AACit: Thats it. “Ah (I) dont wanna hear no more about it. ACit as far as Ahm concerned.”
Addled: Confused, disoriented, as in the case of Northern sociologists who try to make sense out of the South. “Whats wrong with that Yankee? He acts right addled.”
AD-dress: Where you live. “Whats your AD-dress, honey?”
A-DRESS: What women look very good in. “Jeans are nice, but Id rather see a woman in a-DRESS.”
Afar: In a state of combustion. “Call the far department. That house is afar.”
Ah: The things you see with, and the personal pronoun denoting individuality. “Ah think Ahve got somethin in mah ah.”
Ah magine: The first word means yourself—or as Southerners say, “yosef”—and the second is an expression of intent or belief. “Ah magine shes bout the sweetest gull (girl) in Jeff Davis County.”
Ahce: Solidified liquid that is best employed in the cooling of mint juleps and aged bourbon. “This dry ink (drink) needs more ahce in it.”
Ahdin: I didnt. “Ahdin know the gun was loaded, Judge.”
Ahmoan: An expression of intent. “Ahmoan have a little drink. You want one?”
Ahr: What we breathe, also a unit of time made up of 60 minutes. “They shouldve been here about an ahr ago.”
Ahreen: A ladys name. “You remember that song that was popular during the Korean War? ‘Goodnight Ahreen?”
Aig: A breakfast food that may be fried, scrambled, boiled or poached. “Which came first, the chicken or the aig?”
Ails: 1. Else. “Warnt nothin, maam. Anybody ails would have done the same thing.” 2. To be ill or afflicted by something. “That mule sure is actin strange. Wonder what ails him?”
Aint: The sister of your mother or father. “Son, go over and give Aint Bea a big hug.”
Airish: Drafty, cool. “Dont leave that door open. Its too airish already.”
Airs: Mistakes. “That shortstops made two airs, and the games not half over yet.”
All Ah wanna do is hold you a little, is all: One of the most brazen, outrageous lies Southern men tell women, and always with the utmost sincerity. “All Ah wanna do is hold you a little, is all, honey.”
All over hell and half of Georgia: Covering a large area. “Ahve looked for that boy all over hell and half of Georgia.”
Alms: What beggars ask for, but what Southern men hold their girls with. “Ah just want to put my alms around you a little, is all.”
AMbolance: A four-wheeled vehicle used to convey the injured to a hospital. “That boys hurt bad. Better call an AMbolance.”
Ar: Possessive pronoun. “Thats ar dawg, not yours.”
Argy: To dispute in a contentious manner. “Ah told you to take your bath, boy, and Ahm not gonna stand here and argy with you about it.”
Arkensaw: A Southern state some Yankees have been known to confuse with Kansas, even though the two have nothing whatever to do with each other. “Shes from Little Rock, Arkensaw.”
Arn: An electrical instrument used to remove wrinkles from clothing. “Ahm not gonna arn today. Its too hot.”
Arrer: A pointed stick the Indians used to employ with great efficiency, as General George Custer discovered at Little Big Horn. “Ah shot an arrer into the ahr...”
Arshtaters: A staple of the Irish diet and the source of French fries. “Ah like arshtaters, but Ah hate to peel em.”
Arthuritis: A painful illness characterized by stiffening of the joints and paralysis. “Grandmas arthuritis is botherin her real bad today.”
Ary: Not any. “He hadnt got ary cent.”
Ast: To interrogate or inquire, as when a revenue agent seeks information about illegal moonshine stills. “Dont ast me so many questions. It makes me mad.”
At: That. “Is at your car?”
Attair: Contraction used to indicate the specific item desired. “Pass me attair gravy, please.”
Awduh: A state of affairs that depends on obedience to law. “The marshal brought law and awduh to this town.”
Awf: The opposite of on. “Take your muddy feet awf the table.”
Awficer: A policeman. “Well, Awficer, Ah guess Ah might have been goin a little over the speed limit, but...”
Awfis: The place where men say they have to work late and sometimes actually do. “Go ahead and have supper without me, honey. Ah have to work late at the awfis.”
Awfullest: The worst. “Thats the awfullest lie you ever told me in your life.”
Awl: An amber fluid used to lubricate engines. “Ah like that car, but it sure does use a lot of awl.”
Awraht: Okay. “If you want to go back home to your mother, thats awraht with me.”
AY-rab: The desert people who inhabit much of North Africa but not much of Israel. “That fella looks like a AY-rab, dont he?”
B
Babdist: A religious denomination whose members are found in great profusion throughout the South. They are against drinkin and dancin, but...“Ah hear the Babdist preacher run off with the choir director.”
Bad-mouth: To disparage or derogate. “All these candidates have bad-mouthed each other so much Ahve about decided not to vote for any of em.”
Bad off: Desperately in need of, also extremely ill. 1. “Is that Valley of the Dolls? You must be bad offfor somethin to read.” 2. “Jims in the hospital. Hes bad off.”
Bad to: Inclined toward, prone to. “Johnnys bad to get in fights when he gets drunk.”
Bait: A surfeit of. “Ah hope you get a bait of them spareribs, cause youve et about all of em.”
Bard: To obtain the use of, not always on a temporary basis. “He bard mah shovel and never did bring it back.”
Batry: A boxlike device that produces electricity. “Looks like your cars got a dead batry.”
Bawl: What water does at 212 degrees Fahrenheit. “That gal caint even bawl water without burnin it.”
Baws: Your employer. “The baws may not always be right, but hes always the baws.”
Bawstun: The largest city in Massachusetts. “King George III didnt like the Bawstun Tea Party much.”
Beholden: Indebted to. “Ahm beholden to you for loanin me that five dollars.”
Best: Another baffling Southernism that is usually couched in the negative. “You best not speak to Cecil about his car. He just had to spend $300 on it.”
Bidness: The art of selling something for more than you paid for it. “My cousin Archie is in the real estate bidness.”
Bleeve: Expression of intent or faith. “Ah bleeve we ought to go to church this Sunday.”
Bobbuh: One who cuts hair. “Ah wish youd go to a different bobbuh.”
Bobbycue: A delectable Southern sandwich that is prepared properly only in certain parts of North Carolina. It consists of chopped pork, cole slaw and a fiery sauce made chiefly of vinegar, red pepper and ketchup. “Four bobbycues to go, please.”
Bobwar: A spiky strand of metal used to keep cattle inside an enclosed space. “Watch out, youll get caught on that bobwar.”
Body: Person, usually an oblique reference to yourself. “A body cant get a minutes peace around this house.”
Bound to: Certain to. “Too much beer is bound to give you a hangover.”
Bounden determined: Totally committed to a course of action, not always the wisest. “Shes bounden determined to marry him.”
Bout: About, except in Tidewater, Virginia, where it is pronounced “aboot.” “Its bout time to put out the fire and call in the dawgs.”
Bowut: In Charleston, South Carolina, a small craft that conveys one across water. “Wheres the motor for this bowut?”
Boy: Any Southern white male under the age of 50, usually preceded by the words “good ole,” meaning he is amiable, likes a drink now and then and is fond of fishin, huntin and good--lookin women. “Clarence is a good ole boy.”
Braht: Dazzling. “Venus is a braht planet.”
Branch: Part of a tree, but also what you use to cross a body of water. “Well cross that branch when we come to it.”
Break bad: To behave in a violent, wanton or outrageous manner for no discernible reason. “Ole Bill broke bad last night and wound up in jail.”
Break of: To induce the abandonment of an undesirable trait or habit. “Ahm gonna break that husband of mine of lyin to me if its the last thing Ah do.”
Bub: A fragile glass object that converts electricity into illumination. “Ah think that light bubs burnt out.”
Bud: Small feathered creature that flies. “A robin sure is a pretty bud.”
Bum: An explosive device dropped from airplanes called bummers. “Ah think we ought to drop the atomic bum on em.”
Bumminham: The biggest city in Alabama. “You can travel cross this entire land, they aint no place like Bumminham.”
C
Caint: Cannot. “Ah just caint understand why this checkbook wont balance.”
Carry: To convey from one place to another, usually by automobile. “Can you carry me down to the store in yo car?”
Cawse: Cause, usually preceded in the South by the adjective “lawst” (lost). “The War Between the States was a lawst cawse.”
Cayut: A furry animal much beloved by little girls but detested by adults when it engages in mating rituals in the middle of the night. “Be sure to put the cayut outside before you go to bed.”
Cent: The plural of cent. “You paid five dollars for that necktie? Ah wouldnt give fifty cent for it.”
Chalstun: A city in South Carolina that Yankees call the Cradle of Secession. “Ah dont know why theyre so upset. All we wanted was Fort Sumter back.”
Cheer: A piece of furniture used for sitting. “Pull up a cheer and set a spell.”
Chekatawlfarya?: An expression that is rapidly disappearing because of the gasoline shortage, but one that still may be heard by baffled Yankees at service stations in small Southern towns. It translates as “Check that oil for you?”
Chimbley: What smoke comes out of. “Ah bleeve that chimbleys stopped up.”
Chitlins: It is said that there are two things you should never see being made: laws and sausages. Chitlins are another. Chitlins, which can smell up the whole county when being cooked, are boiled and fried hog intestines. Delicious, if you can forget what they are. “Ahll have another plate of them chitlins.”
Chunk: To throw. “Chunk it in there, Leroy. Ole Leroy sure can chunk at ball, cant he? Best pitcher we ever had.”
Claws: An appendage to a legal document. “Youd be advised to study that claws very carefully.”
Clawth: A woven material from which clothes are made. “Let me have three yards of that clawth, please.”
Clone: A type of scent men put on themselves. “Whats that clone you got on, honey?”
Co-cola: The soft drink that started in Atlanta and conquered the world. “Ah hear they even sell Co-cola in Russia.”
Collards: A variety of kale, also known as greens. Southerners love them cooked with fatback, also known as the bacon that didnt quite make it. “Pass the collards, please.”
Collie flare: A crisp white vegetable that is surprisingly good once you get past the appearance. “Lots of boxers have collie flare ears.”
Comin up a cloud: An approaching storm. “Stay close to the house. Its comin up a cloud.”
Commence to: To start or engage in some activity. “They got in a argyment, and the next thing you know, they commence to fight.”
Commite nigh: To come very close to. “When -Sue--Ann caught her husband kissin that waitress from the Blue Moon, she commite nigh killin him.”
Contrack: A legal document, usually heavily in favor of the party who draws it up. “Its just a standard contrack...just sign right here.”
Contrary: Obstinate, perverse. “Cecils a fine boy, but she wont have nothin to do with him. Shes just contrary, is all Ah can figure.”
Cooter: A large turtle found in Southern streams that supplemented many Dixie diets when the Yankees came down during Reconstruction and carried off everything that wasnt bolted down. “Goin to the hardware store? Get me some cooter hooks.”
Costes: The price of something. “Dont buy lettuce if it costes too much.”
Crawss: The symbol of Christianity. “Ah love to hear em sing ‘The Ole Rugged Crawss.”
Crine: Weeping. “Whats that girl crine about?”
Cuss: Profane language, or a malediction. “The Hope Diamond has got a cuss on it.”
Cut awf: To switch off. “Its too bright in here, honey. Why dont we cut awf that light bub?”
Cut the fool: To behave in a silly or foolish manner. “Quit cuttin the fool and do your homework.”
Cyst: To render aid. “Can Ah cyst you with those packages, maam?”