Texbonics
How to understand and speak the Texas language.
Texbonics
How to understand and speak the Texas language.
Texas is a very large state and the early Texans came from other states, territories, and other countries, with their own dialects. Most early Texans were not (well) educated and the Texas language evolved from slang, colloquialisms and phonetic pronunciation. Some years ago, the word Ebonics, or African American Vernacular English (AAVE), was coined to describe the language used by many black people. So, similarly, the word Texbonics can be used to describe the Texas language. Now, if you're gonna say things Texans say, you've got to be sure to get the pronunciation right. Here's a tip: In Texas, the "g" in the suffix "ing" is silent. Thus, "fixing to" becomes "fixin' to."
Never ask a man if he's from Texas. If he is, he'll
tell you on his own. If he ain't, no need to embarrass him. You can
always tell a Texan, but you can't tell him much.
Texas "Speak" Lexicons and Definitions
| Agg: What a hen
lays Ain't: The most famous Texas word Aints: He's got aints in his paints All Y'all: The plural of Y'all Arn: Ma's tard of arnin' Are: What you shoot with a bow Askeem: Ask him Asker: Ask her Bakerds: Backwards Bag: He bagged her to marry him Blue norther: Storm that comes up as a giant, blue black cloud of cold air comes over the warm gulf air and "just about freezes us to death!" Rain and wind may accompany the black cloud. Bobbed: A bobbed war fance Brackfust: Meal usually consumed early in the day. Major components include beckon'n' aigs. Bresh: The woods Bub: The light bub burned out Catty whompus: Used to describe something that doesn't fit properly or is out of line Cheer: What you set in Come hell or high water: Shows determination to proceed, regardless of the problems, obstacles, etc Crick: Small stream of water Clumb: He shore clumb thet tree Chiny: Asian country dishes Core: He got a new Ford core Curs: Ain't no city beer Cuz: Because (jes cuz, thet's why) Dad blame it, dad gum it, dag nab it: Euphemisms coined to allow expressive speech without swearing Didja: Did you Dijeat: Did you eat Dinner: What you eat at noon Dreckly: I'll get to it dreckly Daintz: Sattiday night entertainment Drass: She drassed fit to kill Dreckly: In close proximity, "He wuz a'standin' dreckly behind me."; soon."I'll be along dreckly." Ellum: A graceful tree Errol: TV or radio antenna Evenin': Afternoon and before supper Fance: What's around a hawg lot Farred: He got farred from his job Fess up: Admit Figger: Deduce Fit to be tied: Really upset Fixins: The rest of the meal, excluding the main dish Fixin' ta: I'm fixin' (goin' or plannin') to Flar: A rose is a purdy flar Frash: Them aggs ain't frash Fraidy holes: Storm cellars Frog strangler: An extraordinary amount of rain Furriners: All non-Texans Fur piece: A long way away Futher: It's 2 miles futher to town Git: Get; such as "git outta here" Grain: She was grain with envy Gully-washer: An extraordinary amount of rain Hafta: Got to do it Hail: Where bad people go Hep: Lend me a heppin' hand Her'n: It ain't her'n. It's his'n Hillbilly: People in the next county Hissy fit: Extreme agitation Howdy: How do you do? Iff'n: Usually indicates a condition, such as iff'n I can git thar I will Kin: To possess an ability. "My daddy kin whup yore daddy." Kinda: Kind of without the of Knowed: Knew it for certain Laymen: A sour citrus fruit Lag: Most folks have two of them |
Laigs: The things a
critter walks around on Lak: Similar to Lar: One who doesn't tell the truth Laymen: A sour citrus fruit Lather: What you climb up Learnt: Acquired lastin' knowledge Lather: What you climb up Lit out: Took off, started out Looker: A pretty girl Mera: What you see yourself in Malk: What you git from cows Minners: Live bait Mizrus: A married woman Mountain oysters: Meat delicacies collected during sharp knife steer making operations at roundup time.[Oysters are usually deep fried in hot grease for the evening meal (supper).] Nar: Opposite of wide Nack: Your haid sets on it Natcherly: Texans are jist natcherly friendly. Nup: No Orrel: Them hinges need orrel Ormy: What them sojers are in Over yonder: Directional phrase; means over there Pank: A light red collar Poke: A paper bag or sack Poke salit: Vegetable Pore: Outta money but not broke Peart: Felling good, not porely Petition: What separates rooms Puppet: What a preacher is in Purdy: She's purdy as a pitcher Quitcherbitchin: A response to someone who gripes or nags a lot Rang: You war it on your fanger Rah cheer: I was born rah cheer in this town Rat: I'll do it rat now Reckon: You reckon it'll rain this week? Roach stompers: Pointy-toed cowboy boots Roont: She plum roont her shoes in that rain Rut: Thet tree has long ruts Salary: A white, stringy vegetable Sourdeans: Small canned fish Shar: A light rain Sody: You use it when cookin'; or sody pop Sofy: You set on it (also die-van) Sprang: Water commin' out'n the ground Shurf: The shurf put the bad guys in jail Splain: To describe the function of. "Ohhh, now I see. Nobody ever splained it to me lack that before." Sumthin: Something Spenders: What holds yer pants up Strang: Twine Storch: This here shirt has too much storch in it Sure'nuff: Really or "Is that right?" Tar: His car had two flat tars Tar arn: A stiff, metal tool used to unscrew the lug nuts on a flat tire. Thanks: He thanks he's smart Thow: Thow me the ball Thoat: I got me a sore thoat Tard: I'm plum tuckered tard out Taxes: Best state in 'Marka Thingy - Something that is always needed Toad strangler: A heavy rain Usetacould - Could do it for a while, but now I can't... Walkin' in tall cotton: Doin' aw'right War: As in bobbed war fance Whole nuther thing: Something else entirely Whomperjawed: Not fitting properly Widder: A woman whose husband is dead Wimmen: Females Worsh: Go worsh yer face Wrench: I'll worsh the dishes if you'll wrench them Y'all: Everyone's included, can be used for one or more people. Yup: Yes |
Some More Examples
You don't want to hear a Texan say you're:
You may want to hear a Texan say you're:
The above list of Texas words and phrases represents many, but probably not all of the ones used by Texans. If you have additional ones, send them to me at the email address below. Current Texans do not use ALL of the above words and phrases, but I bet that ALL Texans use at least one. This site is for the education and enjoyment of the reader, and is not meant to offend anyone (or any object or animal).
Contributed by Gina.
Initial web posting on: 2 August 2004 Last update on: 7 April 2006