"New England is provincial and doesn't know it. The Middle West is provincial, knows it, and is ashamed of it. The South, Heaven help us, is provincial, knows it, and is proud of it!"

Here are some Southernisms I thought you might enjoy. Many of them came from a book called Whistlin'Dixie by Robert Hendrickson. So make yourself comfortable and take a look. You might even find some that you don't even realize that you say!

A's

Abide

To endure, stand, or tolerate, usually in the negative sense, as in “I can’t abide him.”

Ain't got but

Have only, as in “I ain’t got but a dime.”

All-fired

Extremely, very. “She’s so all-fired lazy no one wants to hire her.”

All tore up about it

Very disturbed, emotionally upset

Aplenty

Plenty, an abundance. “I’ve had aplenty to eat.”

TOP B's

Bad as I hate to do it

As much as I hate to do it

Bad sick

very ill

Bedrid

Confined to bed for a long time.

Best

Another baffling Southernism that is usually couched in the negative. "You best not speak to Cecil about his car. He just had to spend $300 on it."

Break of

To induce the abandonment of an undesirable trait or habit: 'Ah'm gonna break that dawg of a husband of mine of lyin' to me if it's the last thing Ah do!’

Bound and determined

Irrevocably committed to do something

Burnt-out on

Tired or sick of

TOP C's

Can-see to can't-see

From dawn to dusk

Coming up a cloud

It is going to rain

Commence to

To begin or start

Contrary

Stubborn

Cotton Pickin'

Despicable, wretched

Country Mile

Any long distance

Crack of day

Dawn or daybreak

Cut off

To switch off

TOP <D's

Dab

A small quanity

Didn't nobody go

A common double negative for nobody went

Dinner and Supper

Dinner is what Southerners eat when Yankees are having lunch, usually at 12:00. Supper is what Southerners eat when Yankees are having dinner, usually around 6:00.

Directly

Before long-"I'll be along directly."

Dirty-up

To soil or get dirty

Done and gone

Gone

Don't got but

Only have

Draw up

To shrink

TOP E's

Egg on

To urge someone to do something

Ever

Always "She was ever a pretty one."

Everwhichway

In all directions

TOP F's

Fairly

Nearly, almost

Fair piece

A long distance

Favor

To resemble

First light

Dawn

Fixin'

Preparing-“I’m fixin' to go to the store.”

Fool thing

Foolish thing

Fret

To worry

TOP G's

Get about

To move around. "She can't hardly get about anymore."

Get gone

To depart or to leave

Get me

To get for oneself

Give out

Very tired

Go in

To begin, especially a church service or schooltime. "School goes in at 9 o'clock."

Gracious plenty

More than enough.

TOP H's

Hadn't ought

Ought not, should not

Hanker

To crave or desire "I've been hankering to have some grits."

Hear tell

To hear something said

Hissy

A fit "She's gonna have a hissy when she sees this mess!"

How come?

Why?

Hurt

To suffer or have need. "We're hurtin' for money real bad."

TOP

A-H

I-P

Q-Z

Last Updated August 9, 2002