If you like to occasionally take a scroll through Twitter, you’ll probably recognize this meme that took the world by storm:
But the “What in Tarnation” meme doesn’t even begin to capture the full spectrum of southern vocabulary. Here are some southern expressions that all of you southern belles and beaux should recognize. (And, believe it or not, not everything in the south is a simile.)
1. "You're Bein' Ugly"
Don't worry if your southern friends say this to you, they're not actually saying that you're an eyesore. They just mean that you need to adjust your attitude, because you're probably being pretty dang rude. "Ugly" to us can be used as another word for "mean".
2. "I'll Swanee"
This is kind of a way to say, "I don't believe it," or, "Oh my goodness." It was actually originally intended to be a way to avoid saying the Lord's name in vain. (Because Lord knows y'all need Jesus.)
3. "You're Tellin' a Story"
This is a polite way to call you out on your lies. Only in the south can you call someone a liar with class and charm.
4. "Carry On, Then"
If anyone southern says this to you, especially your mom, stop doing what you're doing immediately. She's daring you to keep going and see just what she'll do to you if you continue being an idiot.
5. "Playin' Possum"
If someone says, "You're playin' possum," they know you're pretending to be asleep just to avoid them.
6. "Raisin' Cain"
This basically means that you're being too loud, too obnoxious, too rowdy, too everything. You need to just calm down and stop trying to stir up trouble.
7. "You Sorry Rascal"
If you've ever been called a "sorry rascal" it was probably because you did something sneaky and underhanded. You sorry rascal, you.
8. "Too Big For Your Britches"
This is what you say to vain and prideful people, because their egos are so big that they can't even fit in their own pants.
To my fellow southerners, life can be hard when no one understands your southern similes and wit. But not everyone is as blessed as we are to have been born and raised in the south.
And to everyone else, these sayings are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to southern expressions, but hey, now you know something other than "Bless your heart" and "What in tarnation" right
