh
bard my pickup truck, and
I ain't herd from him in munts."
NAWTHUN - Anything that
is NOT Southern. "He is a classic product of the superior Nawthun
educational system." (sarcasm) NEKKID - Having no clothes on (often "nekkid as a jaybird). "Officer, he come runnin' across mah yard plumb nekkid!" NOT ABOUT TO - No intention of. "I'm not about to pay a dollar for a coke." 'NUTHERN - Another. "That biscuit was sure good. Gimmi a 'nuthern.
Okry n. A poddy vegetable that cooks up slimy but delicious if you cook it up right. ON-AH (noun). Respect. "On-ah your ma an pa." OUCHONDER - over there. "Where's mah hat?" "Ya left it ouchonder in the yard." (see also "yonder" and "o'vair") OUGHTA - Ya may hear a Southerner say "Oughta!" to a dog or child. This is short for "Y'all oughta not do that!" and is the equivalent of saying "No!" Ornery - a. Mean, hard to get along with. Orshter n. A nasty marine bivalve whose looks belie its edibility.
Outta kilter a. (1) Crooked; (2) not working properly. "My frigerator's outta kilter and won't keep the bare cold." O'VAIR - In that direction. "That new Chevy House is right o'vair." Over yonder -- Where you'll likely be when you give a holler. OWN (prep). The opposite of off. "Mama ... Bubba's own TV!" OWNNA (phrase). Going to. "Ah'm ownna git me inta tha Moon Pah bidness!" OZ (phrase). I was Oz wunnern whar em fellers got thar spellin from!"
PASS - To die, stop living. "Bubba's Maw done passed."
PENNY ONE - None at all. "I'm so broke I don't have a penny one." PERTNEAR - Pretty near; almost. "Well, friend, I fell th'other day and pertnear broke my leg." PERTY - beautiful "Peggy Sue shore is a perty girl." PHRAISIN
- Very cold. "Shut that there door. It's phraisin in here." PITCHER - n. (1) a vessel for holding and pouring water; (2) a visual representation of something, as a photograph. The "t" is silent.
PLUM - Completely. "Ah'm plum wore out." Pocketbook n. A woman's purse (a bag is something different). Poke n. (1) A sack, as in a pig in a poke; (2) pork, as in "Gimme wunna dem poke chops, hunny." Polecat - n. (1) Skunk; (2) a really bad person.
Pooch (out) v. Stick out: "Why yore lips pooched out like that, honey?" PURDY
- Adj. Lovely. Purt near - adv. Nearly, close to.
RATS
- noun. Entitled power or privilege. Usage: "We Southerners are a
willin' to fat for are rats." RECKON - Supposition or intent. "I reckon I'll go to bed." RETARD – What you do when you reach a certain age, ya stop workin. "Grampa retard from the railroad back in ‘63." RETCH
- To grasp fer. "The right feilder retch over into the stands and
caught the ball." RITCHEER - Equivalent of "right here". "I ain't went missing, I'z ritcheer!" RURNT - no good; broken; ruined. "Mah car won't go 'cause the transmission's rurnt."
SACK - Container for carrying groceries. (NEVER a bag). "I came back from the store with a big sack of groceries." SAFNOON (phrase). The period after supper and before dinner. "Ahma gonna sit rat cheer til foe the safnoon." SAIL (verb). To exchange or deliver for money or its equivalent. "We sail lottery tickets here." SANTY - Texan for Santa Claus. "Santy comes on Christmas Eve." SEB'M - The number between six and eight. "Hank jest lives up th' road a piece... 'bout seb'm miles." SEED
- verb, past tense. SENSUOUS - The equivalent of 'since you were'. "Sensuous up anyway, wouldja get me anuther beer?" SHEENRY (noun). Tool or tools. "Don't know nuttin bout no sheenry." SHEIT - Another southern swear word synonymous to Bovine Scattology. (Shit or Bullshit)
SHOVELAY
- A GM car. "Nobody could drive a Shovelay like Junior Johnson." SHO-IZ - a positive affirmation; sure is. "That sho-iz a purty dress." SIGH REEN - A device used for making a loud wailing sound as a signal or warning. "The cops went by here a minute ago with their lights aflashin' and blowin' their sigh reen." SINNER
- Exact middle of. "Have you been Ovair to the new shoppin'
sinner?" SKEERED - to be in fear of; afraid. "I ain't skeered o' that ol' snake in the grass." SKOEET - Let's go eat. "Well, skoeet afore I starve!" SODY POP - A carbonated beverage. "Dr Pepper is mah favorite kinda sody pop." SOP - To soak up juice or sauce with a piece of bread. "Hand me another slice o' bread, I wanna sop up this sauce." SPECT - To suppose. "I spect taxes will go up this year." SPELL - an indeterminate amount of time, usually short. "Ya oughtta come in an' set a spell." SPLODE (verb). To release energy by the sudden production of gases. "Ah went to the races last night, there wuz lots of kee-rashes but none of um sploded." SPOSE - Suppose to. "I'm spose to go to the meeting tonight." SPOTTER (noun). An arachnid. "Along came a spotter who sat down beside her and frightened Miss Muffit away." SQUARSH
- noun. A vegetable (also verb - to flatten). Usage: "Warsh that
squarsh, Bubba ... you don't know where its been!"
STOW
- Place where things are sold. SUDDEN (adj). Relating to a geographical region. "Boy, we sho do like them sudden words!"
SUGAR - A kiss. "Commeer and
gimme some sugar, darlin."
SUMUBEM - a few select items or objects. "That ain't all I got, it's only sumubem." SUMMERS - a vague direction or location. "I think he thode it o'vair summers." SUP - directional, it's up. "Yew lookin fer yer cat? Sup thar." SURP - A popular breakfast condiment. "Is there any surp for mah pancakes?" SWALLER - A drink. "I shore could use a swaller o' water!" SWIM POO (noun) -- a man-made body of water."Bubba, git out of that there swim poo!" SWITCH - branch of a tree used for behavior modification of children. "I'm gonna cut me a switch and wear his bottom out."
TAHBACKA (noun). a rather controversial weed. "We're gonna go cut 'n hang tahbacka in the barn." TAL (noun). Absorbent cloth. "No outhouse is complete without a tal and mira." TALL (noun). A piece of fired clay used especially floors and walls. "Bubba, you need to clean your bathroom tall!" TAKE ON - To cry. "That girl is so upset, she's really takin' on." TAR - a rubber wheel. "Ah hope ah don't git a flat tar." TARA and TERRA (noun). A state of fear. "I haven't felt this much terra since the night our football team had to play against Bama!" TAR ARNS
- A tool employed in changing wheels. "Ya cain't change a tar without
a tar arn." TARD - Exhausted; tired. "I got'sta go ta bed... I'm awful tard." TARRED - adverb. Exhausted. Usage: "I just flew in from Hot-lanta,
and boy my arms are tarred." TAR-NADIR (noun). A weather anomaly
used to drop houses on the wicked witches. TENNY SHOES - Any athletic shoe. (NEVER sneakers). "I'm almost ready... just let me get my tenny shoes on."
THANKEE
- An expression of gratitude. "Thankee much for the sack o'
taters!" THODE - Verb. Past tense of throw. "I thode the ball to Jim-Bob, he missed and it hit im in da head!" THAR (adv, noun, pronoun). The opposite of HAIR. "Thar's a phone call fer yew. Itch yer waaaaf."
THANK - verb. Ability to cognitively process. Usage: "Ah
thank ah'll have a bare." THUD (adj). What comes after second. "My dad just graduated from thud grade." THUNK (verb) - to think. "I thunk about it, but I reckon I aint gonna do it" TIRE - noun. A tall monument. Usage: "Lord willin' and the creek don't rise, I shore do hope to see that Eiffel Tire in Paris sometime." TOAD (verb). Past tense of the infinitive "to tell." "I done toad jew not to do that!" TOBOGGAN - a knit hat. (not a sled). "Put that toboggan on your head or you'll cetch cold." TOTE - to carry. "You need me to tote them groceries out to th' car, ma'am?"
TUBAFOR (noun). A
special cut of lumber. TUKKERDOWT - Very tired. "Pardner, Ahm 'bout tukkerdowt."
TUNA MINT (noun). A
contest. TUR-BLE (noun). Extremely bad. TWEE-YUNS (noun) Two offspring
born at the same time.
Usage: "Uart to listen to yore momma." Udder - a. Not this/these. "Ain't you got no udder kind a veggie-tables septin deeze?" UHMURKIN - Someone who lives in the United States of Uhmurka. "Thomas Jefferson was a great Uhmurkin." UNNERSTAN - to comprehend. "Pay attention to me, boy... you unnerstan?!?" Uppin v. aux. To do something suddenly or unexpectedly: "I toad him we's havin liver puddin fer dinner and he uppin left." Upside - adv. On the side of, as in, "When Andy toad her how ugly she wuz, she hittim upside da haid widda fryin pan."
URAL (noun).
Petroleum product belonging to the person being addressed. USTA - Used to. "We usta live in Waxahachie." Or “I Usta could daince.” UTCHA DOON? (phrase). A traditional Southern greeting.
Veggie-table - n. Not the salad bar but edible plants like field peas, butterbeans, collards, okry, snap beans, and the like. Vetern - n. Somebody who fought in a war and came back home. VIEW (contraction). "I ain't never seed New York City ... view?" VITAMIN (verb). What you do to guests. "Bubba's here? Well, don jus stand there ... vitamin!" Vittles - n. Anything worth eating.
WAFFLE (contraction). "Yew better git home, bubba, else yer waffle be real mad." WAHF - Female spouse. "Mah wahf's been at th' hospital s'long, I'm eatin' on th' backsides of th' plates." WALLETS (phrase). Waller - Wallow WANGS (noun). What a bird, bat, or insect uses to fly. "I'm gonna to Bob Baumhower's and get me some wangs!" WANNA - want to. "Do you wanna go eat, go to the picture show or just wanna do somethin'?" WAR (noun). Location. Warnt (1) Negative of "were", as in, "Hit warnt his fault." (2) A piece of paper that gives somebody the right to tear up your still: "Billy Joe I got a warnt rye-cheer to tear up yore still." WARSH
- verb. To clean. WAULD (adj). Not tame. "He turned out to be a sweet feller, but his beg brother is just wauld." Wawk v. The opposite of "run". WEEZE - We are. "Weeze invited ta dinner and I wanna go." WHALAGO - Contraction of 'while ago'. "He wuz over there uh whalago." WHALE (noun). A pit that contains water. "Bubba, fetch me a bucket of water from the whale." WHAPPED - To hit HARD. "He done whapped his head on that door frame, and it liked to have knocked him senseless!" Whir - pro. The interrogative place pronoun, as in "Whirred yew put my galluses, mama?" Whoaman n. An adult of the female persuasion. Etymology: commonly thought to come from the response of many Southern women to the advances of pesky males. WHUP - To beat or to
strike. "HOOOEEE!!! Yer mama's gonna whup you fer sayin' a cuss
word." WINDER - An opening in a wall, normally sealed by a pane of glass. "Open a winder, it's hot in here!" WISDOM - "My uncle had 2 kidney stones but he wisdom out!" WONGO? (phrase). A query of companionship. "Wongo wimmie?" WOULDN'T TAKE - Would not sell. "That's a great old truck. I wouldn't take for it." WRENCH - A fluid used for hair coloring; a rinse. "Like mah red hair? I used an auburn wrench." Wuhd n. Things that make up sentences. WUFF or WOOF (noun). A predatory, pack-hunting, dog-type animal. "Didn’t you hear the story of the boy who cried wuff?" WUNNERN (verb). To feel curiosity "Oz wunnern whar em fellers got thar spellin from!"
YACHT (noun). A social behavior. "Yacht not drive drunk" or "Yacht not be doin that on your sister!" Yahoo - n. A ignert hayseed from the sticks. (Antonym: "city slicker") Y’aint Contraction for “you aint” Best used when driving “Y’aint getting in front of ME you sumbitch! Yall pro. The plural of "you". Yankee -- A northerner. Outsider. Opponent of Texas statehood.
YANKEE
SHOT - A
Southern child's navel. "Momma, what's this on mah belly?"
"That's yer Yankee Shot." YANNAH (phrase). Title of respect given to members of the bench."Yannah, if it pleases the coat ..." YELLA (adjective). The color between orange and green in the visible spectrum. "Brush yer teeth, Bubba ... they's YELLA!" YER (pronoun). Something that isn't mine. "Thar's a phone call fer yew. Itch yer waaaaf." Yes ma'am -- The polite way to respond to any woman over 20. Yessir and nossir -- The polite way to respond to a Texan man. YONDER - In a particular direction. "Zat's a purdy house over yonder." Y'ONTNEE - Do you want any. "Y'ontnee cornbread?" Young'n- A young thing, a baby. Yousta - v. aux. indicating past frequentative activity, as in, "I yousta smoke but now I druther chaw." (Speading to the North even as you waste your time reading this.) YUP (phrase). An inquiry into someone's state of consciousness. Usage: "Honey, yup?"
ZAT - Is that. "Zat yer dawg, Mister?" |
©2000-2006 Beer Bytch Biz
BABDIST
