| Word/Phrase |
Meaning |
Example |
| A-fixin’ |
Getting ready |
We’re a-fixin to go to the store. |
| Aim |
To intend or to plan
|
I aim to buy some land.
He aims to marry her.
|
| Airish |
cool, breezy or drafty |
Shet your window. It’s too airish.
Hit’s getting’ right airish out thar.
|
| Askeered of |
Frightened or afraid of |
He’s askeered of his shadow. |
| Awful poe |
very ill |
He’s been lookin’ awful poe. |
| Ax |
Ask |
You ax too many questions. |
| Belly washer |
Large soft drink, ie. Nehi |
I’z goin’ to the store for a belly washer. |
| Better than goose grease |
Something better than a good thing |
That there indoor commode is better than goose grease |
| Biggety |
Stuck up or acting big |
She’s been actin’ awful biggety these days. |
| Bile |
Boil |
The woman had to bile water for the coffee. |
| Book read |
Educated or well informed |
We aim for little Flossie to get book read someday. |
| Bound |
Should, must, have to |
If ya don’t eat, you’re bound to git hongry. |
| Bub |
Bulb |
The light bub done
blowed. |
| Carry |
Transport |
Let me carry you to the store. |
| Carry me |
Take me |
I’z need you all to carry me to the store. |
Cats heads and
sopp’ins |
Biscuits and gravy |
Git me some of them there cat heads and sopp’ins. |
| Cattywampus |
Crooked, as a dog’s hind leg |
That there road is
cattywampus. |
| Clum’ |
Climbed |
I clum thet hill for the last time. |
| Conniption fit |
Upset and heard by all |
She’d throw a conniption fit right there in the parlor. |
| Cot |
To get in trouble |
Boy, I cot it when I got home. |
| Crick |
a) A stiffness
b) A stream or branch
|
Marvin has a crick in his neck.
I’ve got runn’in water down at the crick.
|
| Cuttin’ up |
Acting a fool |
Maud shore was cuttin’ up last night. |
| Dast |
Dare |
Don’t you dast ask Zeke to the doin’s. |
| Doin’s |
A social function |
Are you going to the church doin’s tonight? |
| Draws |
Spasm or cramp |
My leg shore draws. |
| Et |
Eaten |
Have you et? |
| Far |
Fire |
The far went out and wezin’ got cold. |
| Fetch |
To bring |
Go fetch the doctor. |
| Foe |
Four |
That’s the fastest foe legged horse I’d seen. |
| Fur |
Far |
That’s a fur piece to walk. |
| Fur piece |
A great distance |
He lives a fur piece from his kin folks. |
| Gander |
Come look at this! |
Do you wanna take a gander at this? |
| Geet |
Have you eaten yet? |
Geet? I’m starved! |
Gommin’ and
Piddlin’ |
Loafing |
Why’s he a gommin’ and a piddlin’ instead of a workin’. |
| Gooch |
To poke |
Don’t gooch me in mayh side. |
| Goose Drownder |
A hard rain |
That shore was a good drownder last night. |
| Gully washer |
A hard rain |
We shore had a gully washer last night. |
| Hail |
Hell |
Hail, that hurts. |
| Hesh up |
Become quiet |
Make Jess hesh up. |
| Het |
Become heated or upset |
Don’t let that get you all het up. |
| Hissie fit |
Grip’in, didn’t like |
I’d throw a hissie fit when I heard it. |
| Holler |
a) a small valley
b) yell
|
She come from over in the holler.
Holler at me if you need me.
|
| Hominy |
How many |
Hominy kids you got? |
| Jaw |
To engage in conversation |
Let’s jaw a spell. |
| Keep your powder dry |
Be prepared |
Trust in God and keep your powder dry. |
| Kindly |
Certainly, surely |
He kindly has an odor about him. |
| Kivver |
Covered |
Them youn-uns is kivvered with the pox. |
| Lollygag |
To loaf, loiter or poke along |
Why’s Clem always lollygaggin’ around? |
| Mesh |
Push |
Ya gotta mesh that button. |
| Mow |
More |
Gimme some mow of them beans. |
| Naw |
No |
Naw, I never fetched the syrup. |
| Onliest |
Only one |
He’s my oneliest son. |
| Parts |
Area or neighborhood |
What’s he doin’ in these parts? |
| Pastor |
Pasture |
The horse is in the pastor. |
| Peaked |
Pale or sick looking |
He’s lookin’ mighty peaked today. |
| Pizen |
Poison |
I seen lotsa pizen snakes in these parts. |
| Plum |
Completely |
I’m plum upset with her lollygaggin’ around. |
| Plus which |
In addition to |
We got water in the creek, plus which the well. |
| Poe |
Not rich |
I’s a poe farmer. |
| Poke |
Paper bag |
He put the chicken in a poke. |
| Put out |
Angry, annoyed |
He shore was put out ’bout the meetin’. |
| Red |
To clean or tidy up |
Red up your room. |
| Runt |
No longer of value |
You put too much salt in the soup and now hits runt. |
| Shed of |
Get rid of or unload |
You got to get shed of that old mule. |
| Skittish |
Nervous |
Them mules get kinda skittish when his dogs howl. |
| Slicker than owl s...t (snoot) |
Really slippery |
That wet hillside is slicker than owl s...t |
| Smack-dab |
on the spot exactly |
I shot him smack-dab through the heart.
Hit landed smack-dab on my toe.
|
| Smart |
To hurt |
It shore smarts where I got hit. |
| Spell |
A period of time |
Come set a spell. |
| Suwannee |
Swear |
Well, I Suwannee. |
| Tar |
Tire |
I cain’t go ‘cause I got a flat tar. |
| Tore up |
Emotionally upset |
I’z all tore up about the barn burnin’. |
| Tuck |
Past tense of take |
I ain’t tuck a drink this week. |
| Vittles |
Food or Victuals |
I hope Ma’s got the vittles on when I git home. |
| Whupped |
Whipped or spanked |
Pa shore whupped me when i fibbed to the widow women. |
| You’ns |
You or you all |
You’ns ain’t going to get no vittles. |
