Appalachian Speech: By Craig Hadley

[btwils]

Re: Appalachian Speech: By Craig Hadley

How about (fair to middlin) that means so so. how are you doing? Fair to middlin. Also my grandmother was a mawmaw and my grandfather was a papa. I still miss her Fried Pies. Brian Wilson

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: Appalachian Speech: By Craig Hadley

Hallo Kameraden!

I would recommend the 1980's PBS video series "The Story of English" and its side book or companion book, THE STORY OF ENGLISH by McCrum, Cran, and MacNeil- avaialble at many libraries or through ILL.

Particularly Chapter 3 "A Muse of Fire," Chapter 4, "The Guid Scots Tongue," and Chapter 7, "Pioneers! O Pioneers!"

Curt-Heinrich Schmidt
Former Trans-Appalachian "Woodsy" Speaker Mess

[LWhite64]

Re: Appalachian Speech: By Craig Hadley

When I was really young I called my Grandpa Papaw and my Grandma Mamaw. Those were both paternal, I never knew my maternal Grandparents. I think the terms were interchangable.

Lee

[Jack Booda]

Re: Appalachian Speech: By Craig Hadley

How many of you call your maternal grandfather, PawPaw?

[Spinster]

Re: Appalachian Speech: By Craig Hadley

"Read more Shakespeare, learn to talk like a hillbilly."

Reminds me of the time my 7th grade teacher gigged me 20 points for using "unecessarily verbose, complicated, and archaic words with obscure references" in my paper on Charles Dickens. Granddaddy, with his 6th grade mountain school education, had stepped in to help with the paper while he was laid up with a broken leg. :tounge_sm

[PogueMahone]

Re: Appalachian Speech: By Craig Hadley

I see a word on the initial list that is not of Appalachian origin - druther. This brings to mind the reaction I get when I use words like "kin", "reckon" and "druther". People think it is hillbilly and country. All of these expressions are used in Shakespeare.

The usage of some of the words is also rather "old English". Compare the English usage of certain words to the American usage. Common language, yet different language. Referring to someone as a "body" is from an older time of polite speech. (It is also gender neutral for all you wimmen libbers.)

Also, a "haint" is a ghost. Also in Shakespeare.

Read more Shakespeare, learn to talk like a hillbilly.

[flattop32355]

Re: Appalachian Speech: By Craig Hadley

Many people think of Appalachia as a rather small area, but it extends over a great deal of territory; from Georgia up through southern Pennsylvania and Ohio, and at least west to the Mississippi River, if not beyond. And its influence extends even further, due to people leaving the area for jobs elsewhere. It's mostly associated with hilly terrain, family clans and suspicion of outsiders. It's less so today, but still quite unique.

Now, if we could get a thread going on how to ACT Appalachian.....!

[LWhite64]

Appalachian Speech

While driving around yesterday, mostly through rural areas near one of my family cemeteries, I thought of a few "fun" ones my Grandma used.

Granny Scrooch....the female version of the boogey man I guess, had her visits threatened a lot as a young child.

Ole Raw Head and Bloody Bones....the main reason I still have trouble going in the attic...and I wont go up there at night alone.

One Legd Yahoo....I dont know what the heck it was supposed to be, but it lived in the woods.

Panther(pronounced Pain-thar)...Panther, Mountain Lion

Haint- Ghost

Booger- Ghost

Willer Wisp- Ghost



Lee

[Michael Comer]

Re: Appalachian Speech: By Craig Hadley

How about:

zinc = sink

tolerable = something that's ok. "I'm doin' tolerable today."

spell = a period of time

obliged = thanks

"flatter than a flitter": "That thing was smashed flatter than a flitter". I've used that one a lot,especially when I was a kid before I got "edumacated".

And, as I mentioned in an earlier post a few weeks back - dropping the "l" when accompanied by a "d" sound: "It is really code outside today" Lots of folks around here use that one.

And the one that drives me crazy is the use of "ideal" for idea. "I've got a great ideal". This one may be unique to the southeast Missouri area because I do not think I have heard it elsewhere. How about some of you?

[Miche_Todd]

Re: Appalachian Speech: By Craig Hadley

And here I thought it was "sic the law on you"... ;-)

Vicki Betts
East Texas--a mix of Georgia and Tennessee

Actually you are right!! Sorry, usually it is "Feller I'm gonna sic the law on you" Wonder if law enforcement officers were referred to in the same manner in the period????

[vbetts]

Re: Appalachian Speech: By Craig Hadley

And here I thought it was "sic the law on you"... ;-)

Vicki Betts
East Texas--a mix of Georgia and Tennessee

[Miche_Todd]

Re: Appalachian Speech: By Craig Hadley

Here is another, don't know how PC it is but it is used a lot in my area and I live in south central KY. The farther east you go the more I see it used.

Law - police, as in I will call the law on you.

[Spinster]

Re: Appalachian Speech: By Craig Hadley

Cain=can

hope=help
Cain I hope you git yourah car outta the dytch wid mya truck?

year=years
I've lived on this property nearabout 50 year.

mommick=all messed up (but also a term of false modesty)
I don't know what's wrong with me today, I made such a mommick of this cake, its not presentable for company.

Well, I'll let you get back to your rat killin'====I've visited with you awhile, finished my business, and you've finished yours, we've both got other things that need doing and its time for me to go on to the house


And, for a later time period than CW:

dope=Coca Cola
Honey, its so hot, come set up on the porch fer a spell-cain I git you a dope?
(If you had manners, you opened up the little bottle and poured it in a glass on ice, if you didn't, you just handed them the bottle and the "church key" (bottle opener).

And, even later,

Coke=any carbonated soft drink-used in the same way that other say soda" or "pop"
Y'all want a Coke? What kind of Coke do you want-I got some RC's, some Pomac, and one Delaware Punch.

[Possum Skinner]

Re: Appalachian Speech: By Craig Hadley

Mashed em plum to squarsh.

Come out fum over thar.

Deader than a doodle bug.

That ain't no sich a way to be a doin.

Those are some of my grandmother's great ones. I sure miss her.

Grew up in the Piedmont region of Alabama. Our folks weren't able to get all the way outta the hills.

[LWhite64]

Re: Appalachian Speech: By Craig Hadley

Like Michael said, I still use a lot of those too, I grew up and still live in a rural Southern Appalachian community(as anyone that went to the Outposts know), and it has been a concious thing for me to use correct grammer. My Grandpa and Grandma used all of those and then some on a daily basis. A few that were left out were mayter-Tomato, tater-potato, jeat-did you eat, squarell-squirrel, sprang-spring, whupper Will-whipper will, Whup-whip(heard that one way too many times), and then there is of course a whole lot of sayings like my personal favorite, Shot to Doll Rags.

Lee