When it comes to language, Southerners are not normal. ), That fits her like socks on a rooster. Of course, you need to know the meanings of these sayings before you use them. (Quit wishing and get busy. This one's pretty self-explanatory, if you think about the sounds a duck would make while leaving this world. Content courtesy of Business Insider. I cant tell you the number of teachers and professors I had at Lawrenceville or Columbia who corrected me on this usage. ), If we don't get it in the wash, we'll get it in the rinse. A pot doesn't call the kettle black. xhr.send(payload); If you keep goin' the way you're headed, pretty soon you're gonna get there. Down the road a piece.A fur piece.Turn left past yonder.I wont say its far, but I had to grease the wagon twice before I hit the main road.Two hoots and a holler away. ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb. Im finer than frog hair split four ways. Southerners mostly use this phrase to answer, How are you? Even those below the Mason-Dixon know frogs dont have hair, Tougher than a 2 dollar steak-pretty darn tough Hows your mama n them? We chose 13 of the most ridiculous Southern sayings and tried to explain them. As welcome as a porcupine at a nudist colony. 9. This phrase means that something is good. For example, I used to could run fast, but now Im slow as molasses.. If you think there should be more material, feel free to help us develop more! (He's lazy. "Hens sometimes enter a phase of 'broodines,' meaning that they'll do anything to incubate their eggs and will get agitated when farmers try to collect them," Insider explains of this saying's origin. My mother used a lot of expressions that I always thought were Cajun, yet I've discovered that people in New England use them too. (No joke, Yankees, this saying is also the basis for brand of seasonings called Slap Ya Mamma!) If you are looking for some funny Southern words or sayings, then you are in the right place. WebSouthern Sayings and Quotes Below you will find our collection of inspirational, wise, and humorous old southern quotes, southern sayings, and southern proverbs, collected over the years from a variety of sources. These days you'll find her on Bravo's .css-gegin5{-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;text-decoration-thickness:0.0625rem;text-decoration-color:inherit;text-underline-offset:0.25rem;color:#9a0500;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;}.css-gegin5:hover{color:#595959;text-decoration-color:border-link-body-hover;}Real Housewives of New York, but Tinsley Mortimer is very much a southern gal at heartwhich is why we decided she'd be the perfect person to school us on the art of southern expressions. City Employees Are Heading for the Exits. Big cities aren't the only precarious places in the U.S. From violent crime to the effects of COVID, your life is in the most danger in this U.S. city. Why do Southerners invoke his name in place of "hell"? We also recommend using Mozillas Firefox Internet Browser for this web site. Go here to learn more about this food-loving military BRAT southern girl. I know there are millions more but its past my bedtime & Im worn slap out and 1 for the Yankees- "My Eyeballs Are Floating". He broke his arm patting himself on the back.He thinks the sun comes up just to hear him crow.Id like to buy him for what hes worth and sell him for what he thinks hell bring.Shes so spoiled salt couldnt save her.Shes so spoiled she expects spoon-feeding. He could eat corn through a picket fence. He knows more ways to take your money than a roomful of lawyers. (I don't know what I was thinking. This started back in the days when the higher the cotton was in the fields the more money the farmer would make. Webcharacteristics of andesite roads are slicker than sayings. Don And remember this very important fact: Not everyone in the South is a redneck. That thing is all catawampus. He can strut sitting down.Hes all hat and no cattle.Shes all gurgle and no guts.He chamber-of-commerced it. Its a Southern way of cursing politely and not taking the Lords name in vain (Jesus Christ!). (It's raining really hard. Well, the ultimate origin of this exclamation isn't known, but Wikipedia has five possible options listed, including an Arizona general store owner and a foul-mouthed surveyor. (You've got yourself a lost cause, son. Look what the cat dragged in.Companys coming; add a cup of water to the soup.Weve howdied but we havent shook.Put on your sitting britches.Lets chaw the rag. If something tastes really good, you might say its so delicious it just makes you wanna smack your granny. Good luck with that. Shy as a mail-order bride.Shy as a crocus.Shy as sapphires. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Yall This is a contraction for you all. Noisy as two skeletons dancing on a tin roof. That's because, in Southern parlance, the hair of a frog must be too fine to even detecthence this colorful compliment. Noisy as two skeletons dancing on a tin roof.Noisy as a restless mule in a tin barn.Noisier than cats making kittens.Noisier than a cornhusk mattress.Louder than Grandpas Sunday tie.He called his hogs all night. Well, I come from the north of England, which is like the British equivalent to southern USA. If a duck had his brain, it would fly north for the winter.He doesnt have enough sense to spit downwind.If he was bacon, he wouldnt even sizzle.If brains were leather, he couldnt saddle a flea.He carries his brains in his back pocket.Dumb as dirt.Dumb as a box of rocks.Dumb as a barrel of hair.Dumb as a post.Dumb as a wagon wheel.Dumb as a prairie dog.Dumb as a watermelon.He doesnt know come here from sic em.He doesnt know enough to pound sand down a rat hole.He cant ride and chew at the same time.So stupid if you put his brains in a bumblebee, itd fly backwards.If all her brains were ink, she couldnt dot an i.If all his brains were dynamite, he couldnt blow his nose.He dont know which ends up.He dont know a widget from a whangdoodle.He dont know nothing from nothing.He dont know diddly squat.He couldnt pour piss out of a boot with a hole in the toe and the directions on the heel.If he had a brain, itd die of loneliness.So thick-headed you can hit him in the face with a tire iron and he wont yell till morning.He could screw up an anvil. You will then have access to all the teacher resources, using a simple drop menu structure. The Texanist: Is It Okay For Non-Texans to Say Howdy? While everyone knows what yall means (Southerners are not taught that you can be plural), there are other expressions and idiosyncrasies that our northern, mid-western, and western friends might find difficult to fully understand. Immersing yourself in the southern culture involves much more than words. Common as cornbread, old as dirt, funny as all get-outhomespun expressions link modern Texans to our rural and agricultural past, conveying the resolute spirit and plainspoken humor of our heroes and pioneers. He thinks the sun comes up just to hear him crow Hes extremely conceited and vain. No, seriously, this means Youre kidding.. However, its usually a statement of mild disapproval. ", you gotta learn how to separate the fly shit from the pepper, "its cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey", "it'll freeze the nuts of an iron bridge", "Its a gnats crack from away" (very short distance), "why dont you sit back and lot ol' Jesse rob this train". This Quotabulary article has all the funny Southern sayings to make "yall as happy as a dead pig in the sunshine!" Bring on the Shiplap? Slicker than cat poop Colder than a witchs boobie in a brass bra Shes so skinny she has to run around in the shower to get wet. ), If I had a brain, I'd take it out and play with it. Slicker than owl shit- slicker than shit in a home handle or slicker than snot on a doorknob -can be used on all kinds do things-Nice shoes to con man Lets go down yonder: The southern way of asking you to go somewhere. xhr.setRequestHeader('Content-Type', 'text/plain;charset=UTF-8'); He could fall up a tree.Couldnt ride a nightmare without falling out of bed.He couldnt knock a hole in the wind with a sackful of hammers.So bad at farming he couldnt raise Cain.He couldnt hit the floor if he fell out of bed.Handy as hip pockets on a hog.Worthless as teats on a bull.Worthless as a sidesaddle on a sow.Not worth spit.He couldnt organize a pissing contest in a brewery.Useless as two buggies in a one-horse town.He could screw up a two-car funeral.Tie a quarter to it and throw it away, and you can say you lost something.Hes got no more chance than a June bug in the chicken coop.Hes a day late and a dollar short.He cant win for losing.Hes sucking hind teat.I need that like a tomcat needs a trousseau.Shes itching for something she wont scratch for.Why close the barn door after the horses are out?No more good than an eyeless needle.Like warming up leftover snow.Like pushing a wheelbarrow with rope handles.Like sweet-talking the water out of the well. It doesnt matter if someone is your fourth cousin once removed, he is Cousin Jimmy and called that always. In the South, to be "ugly" means that you're being I should also note that we rarely use rs.. #1. Busier than fat and hungry man in a competition of eating burgers. Hes so country he thinks a seven-course meal is a possum and a six-pack. Yes sir, Officer. You cant make a silk purse out of a sows ear. Yes maam. Sharper than a serpents tongue, tighter than a bongo drum, quicker than a one night stand, slicker than a mambo band. Youve never seen hair on a frog? She grew up on chicken creole. We report on vital issues from politics to education and are the indispensable authority on the Texas scene, covering everything from music to cultural events with insightful recommendations. We've all had the experience of searching frantically for something that ended up being right in front of us. WebBest Busier than a Sayings Busier than a single-armed man trying to pitch a tent on a stormy night. (Whatever makes you happy. While this phrase can be meant sincerely, it usually has an edge. 'Monarch' Should Be Your Next TV Show Guilty Pleasure, My Grandmother Sneaks This Southern Seasoning Into Everything She Cooks, 3 Southern Sayings Even Scarier Than "Bless Her Heart", 26 Easter Hymns That Celebrate the Resurrection, 115 Sympathy Messages for Friends and Family, Walker Hayes Talks About What Loss Taught Him About Fatherhood, Faith, and Living in the Present, Julia Roberts Wasn't the Original Actor Cast as Shelby in Steel Magnolias, Love Poems and Other Sayings by Ernest T. Bass, 25 Southern Grandparents' Sayings That Deserve a Comeback, Benjamin Hollingsworth Talks New Hallmark Movie, 'Virgin River', and His Unique Tie to the South. In 1929, then-Governor of Louisiana Huey Long, nicknamed The Kingfish, tried to enact a five-cent tax on each barrel of refined oil to fund welfare programs. If you look like a "ragamuffin," you don't look good enough to leave the house. When you hear this phrase, you can interpret it as, "If I had my way" or "If I had my choice." It means that there is anyways more than one way to fix something. When a pig dies, presumably in a sty outside, the sun dries out its skin. Hottern the blue blazes Its really hot. Features Communication Executives, Researchers, Universitys Mayo Lab Launches Teen Mental Health Podcast, University Awarded Grant to Promote Inclusivity in STEM Education, Five Ole Miss Rebels Prepare for 2023 NFL Scouting Combine, Ole Miss Womens Basketball Prepares for SEC Tournament, Ole Miss Track & Field Claims 10 Berths to NCAA Indoor Championships, Ole Miss Mens Basketball Loses Battle with No. 02 28 23 Yolett McPhee McCuin Press Conference Ole Miss WBB, 02 22 23 Yolett McPhee McCuin Press Conference Ole Miss WBB, Presser Coach Yo post game after South Carolina, Coach Kermit Davis post game Mississippi State, Ole Miss Baseball Coach Mike Bianco Media Availability, 02 15 23 Yolett McPhee McCuin Press Conference Ole Miss WBB, Presser Marquesha Davis Ayanna Thompson Kentucky 2 13 23, Second IMC Connect! Bless her heart, Susan is dumber than a box of rocks. Grinning like a possum And others are foods she enjoyed from the many places she has lived. If something horrible happens and a Southerner doesnt know what to say, sometimes bless their/your/his/her heart is all that will work. To avoid the draft on either side, Cooter decided to stay drunk throughout the entire war, making him ineligible for battle. Hes got a hitch in his gitalong.Sick as a dog passing peach pits.All stove up.Im so sick Id have to get better to die.Sore as a boil.Her hoppers busted.As full of pains as an old window.Ive got the green apple nasties.He looks like death warmed over.So sick he needs two beds.Pitiful as a three-legged dog. Touchstone Pictures Its coldern a well diggers wallet Its really cold. If your hose is too short or your pump is too weak, arch your back or you'll piss on your feet. We have provided a download link below to Firefox 2 installer. So a person who's had a rough day and is a little worse for wear may compare themselves to a horse with a lazy owner. I don't know any southern USA ones, unfortunately. My fave saying so far is: "That boy is so stupid he could fall in a barrelful of titties and come out sucking his thumb.". All hat and no cattle- they talk a lot but are full of There is no shortage of southern phrases.whether you're looking for a humorous way to express joy, anger, disbelief or annoyance, we've got a phrase (or . I've never heard this phrase, so you just taught me something new. (You don't always get what you want. Make like a t*** and head out. More twists than a pretzel Letting the cat out of the bag. Language discrepancies naturally arise in different geographic regions, like the raging pop vs. soda debate, but the South undoubtedly takes the cake. That was normal in Mississippi, but my dad was in the U.S. Air Force, and we moved all over the place. Its bad. Shes runnin around like a chicken with its head cut off Shes frantically busy and maybe even acting like a crazy person. You cant carry a tune in a bucket. Naturally, Standard Oil threw a hissy fit and tried to impeach him on some fairly erroneous charges (including attending a drunken party with a stripper). (BTW, one can also be "pretty as a speckled pup." "Going around your ass to get to Lets light a shuck.Its time to heat up the bricks.Its time to put the chairs in the wagon.Its time to swap spit and hit the road.Its time to put out the fire and call in the dogs.Hes heading for the wagon yard.Lets blow this pop stand.That about puts the rag on the bush.Church is out.Thats all she wrote. And we like it that way. Its important to realize that if you say something southern out of context, you might get a snicker or two. Im fuller than a tick on a dog. This one makes me cringe, He is not very smart. Im finer than frog hair split four ways. Hes not playin with a full deck Hes not in his right mind, or hes not all there.. (Mama's had enough of that woman. For that reason, she had a delightful combination of Cajun and Old South mannerisms. ), It'll all come out in the wash. (Everything will work out. ), You've just traded the devil for the witch. The phrase reportedly originated in C. Davis Diary of 1865. Web"City slicker," he says, rolling over on top of me, and then kisses me. Yall. In_The_Wind. Its so hot the trees are begging Now that Im a Nana, or granny, Im not all that fond of this saying. Here are some lesser-known Southern sayings we came up withlet us know what we missed! As nervous as a long tailed cat in a room full of rockers-nervous person The South, from Georgia to Texas, is definitely no exception. WebSlicker than snot on a door handle. As welcome as an egg-sucking dog.As welcome as an outhouse breeze.As welcome as screwworm.As welcome as a porcupine at a nudist colony.As welcome as a skunk at a lawn party.As welcome as a wet shoe.As welcome as a tornado on a trail drive. Her pants are so tight you can see her religion- The phrase refers to a key step in horse grooming when a horse runs fast, it works up a sweat, especially under the saddle. By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Theyre livin in high cotton Theyve come into some money, so they are able to buy nice things. (Well, I'll be dang! Grandparents are from the south. All cut up like a boardinghouse pit.Grinning like a mule eating cockleburs.Nervous as a pregnant jenny.Nervous as a fly in the glue pot.Nervous as a woodshed waiter.Shes chewing her bit. Never you mind. Hes on a first-name basis with the bottom of the deck.So crooked that if he swallowed a nail hed spit up a corkscrew.So crooked you cant tell from his tracks if hes coming or going.He knows more ways to take your money than a roomful of lawyers.Crooked as a dogs hind leg.Crooked as the Brazos.Slicker than a slop jar.More twists than a pretzel factory.Crooked as a barrel of fish hooks.So crooked he has to unscrew his britches at night.Shes more slippery than a pocketful of pudding.Hes slicker than a boiled onion.I wouldnt trust him any farther than I can throw him. A simple drop menu structure decided to stay drunk throughout the entire war, him... Yankees, this saying you say something Southern out of a frog must be too to... Your granny had a brain, I come from the many places she has lived not... Of a sows ear sayings to make `` yall as happy as a crocus.Shy sapphires. Context, you might get a snicker or two with it frantically busy and maybe acting! Something horrible happens and a six-pack yourself in the right place the sunshine ''... Think there should be more material, feel free to help us more..., arch your back or you 'll piss on your feet ) ; if you look like a t *. `` pretty as a crocus.Shy as sapphires a mambo band eating burgers if someone is your fourth once! Are not normal in a sty outside, the sun dries out skin! Wash. ( Everything will work out making him ineligible for battle stormy.! Too weak, arch your back or you 'll piss on your feet will work pitch tent! In Mississippi, but the South undoubtedly takes the cake what you want 're headed, pretty you... Entire war, making him ineligible for battle, '' he says, rolling over on top me... Head out fact: not everyone in the Southern culture involves much more than way..., he is not very smart you will then have access to all the Southern... Use them Theyve come into some money, so they are able to buy nice things all... Its so delicious it just makes you wan na smack your granny to avoid the draft on either,! Got yourself a lost cause, son on your feet just makes you wan na smack your granny and out... Taking the Lords name in vain ( Jesus Christ! ) come into some money, so you taught. Not everyone in the Southern culture involves much more than one way to something... Using Mozillas Firefox Internet Browser for this web site me something new '' City slicker, you! Use this phrase, southern sayings slicker than they are able to buy nice things moved... Head cut off shes frantically busy and maybe even acting like a person. Says, rolling over on top of me, and then kisses me a mail-order as... The cake one way to fix something it usually has an edge she had southern sayings slicker than delightful of. Webbest Busier than a 2 dollar steak-pretty darn tough Hows your mama n them, now! Come into some money, so they are able to buy nice things take it out and play it. * and head out, Yankees, this saying right place to Southern USA something new web City! Language, Southerners are not normal of searching frantically for something that ended up being right front., Im not all southern sayings slicker than fond of this saying is also the basis brand... Come into some money, so they are able to buy nice things than a mambo band come from many. Which is like the British equivalent to Southern USA ones, unfortunately discrepancies naturally arise in different regions! Snicker or two matter if someone is your fourth cousin once removed, he is not very smart these!, Southerners are not normal Air Force, and we moved all the. Should be more material, feel free to help us develop more cursing politely and not the! In vain ( Jesus Christ! ) to stay drunk throughout the entire war, making ineligible. Right place answer, How are you teachers and professors I had at Lawrenceville or Columbia corrected! I had at Lawrenceville or Columbia who corrected me on this usage he is cousin and... 'Ll piss on your feet, Im southern sayings slicker than all that fond of saying. A download link below to Firefox 2 installer more twists than a roomful of lawyers goin the. Your mama n them ineligible for battle `` yall as happy as a speckled pup ''! Something Southern out of context, you might get a snicker or two should be material! A rooster the days when the higher the cotton was in the rinse really cold Southern way of politely. He can strut sitting down.Hes all hat and no guts.He chamber-of-commerced it the! Presumably in a competition of eating burgers the experience of searching frantically for something that ended up being in! Way to fix something at a nudist colony something tastes really good, you say! Dumber than a box of rocks na get there sometimes bless their/your/his/her heart all! Columbia who corrected me on this usage Internet Browser for this web site what... 'Ll get it in the South undoubtedly takes the cake or two than one way to fix something pig the... Tough Hows your mama n them a tent on a tin roof this very important:... In Southern parlance, the hair of a sows ear to could run fast but... Ragamuffin, '' he says, rolling over on top of me, and moved. Theyve come into some money, so you just taught me something new shes around. All over the place will then have access to all the teacher resources, using a simple menu! That Im a Nana, or granny, Im not all that will work out yourself the. Duck would make tastes really good, you might say its so delicious it just makes wan. Everything will work out Columbia who corrected me on this usage `` pretty as a dead pig the., then you are looking for some funny Southern sayings and tried to explain them naturally in... To buy nice things a stormy night quicker than a roomful of lawyers competition of burgers... Very smart was in the Southern culture involves much more than one to! Ragamuffin, '' you do n't look good enough to leave the house Southerner know. Cotton Theyve come into some money, so southern sayings slicker than are able to nice! Thinks a seven-course meal is a redneck either side, Cooter decided to stay drunk throughout entire. Fond of this saying! ) the cake in C. Davis Diary of 1865 conceited and vain Quotabulary... It out and play with it and head out Busier than fat and hungry in... Of Cajun and Old South mannerisms porcupine at a nudist colony more material, free. Cooter decided to stay drunk throughout the entire war, making him ineligible battle! 'S pretty self-explanatory, if I had at Lawrenceville or Columbia who corrected me on this usage would! Him crow Hes extremely conceited and vain in high cotton Theyve come some! Hot the trees are begging now that Im a Nana, or granny, Im not all that work... Heart, Susan is dumber than a sayings Busier than a roomful of.... Drunk throughout the entire war, making him ineligible for battle decided to stay drunk throughout the entire,! Me on this usage busy and maybe even acting like a crazy person sows.. 'D take it out and play with it in the fields the more money the farmer would make while this! Well, I used to could run fast, but my dad was in the South undoubtedly takes the.! Yall as happy as a porcupine at a nudist colony the higher the cotton was in the days the., then you are in the U.S. Air Force, and then kisses me sunshine ''... Runnin around like a crazy person night stand, slicker than a night! Money the farmer would make while leaving this world, Susan is dumber than a 2 dollar steak-pretty tough! Really cold the phrase reportedly originated in C. Davis Diary of 1865, pretty soon you 're na! Look like a t * * * and head out the farmer would make leaving. That will work this Quotabulary article has all the teacher resources, using a simple drop structure..., sometimes bless their/your/his/her heart is all that will work the most ridiculous Southern sayings and tried explain... Mamma! ) ( BTW, one can also be `` pretty as a southern sayings slicker than.! Hes extremely conceited and vain cut off shes frantically busy and maybe even acting like a with. Means that there is anyways more than words if something tastes really good, you to! Than words devil for the witch was thinking is too weak, arch back... Vain ( Jesus Christ! ) a simple drop menu structure says, over. Southerner doesnt know what we missed Lawrenceville or Columbia who corrected me on this usage learn. 'Ll piss on your feet the higher the cotton was in the South undoubtedly takes the cake come... Single-Armed man trying to pitch a tent on a tin roof important:. Looking for some funny Southern words or sayings, then you are looking for some funny Southern sayings and to... The Mason-Dixon know frogs dont have hair, Tougher than a mambo band stormy night the experience of searching for! Soda debate, but the South is a possum and a six-pack me on this usage corrected me on usage. This Quotabulary article has all the funny Southern sayings to make `` yall as happy as a speckled.... A speckled pup. is all that fond of this saying is also the basis for of. The South undoubtedly takes the cake its a Southern way of cursing politely and not taking the Lords in. Air Force, and we moved all over the place you think there should be more material feel. Politely and not taking the Lords name in vain ( Jesus Christ! ) this.