Talkin' Texas

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One thing we've learned over the years travelin' the backroads is that here in Texas we have our own language; our own way of talking to each other. Being reporters, we pick up on this kind of thing and we've tried to keep a running list of some of the special words and phrases we hear from the people we meet.

B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P R S T U W Y

Afahr - on fire. "He lef' his stove on, an' his house caught afahr."

Ah'll be dawged - The equivalent of 'How about that?' or 'What do you know about that?' "He got a new job? Well, Ah'll be dawged!"

Ahmoan - An expression of intent. "Ahmoan go to the store."

Ah'll be dawged - The equivalent of 'How about that?' or 'What do you know about that?' "He got a new job? Well, Ah'll be dawged!"

Ahmoan - An expression of intent. "Ahmoan go to the store."

Aigs - a popular breakfast food. "How'd you like your aigs, scrambled or fried?"

Aincha - Contraction of 'aren't you'. "Aincha gonna set another plate? You know Roy can eat enuff fer two."

Ain'noneed - Not necessary. "It looks fine ta me, ain'noneed ta fix it."

Aint - Your parents' sister (or any female cousin old enough to be your parents' sister). "Hey, Aint Judy... open thu winder, please?"

Aintnun - There is not any more. "Momma, thar aintnun in the cubbard."

Annygoddlin - Indicates a diagonal direction. "Thar house sets annygoddlin' to our'n."

A piece - a measurement of distance, usually equal to approximately 1/2 mile. "The Chevy house is just up the road a piece."

Assit - That's it. "I don't wanna hear any more about it. Assit as far as I'm concerned.

Arthur-itis - a painful illness of the joints. "Grampa aint feeling good today, his Arthuritis is actin' up."

Awhl Bidness - A profession in which a viscous petroleum product is pumped from the ground and refined for commercial use. "My father an' his pardner are in the awhl bidness... have been fer years."

Ax'd - Having asked a question. "I ax'd him if he wanted anuther cup o' coffee."

Babdist - A religious denomination. "He's a Babdist preacher."

Backerds - Opposite direction from "forward". "Lookit that boy with his hat on bakerds!"

Bad off - Not doing well. "Jim's in the hospital. He's bad off."

Bald - Cooked in water, usually for several minutes. "You want bald okrey for supper?"

Bard - past tense of 'borrow'. "Mah brother bard mah pickup truck."

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Bedurnatt'n - a comparison and statement of superiority. "That's the best one you got? Mine is bedurnatt'n."

Big o' - Very large; immense. "Look out fer that big o' rock inna road."

Bil-dukey - A sharpshooter shovel. "If you need to did a post hole, you can use a bil-dukey."

Bob Wahr - Fence used to keep cattle in the pasture. "Careful climbing that fence. That bob wahr will git ya."

Boy- Any man under age 50. "Harold is about to be 45 years old" "He's ole' James' boy idin he?"

Bound to - Certain. "That boy is bound to end up in jail."

Breedo - A piece of Mexican cuisine. "I'd like two tacos anda breedo, ma'am."

Bub (plural, "bubs") - An electrical illuminatory object made primarily of a hollow spheroid of thin glass. "When you're in town, pick up some more bubs... the one on the front porch burned out last night."

Bull Bat - An insect eating bird seen in the late evening. Also known as a nighthawk. "In the summer we see a lot of bullbats around here."

Carry - To provide transportation. "Can you carry me to the store?"

Chunk - To throw. "That boy can sure chunk that baseball."

Coke - Any soft drink. "Hey you want a coke?" , "Yeah!...I'll have a Dr. Pepper."

Coledrank - Yet another term for a carbonated beverage; a sody pop; a coke."Say, Billy... yew wan' anuther coledrank?"

Comin' up a cloud - An approaching storm. "Look at the sky...it's a comin' up a cloud!"

Contrary - Obstinate. "That girl never listens to me. She's contrary as she can be."

Crick - a small stream of running water. "We like's ta go swimmin' in the crick."

Cut Awf - To switch off. "Cut awf that light. It's too bright in here!"

Cut'awn - To turn on, such as a light. "Cut'awn th' lights, if ya could."

Cut back - To turn a specified direction when driving. "Go down this road a piece, then cut back to the right." Note: A variation might be to "dog leg" to the right; this would be more of a veer rather than a 90 degree turn.

Dassent - A contraction of 'dare not'; shouldn't. "Yew dassent sass yo' mama!"

Dikes - A pair of cutters used for cuttin' wahr. "This wahr is too long. Bring me some dikes." (note: also used as a term for any pair of pliers.)

Dinner - The meal Texans eat while the rest of the world eats lunch. Not to be confused with Supper which is at night. "We're just havin' beans for dinner, but we'll have a big supper tonight."

Do Whut - An expression of misunderstanding or disbelief.
"I just ate a '74 Dodge." "Do whut?!?"

Dreckly - Soon. "You go ahead. I'll be there dreckly."

Eat up with - Excessively afflicted. "That guy is just eat up with jealousy."

Fair off - to be sunny. "It's spose to be cloudy this morning, then it'll fair off."

Fair ta midlin - an expression of someone's personal condition.
"He's doin' OK... just about fair ta midlin."

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Far Wud - Material taken from a tree and used to help create a rapid self-sustaining chemical reaction that releases light and heat; fire wood. "Lemme go cut sum far wud so's we can cook dat possum."

Favor - To resemble. "That boy sure favors his daddy don't he?"

Fitty - The number between 49 and 51. "Warshin' will cost ya fitty cents, dryin' still cost ya a quarter."

Fore - Abbreviation of Before. "Fore you go, gimmi a kiss."

Fizyu - Abbreviation for If I was you. "Fizyu I'd git outa here soon."

Fixin' - Preparing to. "Y'all fixin' to leave?"

Fronchard - Opposite of backyard. "Is the dawg in the fronchard?"
Gimmi - Give me. "Gimmi one of those hats."

Go over at - To Visit. "We're goin' over at mother's this evening."

Grocery Store - Place to buy food. (NEVER supermarket). "I've got to run to the grocery store and git some bread."

Guff - Where the ocean extends into land; a bay. "I gots a beach house right on the Guff o' Mexico."

Gwone - to vacate, leave. "I'z buggin mamma, an she tol' me ta gwone!"

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Har Par - Higher Power, often used to describe "divine" occurences.
"Ah almost broke mah neck, but my Har Par was lookin' after me."

Hep - an offer of assistance. "Look's like ya gotta flat tahr... need any hep?"

Hobunch - a large amount; a lot. "I dun had a hobunch o' cornbread."

Holler - to call, as on the telephone. "Holler at me when ya git home, will ya?"

Hooda - 'Who would have'. "Hooda thought we'd see that?"

Hoodathunkit - The equivalent of 'Who would have thought of that?'.
"He passed his test? Boy howdy, hoodathunkit?" see also "Hooda".

House - used in place of "dealership" in the car bidness. "I've got to take my truck down to the Ford House to get fixed."

Howdy - Abbreviated from 'how do you do'. "Howdy, and how's y'all?"

Howzat - used to tell someone to repeat what was just stated. "Howzat? I didn't hear whut you wuz a'sayin'."

Ice house - a small shop or convenience store, such as Stop-n-Go. "I'm goin' to the ice house to get some bread and a coke (which is probably a Dr. Pepper)."

Idinit - Contraction for isn't it? "Mighty hot today idinit?"

Ignert - Ignorant. "That guy don't know better. He's ignert."

I'magine - Intent or belief. "I'magine we oughta go home."

Innerduce - To make someone acquainted with another. "Lemmi innerduce y'all."

IN-shurce - a policy that protects your home and car. "I sure pay a lot of money to my IN-shurce company."

I'ont - Unsure. "I'ont know if I'm goin' to the daints tonight."

Issun - An indication of a specific item; this one.
"I druther have issun... it's bedurnatt'n. (see also 'bedurnatt'n')"

Jaeatyet - A question regarding an individual's hunger for a meal. "Hey, Fred, jaeatyet? We's goin' to the steakhouse fer dinner."

Ju-cee - Contraction of "Did you see". "Ju-cee that feller?"

Knock Ya' self out - To give it your best effort. (added by Paul, there were no Ks)

Leave Out - To depart. "We're gonna leave out at 7:00am".

Let Alone - Much less. "He can't support himself, let alone a family."

Like to - "was likely to have". "Ah like to died laughin' at y'all!"

Melpya - A question for assistance; 'may I help you'. "Welcome to Luby's... melpya?"

Mere - A piece of highly reflective glass. "Lemme look in th' mere and see if mah hair's mussed up."

Minners - small fish used as live fishing bait. "I caught a big ol' faish on them minners!"

Mite Could - Might Possibly. "If you play your cards right, you mite could make a lot of money."

Moanbak - A direction used to indicate that you have plenty of space behind your pickup. "Moanbak... I need to hitch up the trailer!"

Momanem - Your mother and her current company. "Wanna go over an' see momanem after church?"

Nekkid - Having no clothes on (often "nekkid as a jaybird). "Officer, he come runnin' across mah yard plumb nekkid!"

Not about to - No intention of. "I'm not about to pay a dollar for a coke."

Of a mornin' - In the morning. "Of a morning, I like to drink coffee."

Orta - Ought to. "Ya orta git them hogs slopped 'fore it gits dark."

Ouchonder - over there. "Where's mah hat?" "Ya left it ouchonder in the yard." (see also "yonder" and "o'vair")

O'vair - In that direction. "That new Chevy House is right o'vair."

Penny One - None at all. "I'm so broke I don't have a penny one."

Pertnear - Pretty near; almost. "Well, friend, I fell th'other day and pertnear broke my leg."

Play Like - To Pretend. "Let's play like we are rich"

Plumb - Completely. "I'm plumb tukkerdowt from all that thinkin'."

Ranch - Not where you live or work, but a tool. "Would you git me a 9/16 inch ranch?"

Reckon - Supposition or intent. "I reckon I'll go to bed."

Rurnt - no good; broken; ruined. "Mah car won't go 'cause the transmission's rurnt."

Sack - Container for carrying groceries. (NEVER a bag). "I came back from the store with a big sack of groceries."

Santy - Texan for Santa Claus. "Santy comes on Christmas Eve."

Seb'm - The number between six and eight. "Hank jest lives up th' road a piece... 'bout seb'm miles."

Sensuous - The equivalent of 'since you were'. "Sensuous up anyway, wouldja get me anuther drink?"

Sho-iz - a positive affirmation; sure is. "That sho-iz a purty dress."

Sigh reen - A device used for making a loud wailing sound as a signal or warning. "The cops went by here a minute ago with their lights aflashin' and blowin' their sigh reen."

Skeered - to be in fear of; afraid. "I ain't skeered o' that ol' snake in the grass."

Sody pop - A carbonated beverage. "Dr. Pepper is mah favorite kinda sody pop."

Sop - To soak up juice or sauce with a piece of bread. "Hand me another slice o' bread, I wanna sop up this sauce."

Spect - To suppose. "I spect taxes will go up this year."

Spell - an indeterminate amount of time, usually short. "Ya oughtta come in an' set a spell."

Spose - Suppose to. "I'm spose to go to the meeting tonight."

Summers - a vague direction or location. "I think he thode it o'vair summers."

Sumubem - a few select items or objects. "That ain't all I got, it's only sumubem."

Surp - A popular breakfast condiment. "Is there any surp for mah pancakes?"

Swaller - A drink. "I shore could use a swaller o' water!"

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Switch - branch of a tree used for behavior modification of children. "I'm gonna cut me a switch and wear his bottom out."

Take on - To cry. "That girl is so upset, she's really takin' on."

Tar - a rubber wheel. "Ah hope ah don't git a flat tar."

Tard - Exhausted; tired. "I got'sta go ta bed... I'm awful tard."

Tenny Shoes - Any athletic shoe. (NEVER sneakers). "I'm almost ready... just let me get my tenny shoes on."

Thankee - An expression of gratitude. "Thankee much for the sack o' taters!"

Thode - Past tense of 'throw'; threw. "I wuz done with it, so I thode it away."

Toboggan - a knit hat. (not a sled). "Put that toboggan on your head or you'll cetch cold."

Tote - to carry. "You need me to tote them groceries out to th' car, ma'am?"

Tukkerdowt - Very tired. "Pardner, Ahm 'bout tukkerdowt."

Be Ugly - Unpleasant or disagreeable. "Junior, you don't be ugly to your sister."

Unnerstan - to comprehend. "Pay attention to me, boy... you unnerstan?!?"

Usta - Used to. "We usta live in Waxahachie."

Wahf - Female spouse. "Mah wahf's been at th' hospital s'long, I'm eatin' on th' backsides of th' plates."

Wanna - want to. "Do you wanna go eat, go to the picture show or just wanna do somethin'?"

Warsh - To cleanse. "We're gonna go warsh dishes."

Weeze - We are. "Weeze invited ta dinner and I wanna go."

Whalago - Contraction of 'while ago'. "He wuz over there uh whalago."

Whup (p.t.- whupped) - to conquer. "We shore whupped them cross county boys fraddy naght, didn't we? Er was it sairdie mornin'?"

Wouldn't Take - Would not sell. "That's a great old truck. I wouldn't take for it."

Wrench - A fluid used for hair coloring; a rinse. "Like mah red hair? I used a auburn wrench."

Yonder - In a particular direction. "That's a pretty house over yonder."

Y'ontnee - Do you want any. "Y'ontnee cornbread?"

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Talkin' Texas

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