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Southern Phrases That Others Need A Dictionary For

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Southern America is known for a plethora of unique cultural aspects. There’s the homestyle cuisine, love for football, and the slang that makes you wonder if they’re speaking another language. There’s a ton of southern phrases over yonder that the folks from states like Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia seamlessly embed into their diction. East coast and west coast citizens might have a hard time deciphering what these words mean when they hear them. No worries, go through and teach yourself these phrases from the south and you’ll be an expert in no time.

“Aren’t You Precious”

blonde staring
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Another characteristic that’s prominent in the south is hospitality. Southerners love being polite and will disguise insults as compliments. Keep this in mind for whenever you hear “aren’t you precious,” because it could be loaded with sarcasm.

They’ll usually say it after a person has done something questionable or if they’ve been offended. You’ll rarely hear it relayed with the conventional connotation that people everywhere else are accustomed to. Did you just call someone dumb? Well, aren’t you precious?

“Reckon”

reckon southern phrase

We reckon it’s time to teach you about this word. If you’re having a conversation with someone and you give your thoughts and opinions, then chances are that other person will chime in.

That’s when they kick off their spiel with “I reckon.” In most cases, this southern word substitutes in place of I believe, imagine, suppose, and think. We reckon that these southern phrases aren’t too hard to understand, wouldn’t you agree? Reckon also becomes catchy once you start using it.

“Over Yonder”

pointing at something

What’s that over there? Over where? Over yonder! If you’re visiting in the south and ask for directions, someone might use the phrase “over yonder.” The word yonder might be a phrase you aren’t used to, but used in the correct context and it isn’t tough to decipher.

Bottom line, it translates to over there. A friendly point might be attached to the phrase to aid in which direction “yonder” is, so don’t be too baffled if you hear this.

“See To Christmas”

skirt

You’d have to some type of supervision to be able to see to Christmas. Luckily, that’s not what this phrase means. If you’re a woman and you go to a family event wearing a skirt that might be a little short, then chances are you might hear this slang.

You think your outfit is perfectly fine until your grandmother sees it. That’s when she flares her nostrils, slightly offended at the length of your skirt, and says she can “see to Christmas!” All it means is that your garment might be a little too revealing.

“Being Ugly”

you should stop

Don’t worry, you’re not unattractive. Southerners just have a way with words and will tell you that you’re being ugly if you’re acting unacceptably. Similar to when you get hungry, and you start to have an attitude with people, that’s when you’re being ugly.

If you want to adopt this phrase, be careful who you use it with and around whom. Folks might start to think you’re calling people rough, when all you want them to do is switch up their attitude.

“Sweating More Than A Sinner In Church”

Sometimes, the sun can be rude to the inhabitants of Earth. We didn’t ask for it to feel like we’re slowly descending into the pit of an active volcano. Maybe the air conditioner just broke, and it’s the hottest day of the summer, and you’re stuck inside.

In any of those scenarios, you will be sweating more than a sinner in church. That’s a southern phrase that implies those who do no good feel the heat when they go to church.

“Pretty As A Peach”

pretty as a peach southern phrase

Sometimes a woman might look dashing to the eye, and you wish to compliment her. Sure, a simple “you look nice” or “how beautiful” can suffice, but in the south, there’s a different phrase.

Southerners will tell her she looks pretty as a peach. It’s not to be taken in the literal sense, it’s just a short and sweet way of saying a girl how nice she looks. Ladies, next time you frequent the south, don’t be alarmed.

“Hissy Fit”

young baby screaming

This phrase might be more on the universal side, but you hear it more in the south. If you’ve ever seen a young kid throw a temper tantrum after they’ve been denied that piece of candy, then you know how wild he or she can get.

That would be a prime example of a hissy fit. It’s a handy phrase, and as we said, it’s spread beyond the diction of southerners. Folks on the west, east and everywhere in between use it as well.

“Fixin’ To”

fixin to slang

Has anyone ever told you to do something that you already planned on doing? It happens all the time, and southerners have a neat phrase to use a response. It’s simple and only two words: fixin’ to.

“Hey, what are you about to do?” “Well, I’m fixin’ to do the dishes then go for a six-mile run.” See, there’s nothing to it. Unless you’re really fixin’ to “fix” something, this usually just means you’re about to do something.

“Too Big For Your Britches”

too big for them

Southerners typically call their undergarments and pants britches. If you hear the phrase, you’re too big for your britches, that doesn’t mean you’re overweight at all (unless the person is disrespectful). Instead, it means someone might be getting ahead of themselves.

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Being too big for your britches indicates that you think too highly of yourself. For example, challenging what your parents say when you’re young will make you too big for your britches, and you might be disciplined.

“Full As A Tick”

full as a tick eating food

We all know that feeling of getting too full after eating a delicious meal. You feel it even more if it’s a homecooked meal, because who cooks better than your parents? Your belly is on the verge of blowing up, so what do you say?

You utter the words “I’m full as a tick.” If you don’t live in tick county, after they enjoy a healthy dose of blood, they can quickly balloon up. It might not be the most inviting thing to visualize, but it’s accurate.

“Hold Your Horses”

bella-hadid.0

Hold your horses! That doesn’t mean to go to your barn and grab hold of your precious animal. This is another common phrase that might not throw you off guard, and it simple to grasp.

If you ever hear this slang, someone is trying to tell you to simmer down and wait. Sometimes, people can get anxious and become impatient, simply ask them to hold their horses and hopefully, they’ll listen to your kind request.

“If The Creek Don’t Rise”

if the creek don't rise

Having a busy life can put a damper on your social plans. People might invite you places, and no matter how badly you want to go, you can’t guarantee your appearance. Southerners have the perfect phrase for this situation.

Take these older gentlemen you see in the picture. Say they meet every Tuesday at the same time, but one of them wishes to do something else on the upcoming Thursday. The other might have plans that night with his nephew, but it isn’t in stone yet. That’s when he’ll say, “Well, Jim, if the creek don’t rise, I’ll be there.” It’s just slang for we’ll see what I can do, but no guarantees.

“Yankee”

yankee slang

If you aren’t from the south, then there’s a chance someone from there might throw this term at you. You don’t have to enjoy baseball or even be a fan of the Yankee’s to earn this title.

If someone calls you a Yankee, it merely means they assume you’re from the north, or you act like it. Yankee became popular in the south during the Civil War as a means to refer to Union soldiers.

“Barking Up The Wrong Tree”

barking up the wrong tree phrase

You’ve probably heard this phrase before but didn’t know it originates from the south. People put themselves in situations that have them barking up the wrong tree all the time. Most of the time, you don’t even recognize it until someone else tells you.

Generally, you’re barking up the wrong tree when you speak on a matter you’re not too versed in or if you assume the wrong thing. “If you think I’m going to give you $100, then you’re barking up the wrong tree.”

“Cattywampus”

what is a cattywampus

When you first read this word and hear it, you might be thinking it’s ridiculous. The more you say it, however, you’ll want to indulge it even more because it sounds so fun.

Cattywampus has nothing to do with cats. It means that something is sideways or out of sorts. If you have a painting in your living room and it tilts a little to the right, a southerner will say that it’s quite cattywampus and that you should straighten it.

“Till The Cows Come Home”

grazing in the field

You might not own a farm, but the phrase till the cows come home can still apply to you. If someone you know who usually takes a long time tells you he or she will be right back, deep down, you know that’s not the case.

You’ll be waiting till the cows come home for that person. The southern phrase implies that your wait time won’t be short and that you should be prepared to do something else in the meantime.

“No Bigger Than A Minnow In A Fishing Pond”

no bigger than a minnow in a fishing pond

Southerners like using their metaphors and euphemisms! This phrase is pretty straight forward but might cause some confusion. If you’re telling a story and you need to describe something small, what would you say?

If you’re from the south, then you’re going to say it was no bigger than a minnow in a fishing pond. The goal when fishing is to get something of decent size, but sometimes you reel in some of those minnows that pale in comparison to the bass.

“Three Sheets To The Wind”

three sheets to the wind

If you’ve gotten drunk before, then more than likely this phrase could have been applied to you. When you’ve had one too many drinks, but you swear to your friends that you’ll be fine, they might not agree.

Ten minutes later and you’re standing on the bar asking for the bartender’s number. You’ve for sure had too much alcohol and the phrase three sheets to the wind certainly applies. This phrase has nautical roots but is used commonly in the south today. A “sheet” is a rope that’s unmoored and is flailing about wildly in the wind, just like a drunk person.

“Madder Than A Wet Hen”

serena is mad
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We’ve never encountered a wet hen, but this slang term has nothing to do with them. If you hear that a woman is “madder than a wet hen,” you shouldn’t press any of her buttons. There’s no telling what she’s capable of doing when enraged.

Remember, “hell has no fury like a woman scorned.” If you can remember that, then you will be comfortable remembering what the southern phrase madder than a wet hen means.

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