Considering that we are literally from all over, I thought it would be interesting to compare the terms we use for certain activities and objects. It’s a big category, but it could be fun. I’ll start with a few Southernisms.
Obviously, there are regional differences within the region, so these are not all universally Southern, but:
Southerners mash buttons, like the ones in elevators. We don’t press them.
Southerners stop and red lights, not stop lights.
Southerners go to the grocery store, not the market or the supermarket.
When we get there, we push a buggy, not a cart.
Before a Southerner does something, he or she engages in fixin’ to do it.
When it’s not buttermilk, many Southerners call it sweet milk.
A soft drink is a Coke, not a soda or soft drink.
It’s pop, not cola, here, sometimes soda.
We go to the mall, not shopping.
We stop at red lights. We go through yellow lights and sometimes red lights.
We make right turns on red’s, and even left turns when no one is looking (unless you are from Iowa where there are no traffic laws, especially when you are out of Iowa, so anything goes, when they are here in our town.)
We use cell phones everywhere, grocery shopping, bicycling, and especially when driving which we do with our leg, as one hand holds the phone, the other the coffee, latte, pop, or is used to fix hair
and put on makeup.
When parking a car we all try to find the closest handicap spot so we can fill them up first, after all, who wants to walk?
When walking dogs we are supposed to pick up doggie doo doo, but we just kick it under a bush or out in the street, or smear it somewhere.
Five’s the limit of trash bags on trash pick-up day, so no one has less than six.
No pizza boxes allowed on trash days, so we all have at least three.
Yard waste (branches, especially) are to be cut in two foot segments, so we leave the whole uncut branch.
Cracks are to be fixed in city sidewalks, so no one does, all are full of weeds, so friends and neighbors will trip. Noxious weeds, one of which is the state flower,are to be killed, so we all have crops of thistle, goldenrod(the state flower), and creeping jenny.
Why, because we are rednecks. And we love it.
A short tale.
We were spending the summer in Kentucky. We were staying in a little house on the property of the local doctor. It had previously been occupied by the family of the man who was farming the doctor’s land.
The doctor’s wife offered to show me around. We went to town and she showed me the “supermarket”, which was significantly less than super. (we also called that place a grocery store when I was growing up. Now a grocery store is a small market.)
She took me to the various places to buy various things of common need. Finally, she said there was a little store just a short way up the road from where I was living, closer than the market, a bit more expensive and with less on offer, but more convenient. This was the last stop of the day.
We arrived, and she asked if there was anything I wanted to buy before we went back. I said, yes, turned to the fellow who ran the place and asked if he had soda. He said yes, asked if I wanted a five pound bag or a twenty-five pound bag. I said, sorry, did he have any tonic. He looked at me with great concern, looked at the doctor’s wife, and asked who was poorly.
I turned to her also, found her grinning, and said, ok I give up, what is it called here?
Soda pop.
one other incident.
During the late sixties, there were a bunch of us from all over the country, visiting at my parents’ house in Massachusetts.
We were playing cards, scrabble, all sorts of stuff, and having a good time. One of the women got up to get something from the kitchen, asked if anyone else wanted anything.
I said I’d like a tonic. She didn’t ask what flavor, but since I’d been drinking ginger ale, I figured that was what I would get.
She handed me a glass, without asking, I took a swig and nearly spit it out.
It was tonic water.
Now, since then, it is entirely possible I would have asked for tonic water. But at the time, that was just an obnoxious taste, especially when something else was expected.
I’m really running on empty. I know there are lots of other differences, but I really can’t think of any. Most of what I hear in my head are just pronunciation.
How about a “packy”? Would you know where to go if someone asked you to go to the packy for them? That is something from Boston, but not one we used in our town.
Coming up a cloud: about to rain
Fixin: getting ready. She’s fixin’ to get ready to start.
Mess: a certain immeasurable quantity of vegetables, usually enough for family to have at dinner (e.g. a mess of squash).
Poke: a small bag. Give me a poke for my beans.
Over yonder: a relatively short distance. My grandma lives over yonder (as opposed to way over yonder).
Might could: willing but perhaps unable. I might could help you next week if I ain’t on second shift.
Might would: able but not willing. I might would ask you out if you weren’t so ugly.
I’ve found that the closer you get to the coast, the fewer r’s one hears (rivuh, dinnuh, Chazton). The closer to the mountains, the more r’s show up (tomater, potater, idear, and even your aunts, Reanzer, Reener, etc..) Mary is Mae-ry, and Karen is Kayren.
Sully? Yes, but rare. Haven’t heard it in a coon’s age.
Milk shake and frappe? No frappes here unless they’re imported via Starbucks.
Chowder and chowdah? No idear.
To go around robin hood’s barn? No. To go around your a—- to get to your elbow.
Sub as opposed to hoagie or grinder? Sub only.
Have you heard “short leg” for “thigh” in chicken?
And do you eat breakfast, dinner, and supper or breakfast, lunch, and dinner?
I’m really running on empty. I know there are lots of other differences, but I really can’t think of any. Most of what I hear in my head are just pronunciation.
How about a “packy”? Would you know where to go if someone asked you to go to the packy for them? That is something from Boston, but not one we used in our town.
Coming up a cloud: about to rain
Fixin: getting ready. She’s fixin’ to get ready to start.
Mess: a certain immeasurable quantity of vegetables, usually enough for family to have at dinner (e.g. a mess of squash).
Poke: a small bag. Give me a poke for my beans.
Over yonder: a relatively short distance. My grandma lives over yonder (as opposed to way over yonder).
Might could: willing but perhaps unable. I might could help you next week if I ain’t on second shift.
Might would: able but not willing. I might would ask you out if you weren’t so ugly.
Over yonder: used here as well.
Down the road a piece: short way down the road.
Sticky: humid
Might not would go: Ugly has nothing to do with it, you’re just a passel too too finicky.
