Words That You'll Only Hear In The South.

We could all probably use a little more Southern Charm in our lives, you know that feeling of kindness and warmth you get when you're sitting in your grandmas cozy little kitchen. With all that chicken, dumplings, and cornbread, we can only expect a healthy helping of sayings you won't hear often north of the Mason-Dixon Line. While some of these phrases have made their way into many North American dialects, these Southern-inspired idioms certainly stand out in every conversation... and they don't always mean what you might think!

Every generation has its own list of strange slang words, and many of these fun Southern phrases started surfacing in the Antebellum Period back in the 19th century. As English continued to evolve and grow throughout the budding nation, several fun phrases and idioms started infiltrating dialects. These sayings from the 1800s influenced the way we speak today.

Whippersnapper

A diminutive, insignificant, or presumptuous person. A younger person who intentionally aggravates or irritates older people. A young person who annoys older people by being very confident and acting like someone important. "Some young whippersnapper piped up with a pointless comment". Admit it, we've all known a foolish whippersnapper.

Bottom Fact / Bottom Line

If you're looking for a very old word to describe an undisputed fact, you're probably searching for the bottom fact or the bottom line. "I done a much better job than he did and that's the bottom line!" If you say this up North people are going to give you some strange looks and that's the bottom fact.

Thingamajigger

You may be fixin' to say this fun word every chance you get, but know the origin first: thingum was an old-time word for thing, and jig can describe a mechanical device. Combine thingum and jig, and thingamajigger isn't too over yonder.

Wake The Snakes

When one got into trouble, they could have been involved in a "wake the snakes" kind of mischief. According to the Times Picayune, a man mentioned it during his trial for an intoxicated adventure during which he boisterously woke up the neighborhood.

Dingus

Back in the 19th century, you used this phrase when you had no idea what an object was actually called. Generally a good use of it would have been placed on appliances or particular tools. Sometimes it's also used to describe a lazy person. "Why aint this dingus working?"

Y'all

The origin of ya'll, a contraction of "you all," can't be pinned down exactly because many writers transcribing Southern speakers in older documents tended to "correct" the term to "you all." Today, the term's spreading far and wide because it's a gender-neutral way to address a crowd.

Do Tell

You'd use this phrase in order to convey interest about a subject brought up in polite conversation. Best of all, it conveys both fascination and sarcasm. After all these years, people still use this phrase from time to time!

Hush Up

As Kelly Kazak wrote for It's a Southern Thing: "When I was a single mom raising Baby Girl, our house was a no "shut-up" zone. I didn't like to say or hear the phrase in my house — I didn't say it to my child or other people's children and I didn't allow them to say it to me." Hush up was a much gentler way to convey the sentiment.

Over Yonder

A mix of the Dutch word, meaning "over there," and the English word yon, yonder describes something far away but still in sight, or... something far away and unseen. Saying "The Cracker Barrel is over yonder" might refer to a restaurant that's 5 blocks north or 5 miles south. Depends on the context!

Bless Your Heart

The way a Southerner delivers this phrase determines the meaning. If said with a tone that's the verbal equivalent to a gentle pat on the head, the saying is a passive-aggressive and patronizing way to say "that's so wrong." Additionally, bless your heart can be said empathetically or as an exclamation.

Gallnipper

Mosquitoes were and still are truly annoying insects. During the 1800s in Florida, this weird term was used to describe large swarms of mosquitoes. When humid summer nights arrive, prepare to swipe away at those gallnippers!

What in the Sam Hill?

A slang word meaning "hell" or "the devil," Sam Hill can be plugged in for just about any curse word a Southerner might need. A fun, less-plausible origin story suggests Sam Hill was a man that swore so much, his name simply became a one-size-fits-all swear.

Moll Buzzer

A "moll buzzer" was a unique way to describe a criminal...and not just any kind of criminal. It was mainly used in reference to a pickpocket or their accomplice, whose victims were usually women.

It Doesn't Amount To A Hill Of Beans

What is a hill of beans worth to you? Very little? Well, that's what the phrase means, too. The idiom was famously uttered by Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca. "Ilsa," he said, "I'm no good at being noble, but it doesn't take much to see that the problems of three little people don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world."

Shining Around

"Shining around" meant to avoid doing work. Nowadays, procrastination is a more modern way of expressing this. Everyone gets a little lazy, now and again. The next time you start "shining around," do whatever you can to refocus on the task at hand.

Finer than Frog Hair Split Four Ways

Historians estimate this phrase started back in 1865, it might be a response to someone asking "how are you?" Because if you split a hair four times, it suddenly becomes really fine. Worth noting, frogs don't have hair, so it's more of a joke response.

Some Pumpkins

When something or even someone was particularly great, exciting or fun they were "some pumpkins". It may not sound like a term of endearment, but if you think about it, what's better than a pumpkin?

Cattywampus

First recorded in the 1830s, catawampus means askew, crooked, or out of sorts. "The bank robbery went catawampus." A Southerner might also use the phrase to specify "diagonally." Like, "we walked catawampus through the backyard."

Tell a Thumper

If someone "told a good thumper," then they got away with telling someone a well-crafted lie. We imagine this term was mainly used by the more mischievous Victorian-era kids, but it could be fun to re-use this crafty phrase nowadays.

Take Your Own Sweet Time

We often refer to time a possession: "You're wasting my time." The hours on a clock are a valuable commodity, and they should not be spent all willy nilly. That's why "take your own sweet time" means "hurry up." Take your own time, not mine.

Madder than a Wet Hen

When a hen gets "broody," she works extra hard to incubate her eggs, aggressively keeping farmers who try to collect them at bay. So, to overcome the hen's attitude, the farmer dunks her in cold water, making her really, really mad (and too shocked to fight back). Imagine arguing with someone and they end the conversation by dunking you in freezing water. How mad would you be? Madder than a wet hen of course.

Pretty as a Peach

A geographic area that produces a lot of peaches, the South respects the delicious, sweet fruit, and that's why to be as pretty as one is a great compliment. Still, historians have traced the idiom back to ancient China — so the sterling reputation of a peach goes way back.

He Could Eat Corn Through a Picket Fence

Heavens to Betsy, this one's not so nice: to eat corn through a picket fence, you would need a pair of front teeth that could maneuver around one of the posts, AKA a huge gap. Braces weren't around back then!

Coke

As Kelly Kazak, writer for It's a Southern Thing, put it: "Well, pretty much every soft drink was created in the south, with Coke being one of the first and most famous. It's like calling all tissue Kleenex, all bandages Band-Aids, or all friendly people southerners." When you say "Gimme a Coke" you're actually saying that you'll take whatever is available.

Hold Your Horses

Long ago, if someone wanted to command a group of riders on horseback to stop their steeds, he or she might say hold your horses. As in, literally, hold them in place. Today, the phrase has evolved to mean "slow down" or "stop being impatient."

Well, I'll Be!

In the 1800s, John Brown was hanged after leading a slave rebellion in the South. Soon, people started to say, "I'll be John Browned," as in, they will be killed — literally or figuratively — for for their involvement in something. This phrase evolved to "I'll be damned," which evolved to "I'll be," an exclamation of surprise.

They're as Happy as a Pig in the Sunshine

This phrase literally refers to a dead pig that dried out in the sun. As the skin gets taut, the lips pull back, revealing all those piggy pearly whites — and creating a huge smile on the corpse. The phrase, then, describes someone who's happy in their blissful ignorance. A person you might say "bless your heart" to.

'Til the Cows Come Home'

Though the exact origin of the phrase is unknown, some believe it originated because of a cow's very simple schedule. They were let out for grazing and only returned "home" to be milked in the morning. So, 'til the cows come home suggests all day, or, a long time. Today it can mean "basically forever."

Heavens to Betsy!

Used to indicate shock or surprise, Heavens to Betsy doesn't have a clear origin. Historians have tried connecting it to Betsy Ross (creator of the American Flag) and a Civil-War Era rifle known as Old Betsy, but those efforts haven't amounted to a hill of beans yet.

Fixin'

In Tennessee or Kentucky, you may hear that someone is "fixin'" to look for a new job or get out of the house. The saying simply means "getting ready to." You're planning, promising, or fixin' to do something.

We hope that these fun southern phrases brought a smile to your face. Maybe they even made you think of someone who has used them. In the very least you've learned some awesome new words to impress your friends with.

Until next time "Have a wonderful day ya'll."