Can You Speak Country? and Other Old Wives Tales

Compiled by L. K. Thomas, descendant of the Phillips and other families of this region

I feel pretty confident that my mother would not object to my use of the term “old wives tales” regarding her sayings. After nearly 50 years of marriage, she herself will admit to being an “old wife”. These are some of her sayings and those of country people that I grew up hearing as well as a smattering of political opinions.

Regarding the Women’s Lib movement of the 1970’s:

“What do we need Womens Lib for? Women in Kentucky have been liberated forever. He sat on the front porch and whittled and spit and she did everything else! We don’t need equal rights to work, we need equal rights to NOT work!” (This of course was said with her sly grin.)

Regarding hunger:

“What, are your big’uns eating’ your little’uns?”

or

“my stomach thought my throat was cut.”

Regarding ugliness:

“He wasn’t hit with the ugly stick, they used the whole forest!”

Interpretations for country expressions:

“y’all”- you all, a contraction for the plural you, see tu & vous in French, and die & der in German

“He’s really showin’ hisself.”- A show-off, a braggard

“I’m gonna go run him down.”- go find him

“I don’t care to do that.”- I don’t mind.

“I got a pone come up on my leg.”- a swollen place, a lump

“sweet milk”- regular milk as opposed to buttermilk

“sorghum”- molasses

“chaw”- noun for chewing tobacco

“do you chew”- use chaw

“tree of knowledge”- usually located near the downtown courthouse, a place where men of the area gather to “whittle and spit” and “jaw”.

“whittle & spit”- carve away the bark from a twig, for no good reason and spit tobacco juice while “jawing”

“jaw”- talk about inane things

“got me a coon and went a-huntin'”- refers to a hunting dog, a beagle usually as opposed to a “bird dog”- a retriever

“heffer”- 1) a type of cow 2) a really fat woman

“dinner”- lunch the noon meal, as opposed to the 5:00 pm repast called “supper”

“Ford or Chevy”- the only two types of trucks that exist; a Ford man hates Chevies and vice versa

“fern or ferner”- someone not born and raised in the area. A newcomer after 50 years

“holler”-1) a valley between two hills 2) yelling at someone 3)a phone call

“put the nanny out in the yard”- not a childcare giver, but a goat

“picking ’em up and puttin’ ’em down”- moving quickly

“big ol’ hoss”- a really big man

“back door trots”, “green apple two step”- diarrhea

“rode hard and put away wet”= worse for wear, tired, poor grooming, old for their age

“all gaumed up”- messed up badly

“if’n I feel the spirit to”- an urge or desire to do something

“pony up”- pay what you owe

“bring me down there”- take me

“learn me that”- teach me

Regarding unexpected company:

“Well, if I’d a know’d you was a-comin’, I’d a baked a cake.” (Tone determines how welcome the guest.)

A reply to “How are you?”:

“Well, I was doin’ alright, but I got over it.”

“Sixes and sevens.”- doing all right

“puttin’ one foot right in front of the other’n”- okay

“Lord, if I was doin’ any better, they’d hafta shoot me.”- Not bad.

“Can’ complain, but…”(complaint to follow) “Meeces to pieces!”- Great!

“I bin good”- fine

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Source: http://www.geocities.com/heartland/estates/1892/tales.htm (via the Internet Archive)