The South has many fascinating cultural aspects, as far as the United States goes, that you won’t find anywhere else. The love of soccer, homestyle cuisine, and quirky slang will make you think it’s an entirely different country! You may find yourself confused by all the local phrases used in Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi if you ever go there. But because you’ve come to the right place, there’s no need to worry! Just trust us… You will be fluent in their languages by the time you finish reading this article. When we say that this makes it a fun way to spice up your vocabulary, we are not joking.
Aren’t You Precious
Another thing that characterizes the people of the South is hospitality! The reality is that locals like to be friendly and often use compliments to conceal insults. You might want to take it with a grain of salt if someone tells you, “aren’t you precious.” They may be sarcastic! When they feel offended, this phrase is used often. Sorry, but in no other way is it often used, so you should be careful.
Aren’t You Precious
Reckon
We reckon that it is high time for you to learn what this word is. If you ever want to share your opinions and thoughts, this is exactly what you are doing. In the south, it is pretty common to hear someone use this word instead of “think,” “suppose,” “imagine,” or “believe.” We have listed down all the synonyms that we can think of, so we are sure that you have figured it out by now! It’s actually a really cool word.
Reckon
Over Yonder
Over where? Nope, this is not a mistake in terms of grammar. You may hear someone say this if you ever find yourself in the south and in need of directions. Let us explain what Yonder means. It isn’t so difficult to figure out. This is just another way of saying, “Over there.” There’s a good chance they’d be pointing in the general direction of wherever you need to go!
Over Yonder
See To Christmas
No, this individual isn’t a psychic who can see what Christmas is going to be like. This isn’t what the phrase refers to at all. The phrase is often used to speak of a woman wearing a skirt that can afford to be a bit longer. Maybe you’d like to think of a grandma scolding her cheeky granddaughter! She might tell the younger woman by saying she can “see to Christmas.” Next time, if you will drop by her house, you might want to cover up some more!
See To Christmas
Being Ugly
This does not always mean you are unattractive physically. If you are behaving unacceptably, Southerners will call you ugly. It seems that more than looks, they value what is inside! It is an interesting phrase, but if you ever start using it this way in any other part of the country, it might lead to a lot of confusion and frustration! Feel free to use it as long as you are prepared to clarify the usage.
Being Ugly
Sweating More Than A Sinner In Church
There are moments when the sun shines a bit too brightly. Nobody wants to feel like they’re roasting in a volcano’s pit, right? When you need it the most, it is even worse when the air conditioner does not work. This is a phrase that you will hear when you are probably literally sweating more than a sinner in the church in the middle of the summer. It also demonstrates just how religious people in this part of the US are!
Sweating More Than A Sinner In Church
Pretty As A Peach
Do you know that you can’t help but feel the need to throw her a compliment when you see a lovely lady? Saying generic things is easy enough, but you can give it a southern flavor as well! Southerners will likely say that someone is pretty as a peach. Naturally, this is not to be taken literally. It’s just a nice way of saying a girl looks pretty! If anybody ever says this to you, there is no need to be alarmed.
Pretty As A Peach
Hissy Fit
Can this phrase be any more descriptive than that? Despite this, down south, it’s just more common. When a little kid throws a tantrum when they are told no, nobody likes it. After all, calming them down that can be hard to do. This is a good example of a hissy fit thrown by someone. The handy phrase also applies not only to children! So that you know, grown-ups also tend to throw hissy fits of their own.
Hissy Fit
Fixin’ To
When someone tells you to do a certain thing you have already planned to do, it can be annoying. All the time, this happens to us. They came up with a great way to respond to it in the South: fixin ‘to “Hey what are you about to do?” someone asks. The response, “Well, I’m fixin’ to do the dishes, then go for a six-mile run.”This just means you are going to do something to clear up any confusion.
Fixin’ To
Too Big For Your Britches
This just means you’re going to do something to clear up any confusion. It’s not odd for locals to use britches to refer to pants and undergarments in the south. But what does it mean when they say that your britches are too big for you? Don’t worry, they don’t insinuate you are overweight! Often, it simply means that you get ahead of yourself. They may think you’re viewing yourself too highly. This is widely heard when parents try to discipline their children!
Too Big For Your Britches
Full As A Tick
When was the last time after a meal that you felt way too full? When we visit our folks for the weekend, this often happens to us. You may even have to pull our pants’ zipper down to accommodate it! You can say, when you are in the south, “I’m full as a tick.” As ticks would balloon after consuming a lot of blood! It’s not an attractive picture, but if the shoe fits.
Full As A Tick
Hold Your Horses
Not everyone owns a horse, but you do not need one to have the phrase! It’s just a common phrase that people throw around in the South all the time. They just want you to slow down a little if someone ever tells you this. We all know that staying patient at all times requires a lot of self-control. However, simmering down and taking it easy now and then can’t hurt!
Hold Your Horses
If The Creek Don’t Rise
Maintaining a good social life when you have a lot on your plate is not easy. Sometimes, because of prior commitments, you might have to turn down invitations. In these situations, there is a good Southern phrase you can start using. A bunch of older gentlemen is shown in the picture. Let us say they meet at the same time on Tuesdays. Next Thursday, however, one of them wants to do something else. He may have made plans with his nephew, but they have yet to be verified. Maybe he’ll say something like, “Well, Jim, if the creek doesn’t rise, I’ll be there.” That means he’ll see, but he won’t make any promises!
If The Creek Don’t Rise
Yankee
If someone refers to you by this word, you are probably not from the South. If you are confused, this has nothing to do with baseball. This is merely a word used in the south to describe someone who is from the north. If not, maybe it’s someone who acts like that. Back in the Civil War, this term spread to the south. It was a word used to describe a Union soldier in those days.
Yankee
Barking Up The Wrong Tree
This is more common on the list than the other entries. Even if you’re familiar with it, you might not know that it came from the south down here. The truth is that a lot of the time, we bark up the wrong tree. Unless someone tells us about it, we simply fail to recognize that this is the case. If they assume the wrong thing, someone is said to be barking up the wrong tree. Your parents might have said to you once, “If you think I’m going to give you $100, then you’re barking up the wrong tree.”
Barking Up The Wrong Tree
Cattywampus
We agree that it seems like a foolish word! However, once you start, you might be unable to stop yourself from saying it. Saying it out loud is a lot of fun! If you assumed that it had anything to do with cats, you were wrong, though. This refers to something out of sorts, like that painting that tilts to the right in the living room. Your friend from the South might say that it’s a nice cattywampus! Just get it now?
Cattywampus
Till The Cows Come Home
Again, to use this term, you do not need to have a farm of your own. Do you have a friend who promises to be right back, even if it usually takes a very long time for them? We were all there. For a situation such as that, this is a nifty phrase! You’ll be waiting for the cows to come home when that happens. This means that the wait will not be short, so in the meantime, you might as well do a different thing.
Till The Cows Come Home
No Bigger Than A Minnow In A Fishing Pond
As you already know, people in the South are fond of their euphemisms and their metaphors. This sentence is straight to the point, but maybe you are still confused. When you are telling a story, it is a fun way to describe a small thing. People from the south will drive home the point by saying that it is “no bigger than a minnow in a fishing pond!” The minnows, as we all know, are much smaller than the bass.
No Bigger Than A Minnow In A Fishing Pond
Three Sheets To The Wind
This phrase can be used by anybody who has ever been drunk in the past. In more ways than one, we tend to overestimate ourselves! You’ll probably say you’re all right when you’re on your way to getting drunk. Well, we bet that that’s not what your friends agree with. Trust us. If you do not want to make bad decisions, you should trust them! This is where the phrase at issue comes in. The phrase is nautical sounding because it is. A “sheet” is a rope that is unmoored, like a drunk person flailing about in the wind.
Three Sheets To The Wind
Madder Than A Wet Hen
We have to admit that never before have we seen a wet hen. The term is, however, not meant to be taken literally. It means that you should not provoke her anymore if a woman is said to be “madder than a wet hen.” You never know, after all, what she will do when pushed to the limit! This is rather similar to the old saying that goes, “Hell has no fury as a woman scorned.”
Madder Than A Wet Hen
A Mind To
Have you ever found yourself thinking about something, planning, reflecting, and contemplating? They have a term for that in the south. It’s not something you’ll usually hear in various parts of the United States. Over there, you have “a mind to” do something when you are thinking of it. “I have a mind to go over to Tom’s house to help him work on his car, but I’m not sure when.”I want to go over to Tom’s house to help him work on his car, but I’m not sure when.
A Mind To
Piddle
Can you guess what it means to piddle? It means you are procrastinating or simply being lazy in the South! So, if the type to be used is a person, “piddle,” It means they like to waste time around here. Here it is, if you need a longer example, “Would you stop piddling around back there and get it done?” This is another good one: “Jane was going to come out tonight, but she piddled away all her money before Friday.”
Piddle
Happy As A Pig In Mud
We are city people, so we don’t actually know if the pigs in the mud are happy. Come on, when was the last time you saw an actual pig? We bet that it was with no mud in sight at the County Fair. We want you to know if you’re in the same boat, that they’re pleased in the mud. “Jimmy is as happy as a pig in mud at college” It implies that now that he is in college, he is having the time of his life.
Happy As A Pig In Mud
Dog Won’t Hunt
You might not be a hunter, but you can probably figure out what this means if you think long and hard. If someone uses this phrase, it means the dog refuses to do his job! It does not allow the owner to look for birds, raccoons, and other small animals. “Dog won’t hunt,” therefore means that something “won’t work.” This can be used as a way to describe something that is not going to get you anywhere.
Dog Won’t Hunt
If I Had My Druthers
Fun fact: this is a phrase from a Broadway musical from the 1950s that demonstrates life in the South: Li’l Abner. The musical makes the lifestyle of the people who live in the rural South fun. They say during these moments, “If I had my druthers… “ It means “If I had my way…” or something to that effect! An example of it would be, “If I had my druthers, this party would be over by nine, and I’d be in bed by 10.”
If I Had My Druthers
All Get Out
Just so you know, it is entertaining to say this. “All get out” is used to describe something that is very extreme. This is a sentence that you can use throughout the day in various situations. Adopting the phrase might be a good idea. When you’re dying of hunger, you can simply say, “I’m hungry as all get out.” If you are happy with the concert, you can also exclaim, “That concert was as good as all get out.”
All Get Out
Gumption
The truth is that this word is used in various situations by many people from across the country. They generally do not know, however, that it has its origins in the South. It’s nice to hear that there is gumption in you. It means you’re brave and bold, after all! This is typically not used in a negative light, so when someone says something about you along those lines, you should not be defensive. In fact, it means they admire you!
Gumption
I Declare
Keep in mind that you need to use this at the beginning of a sentence if you want to add this to your vocabulary. In reality, no matter what you say, you can actually use it. You should, however, truly believe in whatever it is! “I do declare, it is hot today!” is just another way that you think that it is very hot. “I do declare, this is some good chicken you cooked,” meanwhile, means that you like the dish.
I Declare
Living In High Cotton
That the cotton industry was important in the South is not exactly a secret. It has shaped the culture in certain ways in this part of the country. There are many cotton fields you will find down there, and it makes sense that when there is a higher production of cotton, there is more money. For that reason, a person who is “living in the high cotton” is not worrying about their next meal. If you ever land a nice job, you can tell all your friends that you are “living in high cotton now.”
Living In High Cotton
Hush Your Mouth
Well, it’s not like it’s difficult to figure this one out. It is straight to the point! You can ask them to hush their mouths when your pal keeps speaking, even when they shouldn’t. In a lot of ways, you can say this! Others might say shut your lips instead or put a sock in it. This one has a more southern flavor, so if that sounds good to you, you can use it. In the South, when your parents talk, you hush your mouth.
Hush Your Mouth
Cat On A Hot Tin Roof
Southerners like to use animal metaphors more than anyone else, as you can see. What does even mean “cat on a hot tin roof”? Let us just say that there is a very interesting definition of this. A person on a hot tin roof who is like a cat behaves in a sketchy and anxious way. If you think about how a cat would behave on a hot tin roof, it could help! Do you get it now?
Cat On A Hot Tin Roof
Stompin’ Grounds
We bet you didn’t have any idea what this meant! Allow us, if that were the case, to fix this error. Essentially, this just means a place you consider home. Once you leave for college or a job, you can use this sentence to describe your childhood hometown. Did you come from the South but live somewhere else now? If that is the case, it is always possible to say that the “hood” is your old stomping grounds.
Stompin’ Grounds
Can’t Make A Silk Purse Out Of A Sow’s Ear
We have yet another animal reference on the list, to no one’s surprise! You know, southerners don’t speak of a literal female pig. Instead, they are using it as an insult. If someone has ever called you this, they’re poking fun at your taste. Usually, this is used to talk about tacky clothing, so you should respond accordingly. We keep our fingers crossed, so you don’t even have to hear it aimed at you!
Can’t Make A Silk Purse Out Of A Sow’s Ear
You Can’t Carry A Tune In A Bucket
It must suck a lot if you’ve ever been told something along these lines by someone. Let us explain exactly what it means when a tune in a bucket can’t be carried. It simply implies you’re not the best singer out there. All in all, it’s pretty simple, indeed. A bucket ought to be enough most of the time to help you sound better. It’s probably time for you to give it up and pass the microphone to someone else if this does not improve things.
You Can’t Carry A Tune In A Bucket
There’s More Than One Way To Skin A Cat
Nobody tries different ways of skinning a cat! Again, in their lexicon, Southerners simply like to use animals. Functionality has something to do with this phrase. Once you hear it, keep in mind that it only implies different ways of doing something. You might be tired of eating soggy cereals, for instance. If this is the case, you should add the milk before the cereal!
There’s More Than One Way To Skin A Cat
God Don’t Like Ugly
Can it get more southern than this? We doubt it! Earlier in this article, we talked about what it means to be ugly down south. “God don’t like ugly” No one is trying out different ways to skin a cat! Again, Southerners just like to use animals in their lexicon. There is something to do with functionality in this sentence. Once you hear it, keep in mind that it just implies different ways to do something. You might be tired of consuming soggy cereals, for instance. If this is the case, you should add the milk before the cereal!
God Don’t Like Ugly
Cuttin’ A Rug
For this one, you do not need to grab a knife or pair of scissors. The only thing you need is music. Cuttin ‘a rug, after all, means dancing! Next weekend, you may want to ask your friends to cut a rug. We cannot wait to hit the dance clubs again as soon as the pandemic is over! If you see a couple moving impressively to the beat, you may think, “Wow, they’re cuttin’ a rug.”
Cuttin’ A Rug
Whatever Floats Your Boat
There are times when you will be asked for your opinion by other individuals. What do you say when there’s no strong feeling about it in any way? Sure enough, if you feel like it, you can always just shrug. However, this southern line, which would have the same effect, can also be added: whatever floats your boat. This is just another way of telling someone that whatever they want, they are free to do.
Whatever Floats Your Boat
Pot Calling The Kettle Black
This is not a phrase anybody would like to hear. If someone ever says this to you, they’re calling you a hypocrite. When you say that a pot calls the kettle black, you say that someone is accusing another person when they are also guilty. This isn’t the way, folks, to live. If you say it as a joke, it should be okay. You might, however, want to be careful before seriously throwing it around.
Pot Calling The Kettle Black
It Doesn’t Amount To A Hill of Beans
If you’ve watched Casablanca, you may have heard this phrase before. Humphrey Bogart says this to Ingrid Bergman in the classic movie as he bids her goodbye: “Ilsa, I’m no good at being noble, but it doesn’t take much to see that the problems of three little people don’t amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world.” This has something to do with the fact that you can grow beans very easily. Usually, when someone says this, they say that someone or something is of little significance.
It Doesn’t Amount To A Hill Of Beans
Bless Your Heart
The truth is that there are many meanings to “Bless your heart.” This depends on the use. This can be a passive-aggressive way to say that somebody is wrong, for one thing. If it’s not that, it could be a way to show sympathy as well! You can also, on the other hand, use it as nothing more than an exclamation. To figure out what they mean by it, you should be on the lookout for the tone and delivery. Reese Witherspoon spoke about it once and said, “How we feel about everybody… It’s what we say literally about everybody we know. And we mean it. We do.”
Bless Your Heart
Heavens To Betsy
This is a fun little phrase, but no one knows how it came to be. “Heavens to Betsy” is a phrase used to express amazement at something that has just happened. It has something to do with Betsy Ross, a lot of people think, but this remains unverified. In the fifth volume of an American journal called Ballou’s Dollar Monthly Magazine, its first known usage was. This was posted back in January 1857, all the way back. Some individuals think it’s a euphemism for “Hell’s bells” instead.
Heavens To Betsy
I’m Finer Than Frog Hair Split Four Ways
Most of the time, people tell you that they are fine when you ask how they are doing. In the south, you might hear them say, “I’m finer than frog hair split four ways.” This was intended to be an ironic way to talk about how faring they were. It first appeared in the Diary of C. in 1856. Davis. He was saying, “I have a better flow of spirits this morning, and feel as fine as frog’s hair, as Potso used to say.” We do not know who Potso is, but this is certainly a fun way to clarify your answer to a common question like that.
I’m Finer Than Frog Hair Split Four Ways
I’ve Got A Hankerin’
There are several meanings associated with “hankerin.’” Etymonline says that it is to “have a longing or craving for” or a “linger in expectation.” When someone in the South says they’re longing for something, it means they’re hungry for something. This goes back to a term in Flemish, called “hankeren,” and the Dutch word called “hunkeren.” They both mean “to long for something.” This term might be an intensive form of “hangen,” which is Middle Dutch for “to hang.”
I’ve Got A Hankerin’
I Might Could
You might think that it sounds odd, but in the south, this double modal is used. It means that there may be something a person can do in the future. Let us pretend you were asked by someone, “Are you going to work on the car later?” You can always respond by saying, “I might could.” As you might have figured out by now, Southern slang involves cutting down the number of words that you need in the response. This is just a shorter way to tell someone, “I’m not sure, but I might decide to do it later.”
I Might Could
It’s Blowin’ Up A Storm
We’ve spoken a lot about metaphors, but actually, this one means what it means to look like. To talk about the smell, look, and feel of a storm approaching, you use this phrase in the South. You may notice that the temperature has fallen, or you have felt a strong breeze all of a sudden. This also involves both the scent of rain and the sight of lightning. If you ask us, we really wouldn’t mind other people using this phrase in the same way!
It’s Blowin’ Up A Storm
Can’t Never Could
Here is another example of a double modal from the south! What does it mean when someone “can’t never could”? The truth is that this southern phrase has simple reasoning behind it. If you believe that you can not do something, you will never achieve your objectives. You tend to derail your shot at achieving this goal when you focus on the negative aspects of the task at hand!
Can’t Never Could
Well, I S’Wanee
It is a pretty common practice to take out unnecessary words in the south. That is not the case this time around. For some reason, “I swear” morphed into “Well, I S’wanee.” It has something to do with the Southern Suwannee River or a small town called Sewanee, Tennessee, according to southerners. It may also be another way of saying that it is “I s’wan” or “I s’wan ye.” Both of those come from the northern English dialect and mean, “I shall warrant (you).” In our opinion, this is such an interesting way to wear something!
Well, I S’Wanee
Worn Slap Out
Well, you probably already know that being worn out means being exhausted. Nonetheless, to be “worn slap out,” Takes things a step further, even. It implies, in essence, that you are both mentally and physically tired. You will probably hear this a lot in the middle of the summer when temperatures go up to the triple digits. Heat strokes no one enjoys! Another fun southern slang you might want to add to your vocabulary is this.
Worn Slap Out
Busier Than A Moth In A Mitten
Fair enough, this one is not used as much on the list as the other entries. At any rate, now and then, this is still a handy Southern phrase. A month of eating the material inside a wool mitten would probably be busy. This expression is not all that difficult to figure out. We all know that moths just love to chow on our favorite wooly dresses. A person is “busier than a moth in a mitten” When they currently have much stuff on their plate. That’s not so complicated, is it?
Busier Than A Moth In A Mitten