as you ran away from your mama when you got in trouble. I love you a bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck. A gentle reminder that Grandma still cares about your bedtimeand general wellbeing. There is another similar expression that is commonly used, but is a little more vulgar. (And, of course, we have too.) The phrase may be accompanied by a gesture indicating north, south, east, or west. You should think about your actions. HIs britches are so tight they make his legs look like hot dogs. Collaboration is one thing. Updated. Meaning: (Phrase) The Southern saying once in a blue moon has been popularized and used worldwide. When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. in reference to him way too many times over the past few years. Meaning: (Adjective) Ragamuffin is a term used when a person is unkempt. Meaning: (Phrase) Barking up the wrong tree is a term used when you are talking to the wrong person. "What do you know?" Dont be lying like a dog on a rug. It's almost always accompanied by a good-natured, perhaps slightly exasperated, shake of the head. He squeezes the quarter so tight the eagle screams. Meaning: (Phrase) This phrase is used when a person wont stop complaining. This is a phrase that our grandmother and great aunties would use to describe a woman who has been through her fair share of lifes ups and downs and we know many of them in the family. 5. It is an empathetic phrase that is usually uttered when the speaker believes the recipient to be sweet, but misguided or stupid. If I spend $40 plus dollars, I want something to show for it. If it gets any hotter, I'll have to take off stuff I really ought to keep on. Or opaque. Yohji Yamamoto. This phrase deserves a whole post alone. You scared me! Meaning: (Phrase) This phrase is another slang used in the South to tell a person to stop misbehaving. However, we're starting to think that these words are passed down to us like our hair color and height. These sayings are sure to bring back a host of memories and a ton of laughter and of course, some Southern pride. Here are 83 words you'll want to start using, adapted from an episode of The List Show on YouTube. Meaning: (Hyperbole) The term pinch a plug out of you is low key, telling a child to behave, especially during mass. 9) See, this right here is what we not finna do/ You've got the wrong one. I wish I could go over yonder. ". She is so ugly, her face would turn sweet milk to clabber. What you did is out of the question! Good Lord, I'm dying out here! If that boy had an idea, it would die of loneliness. Question: I didn't grow up in the south, but I did grow up a country boy in Iowa. If at first you don't succeed, there's surely another strategy to try. Meaning: (Exclamation) The Southern expression heavens to Betsy is often used when a person is shocked or surprised. "She has her nose so high in the air she could drown in a rainstorm." Getty Images. Your ears mustve been burnin. Read on for information and tips for camping near the beach and driving on the sand. A phrase used to show appreciation to someone who brings you a glass of sweet tea (or does something nice in general) or as a sympathetic phrase to let you know that the person understands the difficult time you are going through. She's busier than a cat covering crap on a marble floor. I have yet to see a reparation check for the work my ancestors did. Meaning: (Phrase) The term not the sharpest tool in the shed means a person is not smart enough. Example: Why do you worry so much? In the South, a hill of beans is its own measuring stick. I could slap you silly! Question: Do you think that "bless her/your/his heart" is an insult? 2. Since we'd never dare hang up the phone while Mama's chatting away, this may be the only way to end your conversation in a timely manner. Meaning: (Onomatopoeia) These Southern words mean that a person should keep quiet or stop talking. 30 Hilarious Southern Sayings That are Sure To Impress the Locals, Rob Lowe Shares the Secret to His Marriage, Your Privacy Choices: Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads. I'm fixin' to fix the porch door after I finish this sweet tea. Black is lazy and easy- but mysterious. Because that same person riding in your car typically offers zero to marginally small contributions towards the gas tank they're commenting on. She was so ugly when she was born that her momma used to borrow a baby to take to church on Sunday. Like some of the other Southern phrases, a few of these might not be appropriate in mixed company. Got it? Forget corporal punishment, although they are good at that too. Today, our communities and schools are severely under-resourced, widening the achievement gap and hindering many Black Americans chances at getting a good job. Those pants were so tight I could see her religion. I was so appalled and hurt that I had to ask this dreadful question, because at the moment he definitely was not my mans. Divide equally, and everyone will be happy. Happy as a dead pig in the sunshine. If it had been a snake, itd bit you. While this phrase may sound made up, it's simply our multisyllabic manner of saying something is askew. Here are a few famous Black people sayings that you may or may not know. It was bad as all get out. Example: Stop it, youre being a clodhopper. A multipurpose Southernism. Example: Lord willin and the creek dont rise, Ill be there to support you! Function: Noun. So ugly shed make a freight train take a dirt road. (As we Yankees say, "These people don't know which way is up. (Translation: Ya got meI don't know what a popcorn fart is!). My mother and aunts used to say this if they thought someone was telling a tall tale. Because National Parks are often located far off the beaten path, and sometimes even in wilderness areas, visitors need to plan ahead to get the most out of their visits. So before reading these ten very black phrases and thinking "this isn't proper language", learn to respect the different spaces that exist in this country and understand that culture, heritage, and humor are ever-changing; and for many people language is a way to celebrate their unique identity in a country that has ostracized them for being different. Vintage Photos Of Black History Being Made In America. 4. Go sit down somewhere If you were doing too much playing or getting in trouble consistently, your mom or dad probably shouted this out at you, and if you had any sense you would sit down quick if you wanted to avoid that whipping. You are wound tighter than a clock! Therefore, people, mostly children, use I suwanne! to emphasize that he or she is telling the truth. Meaning: (Noun) A ding-dong is a person who lacks common sense because he or she is mentally challenged. Note: A. This is a high compliment in the South, since Southern states are known for their peaches. Growing up in a black household, nothing is really yours; your parents are simply kind enough to let you temporarily and carefully use something. But saying, "no, you do not look like Boo-Boo The Fool" is worse than a wrong answer, because duh, the question is rhetorical. Example: "That's not going to work, son. This is a point of emphasis and exclamation that often ends without any additional telling at all. That would make a bishop mad enough to kick in stained glass windows. I love your dress! No Bigger Than a Minnow in a Fishing Pond, A Rooster One Day and A Feather Duster the Next. "It was and remains an insulting way to describe a Black person because it suggests that they are 'too big for their britches' or are demonstrating a sense of dignity or autonomy they are not. Example: Hi! However, if you're from the South, you know that sometimes there's just no other way to get your point across. Your face is gonna freeze like that. And if you don't understand that the question is rhetorical, you will piss your parent off even more because they will further question your processing skills. Answer: I believe that the expression is "Happy as a lark", a bird noted for it's cheerful, happy song. He's so rich he buys a new boat when he gets the other one wet. Question: What does the southern saying "yuns" mean? i.e "She's as ugly as a mud-fence, bless her heart."; 2.an expression of sympathy or pity. For non, Los Angeles residents, that's the same time it would take you to commute from New York City to Philadelphia on the train. Because "Whose Mans Is This" is only said when someone did something so wild and outlandish, the rest of the party needs to know where this person came from and who brought them, because it is time for them to go. Meaning: (Phrase) A month of Sundays is a hyperbole and Southern slang phrase that means a very long time. It was first used in 1832 when it was forbidden to do anything on Sundays. Meaning: (Noun) Gizzard is one of the weirdest yet cleverest Southern words today. Bless your heart Meaning: (Expression) The expression "bless your heart" is a Southern-style slang that women use when speaking ill about somebody. There's a tree stump in a Louisiana swamp with a higher IQ. It's almost always accompanied by a good-natured, perhaps slightly exasperated, shake of the head. 6) Let me call you back when I get in this house and get settled. I haven't eaten all day." We call this "fine bara" in Nigerian Pidgin English. Also called June beetles. Take a look at some of our favorite Southern sayings that we just couldn't live without. I'm fixin' to tell you that this phrase is as Southern as sweet tea. In this case, "little" means your friends are not on your parent's level, caliber, importance; which is why you will not speak to them any type of way. You sure you could go to work? (You've got yourself a lost cause, son.) Example: Goodness gracious! I suwanne! But this is 2017, five dollars cant get you a bottle of water at a sporting event. Example: In this crazy world, you cant get too big for yer britches or you wont make it. (Most of these comments are made about women. It's been said every day, all day, for as long as we can remember. As soon as this phrase is said, you immediately stop what you're doing and head over to see what happened. If you are planning to go on a trip to the South, you can read these Southern slang words and phrases and learn how they talk. Hunted prey such as raccoons or bears would escape the dogs by climbing up trees. When Grandma offers this advice, she wants to ensure that we don't count on something that may not happen. You don't have a job and you probably dont have an allowance because why would your parents pay you to do what youre supposed to do while living their household. Date: 1829. Instead of accepting the repercussions or come up with a believable excuse, the kid answers with, "See, what had happened was my phone restarted and changed my clock so I thought it was 10 p.m., instead of midnight. From adages and proverbs to their favorite Southern turns of phrase, these ladies sure do have a way with words. (And because she still listens to this Doris Day tune.). He's so highfalutin' he thinks his sh*t tastes like sherbert. Grandma might whisper this one over her hymnal if she sees you cutting up in church on Sunday morning. Example: You made this pecan pie? I'll slap you to sleep, then slap you for sleeping. Example: I heard he was deader than a doornail. You're lyin' like a no-legged dog! If you havent been to the South, then its time you come up with a plan to visit soon. She has a dying duck fit. Yankees are like hemorrhoids: Pain in the butt when they come down and always a relief when they go back up. You are slow as molasses! Happy Cabbage Happy. I'm gonna fetch me the most fetching filly I can find. Example: Hold your horses! Example: I flew off the handle yesterday. ), Or this one: "His heart is a thumpin' gizzard." He proceeds to stand and proclaim "we gotta wrap this up" while tossing his microphone and walking off set (bad pun). "Druthers" roughly translates to "I would rather," meaning, "If had things my way" The phrase is celebrated in song in the hilarious, Southern-inspired Broadway musical Li'l Abner, in which the title character sings "If I had my druthers, I'd druther have my druthers than anything else I know." That man is talking with his tongue out of his shoe. 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