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25 Slang Sayings Every Southerner Knows And Uses Daily

Oh honey, bless your heart.

Symaira Bolden

Feb 27, 2017

High Point University

2675

25 Slang Sayings Every Southerner Knows And Uses Daily

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Now honey, don't get caught with your pants down when you hear some southern slang and you don't know what it means.

As someone who is from the South and goes to a school overrun by Northerners, I'm constantly asked to define what I say. You're not a real Southerner unless you know and love this list and are a fixin' to use at least one of these in a day.

This article covers the metaphors, words, and overall Southern slang. By the end of this article, you'll be happier than a pig in the mud and you won't have to ask why people keep blessing your heart because your Southern heart knows these all! This isn't your first rodeo.

Southern Metaphors/Sayings

1. I'm shaking like a pansy in a summer storm: shaking a lot

2. This ain't my first rodeo: not naive; experienced in ____; done this before

3. Sweatin' like a sinner in church: sweating a lot; nervous; worried

4. As useless as a screen door on a submarine: useless; worthless; not Needed

5. Butter me up and call me a biscuit: surprised; amazed

6. I don't have a dog in that fight: don't have chance; no stake in the outcome

7. They couldn't hit the broadside of a barn: poor aim; missed something obvious

8. To hell in a hand basket: describe a situation that is headed towards disaster

9. Nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs: extremely nervous

10. Knee-high to a grasshopper: a way to describe growth; very small or young

Southern Words/Slang

1. Ain't: are Not.

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

2. Yonder: far away; a way to describe distance.

"She lives just over yonder near the creek."

3. Fixin' to: about to do something; thinking about doing something

"I'm fixin' to start studying for my test this week."

4. Cattywampus: crooked

"Did you hang that picture up? It's cattywampus."

5. Piddlin': wasting time; dawdling

"He wasted the day piddlin' around."

6. Y'all: you all

"Will y'all hurry up?"

7. Buggy: shopping cart

"Can you get me a buggy so we can get groceries?"

8. Clicker: TV Remote

"Hand me the clicker, I want to watch the TV."

9. Coke: soda, no matter the brand

"Can I have a coke?"

"What kind?"

10. Reckon: to think about something; a conjecture or prediction

"I reckon that I should closing up shop."

11. Tan your hide: spanking

"If you don't stop being loud, I'm gonna tan your hide."

12. Bawlin': crying

"Poor thing has been bawlin' her eyes out all day."

13. Hickory Switch: a small branch or limb from a tree used for discipline

"You're gonna get a whuppin' with a hickory switch."

14. Raisin' cain: causing problems; raising hell; yelling

"All of a sudden, he just starting raisin' cain."

15. Bless your heart: it is charming, cute, baffling how stupid you are

"Oh honey, bless your heart. You're just so clumsy that you couldn't stand in a cleared 10-acre field."

Well, sweetheart, that's it. That is the general understand of southern dialect. Now sure, there are some on here that you may hear more than others and you may not hear any at all, but at least I got you prepared for the southern world. You can now walk proudly through the Southern states and not have everyone bless your heart when you walk by.

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.

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25 Slang Sayings Every Southerner Knows And Uses Daily

Oh honey, bless your heart.

Southern Metaphors/Sayings

Southern Words/Slang

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You are fun, but firm.

"Getting drunk with your best friends is an experience in and of itself. It takes us on wild and ridiculous adventures with the people we trust with our lives."

The Mother Hen

The Instigator

The One Who Always Texts Her Ex

The Shakira

The Philosopher

The Reluctant Homebody

The MMA Fighter

The "I'm Not Even Drunk!" Girl

The Joey Tribbiani

The Horny Toad

The Aspiring Rapper

It's so rude that we have finals.

1. When you look at your finals schedule and become immediately overwhelmed:

2. When your professor says that the final is only going to be short answer questions:

3. When you text your parents to tell them that you're going to have a mental breakdown and drop out of college and they're just like:

4. When you're trying to study with friends, but then you realize that you haven't gotten anything done:

5. Then you just end up going on your phone.

6. When you're two weeks away from finals and your professor tells you that you should probably start studying now:

7. When you sit down to take your final and the first question hits you like:

8. When you start the practice problems and you're just like:

9. When you're in your final and find a question that you actually know the answer to:

10. When that one annoying kid in your class says that the final was super easy and they aced it:

11. When you come back from your 7:30 a.m. final and crash:

12. When your professor tries to teach you new material a week before the final:

13. When you decide to eat away the pain that is finals week by ordering massive amounts of food:

14. Filling out course evaluations for that one difficult professor like:

15. When it's right before your first final and you're just like:

16. When your professor tells that you the final is cumulative:

17. When the kid next to you keeps looking over at your test:

18. Looking back on the outfits that you wore during finals week like:

19. When it's been two hours and you've only gotten through five notecards:

20. When you finally make it to the end of the week:

There's always chaos in the restaurant business.

Anytime you turn a corner the words "corner!" without you even realizing.

People are amazed at how professional you are when speaking to strangers, or on the phone

When we say "table 17 is on a bus", table 17 isn't LITERALLY on a bus.

You understand the frustration of the functions of another existing restaurant when going out to eat.

When you repeat the same spiel 40 times you start to sound like a lifeless robot.

The rush of prime dinner service. The chaos is riveting.

You have "that guy" at a table that makes you want to pull your hair out.

Getting stiffed an entire tip is worse than dealing with a difficult human being.

When you're sitting in a restaurant you don't dare interrupt your servers table presentation.

At the end of the night, you take the first opportunity you get to take a seat.

Not everything you learn in college can be found in a textbook.

Your self control and motivation directly correlate to how close the end of the semester is.

Group projects seem to be something created by the devil himself.

Remember when you were young and you knew everything there was to know? Wrong: you knew nothing.

If there is free food offered - go!

Never believe a professor when they tell you "Don't worry, this won't be on the test."

If you want a relationship with someone, it will take effort.

Check your email before you trudge all the way to class to find out it is cancelled.

You do not need a ton of friends, just a couple of really good ones.

Take the time to do what you love.

Every Saturday you will avoid doing homework like it is the plague. When Sunday rolls around you will complain that you have way too much stuff to do and not enough time to do it.

Your college experience is what you make of it.

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