Tell Me

[Victoriana 10]

I want to know about all the wierd colloquailisms we have in the United States. I know a few but I think it would be interesting to hear about more and to know where in the country the saying comes from..

I never heard of opening a can of whoopass untill Dr. Phil said it and he says a lot of those things.

My mom from Alabama used to say "gimme some sugar" and we knew she wanted a kiss, so how bout it America, what do you say that is only pertinant to your area of the States?

[edieparks 2]

I moved to KY and I notice some call mutts a "sooner".

It comes from the dog would sooner be here or sooner be there.

In IN they call them (mutts) Heinz 57's.

edie

[Carlene 12]

My mom from Alabama used to say "gimme some sugar" and we knew she wanted a kiss, so how bout it America, what do you say that is only pertinant to your area of the States?

We use the "sugar kisses" thing in Texas, too. My DH has two nieces, raised in the DC area, who thought he was STRANGE when they were growing up because he would greet them with, "Come here and gimme some sugar." The oldest one is in her 40's and a partner in a KC law firm and she STILL talks about that.

In my family, and it may not be a Texas thing, because my family came from Ireland by way of Tennessee and Kentucky, I can remember:

Pretty is as pretty does

Little pictures (or could be "pitchers") have big ears

Loblolly (that's an area where Water stands and makes a squishy mess)

Happy as a pig in slop

Hug my neck (goes with "gimme some sugar", kind of)

Pretty as a spotted pup (somehow that never made me feel attractive....wonder why?)

Two wrongs don't make a right

Don't you sass me, young lady

Can't seem to get my plow in the ground (means you are sluggish in the morning)

Hell fire and damnation (this was as close as my mother ever came to swearing)

Bless your heart (with sarcasm, it might be "Well....bless your little heart.")

Way far yonder (this cracks my Yankee friends up)

Ya'll (of course) (Ya'll come back now, ya hear?")

Pretty please, with sugar on top

Football mums (a Texas homecoming tradition that goes back at least 50 years and consists of a huge, tacky, and very expensive corsage)

In Texas, if we are talking about a soft drink - any brand of soft drink - we say "Coke".

And we have a ro-DEE-o, as opposed to a ro-DAY-o. (Likewise, our creeks rhyme with "meek", not "chick".)

In Texas, we are always "fixin' to"...."I'm fixin' to go to the store."

And we put things up, rather than putting them "away".

"I'm fixin' to put the car up."

"Up? Up where?"

"In the garage."

"ON the garage?"

"No, silly....IN the garage. How many beers did you say you had?"

I'm sure there are dozens more, some of which I'm sure will come to mind as soon as I hit the "Submit" button.

[wavydaby 1]

"Jeet yet?' Is common around here.

It is: "Did you eat yet?"

Proper answer is: "Nah, Janto?" Which is: "No, Do you want to?"

OR: "Done et it" Which is:"I have already eaten"

My favorite expression is what my Grandfather would tellme any time I asked 'why?'

His response:"Cat for, to make a pair of kitten britches".

This has no meaning except to confuse the child that asked 'why' in the first place.

[Carlene 12]

My favorite expression is what my Grandfather would tellme any time I asked 'why?'

His response:"Cat for, to make a pair of kitten britches".

This has no meaning except to confuse the child that asked 'why' in the first place.

My mother used to say that, too. When I asked "What for?", she'd say, "Cat fur to make kitten britches." I thought she was making fun of the way I talked - implying that I had said "what fur" instead of "what for". And I would get sooooooooooooo MAD!

[Devana 0]

When I was young, whenever I was whistling, my mother would say "Girls that whistle and hens that crow all come to no good end".

I think she was just being a smart ass, she never really tried to stop me.

[mrspruett 0]

My grandma was born and raised in rural eastern Kentucky. She would say:

"Pawn my word and honor" (Upon my word and honor, maybe?)

"Sit up here and let me nuss you awhile" (Sit in my lap)

"Here's a latch pin" (safety pin)

"That plagues me to death" (embarasses me)

Believe me, those are just a few. Wow, this makes me miss grandma. She was such a sweet lady and spunky too!

[mrspruett 0]

Oh here is a few more:

"Take your coat off and stay awhile"

"Don't get above your raisin' " (kind of like too big for your britches,LOL)

"There is a haint in that house" (haint = ghost)

"monthly spell" (TTOM)

[StephC 0]

In Pa its crick for creek and yens for ya'll and soda for soda.. coming from Minn it was pop and creek and you guys.

[StephC 0]

oh - and pocket knife - in Minn we said jack knife. The first time I said it here everyone just looked at me like what are you talking about?

[Carlene 12]

Oh here is a few more:

"Take your coat off and stay awhile"

"Don't get above your raisin' " (kind of like too big for your britches,LOL)

"There is a haint in that house" (haint = ghost)

"monthly spell" (TTOM)

"Don't get above your raisin' " means don't be acting better than your peers/family. My mom said something similar, but I can't remember the exact quote. She also said someone was "a credit to his raisin' " if he/she was a good person.

I love this one, also from my mom.....

I'd like to buy him for what he's worth, and sell him for what he THINKS he's worth.

[Carlene 12]

The first time I said it here everyone just looked at me like what are you talking about?

I grew up with a girl whose parents were from PA. Their couch was a "davenport", which I thought was pretty funny. But I almost swallowed my bubble gum the morning Sandy's mom told her, "Don't forget your rubbers."

Edited to add...

We call them "galoshes" or "over-shoes".

[ginger3151 0]

We say things like:

Don't let the door hit you where the good Lord split ya!

My mother used to say, "I've got your number"

When asked "what ya doing", the response is "molding to keep my mildewing"

[Victoriana 10]

I just love these!! I had a friend from Ohio that called his couch a davenport, and I could not understand what he meant, so I said, what is a davneport? He looked at my like I was crazy and asked, are you so poor you dont have a davenport? I went home crying and I couldnt even explain it to my mom. She said you poor thing, whats wrong with you? and I cried even harder because I thought she said that we really are poor!!

My hubby from Wisconsin said "for corn sakes" and he could cuss by saying "rubber ducks and baby chicks"

Dont let the door hit you where the good Lord split ya. O I love it!

Jack, what does pin your ears back mean?

[Victoriana 10]

My dad used to cut arguments between my sisters and I and he would say, "I know you believe that you understand what you think I said, but I am not sure that what you heard isnt what I meant."

He would also say to us, "I may not always be right, but Im never wrong."

The funny thing is, now I understand what he meant. As children, we were to obey him, even if we knew he was wrong, because we were supposed to respect and honor him (his position as father) even if we did not want to.

The other saying, however still confuses me.

My mom would say "Listen to the eggs, telling the chicken how to hatch!"