Say Whaaaat?

Have you ever moved to a different region of the country and felt like you just stepped off the boat?

Born and raised in Chicago, I have always considered myself well traveled. Spending my college years in Boston didn’t phase me one bit. (Probably because my parents grew up there so I spent most of my toddlerhood “pahking the cah in Hahvahd Yahd.”) I even pronounced Worcester and Dorchester right. Go ahead, try it… read on to check your answer 🙂

However, moving to the South, I’ve run into some snafus ya’ll! Transplants learn from my mistakes. Locals, check your knowledge! Everyone else, just laugh at me.

Polecat

Do you know what it is? When my realtor told me polecats were prominent in certain areas I envisioned tomcats. So one night when I smelled something awful, I asked my neighbor if she knew how to get rid of the tomcat smell and she thought I was accusing her cat of being stinky. While technically different, people here use the terms polecat and SKUNK interchangeably!

BBQ

Yep, I did it. I invited people over for a BBQ and I served hamburgers. Non-natives be warned, if you are offering BBQ it better be something slow roasted and slathered in sauce!

Smocked clothing

(Or Long Bubble, Pinafore, Long All, or John Johns)

What’s a pinafore for? I certainly didn’t know and therefore did not dress my kids appropriately for Easter. I also didn’t have monograms embroidered on them, which apparently is another fashion faux pas on my part. Looks like they are just going to be as unstylish as their mama!

Yuns

As in “you-ins.” I was just getting comfortable throwing out a ya’ll every now and then!

Bless your heart

I said it to someone and I really meant it. I hope she knew that… because apparently it is really just a way of making fun of your innocent stupidity.

Sweet tea

It’s delicious, but — I hope I don’t get stoned for saying this — I still prefer to order my tea unsweetened. If you come over, BYOS(ugar)!

Buggy

One of my first nights here I went into the grocery store and someone yelled “someone took my buggy!” I immediately panicked, thinking her kids were missing (buggy=stroller in other parts) and then realized she was referring to her shopping cart!

Winter

A term that means stay in and cancel school for a week if there is even a dusting of snow in the forecast. It also means you must stock up, and I mean STOCK UP on bread and milk.

Biscuit Festival

Yes, there is one, and yes it was awesome.

Coke

I ordered a coke at a restaurant. The waiter asked “what kind?” Coke is a blanket term for all bubbly pops or sodas.

Dinner

A friend and I made plans to meet for dinner. Turns out she was thinking we would meet around noon, since most people refer to the evening meal as “supper” around here.

Ma’am

All. The. Time. It is a sign of respect, but it still makes me feel old! People also have cute terms of endearment for their children such as Punkin’, Honey Bun, Sugah, Darlin’, Sweetie Pie, etc.

Fixin’ to

A common phrase for “about to.” Fixin’ to go swimming, fixin’ to make breakfast, fixin’ to fix something?

Get your pictures made

My son had to have his “pictures made” for school. We pulled out the paper and crayons and got to work. Turns out I was supposed to have his photograph taken! (Okay, just pretending to be Amelia Bedelia there, this didn’t really happen.)

The

In front of everything. The Walmart. The Kroger.

Honeysuckle

We were thrilled to discover this treat in our yard! My son would proudly invite his friends to come over and suck the nectar out of these sweet flowers. They also smell amazing!

Just when I thought I was getting a handle on things, I asked the KMB contributors for some terms I might be missing and was inundated with over 50 responses, making me realize I still have a lot to learn! Just for fun, here are some of their favorite southern phrases. Do you know what they all mean?

Madder than a wet hen.

Knee-high to a grasshopper.

Law have mercy.

More nervous than a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs.

Skinny as a rail.

Love his/her heart.

Good gravy!

Her Daddy spit that child out. (When the child is just like his/her parent.)

G.R.I.T.S. (Not the food.)

Happier than a pig in mud.

Gonna jerk a knot in his tail.

Southern girls don’t sweat. They glisten.

Well I’ll be! Ya done good.

You’re a real peach.

Don’t have a cow.

Don’t get your undies in a wad.

Nutty as a fruitcake.

Good manners are never outta style.

Y’all ain’t from ’round here.

That last one is certainly correct. However, the weather, the sweet tea, and the overall kindness are pretty easy to get used to! So, even if my heart gets blessed often, we love it here and plan to stick around for a spell.

PS. It’s Woost-uh, but Dorchester is totally phonetic.

Please share your snafus no matter where you are!