American Dialect: Southern Speech

Respectfully submitted for your perusal...

http://www.wordorigins.org/index.php/more/886/

Most of these I 've heard before, many I've use without realizing where they came from. I was surprised at how recent some of these expressions are, at least historically speaking. We tend to think of language as a monolithic thing -unchangeable, forever- but it turns in the space of a generation or two.

Link submitted for entertainment and enlightenment only, not to be uses for N v. S arguments, unless we also choose to discuss 'Brooklynese'.

Peace.

 

Disagree with his assertion that there is no relationship to Elizabethan English, especially if one goes to Harker's Island, east of Beaufort, and hears a native Islander converse. Those few of us who speak that dialect were welcomed by professors of English Lit, just to recite the prelude to Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.

 

Some of my favorites from my own experiences...

1. Hose-pipe - Used on Ocracoke Island. We call them garden hoses.

2. The Boot - Also Ocrocoke, means a car's trunk.

3. Coke - This was in the article but I can verify that it is true. My Mom is from West Virginia, and that's exactly what they do there. A typical WVa beverage related conversation goes like this:

"You wanna coke?"
"Sure"
"What Kind?"
"7-Up"

4. Pop, Soda-pop - See above, but in places like Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio.

5. Toboggan - Here it means a winter hat. The rest of the world uses the term to describe a large sled.

​

Plug Up - Southern term, as in "Plug up that lamp." Means to plug something in to an electrical outlet.

Yonder - Southern term for "Over there"

Cint - This one makes me laugh every time. Yesterday the girl at the store told me my change was 67 cint. Not cents, not even cints (it was more than one cint). Not ragging here. It brings a smile to my face every time I here it.

Fag - In England it's the term for cigarette.

Lew - Also in England, means the restroom. "I need to use the lew".

Yard Barn - This is what my friend from Ohio calls my shed.

Okay, there's my contribution to society. What's you got?

 

I was born in Texas and grew up in Georgia and never heard garden hose until after high school. Hose Pipe was always the term.

 

I grew up in Johnston County and we always called it a Hose pipe. Still do as a matter of fact.

The Boot- Always used that term growing up, and finally about 20 years ago started saying trunk. Now my fiancee is from England and in England they say boot instead of trunk. They don't have garage sales, they have "car boot sales" where you fill your car boot with stuff and sell it at what we would call a flea market or a yard sale.

Fag in England is a term for cigarette or a homosexual. Too many American movies over there for them to ignore our meaning of it now.


Got to agree with Hat over the author of the article too. Northeastern NC dialect is an Elizabethean English compared to others around here.

 

Shhhh!!!!
Don't tell everyone about that place. :lol::lol:

 

same here...

the hose pipe thing... some one asked me once... obviously some smart *** yankee, "well, what is it? a hose? or a pipe?" ... made me self conscious about it for a long time. It's still a dang hose pipe.

 

hose pipe :lol:....that ranks up there with some of the stupidest things I've ever heard.

 

I grew up here as well, and it was always a garden hose or just plain hose.

 

My wife, who is from Michigan, thinks it’s hilarious when I refer to her “purse” as a “pocket book”

 

thats what I call it - but I still think its funny to hear a man call his wallet that, as my father did. :lol:

 

Coincidence, I am wearing my "Where's the bubbler?" T-shirt today.

 

zink = sink

mater = tomato

tater = potato


My daddy calls his wallet his pocket book, too. :lol:

 

Actually when we said garden hose, we were referring to the hose that Mama used for her flowers/garden. When we said hose pipe, we were referring to the hose we used on the construction site. Since I started helping my father (masonry contractor) when I was 9, I had a lot more experience with bricks than flowers/garden.

And weather like this makes me so thankful that I am no longer on top of those black top roofs topping out a chimney. (Now that is southern)

 

I carry this "thing" ('bout 4 years now) ...it doesn't count as a wallet (or at least maybe it doesn't much like look like one, I don't think) I guess... a zippered pocket, thing. Though it holds an ID, cards and cash. DH bought bought me a pocket book (I asked for) as a bday gift, a nice one at that, but when I rummage through it, I mock my self out loud as I go through it as I say "pardon me as I must go through my purse" rather sarcastically. No reflection on on him. Just me on trynna be a girly girl...smugly lol

No reflection on anybody... just trynna fit at where at where ever I was..under my breath...lol.... and trynna be funny about it it.



I remember one pocket book I ever had, in high school. It was an Aigner. Loved it. Miss it. WAY back when! But since my diaper bag days I've done my best to down size and I've got it down to a "wallet"! ID card size! Only I don't have have "bag" to (or didn't") stick it in.
But! And it's a BIG but! When the...um...shoot...what do they want to be called these days?... When I'm in line at the check out and Big Butch in front of me whips out a "wallet' that that looks a lot like like mine all I want to do is shrink. So I'm trynna get used to get used to my my pocket book ..er purse...er what ever that horrid thing is that I have to have hanging over my shoulder containing everything everything I own. :ack:

 

Just run down to the Coach outlet in Smithfield and get you one of their little wristlet things. Wife loves hers and I know of several other women that carry them as well.....especially during the summer when you don't want a big bag.

 

Good idea! I'm having a "day out" today anyway! With the kids home from school and DH home from his surgery (his 6th week now?!) I haven't had much time to myself... Plus I have some of those credit card gift card things I got st Christmas that I still haven't used... hmmm... New "wallet" and pedi here I come!

:hurray:

 

YEAH!!!

I have a relative who is the Asst Mgr. Ms. Hollifield, ask for her and tell her I (my real name) sent you, you never know you might get a discount? :lol:

 

Not on the list:

Ill - down here means a bad, grumpy mood. I first moved here back in '96, a coworker of mine said she was ill and I asked her what she had and why she felt sick. She fell out laughing her butt off at me!

 

Ill as a hornet! actually it's pronounced as eeahll, lol! :lol: