I Know I Talk Funny!
January 18, 2012 in Bill Shiver Articles
I talk Southern. I can’t help it. Make that I cain’t hep it. Southerners talk Southern. If you ain’t from
‘round here just get over it. Up here in the North Georgia Mountains folks talk like I do. That made me feel at home real quick.
They say “pert near” a lot. Like “we’re pert near finished with the porch.” I know exactly what they mean but some transplants from other zip codes look at them kinda funny like.
We say “raise sand.” Like “If we don’t go to church tomorrow Mama gon’ raise sand.”
I’ve always liked “an-em.” This is one of the golden Southern sayings. We say “ we gon’ eat supper with Mama an-em.” Meaning of course Mama and the whole kit and kaboddle.
We say “fixin” a lot too. Like “I’m fixin to go to town.” Another version of this one is “I’m fixin to get ready to go to town.” I never figured how one could fix to get ready but we all have said it.
We Southerners also do a lot of reckoning. Like “reckon why it ain’t rained lately.” I reckon spending time reckoning why is a good use of our time as any.
We call rich people “big dogs.” We say “if you cain’t keep up with the big dogs you mights well stay under the porch.”
There are many Southernese things I’ve never understood but I say ‘em anyhow. Like “who in the Sam Hill is that?” The first question is who is Sam Hill? Nobody seems to know. Also there’s “I don’t know him from Adam’s housecat.” I didn’t know Adam had a house much less a cat.
“Crazier than a bedbug.” This begs the question exactly how crazy is a bedbug. Have studies been done on this. Knowing Congress they probably have.
If somebody says “you’re plum crazy” they really, really mean it.
Of course, the mainstay of Southern Speak is “Y’all.” Without Y’all we couldn’t carry on a conversation. Y’all would just stand around mute and never utter a word. Folks would think y’all was plum crazy or somethin’.
I’m proud to be Southern and if I talk funny to some folk I figure that’s their problem. Y’all know what I’m saying and that’s all that counts. Til the cows come home.
Bill Shiver also has Outdoors Central Hunting and Fishing
