Originally Posted by eeyore

just about everything you wanted to know about the South..and some stuff you didn't.

Truly, nothing identifies a Southerner as readily as speech. Like many areas throughout the world, the southern part of the United States has it's own peculiar grammar and lexicon.
* Aim to—plan to do
* Ain't—is not (used by non-Southerners, but especially common in Southern speech)
* Airish—cold
* Bayou—marshy outlet of a lake or river; slow-moving body of water
* Biggety—vain and overbearing
* Bitty bit—a very small amount
* Bossman, Bosslady—head person, or person in charge
* Broomsage—dry straw, wrapped and fastened together with rope to use for a house broom
* Buggy—shopping cart
* Buzzard, Ol' Buzzard—elderly male, usually single, who is regarded as less than desirable
* Cajun—person of French Canadian descent who is native to Louisiana, the dialect of Cajun speech
* Cantankerous—quarrelsome, difficult to deal with
* Carry—give somebody a ride in a motor vehicle
* Carry on—behave in a foolish or silly manner
* Catty-cornered or Cattywampus—Cater-cornered or diagonal
* Clear out—far out (They live clear out on the edge of town.)
* Clodhopper—field hand or heavy work shoes
* Chunk—throw, toss
* Coke—any soft drink
* Coon—Raccoon
* Cooter or Coot—Turtle, especially larger edible species
* Croaker sack—burlap sack, a gunny sack
* Cuss—curse, also an annoying or stubborn person or animal
* Cuss out—chastise with swear words
* Cut —To turn on, off, up or down (Cut the light on, I can’t see anything.)
* Cut the fool—joke around
* Dang—Euphemism for "damn"
* Directly—in a little while, soon
* Dixie—Southern States of the U.S.A.
* Dixiecrat—Southern Democrat known for his or her conservative views
* Done—used to emphasize the occurrence of something in the past (Yes, siree, they done got married last week.)
* Do-hickey—substitute name, like the terms what-cha-ma-call-it or thing-a-ma-jig
* Druthers—Preferences, I’d rather (If I had my choice, If I had my druthers)
* Et—Ate
* Fair to middling—average, usually a response to "How are you?"
* Falling out—disagreement
* Fair piece—sizeable, considerable, or long distance
* Feisty—touchy and quarrelsome or frisky and full of nervous energy
* Figure—suppose, consider, or plan on something (I figured it would rain today.)
* Fixing to—about to, or thinking about starting
* Fixings—Trimmings, accessories; normally, though not necessarily referring to meals
* Frog Gig—pole with a hook on the end used to spear and retrieve frogs
* Gator—alligator
* Goober—peanut, also a stupid person, a dolt
* Goober pea—peanut
* Grab aholt—grab hold of something
* Gwine—going or going to
* Hankering—Yen, craving
* Heap—A quantity of something, especially a large quantity
* Hear tell—have heard it told
* Hey—hello
* Hidey—hello
* Hither, thither and yon—here, there and everywhere
* Honey—affectionate term (used by non-Southerners, but especially common in Southern speech)
* Hush Puppy—Distinctive Southern deep fried bread food
* Howdy—Hello, How do you do?
* I do believe—emphatic expression of one's belief
* I'mon—I'm going to, as in "I'mon go home now."
* If’n—if
* Is all—that's all, often used at the end of a sentence to minimize, excuse, or downplay what was done (I only wanted a kiss, is all.)
* Kin to—Related to
* Laid up—ill, hurt, unable to work
* Less’n—unless
* Loaded for bear—highly prepared
* Ma'am—madam, female equivalent of sir
* Mess—large quantity, particularly of food
* Middling—between good and bad
*Mighty—very
* Miss—title for an unmarried woman, also used before a woman's first name regardless of marital status
* Miz—Mrs., title for a married woman and used before a married woman's last name
* Moon Pie—Distinctive Southern sweet snack food
* Mosey—walk in a casual, leisurely or sauntering manner
* Much obliged—thank you, hope to return the favor
* Near bout—almost
* Nekkid—naked
* No count—of no account, shoddy, worthless
* Okra—distinctive Southern vegetable
* Old Man River—Mississippi River
*Okie—resident or native of Oklahoma
* Ornery, Ornry—cantankerous, cranky, irritable, mean, stubborn
* Out of kilter—out of alignment, misadjusted
*Particular—careful, selective, choosy, picky
*; Picture Show—movies
*Piddle—waste time, do nothing
*Piddlin—Small or inferior
* Play possum—feign pouting or sulking, play dead
* Poke—sack
* Poor mouth—Complain, play down, especially finances
* Poorly—ailing
* Purty—pretty, or used in place of fairly or very
* Purt near—pretty near, used to indicate proximity, approximation, similarity
* Quilting Bee—women of the community gather to stitch quilts by hand
* Rag-baby—rag doll
* Rebel Yell—war cry used by Southern soldiers during the Civil War
* Recollect—Remember, recall
* Reckon—think or suppose so
* Right—very
* Right smart—great in quality, quantity or number
*Riled—angry, upset, agitated
*Save—put away for safe keeping, but not money
* Scalawag, Scallywag—mischievous person, scamp (originally, a Southerner acting in support of the reconstruction governments after the Civil War for private gain)
* Shindig—dance or celebration
* Show—picture show, performance
* Shuck—remove the edible parts of something, such as shellfish or ears of corn, by stripping them away from the inedible part
*; Shucks—golly, gosh
* Smokehouse—enclosure with a dirt floor where pork and other meats are cured then smoked
*; Sorry—low or inferior quality, worthless
* Southern Belle—Southern lady
* Spell—period of time, a while
*; Spoon fed—spoiled or pampered
*; Spring chicken—young thing
* Study, Study on—think about, contemplate
*Swamp Cabbage—the heart of the sable palmetto, sautéed and seasoned with pork.; a favorite food in Florida Cracker cuisine
* Tain’t—It ain’t, it isn’t
* Take a notion to—decide to
* Tarnation—mild expletive
*; The House—one's own home, frequently used whether it is a house or not
* Tight—Stingy, also inebriated
* Tore up—Broken, damaged, non-functional, emotionally distraught
* Tote—carry
* Trot line—long line on which short lines are attached, each with a hook, for catching fish
*T'uther—the other
* Tump—Dump, spill, turn over
* Up and—used to describe an action that came about suddenly or as surprise (He up and took off before I had a chance to say good-bye.)
* Vamoose—go, get out of here, also a command to get lost
* Vittles—food, victuals
* Wait on—serve or assist
* Wart-Taker—one who removes warts by charms or incantations
* White Lightening—moonshine whiskey
*Wonkerjawed—crooked, misaligned
* Worry Wart—one who worries constantly
* Whup—whip, beat
*Y'all—ye all
* Yahoo—boorish, brutish, uncouth, rowdy or uncultured person
*; Yaller Dog—cowardly person
* Yam—sweet potato
*Yankee—any person from any Northern (non-Confederate) state
* Yonder—there, usually said while indicating a direction (I live over yonder in that white house.)
* Young'un—young one, i.e. infant, child or young adult
* Zydeco—form of heavily syncopated folk music common to Louisiana

A short lesson on Southernisms If you are from the northern states and planning on visiting or moving to the South there are a few things you should know that will help you adapt to the difference in lifestyles: North has sun-dried toe-mah-toes, South has mater samiches. North has coffee-houses, South has Waffle Houses. North has switchblades, South has Lee Press-On Nails. North has double last names, South has double first names. North has Indy car races, South has stock car races. North has green salads, South has collard greens. North has lobsters, South has craw dads.

If you run your car into a ditch, don't panic. Four men in a four-wheel drive pickup truck with a tow chain will be along shortly. Don't try to help them. Just stay out of their way. This is what they live for.
Don't be surprised to find movie rentals and bait in the same store. Don't buy food at this store.

Remember, "ya'll" is singular, "all ya'll" is plural, and "all ya'll's" is plural possessive. Get used to hearing "You ain't from round ‘ear, are ya?"
You may hear a Southerner say "Ought!" to a dog or child. This is short for "Ya'll ought not do that!" and is equivalent of saying "No!"
Don't be worried at not understanding what people are saying. They can't understand you either. The first Southern expression to creep into a transplanted Northerner's vocabulary is the adjective "big'ol" as in "big'ol truck" or "big'ol boy". Most Northerners won't admit it and are in denial about it. The proper pronunciation you learned in school is no longer proper.
Be advised that "He needed kill'n" is a valid defense here. If you hear a Southerner exclaim, "Hey ya'll, watch this!" Stay out of the way! These are likely to be the last words he'll ever say.

If there is the prediction of the slightest chance of even the smallest accumulation of snow, your presence is required at the local grocery store. It doesn't matter whether you need anything or not. You just have to go there. (While you're there though, if'n ya want, you can purchase an RC cola and a moon pie!)

When you come upon a person driving 15 mph down the middle of the road, remember that most folks learn to drive on a John Deere tractor, and that is the proper speed and position for that vehicle.
Do not be surprised to find that 10 year olds own their own shotguns. They are proficient marksmen, and their mommas taught them how to aim.
In the South, we have found that the best way to grow lush green lawn is to pour gravel on it and call it a driveway.
If you do settle in the South and bear children, don't think we will accept them as Southerners. After all, if the cat had kittens in the oven, we wouldn't call them biscuits.

You know you're from Georgia if...
1. You measure distance in hours.
2. You've ever had to switch from "heat" to "A/C" in the same day.
3. You understand that Kudzu is the most evil import ever.
4. Anyone who drinks Pepsi is automatically "A little weird"
5. You see a car running in the parking lot at the store with no one in it, no matter what time of the year.
6. You use "fix" as a verb. Example: I am fixing to go to the store.
7. All the festivals across the state are named after a fruit, vegetable, grain, or animal.
8. You install security lights on your house and garage and leave both unlocked.
9. You carry jumper cables in your car...for your OWN car.
10. You know what "cow tipping" and "snipe hunting" are.
11. You only own four spices: salt, pepper, ketchup, and Tabasco.
12. You think everyone from a bigger city has an accent. Even if you're from Atlanta.
13. You think sexy lingerie is a tee shirt and boxer shorts.
14. The local paper covers national and international news on one page but requires 6 pages for sports.
15. You understand that any time there is the slightest amount of ice on the roads, it is automatically a national holiday.
16. You know which leaves make good toilet paper.
17. You find 90 degrees F "a little warm."
18. You know all four seasons: Almost Summer, Summer, Still Summer, and Christmas.
19. You know whether another Georgian is from southern, middle, or northern Georgia as soon as they open their mouth.
20. There is a Kroger or Winn-Dixie in every town. Period.
21. Going to Wal-Mart is a favorite past-time known as "goin wal-martin" or off to "Wally World".
22. You describe the first cool snap (below 70 degrees) as good chili weather.
23. A carbonated soft drink isn't a soda, cola, or pop ... it's a Coke, regardless of brand or flavor. Anyone who says otherwise is probably a yankee.
24. You laugh hysterically at anyone who owns a snow shovel, "heat in a bottle", or quantities of salt sufficient to de-ice a driveway.
25. Your Garage is meant to be used for storage of riding lawnmowers, lawnmowers, bushwackers, and tools. Cars are best kept in the driveway.
26. Your idea of "fine dining" for breakfast is a chicken biscuit from Chick-Fil-A (Potentially better than mamma EVER cooked 'em!)
27. Your idea of high-powered navigation is to use waffle house locations as points of reference.
28. You think it's absolutely hilarious to tell the annoying yankee who's in town "It's on Peachtree. But if you get to the waffle house, you've gone too far."
29. The sight of a MARTA Bus gives you convulsions.
30. You honestly don't understand why so many people don't like the Waffle House.
31. You'll happily go 45 minutes out of your way on back-roads to avoid I285 between the hours of 2pm and 7pm on any given weekday