Posted on 03/02/2023 10:26:46 AM PST by fidelis
Have you ever wondered what some of the most iconic Southern sayings actually mean?
Well, wonder no more, because we’re about to dive deep into 15 Southern sayings and their origins…
1. High On The Hog
If someone is living high on the hog, that means they’re enjoying a very luxurious lifestyle full of splendor and all manner of comforts. Living high on the hog can also mean that you’re living life to its fullest.
So where did this phrase come from? Well, the upper part of a hog contains the best quality meat. These are obviously the most expensive cuts of meat – far better than the lower knuckles and hocks.
2. Scarce As Hen’s Teeth
If something’s as scarce as hen’s teeth, you probably won’t have much luck finding it. This phrase is used to denote something that is extremely rare or in short supply.
Apparently, this phrase dates back to the civil war. This phrase sounds interesting, but there’s really not much to explain… Hen’s don’t have teeth, so that’s basically where this southern saying comes from!
3. You’re Slower Than Molasses In Winter!
Yes, this is an old Southern insult, and it doesn’t take a genius to figure out what it all means. The phrase can either refer to mental slowness or physical slowness… But if someone’s calling you this, it’s not a good sign!
The meaning is obvious – cold molasses pours very slowly! Try it out for yourself and see how long it takes to pour it out…
4. Like a Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
If you’re like a cat on a hot tin roof, you’re agitated and nervous to the point of almost hysteria.
This phrase also has a pretty obvious root. Cats don’t like uncertain ground, and a hot tin roof makes them even more jumpy than they already are. This phrase was also made famous by playwright Tennessee Williams, who used it as a title for a play.
5. A Hankering For
You’ve probably heard this one before. If you’ve got a hankering for something, it means that you’ve got a strong desire for it. For example, you might have a hankering for some fried chicken.
Well, where does the word “hankering” even come from? Believe it or not, this is actually a Dutch word which means “hang.” We’re not sure how it evolved into a word meaning desire… But it did!
6. Tarnation
This is another famous Souther exclamation that we’re sure many of our readers have heard, usually in a sentence like “What in tarnation?”
So what does tarnation even mean? Scholars believe that it evolved from a mixture of “eternal” and damnation.” Mix those words together, and you’re left with something like “tarnation.” Obviously, eternal damnation is something worth getting worked up over!
7. What In The Sam Hill?
This is another Southern expression that is used when people are surprised, angry, or feeling some kind of strong emotion. It’s an exclamation similar to “hell,” or other curse words.
So who was Sam Hill? Well, no one really knows. Depending on who you ask, he might have been a geologist, a millionaire, or even the devil himself. We’ll probably never know.
8. In High Cotton
If something is in high cotton, it’s very successful, profitable, or promising. For example, you might have a hot dog stand that’s in high cotton.
The meaning behind this phrase is also pretty obvious. If you have a crop of cotton and it’s growing high, then you’re in for some serious cash when harvest time rolls around. People in the south have a deep connection with farming, and this phrase shows how their culture is linked with agriculture.
9. Madder’n A Wet Hen
You probably don’t want to approach someone who’s “madder than a wet hen.” This means that they’re seriously angry, and they might even be throwing something of a hissy fit.
When hens were brooding (angry and troublesome), Southern farmers used to dunk them in cold water in an effort to make them snap out of this phase. By doing so, they could collect eggs more easily.
10. Have A Conniption
While some people get madder than a wet hen, those who have a conniption are on a different level. If you’re having a conniption, it means you’ve completely lost it. You’re hysterical, crazy, and off the rails.
Scholars believe that conniption is linked to the word “corruption.” Southerners long ago may have likened these tantrums to being corrupted by the devil!
11. That Old Dog Won’t Hunt
When someone says “that old dog won’t hunt,” what they’re really saying is that your idea is terrible. This is a phrase used by people who feel cynical and doubtful towards things. “That dog won’t hunt” is like saying “that’s not going to work.”
This piece of slang obviously roots from the use of hunting dogs. When dogs get too old or frail, they can’t hunt anymore, quite as odd as southern sayings can be.
12. Till The Cows Come Home
If you’re waiting till the cows come home, you’re waiting for a very long time. The phrase may even refer to things that will continue on forever – or at least until the foreseeable future.
Southerners are no strangers to cattle, and they know that cows can take a very long time to wander home once they get lost. That’s where this phrase comes from.
13. Can’t Never Could
Although this phrase is filled with negatives, it’s actually an example of positive thinking. This is like saying “you can’t get anything done without a positive attitude.” Or in other words, if you’re thinking about all the things you can’t do, you won’t be able to achieve much.
Southerners summed up this sentiment beautifully with the phrase: “Can’t never could!”
14. Fair To Middling
This is actually just a very complicated way of saying “Okay.” If you ask a Southerner how they’re doing and they say “fair to middling,” what they mean is that they’re doing all right. Not good or bad – just in the middle. The word “fair” is pretty obvious in its meaning. It means satisfactory or “so-so.” But what does “middling” mean? Apparently, it’s an old Scottish word which means “of average quality”, now part of the oddest southern sayings you will ever hear.
15. If The Creek Don’t Rise
This means that if everything continues to plan, things will be okay. It’s often said in a reassuring way, to calm people down and encourage them to keep on trying.
A rising creek could spell trouble, as it can lead to flooding and other issues.
Well there you have it! 15 odd Southern sayings, and their meanings and origins explained!
Very common in North Carolina..."Will you carry me to the store?" "I'm fixin to carry Mamma to the doctor."
Another one - the grocery cart is not a basket or a cart, it's a buggy.
If you are in a restaurant and you want a soda you order a coke. The waitress will ask "what kind of coke" meaning what kind of soda.
Y'all is singular. All y'all is plural. All y'all's is plural possessive.
“Can I carry you to the store?”
I was in a meeting about a computer system we were developing. I showed them some stats about how we could improve the system’s performance by adding an alternate index to a table in the database. I said I thought that would make it run like a scalded dog.
One of the guys started laughing and couldn’t stop. He said his friends ask him why he chooses to work in The South. He said “This is why !!!”
“in high cotton” is only half the phrase shitting in high cotton means its tall enough no-one can see you in other words you have got it made
Not a southernism but something that started in the 90s with vcrs.
PAUSE IT!
Every family member said as they ran to get something during a movie.
Later heard for stopping board games, and outdoor games and discussions
Most of us would know what the following means. It is a carryover from the role of horses in our culture.
“I need to see a man about a horse.”
I said this when I was in Mongolia, where the horse culture is very real. They laughed at me. Their version was:
I need to see a horse.”
Busier than a one armed paper hanger. Referring to hanging wall paper..
My father was in the US Marine Corps so maybe that’s where he picked up that saying.
That is what I understood.
Hot diggity dog! I always heard the older folk in the family say “My get and go done got up and went”. I’m now living that phrase.☺
One of my favorite is “ A shot between the wind and the water” meaning having sex! :)
“Another one - the grocery cart is not a basket or a cart, it’s a buggy.”
My buddy from Massachusetts calls it a buggy. Must be more of an East Coast thing, north or south.
From Alabama, and you’re right. To carry is to drive or bring somewhere.
Also, calling loved ones puddin or cove (close). As in “How you doing Puddin’?” or “We’been cove for all time.”
We also “chunk it” when we throw something away.
Also, salt-lick/ed. As in, “He was all salt-licked about that Tide game last night!”
Australians call American beer “Sex in a canoe”, or F#$%#% close to wata!”
I wonder if this isn’t a play on “ woulda, shoulda, coulda.” It is reference to some one who never gets anything done. Oh, I would have done that if you ask. Could have done it if I knew it needed doing. I should have done it. Etc. Always has an excuse.
My dad used to say “Fair to middlin, good Lord willing and the creek don’t rise”.
All racist
Southerners are racist
We should lop them off into their own nation
I’m sick of them
Please!
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