I’m quite proud of my rural upbringing in Bryant, Alabama. My little community had only one school, one restaurant, and no traffic lights. We once grew a lot of cotton, then flowers, and of course potatoes. Wait. I mean taters.
Growing up in my parents’ store, I managed to avoid getting my hands dirty diggin’ taters. I was busy pumping gas or running the cash register. That’s where I met some real characters whose Southern-fried words are embedded in my memory.
Recently, I saw the musical “Million Dollar Quartet,” which depicts the early days of Sun Records, with actors portraying Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis. At one point, a character shakes his head and says, “Lordy mercy!” My Pennsylvania-born wife Cindy looked at me and said, “Where did that come from?” I told her, “That’s from MY neck of the woods.”
Minnie Pearl, who spent some time on Sand Mountain in 1936, said she got a lot of her sayings from a local family. When I hear Minnie say “She looks like she’s been rid hard and put up wet,” I know where that came from.
(Speaking of Minnie, she referred to her brother as “Brother,” like a lot of us did. Best line: “When Brother tells you howdy, he’s told you everything he knows!”)
I used to hear people in the store say, “Can you put this in a poke so I can tote it home?” No wonder there are still stores in the South called “Tote-a-Poke.” It makes sense to me, but I’ll bet a lot of people under 30 have no idea.
We sold Ivory Liquid, but we called it “dish soap.” Unlike the crowded dairy cases of today, we sold two kinds of milk: sweet milk and buttermilk. That seemed like a pretty clear choice at the time.
Many of the ladies would wait until 3:00 to come to the store. By then, the soap operas were over. Or as they called them, “my stories.”
I knew some older gentlemen who never said, “thank you.” Instead, they would say, “much obliged,” although it would sound more like “much-a-blodged” to me.
I was probably 12 before I knew that “directly” was the word I’d hear people say when they were telling someone they would arrive soon. It sounded to me like, “I’ll be over there dreckly!”
I knew a few old-timers whose primary occupation was “piddlin.” They would piddle in the morning, and piddle in the evening. They never seemed to get anything done, which I later learned is the very definition of piddlin. I have since become quite the piddler myself.
Ask those piddlers how they were doing, and their reply was “hunky dory.” That meant all was well. Especially since they weren’t working hard. They were hardly workin’. In fact, some of them were “loaferin.”
I never knew anyone named John Brown or Sam Hill, but I sure heard about them. Anyone who would express amazement at something would shout, “Well I’ll be John Brown!” I never heard what the real John Brown thought about that. And if I ever meet Sam Hill, I would have to ask him why in the Sam Hill everybody used his name?
When they weren’t talking about those guys, they’d say, “Well, I’ll Swanee!” Somehow, I knew what they meant.
Cussing with real cuss words wasn’t as popular as it is now, so I heard a lot of words that were the sanitized version. Shoot-far! Dad-blame it! My foot! I de-clare! What in tarnation is that?
At home, we never had “lunch.” Lunch was something you had at school. At home, that noontime meal was dinner. When it got dark, it was time for supper. If you were lucky enough to eat out in a big city like Trenton or South Pittsburg, you were living high on the hog.
Nowadays, we think a lot. Back then we reckoned. “Reckon he’ll be okay?” “Yeah, I reckon he will.”
That guy who refused to any work? He was “no count.” In fact, he was “Pure-dee old lazy.” I heard he was bad to drink.
If you got lost, you asked for directions. Your destination was usually “over yonder a ways,” just past the holler.
Nobody from my parents’ generation had ever dated, but they sure went courtin’ a lot. If things went well, sparks would fly.
When a child didn’t get her way, she would pitch a hissy fit, bless her heart.
If a little boy sneezed, his Mama would say, “Scat there!” That always helped shoo away the sneeze.
All these wonderful words and phrases, and the folks who uttered them, are “kindly” (kind of) fading away. Maybe you can help me keep them alive, by handing this down to your grand-young’uns.
What a wonderful walk down memory lane. My Mom, who also grew up in Bryant, AL, was very fond of what-u-ma-call-it and thing-a-ma-gig. I also heard a lot of ah shoot.
My momma said all of these and more. I am surprised that we ever “learnt” to spell because we “warshed and wrenched” our hands and clothes. One day when she accidentally reversed one of her favorite spoonerisms, she got very upset. She usually said she was in “a mell of a hess.” I miss her so much. She was Frances King McMahon and loved you.
Frances was a great lady!
Thank you from a life-long Sand Mountain girl who has worked in Chattanooga since 1979, and experienced the same prejudices and surprise when it’s discovered I can read, write and do arithmetic. LOL. I love my mountain, the people of the mountain and I don’t want to live any other place.
Love this David! I remember my Granny saying “Well, I’ll be dipped!” And when we moved to Sand Mountain when I was in the sixth grade I heard a boy in my clas say “ort to ort’n I” which translates is “I ought to, shouldn’t I?” Lol
I didn’t grow up on Sand Mountain, but I remember these sayings!! Thank you for sharing some wonderful memories!
Thank you David.I can here my grandparents saying that and I hear my mom says those things.
David, I love reading your funny little tidbits like these. When one of my grandsons was small, he was visiting us and I said , “I’m fixing to start cooking because I am getting hungry and I just bet you are too.” He said, “Grandma, what’s fixing?” Well, what could I say? I had said it all my life and never even thought about it. Oh, yes, David, what’s a tidbit?????
Alabama born and raised, but lived outside Chicago for 21 years as an adult. Got teased more about saying ‘fixin’ than I did about my accent.
My mother was born and raised in South Pittsburg TN. She would greet folks who came to visit with, “Lordy Mercy, I wish to my might never. If I’da knowed you was comin’ I’da baked a cake”. Try to get something past her and it was, “I knowed you wasa sneakin’ round about somthin’ an here you come grinnin’ like a jackass eatin’ briars”. She wasn’t as particular about “cussin” as some folks today if something was unsatisfactory, it was “Sh*t far (fire) and save matches” or “H*ll’s bells”. She was quite a conversationalist. She was also friends with the Louvin sisters (Charlie and Ira’s sisters) and could tell some tales from that era. If I say anything more I will have to write a book Have a nice day and thanks for the memories.
Love these old sayings…
I didn’t realize just how differently folks talked in other parts of the nation until I got older. When “O Brother Where Art Thou” came out I remember having to translate for the group that we were watching it with. Needless to say “they ain’t from ’round here”
My favorite phrases growing up were always comparatives:
Dumber than a red brick, smart as a whip, clear as mud, faster than stink, mad as a wet hen, mean as a hornet, slow as smoke, warm as toast, cold as a well diggers’…you know.
I still talk that way, as I don’t think there’s a real cure!
Great read David, as always!
I’ve pretty much used most all of those or/and heard my parents use the rest! When we were stationed in Montana back in the early 70’s, I remember my friend from Brooklyn, NY being very confused when I would say I was fixin’ to do something…had to explain. Also, when we’d get together with our friends, we would be sitting around with them asking us, “Now how do you say ‘dog’ or ‘roof'” or other words that our accent caused us to pronounce differently than them. It was pretty entertaining for them!
This makes me remember working in my fathers country store (food, gas, feed, hardware). I haven’t heard these in some time now but my kids have heard “dad-gum-it” from me enough to have an idea what that means.
Oh my God! Just reading this, I can hear my mom!
I grew up in a small country town in GA and it was certainly a trip down memory lane reading this. Times were more simple back then – I wish my children could experience some of the down home simplicity that was a part of my childhood. Thank you for all your articles. I truly enjoy reading them.
Don’t forget putting on your “Sunday go to meetin” clothes or saying “lands sakes alive”. I’m sure there are hundreds more that elude me at the moment.
It was breakfast, dinner, and supper. To me it still is. Dinner 12 o,clock. And Supper is in the evening. Thanks for these fine sayings as I remember back when I was a kid.
Thanks, David. I use many of these frequently. I am definitely helping to keep them alive in my classroom!
My parents grew up in Bryant (aka Long Island). Mother died when I was an infant, but I’m told that, when she would leave someone’s home, she would say, “Come go with us. I’ll kill a bean and knock a tater in the head.”
I have thoroughly enjoyed your article and the replies. What a delightful walk down memory lane.
I love that! Thanks for reading.
In my 36 years as an educator I’ve heard lots of interesting names. I actually did have a student named Sammy Hill! I’ve also heard phrases like back set instead of setback, youins, H-E-double toothpicks, slicker than snot, and some I can’t tell here. Thanks for this post.
Slicker than snot… how did I miss out on hearing that one?
So raise your hand if ever in Florida or anywhere up North, people looked at you funny if you talked about going to the grocery store and filling up your ‘buggy’.
Garry, just last year I was in a MN grocery store, as asked an employee where to put the buggy back. I got a blank stare. Finally I pointed to it and they said Ohhhh
Love this walk down memory lane. My grandmother before she passed and now my mom, still use a lot of these phrases and my son and my grandkids look at us like “What she saying”?
My dad was from Brindlee Mtn. He used to say “I’ve got a whoopin laid up for you”. That meant we had better walk a straight line. If something smelled bad…it was “kyarn”.
“Well I’ll be a monkey’s unkle”, was one of my Pop’s sayings. Granny would always say she would “be as mad as a wet hen”. That ment she was really mad. My dad used to say he would be” a son of a gun”. I have really enjoyed reading all of these.
Kyarn is a word I still use and everyone wants to know what it means. All I know is that it smells bad. My 12 year old daughter heard her cousin who is in his 30’s say “what in the Sam Hill!” Today. She said they were fishing and he got hit in the head with a hook and said “what in the Sam Hill”! So, it lives on.
Kyarn is a rotting dead animal, hence the great name for a buzzard, look it’s a kyarn crow!
I bet you had some folks that came to get a pon of bread at the store also. Not sure of the spelling. All you Yankees that a loaf of white bread if bought from the store. Cornbread if made at home.
That would be a Pone of cornbread. Long O rhymes with cone.
I married offsping of a sand hillbilly
I was born and raised in Bryant and hog jaw valley. I also still say the things like coil oil lamps and ill put on a pone of cornbread or makes some catheads’ which was a saying for biscuits. My grandkids question me all the time about what does so and so mean. I miss them ole days. I really enjoyed your story David. I remember going in y’all’s old store. Love the memories.
I pumped a lot of coal oil, for sure! And cathead biscuits….yum yum
And I still call it “tin foil”…🤣
One of my favorites you said to me decades ago when the kids were littles, and Cindy (or maybe it was you), had a bad backache, so I brought over some eats one day. ” Well bless your heart:”, you said. I love that saying. And sure do miss you all. Times just slips away doesn’t it? Ia agree that those colorful sayings need so much to be remembered and repeated fort the next generations. Growing up on Sand Mtn as you did ( ‘cept on he Ga side) I sure do miss many of those disappearing, fun, and pretty accurate sayings.
Bless your heart Jennifer. Thanks for reading!
Who remembers ” I haven’t seen you in a month of Sunday’s”
What a wonderful tale to wake up to this morning. My grandmother said “Sh*t far and save matches” so much that I picked it up…as my first word! The tale is that my grandmother didn’t cuss for quite awhile after that. And when my uncle teased her about sweet milk, she switched it for buttermilk once. He’s been sure to say sweet milk ever since. Thanks David.
Save matches! Never heard that one ( I did hear the first part). Thanks for reading.
David, I have to say this was a great read to start my day. I was familiar with all the phrases (sayins’) you used. In fact, after my mother passed 8 years ago, my sisters and I started going over all the different things she used to say. When we finished, there were over 100. I compiled a book to give to my sisters as a gift for them while we were on our annual “Sister’s Trip”. Thank you so much for your article. It certainly made me smile. Have a great day.
I’d love to see your book! Thank you for reading.
I didn’t grow up on Sand Mountain but, my Mom and Dad did…….I reckon I understand what you just said….don’t forget the kin folk….
thanks for reading, Rick!
How about this one? ‘I put a wrench on my head ‘ meaning ‘I dyed my hair’. heehee
never heard that one, thanks!
I have heard these all my life and have said them on occasion when the moment called for it. I grew up in a small town in Jackson Co. TN, at least 2 hrs. north of Chattanooga but it seems those in that era in the rural south spoke the same language.
Boy howdy! You ain’t just whistling dixie. There was seldom any misunderstanding of what was meant back then.
My Grandpa used to say when he meant he agreed wholeheartedly with what someone said – “ You said a mouthful then!”
Hey David. Good story …I enjoyed it
I remember my Grand mother tell my uncle.( U been drinking the devil brew) Moon shine was easy to get back in the day. He new what she ment.
How bout these:
Pole cat
arsh potatoes
Get me a switch from that bush
Many relatives on my mothers side from that part of Alabama
I was raised in North Sand Mtn (aka) Mt Olive My mom used to say go get me a hickory. Or your fixin to get stripped legs. I still use alot of the sayings and my husband now just laughs at me for some of the things I say. Thanks David it was a great read and a great walk down memory lane.
I grew up in Ider, where potato fields and potato sheds were in abundance! Oops! I meant to say, “Tater fields and tater sheds!” Someone already listed, “arsh taters,” but I must admit that I was in junior high school when I went to the grocery store with my mama and saw a bag in the vegetable section, labeled as,” IRISH Potatoes.” Now, having many tater people as family friends or members of the church in which my dad ministered, most of our potatoes came from a field, and was stored under the house. When I asked my mom what are Irish potatoes, I was taken aback when she pronounced them as, “Arsh taters!” “Um…no Mom, it says Irish! ” “I know, Bev. ARSH taters!” I love my years of “raisin’ ” on Sand Mountain!
I lived on Sand mountain at pleasant view, that’s between Dutton & Pisgah from birth till after I graduated High school at Pisgah. Knew & heard all of those sayings plus many more.. Picked lots of cotton also. Worked in Scottsboro, got married then moved to Huntsville in 1969 & still live there..Loved living on Sand Mountain!!
Love this ! My grandfather would say can I hope you? For help you .
Enjoyed reading the article. I was raised and still live around Ider and Henagar and still hear a few of these sayings to day. I saw the Million Dollar Quartet in Memphis (a birthday gift from my daughter) and again in Huntsville. One of the best shows i have ever seen. Would recomend it to anyone.
I grew up on sand Mt. In the Mount Olive area. I remember all them saying’s. Still use some of them. Thanks for the memories.
Hi
I grew up on & still live on Sand Mtn & my grandpa used eveyome of those words! Another word I was wondering about that I heard all my life is “oosh” or “ouche” … When I say it others seem to think I am speaking another language ?? Do you know of it ?
Love this article!!! I have heard many,many of these phrases and I grew up on “the other Mountain”.. lol Really enjoyed your blog.
This brings back memories…my grandparents used them, my parents aunts and uncles still use them..and so do i… would not take anything for our southern dialect!!! Thanks for posting
Enjoyed the article David. Thought of this when you said “idea.” “ah ain’t got no idee” Good read David.
-The Sam HillI know about was a builder of “Good Roads”, a Peace Arch, a museum and a replica of Stonehenge. All this happened in Washington and Oregon. He built the old Columbia River Highway in Oregon, a Stonehenge replica and a museum in Maryhill, Washington, and the Peace Arch in Blaine, Washington. He is the subject of the book, The Prince of Castle Nowhere by John Tuhy. Yes, there really was a Sam Hill.
It’s not Mom and Dad, it’s Momma and Daddy. And Daddy is pronounced De-ddy.
Also my grandma (Mamaw) used to say, for when someone moves out to a home of their own, “start housekeeping” or “set up housekeeping.”