Sayings and Expressions

[YellowHammer]

A southern expression, kind of with a "Deliverance" type of attitude.  

"You ain't from around here, are ya?"  
Loosely translated as you just said something stupid, or your clothes look stupid, or you just plain look stupid, and since us folks from around here don't fit into any of those categories, then you can't be from around here, so please leave. 



 

[Southside]

Hotter than fish grease in July.  - She should that that as a compliment, but who knows these days. 

Wait a second - this is the FORESTRY FORUM, we are on page 2 and nobody said.

Tighter than bark on a tree!!!  

[mike_belben]

Not sure if ive crossed a line with yellowhammer or if its just coincidence. Not out to ruffle any feathers if so. 

[Old Greenhorn]

A southern expression, kind of with a "Deliverance" type of attitude.  

"You ain't from around here, are ya?"  
Loosely translated as you just said something stupid, or your clothes look stupid, or you just plain look stupid, and since us folks from around here don't fit into any of those categories, then you can't be from around here, so please leave.

This one reminds of one I use on some local folks when they say something dumb:
 
"How Long have you been livin' here exactly?"

[Ljohnsaw]

Hmm, haven't seen...

Not playing with a full deck (of cards)
Not the sharpest tack in the box

[WV Sawmiller]

    Dog tired

    Raining cats and dogs

    Rarin' t'go

    Plumb wore out

    Flatter than a flitter

    Uglier than a mud fence

    Raining like a cow pithing on a flat rock

    Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey - a brass monkey was a plate or holder on a naval sailing vessel where the cannonballs were stacked. If it got cold enough they would contract so much they would fall off.

[SawyerTed]

He's half a bubble out of plumb. 

If his brains were dynamite he wouldn't have enough to blow his nose. 

[HemlockKing]

Colder than a witches left teat

[Tacotodd]

   Dog tired

   Raining cats and dogs

   Rarin' t'go

   Plumb wore out

   Flatter than a flitter

   Uglier than a mud fence

   Raining like a cow pithing on a flat rock

   Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey - a brass monkey was a plate or holder on a naval sailing vessel where the cannonballs were stacked. If it got cold enough they would contract so much they would fall off.

The balls & brass monkey I think more accurately described the VERY different expansion/contraction rate of those two very dissimilar metals. I first heard this explanation (given to me) from someone that was a customer of mine and he is a very likable guy.


I hope I ain't (to) late to the party.

[YellowHammer]

Not sure if ive crossed a line with yellowhammer or if its just coincidence. Not out to ruffle any feathers if so.

Not hardly, "Youse good people" which is shorthand for it means you're a good person and so is your family, at least from what we know of, so you can be trusted.
 
When someone is coming to drop by for a welcome chat, or even a call on the phone, they are greeted by a warm "What's up Cuz?" because some areas and townships are populated by their extended family, and that's a way of saying, "How are you doing, you're just like family" and I'm not gonna "Rare up on Ya".  However, some folks say "How's it going, Brother" and generally, this is being too familiar, and even brothers don't say that, it's generally reserved for people in the same church congregation or very close friends.  Sometimes if its taken too far, and the other person will "hackle up" and say "We ain't brothers, but what do you want."

This one reminds of one I use on some local folks when they say something dumb:

"How Long have you been livin' here exactly?"

Yeah, that sounds about the same.

Now here's one of the deep south I'n not sure how far it extends outward.  I'd like to know.  It's simply said "Pure D" with an emphasis on the "D" and a little volume.  I remember I was in Japan one day, and I said it to someone at a restaurant about something he just said, and the person next to me stood up, came over, and broke into a big smile and said "You must be from Alabam, I am too, and hadn't heard that since I been there."  It also covers south Tennessee and I've even heard it in the backwoods of Kaintuck, but not beyond.  Some folks mistakenly think it's saying "Purty" but they ain't from around here.  Does anybody know what this means?

[SawyerTed]

Ink pin was mentioned earlier.  
Straight pin, pig pin, dog pin, safety pin.  It's all the same but the context is different.  

Far, either a campfar or a long distance

Tar, a hot black sticky substance on our heels here in NC, the black round thing on the wheel of your truck, or the one down the road they just put up for cell phones

Right over yonder is closer than over yonder.  Yonder the direction I'm pointing is there.

Fixn' to, getting ready to do something

Pert near, came very close to

A hosepipe is connected to the spicket (spigot)  Hosepipe versus Hoes used for choppin' out 'baccer. 

Your'n, his'n, and our'n.  Yours, his and ours

Might could, as in "I might could come help saw on Saturday."  I may be able to help on Saturday.

How could we miss this one!  "KISS MY GRITS!" 

Hold your horses

[Tacotodd]

I'm a purty easy ta get long with type o guy "I" think. My wife might disagree, but datts anudder story :

[JJ]

"Lets go Brandon"  :D

[mike_belben]

I had to explain lets go brandon when my kids came home sayin it yesterday.  I forgot might could.  

Is that billy hiding in the burnt house?   Now ah dunno.. It might could be.

My wifes friend maxine is very country. 60ish.. Only ever lived here on farms with momma daddy mamaw papaw and 500 other relatives.  She has a "one butt kitchen" meaning only hers fits in it.  Her and my wife call each other heifer so whenever we visit i walk up to her for the customary hello hug and yell 'whaddup heifer!?' With a huge grin.  She goes crosseyed for a second every time before laughing. 


I will have to tune my ears for Pure D, dont think ive heard it.  The best mountain talkers are 70+ and usually lack teeth so it really takes listening close.  When i first landed id hear 10% words and the rest gibberish.  Now its about 85% and only once in a while i hafta say do what?

Thanks for the kind words yella hammer.  Preciate'cha buddy  ;)  ive got a please leave story for later when my fingers warm up.

[WV Sawmiller]

   You'uns - seems to be common in the Eastern Ohio/WV Northern Panhandle/Western PA near the Steubenville Ohio area.

   "Y'all or you all" - note this is singular or plural

  "Youse guys" - seems to be more NJ but maybe bleeding over into NYC a bit.

[Cedarman]

I heard this when I was a kid a lot
when someone smashed a finger.  "That looks like it hurt worse than slidin down a razor blade into a pool of alcohol."

[Gere Flewelling]

Some old central New Hampshire sayings.
-Hog Wrassle- A town get together /dance
-He's got a hitch in his git-along-  someone walking with a limp
-I don't understand all I know about it-  Mechanic saying when you just cant figure out what should be a simple solution.
-He acts like he has air in his hydraulics- Equipment operators that really aren't operators or very nervous person waiting in line.

[SawyerTed]

My mom and I were watching one of the beauty pageants and I was oooing and ahhing over the contestants.

Mom asked, "Do you really like those mule eating briars smiles?"

I couldn't tell her that's not what I'm looking at, now could I?

[Bradm]

It's a good day to be a duck. - I've been stuck working outside all day in the rain.

Took a long walk off a short pier. - Taking a very round about direction to arrive at a very simple conclusion or observation.

Gonna go hit the dig. - This involved no hitting nor any digging.  This could be a very local saying, but it meant to head to town and cruise the main (Dundas) street to see who's out and maybe find a race or three than go shoot some stick.

If someone is talking to Murphy, tell him he left his pet gremlins behind at my shop last time he was around.

When trying to fix something, if what you're doing doesn't work, call it a name.  If that doesn't work, call it another name.  If still not working, get the biggest hammer you can find.  Gasoline and a match should only be considered as a last resort.

[Tacotodd]

I'm fittin-ta git me some o-dat-der dynimite :!

And to think, I majored in English :D

[SawyerTed]

That's like putting perfume on a pig.  

That is like putting an elevator in an out house. 

[WV Sawmiller]

   I thought is was "Lipstick on a pig" not perfume but either works.

  "Take it with a grain of salt" - be a little skeptical

   "He/She acts like he/she has a corncob up his/her butt" - not complimentary.

    

[Percy]

Sharp nas a marble

The gates are down and the lights are flashing....but the train aint coming

If brains was gasoline, he couldn't power a fleas motorcycle around the inside of a cherio.

Ugly as a mud fence

He's got one wheel in the sand

[Tacotodd]

As a kid (4-5yo) dad told me "boy, if brains was gunpowder, you couldn't blow your nose"! 

It hurt but made me think from then on. Now I respect what he did!

[Southside]

Next time you are driving by the house, drive by the house....

Come again when you can't stay so long....

:D