50 of the Most Satisfying Southern Sayings
Phrases as colorful and unique as the region itself
The Southern United States, better known as “The South”, is a foreign place to some. It really can seem like a different country for a first-time visitor. From the language and cuisine to the number of football championships and Bass Pro Shops in a particular radius, the South can be either a dream or a nightmare.
Born and bred in the deepest part of the Deep South, I am still amazed when I meet someone who has never tried grits or has never heard of Hank Williams, Jr. However when I traveled to Idaho to visit family, they were dumbfounded by my references to grits and Hank Williams, Jr. They also didn’t understand a lot of my sayings and “Southernisms” as they called it. I still occasionally hear phrases that are so intrinsically Southern that I have to stop and think about what they mean.
You have to hand it to Southerners though, some of their phrases are truly creative and often present a very vivid picture of what they’re describing. Sometimes they can be too descriptive and even somewhat crude, however, there’s no denying that they get the point across.
Here are some of my favorites (with translation).
1. “Bless your heart.”
— To express sympathy for someone or something. Pay careful attention to the tone as it is often used facetiously or sarcastically.
2. “I didn’t just fall off the turnip truck.” OR “I wasn’t born yesterday.”
— A response when someone implies that the person doesn’t know something or is gullible.
3. “I feel like a can of smashed a**holes.”
— The person feels terrible, typically used when hungover.
4. “Lord willing and the creek don’t rise.”
— The person will do their best to complete a task unless there are unforeseen circumstances.
5. “She’s as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs.”
— Describes someone who is visibly nervous.
6. “She’s anybody’s dog that will hunt with her.”
— Someone who will be friends with anyone that they can benefit from.
7. “He’s tighter than a gnat’s a**.”
— Refers to someone who is super stingy with money.
8. “Ohh, I’d sop him up with a biscuit.”
— Referring to someone very attractive.
9. “Gettin all gussied up.”
— Dressing very fancy.
10. “My stomach is eating my backbone.”
— Really hungry.
11. “You’re as useful as tits on a bull.”
— Someone / something that is incompetent or ineffective.
12. “They’re hard to keep under the porch.”
— Referring to a person who cheats on their partner.
13. “The devil’s woopin his wife!”
— A phrase used when it is raining and the sun is shining simultaneously.
14. “A frog wouldn’t bump his ass if he had wings.”
— A response when someone is pointing out a hypothetical situation, usually as a defense.
15. “He’s getting too big for his britches.”
— He is acting as though he is an adult but still a child.
16. “You can get glad in the same britches you got mad in.”
— The person will get over being mad.
17. “It’s colder than a witches titty outside.”
— Really cold outside.
18. “That went over like a turd in a punchbowl.”
— Something did not have a positive result.
19. “You must have learned how to whisper in a saw mill.”
— The person whispering is doing so loudly and therefore defeating the purpose of whispering.
20. “He’s busier that a one-armed man with two peckers.”
— You can just use your imagination on that one.
21. “The last time I saw you, you were knee high to a grasshopper.”
— The person was very small when they were last seen.
22. “She’s madder than an ole wet hen.”
— Someone is very mad.
23. “He’s as crooked as a dog’s hind leg.”
— Someone is shady or dishonest.
24. “The Braves ain’t got a snowball’s chance in hell of winning.”
— They don’t have much of a chance.
25. “Gimme some sugar, baby.”
— Give me a kiss, usually said by grandmothers and the like.
26. “I’m gonna stomp a mud-hole in your a**.”
— They are going to fight someone.
27. “That’s finer than a frog hair split three ways.”
— Referring to something that is beautiful or pleasant.
28. “Happier than a hog eating slop.”
— The Southern version of “happier than a bird with a french fry.”
29. “I’m fuller than a tick on a dog.”
— This one makes me cringe, but it means someone that has overeaten.
30. “You make my a** want to suck on a lemon.”
— You are really annoying me.
31. “He’s as drunk as Cooter Brown.”
— Someone who is very intoxicated. Cooter Brown was a man that lived during the Civil War who remained drunk so that he would be seen as useless and not be drafted.
32. “I’m sweating like a whore in church.”
— Someone who’s hot and sweating profusely.
33. “It just snowed and the roads are slicker’n sh*t.”
— The roads are very slippery.
34. “Does a bear sh*t in the woods?”
— Meaning “of course”.
35. “Whew, I got soaked when the toad-strangler came about.”
— I got wet when the heavy rain arrived.
36. “She’s about three sheets to the wind.”
— She’s very intoxicated.
37. “That dog will hunt.”
— Yeah, that’ll work.
38. “Well ain’t they in high-cotton?”
— They have moved up in the world.
39. “Well butter my butt and call me a biscuit.”
— Well, I’ll be darned.
40. “It’ll all come out in the wash.”
— Everything will work out / come to light.
41. “He’s meaner than a two-headed snake.”
— Describing someone very mean or cruel.
42. “She’s gotten above her raisin’.”
— Someone who acts better than everyone else even though they were not taught to do so.
43. “I’m fair to middlin’.”
— I’m doing okay.
44. “Hold on just a cotton-pickin minute!”
— Wait for a second.
45. “He couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn.”
— The person does not have good aim.
46. “Come hell or high water.”
— Regardless of what happens.
47. “He’s just playing possum.”
— He’s pretending to be asleep.
48. “We’re eating high on the hog tonight!”
— We’re eating good food or having dinner for a special occasion.
49. “She couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket.”
— She can’t sing well.
50. “He’d argue with a fencepost.”
— He would argue with anyone about anything.
And my personal favorite:
“I love you a bushel and a peck and hug around the neck!”
— I love you very much.
Bonus Words and Expressions!
Tote — To carry
Fixin to — About to
Buggy — Shopping Cart
Dark Thirty — Just after sunset
Git! — Get away from here
A switch — A small, flexible limb used to spank children
Hissy fit — A breakdown out of anger
The Piggly Wiggly — A popular grocery store chain
Whiskey & honey — a popular home remedy for cough
Corn fed — Refers to a physically strong man or woman
A spell — a moment or an event
Pot licker — the juice from boiled turnips. Often eaten with cornbread.
Cattywampus — crooked or bent
Conniption — Also used in conjunction with “fit”. i.e. conniption fit. A tantrum.
Reckon — I guess so
Hush — Be quiet
Piddlin’ — Wandering around at one’s own pace
Diddly-Squat — nothing at all
Directly — shortly, as soon as possible
Shug — pronounced “shoog” — short for sugar — southern for sweetie or sweetheart
***Note: This story has been previously published by the author on Medium.com***
About the Creator
Kassondra O'Hara
Working mom who uses her curiosity to fuel the curiosities of others ~ Writes mostly history and true crime
Comments
There are no comments for this story
Be the first to respond and start the conversation.