Southern pronunciation guides are common in these days of the InnerWeb, but the first one I remember seeing was a paperback book published after the regrettable election
of Jimmy Carter to the presidency (that lamentable era began in 1977 for you younguns). It was a humorous litle and mostly accurate book that probably
made its author a few bucks, but southern speech is not universal in the south. Georgians like Jimmy Carter don't sound like Arkansans (or we don't sound like
them, thankfully) and Missippians and Alabamians and Louisianans and Texans don't all sound alike. So this is an Arkansaw dictionary.
And by the way, movie and TV southern talk ain't raht neithuh. When I was a child I cringed when Cher (is she still with us and if so why and what was Sonny
thinking) sang "rode with us tuh Mayamphus". ARRGGH!.
Of course, stereotypes are a staple of pop culture (that's an oxymoron, unless you mean culture as in growing bacteria like Clostridium botulinum - now that would
fit) they identify the south with words like gunnysack (I have never heard that word used in an actual conversation) or you have the lovely Cheryl Ladd as one of
Charlie's angels going undercover as a moonshiner's intern (?!) and being shown a shotgun and asked if she knows how to use it. "Scattuhgunn? Whah shore!" How much...
nevermind. And I ain't never heard nobody say 'cornpone' neither. Except on TV.
Anyways, this here is kinda how we talk in Arkansaw. It is always in an unfinished state because I add new entries as the inclination arises. So no, there aren't
any southern words containing only the letter 'x'.
accordin - Depending upon some condition or event. Not in common use these days - some geezers remember it.
Billy Joe: Ew goin' to thuh movies with Priscilla Friday?.
Jim Bob: It's accordin'.
Billy Joe: What on?
Jim Bob: Whether er not her daddy's takin them tuh visit her cuzzins in Pocahontas.
aggervait - Annoy.
Billy, you kwit aggervatin' yer sister.
Aingland - Part of the United Kingdom, were most of the population lives.
Lester's boy joined the Air Force and he's going to Aingland
Ainglish - The language spoken in Aingland and much of the world, including the USA.
Dang son, whatcha sayin? Speak Ainglish.
aint - Female sibling of one's parent. Or the woman married to one's uncle.
Aint Cecilia she's come down with thuh flue.
ain't - Is not, are not.
Ain't a one em Tucker boys worth killin.
At ain't the right size wrench fer this.
air - Indicating the location of something or someone.
Bobbie Sue, you seen my readin glasses?
Raht air they are on the kichen table.
ariel - Radio antenna, generally on a car.
The ariel got broke off mah car.
airup - Inflate an inflatable device to proper pressure.
Y'better airup that raht front tar for you go anywhere.
akkrit - What guns are supposed to be
Benny Joe: Ah bleev that new Ruger ain't as akkrit as my Remington 742.
Joey: Don't nobody makem like they yewstew.
allovem - All, every last one of something.
Clem: How many of them thangs you git?
Perry: Allovem.
anar - An hour or so.
Ahm goin' to walmarts. Be back in anar or two.
anshit - In addition to everything else.
At burrel's plum full of trash anshit
I wooden mess with thuh Presley gang. Ey won't jes killya, they'll torcher you anshit
arsh -- relating to Ireland, its people, or the Goidelic language.
We allus plant a few rows of arsh pertaters in thuh garden.
ass (also ats) -- Contraction of 'that is'
Assalright, Billy Bob. Ass jest uh chicken snake, it aint poison.
attair -- 'That there', prepended to names of persons or objects, for some reason
Attair tree limbs gonna fall on your car wunnathesedays.
B
Babtist -- Major evangelical church with several flavors, popular in the south.
Ernest: I heard Marylou and Fred broke up..
Tanner: Yeah, her family being Babtists and his being Pennycost I never figured it would work.
battree -- Device for storing electrical energy
At old trucks gonna need a new battree fore it'll start.
bigass -- very large
Rodneys gottim a new fourbyfour with some bigass tars onit.
bloney -- Processed meat from various animals, typically beef, pork, or chicken of some combination thereof. Used for making bloney sammiches.
Don't tell me we're out of mannaise, I wanna make a bloney sammich.
bigass -- very large
Rodneys gottim a new fourbyfour with some bigass tars onit.
borry -- To obtain or receive (something) on loan with the promise or understanding of returning it or its equivalent.
Kin I borry a kupla dollers from ya?
buggy -- a shopping cart
Elmer: Aincha gonna git a buggy, Clarice?
Clarice: Naw, we just need a kuppla thangs.
buttload -- a whole lot of something
Harvey sez him an Jimmy Wayne pulled a whole buttload of crappie outta Murphys lake yesterday.
bitecha -- what a spider or snake or dog or other creature with suitable dental apparatus will do if provoked or merely given the opportunity.
You keep aggervatin at dawg he gonna bitecha.
bush-hawg -- Rear-mounted rotary mower mostly used for shortening vegetation, usually heavy, e.g. weeds, brush, etc. but also used for general mowing.
Ernie: The weeds on the old Perkins place gettin purty high.
Joe Bob: If yew ain't needin the tractor next kupladaze ahll git ovair and bushawg'em
C
chocklit -- Substance made from the seeds of Theobroma Cacao, used primarily in foods and beverages.
Henry: Ahm goin in whahl ya pump thuh gas. Yoantanything?
Roy: Yeah, git me a chocklit bar en uh coke.
choppinax -- General purpose axe, generally double-bitted.
Kin I borry yer choppinax?
coke -- a carbonated beverage
Stop at thuh gas station so ah can git a coke.
cocoluh -- a carbonated beverage made by the Coca-Cola company
Dwayne: yawanna a pepsi er uh mountain due?
Earl: Ain't there any cocola?
commode -- A bathroom fixture used for the disposal of bodily waste. (archaic) A piece of furniture, usually containing drawers or shelves.
Jessie: How'd Father McGuire break his arm?
Billy Joe: Said he fell off the commode.
Jessie: What's a commode?
Billy Joe: How'd I know. I ain't a Cathlick.
crawdead -- How some people say crawdad (Astacidea)
Ernie: Whacha got in at bucket, Joey?
Joey: Jes some minners and crawdeds ah caught in the creek.
crishtal -- 1. A solid material whose constituents (such as atoms, molecules, or ions) are arranged in a highly ordered microscopic structure 2. A feminine name
Bobbie Sue: Less go see the fortune-teller when we to to the fair.
Jimmy Wayne: Aww, BobbieSue, emmair ole wimmen lookin' in a crishtal ball all just superstishen.
Margie: I dint see Crishtal at the dance Sadderday night.
Mary Jane: Naw, she come down with a cold. She's a delicate little thang.
D
dawg -- One of the approximately 900 million Canis lupus familiaris believed to inhabit the world.
Ernie sed he run over uh dawg las naht cummin home from town
dooley -- Pickup truck with dual rear wheels.
Roger gotem a new F-350 crewcab dooley.
drank -- 1. (verb) To take into the mouth and swallow a liquid. 2. (noun) A quantity of liquid taken into the mouth and swallowed.
Eddie: I need a drank bad.
Earl: Here, have a drank of this.
dreckly -- Without detour or delay.
Ahll be there dreckly.
Now Billy, you go dreckly to yer Aint Sylvia's house, en don't dawdle around no thuh way.
dreckshun -- 1. the position towards which someone or something moves or faces 2. Instructions or guidance.
Didja see what dreckshun ey went?
What'd you do with the drekshuns fer the microwave?
dwellinhouse -- (archaic) A house lived in by people, as distinguished from a schoolhouse, churchhouse, outhouse, etc.
Ere yewstabe an old dwellinhouse ere at the corner of Carver Road and the highway.
E
elum (archaic) - Deciduous and semi-deciduous trees comprising the genus Ulmus in the family Ulmaceae.
We hung a tar swang on the big elum tree in the backyard.
emersom -- State of being something or other.
Mary Jo, emersom fahnlookin termaters ye got there.
eyestea -- Beverage made from the cured leaves of Camellia sinensis, in a container an approximately equal amount of ice.
It shore is hot out here, I'm gone in and git a glass of eyestea.
eyether -- How hifalutin educated people say either.
Harvey: Is Mr. Kilpatrick in today?
Receptionist: No, he will be back eyether tomorrow or Tuesday.
F
fahr -- 1. Something burning. 2. To discharge a firearm. 3. Dismiss from employment.
Ayrs ah far ovair at Jessies place.
When Sammy fahrd at ten guage it 'bout knocked him on his butt
Ah sware if Dean don't start gettin' tuh work on tahm ahm gonna have to fahr em
faints -- A barrier usually made of wood, wire or some combination thereof.
At ole fox dun got under thuh faints agin en got wunna Miz Robinson's chickenz.
far-ant -- Insects of the genus Solenopsis, noted for painful stings and deserving of being made extinct by the most painful method available.
Mah hands all swole up where em far-ants stung me.
ferreel -- Actually, in fact, not a joke.
Ernest: Miz Johnson's dog done got rabeez and Bobby Joe had to go over en shoot it.
Jackson: Are you ferreel?
fixin -- Preparing, or intending, to do something.
Iris: Whenner yew gonna brang in thuh growshreys?
Roy: Ahm fixin to.
fiversix -- Usually five or six.
BJ: How many kids duz Margie and Elmer haven now?
Ray: Idunno, fiversix ah thank.
fur piece -- A considerable distance.
It's a purty fur piece between the Fitzgerald place and town.
G
ginnerly -- Commonly, most of the time.
Thuh mailman ginnerly don't come by much before noon.
growshreys -- Foodstuffs (and other household necessities) acquired at the growshrey store in town.
Henry, if we don't get started tuh town thuh gwrwshrey store'll be crowded.
H
hunnert -- A large amount or number, relatively speaking.
Lookout, Herman. Em boots cost me over a hunnert dollars.
I
ignernt - Lacking knowledge or undertanding.
Ah sware emmair Creasey boys is plum ignernt.
in reason - as a result of analytical thought
I knowed in reason it was them Washburn boys set that fahr.
inshernts - What you need if you have a wreck. Same as inshoeants in Boston.
I gotta see Earl down at statefarm bout inshernts on mah new truck.
J
jeetyet - Did you eat yet?
Hank: Jeetyet?
Earl: No, 'djew.
Hank: No, yoantu?
K
knowed - Past tense of know.
I knowed it was you, Jessie Wayne.
kwane - A female monarch.
Jessie Wayne: Izzat old woman still thuh kwane of England?
Dwayne: Idunno, aint heerduhver dyin, whatizshenow, bout a hunnerd or so?
kumpny - guests, visitors
Irma Jean, gimme a hand with supper. We got kumpny cummin.
kuppacoffy - Beverage necessary for beginning the day. Usually more than one is required.
Mae Belle, would you git me a kuppacorry while yer up?
kuppla - Also kuppluv, kuppluvem. Two (usually) of something. Maybe more. Usually more than one is required.
Clayton: What's em thangs over there, Ernie?
Ernie: Looks like a kuppla dawgs from here.
L
lagle - Not against the law.
Shootin' bullfrogs ain't lagle.
lawnmore - Lawn maintenance machine.
Ahm gonna hafta buy a new lawnmore this year.
like - Deficit or remainder of something.
Elmer: How much you like bein' done with that?
Luke: Jes three more and ah'll be done.
lillole - Small, insignificant.
Quit carryin on so Margie, is jess a lillole garder snake.
M
misssippy - The state to the east of Arkansaw.
Buck: Didja know Tabitha had got married?
Elrod: Yer kidden. Hutu?
Buck: Id'no. some feller overn misssippy.
manaise - A white (more or less and most of the time) substance found in jars in growshrey stores and generally used to liberally on sammiches.
Martha Sue, er we all outta manaise? I's gonna make a bloney sammich.
N
nekkid - Not wearing any clothing.
Emmy Lou's brother seen her comin' outa thuh bathroom plum nekkid.
O
ortah -- Also ort-two. An obligation or need to do something, as in 'ought to'.
Tommy Joe, I ortah tan yer hide fer lettin emmair chickens git out again.
I bin thankan bout buyin' Elmer's coonhound puppies. Thank I ort-two?
ortnt -- Advice against doing, or having done, something.
Ey ortnt tuh dun gawn en dun what they dun went en dun.
ovair -- Indicating where something is located
Hidy, Bobby Joe. Where's your paw?
Ah bleev heez ovair in thuh pashter checkin on thuh cowz.
P
pea can -- Fruit of Carya illinoinensis, often combined with massive amounts of sugar and other unhealthy stuff to make pea can pie.
Ernie, yontanother another piece of pea can pie.
Pennycost -- A Protestant sect popular in the south, but not as popular as Babtists.
Ernest: I heard Marylou and Fred broke up..
Tanner: Yeah, her family being Babtists and his being Pennycost I never figured it would work.
pitcher -- A representation of something, such as a photograph or drawing.
Melvin's sister caught him lookin at pitchers of nekkid women and threatened to tell their mama.
plum -- Completely, thoroughly
Thuh ole Carter house done caught on fahr en burnt plum down
pokesallet -- Sometimes poke-salad. Phytolacca americana, a large poisonous plant eaten (after careful preparation) in the south.
There's a whole bunch of pokesallet growing around the old Carver place.
pore -- 1. Not having much money. 2. Pitiable 3. Undernourished
Bout all lives in Harper Vallye is pore folks.
Pore ole Sam, seems like he's always sick.
Them hogs sure looks pore.
purtnear -- Also pert near. Close to or almost.
Avery sez he's pertnear done paintin thuh barn.
pushmore -- Type of lawn mower that has to be pushed by the operator.
Henry caint afford a ridin lawmore, has to use that ole pushmore.
Q
R
reckin -- To guess or suppose.
Ya reckin ole man Bennett's ever gonna get around to mowin his yard?.
reerend -- The differential assembly on a rear-wheel drive car.
Ernie swapped out the 3.83 reerend in his Chevelle for a 4.11 and now it runs the quarter in the fourteens.
reggler -- The cheapest gas.
"Fillerup with reggler.
S
sammich -- Normally, two slices of bread with various things between them, usually including various types of meat, sometimes vetegable matter, and condiments such as manaise or mustard.
Yew want cheese on your baloney sammich?
shar -- 1. Cleanse the body under a fixture that sprays water, usually using soap and possibly a warshrag.
2. Light and brief rainfall.
Ahm gonna take me a shar. Where's the warshrags?
We had a little shar Monday, but it ain't rained since.
smooth -- Completely, thoroughly.
At dawg don'g git out the road I'mabout to run smooth over'em.
srimp -- Tasty crustaceans.
Ey got all yew can eat srimp at Ernies' on Fridays.
stankbug -- Insects of the Pentatomidae family, which smell awful when squashed.
Dang, ere was a stankug on that termater and I mashed it.
T
tar -- 1. The circular rubber wheel on the outside of the metal wheel on some vehicles 2. An unclassified and apparently non-essential part of a person.
Ah got uh flat tar comin' back from Bernies las naht.
Ef at Creasey boy don't stop cuttin' cross thuh yard ahm gonna go whup thuh tar outa'em
torcher -- Inflict physical pain upon a person, usually to extract information or cause compliance, but in some cases just for fun. Sometimes done to animals by really mean people.
Ey say Tarbutton boys torchered ole man Graves tryin' to git him to say where is munny was hid.
toesack -- A large burlap bag usef for transporting stuff like taters. Apparently called a gunny sack by some people somewhere.
Ernie, git me a toesack to put these taters in.
trial -- 1. Garden tool. 2. Tool for working with concrete.
Ah left mah trial in the garden where I's plantin termaters.
Git that there trial and smooth up that spot there.
turbul -- Very bad, awful.
That tornado was turbul, tore up Hamilton trailer park and kilt two people.
Susie's cookin is turbul
U
ustew -- The way something was in the (perhaps somewhat distant) past.
Will: You ever go hoggin catfish anymore?
Barney: No, I ustew but ain't as much fun as it was when we wuz younger
V
W
walmarts -- Where you buy stuff.
Ah gotta go to walmarts en git sum stuff. Be back in an ar er two.
warshrag -- A small cloth made of absorbent fabric, used for cleansing the body, among other things.
Ahm gonna take a shar. Where's the warshrags?
X
Y
yat -- Contraction of 'you' and 'that'
I ain't gonna let Martha Jean drahv mah truck no more, ahl tell yat raht now.
yewstew - Occurring or existing in the past.
Dalton: Does ole man Baskins still fix lawnmores?
Jessie Wayne: Idnunno, he yewstew.
yewstuh (also yewstuhbee) - Yewstew when precding a word beginning with a consonant (kindalike 'a' and 'an')
Yewstuh be they didn't have any runnin' water at the Simmons house.
Yewstuhbee an ole barn 'hind Carver's cotton gin.
yoantu -- Do you want to?
Hank: Jeetyet?
Earl: No, 'djew.
Hank: No, yoantu?
yonder -- Indicator of there something is, relative to one's present location.
Maurice: Wherez Donna Sue's family move to?
Wilbur: Over yonder.
Z
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