How do you use "A mess of" in a sentence?

Mama cooked up a mess of collard greens for the church picnic. We caught a mess of catfish down at the lake. She made a mess of cornbread to go with the soup.

A mess of

Q: What does "A mess of" mean?

A large quantity of something, especially food; a lot of. In Southern cooking and conversation, 'a mess of' means a generous amount. 'A mess of greens' is a big batch of collard or turnip greens. 'A mess of catfish' is a big haul. Unlike standard English where 'mess' implies disorder, in Southern usage it simply means 'a bunch.'

American Slang Term American ★★★☆☆ Moderate informal

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Meaning: A large quantity of something, especially food; a lot of.

大量的某样东西，尤指食物；很多。

Una gran cantidad de algo, especialmente comida; un montón de.

大量の何か、特に食べ物。たくさんの。

무언가의 많은 양, 특히 음식. 한 무더기의.

In Southern cooking and conversation, 'a mess of' means a generous amount. 'A mess of greens' is a big batch of collard or turnip greens. 'A mess of catfish' is a big haul. Unlike standard English where 'mess' implies disorder, in Southern usage it simply means 'a bunch.'

在南方的烹饪和日常对话中，'a mess of'意思是大量的。'A mess of greens'是一大锅羽衣甘蓝或芜菁叶。'A mess of catfish'是一大堆鲶鱼。和标准英语中'mess'表示混乱不同，南方用法里它只是表示'一大堆'。

En la cocina y la conversación sureña, 'a mess of' significa una cantidad generosa. 'A mess of greens' es un buen lote de berzas. 'A mess of catfish' es una buena pesca. A diferencia del inglés estándar, donde 'mess' implica desorden, en el uso sureño simplemente significa 'un montón'.

南部の料理や会話では、「a mess of」はたっぷりの量を意味する。「A mess of greens」はコラードグリーンやカブの葉の大量の一皿。「A mess of catfish」は大漁のこと。標準英語で「mess」が散らかった状態を意味するのとは異なり、南部では単に「たくさん」を意味する。

남부 요리와 대화에서 'a mess of'는 넉넉한 양을 뜻한다. 'A mess of greens'는 콜라드나 순무잎을 한 솥 가득 만든 것이고, 'a mess of catfish'는 메기를 많이 잡은 것이다. 일반 영어에서 'mess'가 어지러운 상태를 뜻하는 것과 달리, 남부에서는 단순히 '한 무더기'를 의미한다.

Examples

Mama cooked up a mess of collard greens for the church picnic.
妈妈为教会野餐做了一大锅羽衣甘蓝。
Mamá preparó un montón de berzas para el picnic de la iglesia.
ママが教会のピクニック用にコラードグリーンをどっさり作った。
엄마가 교회 소풍용으로 콜라드 그린을 한 솥 가득 만들었어.
We caught a mess of catfish down at the lake.
我们在湖边钓了一大堆鲶鱼。
Pescamos un montón de bagres en el lago.
湖でナマズをどっさり釣ったよ。
호수에서 메기를 한 무더기 잡았어.
She made a mess of cornbread to go with the soup.
她做了一大堆玉米面包来配汤。
Ella hizo un montón de pan de maíz para acompañar la sopa.
彼女はスープに合わせてコーンブレッドをたくさん作った。
그녀가 수프에 곁들일 콘브레드를 잔뜩 만들었어.

Pronunciation

Usage Guide

Context: cooking, food, quantities, fishing

Tone: casual, abundant

✓ Do Say

A mess of greens.
一大锅青菜。
Un montón de verduras.
青菜をどっさり。
채소를 한 솥 가득.
Caught a mess of fish.
钓了一大堆鱼。
Pescamos un montón de peces.
魚をどっさり釣ったよ。
생선을 한 무더기 잡았어.

✗ Don't Say

Don't confuse with the standard meaning of 'mess' — in the South, 'a mess of greens' is a good thing
不要和'mess'的标准含义混淆——在南方，'a mess of greens'是好事
No confundir con el significado estándar de 'mess' (desorden); en el Sur, 'a mess of greens' es algo positivo
標準的な「mess（散らかっている）」の意味と混同しないこと——南部では「a mess of greens」は良い意味
일반적인 'mess(엉망)'의 의미와 혼동하지 말 것 — 남부에서 'a mess of greens'는 좋은 뜻이다

Origin & History

From the Old French 'mes' meaning a portion of food or a course of a meal. The original culinary meaning was preserved in Southern English while standard English shifted 'mess' to mean disorder or untidiness.

Cultural Context

Era: Traditional

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Regional notes: Throughout the South