Regional: Southern

American slang and expressions from the Southern United States

Introduction

The American South has a distinctive way of speaking that goes beyond the accent. From "y'all" and "fixin' to" to "bless your heart", Southern expressions carry warmth, wit, and a rich cultural heritage.

This chapter covers slang and expressions from the American South — Alabama, Georgia, Texas, the Carolinas, and beyond.

Themes

All American Slang & Idioms in This Chapter (70)

• Bless your heart A Southern expression that can convey genuine sympathy or serve as a polite w...
• Fixin' to About to do something; getting ready to take an action.
• Hush your mouth An expression meaning 'be quiet' or expressing disbelief at what someone just...
• Over yonder Over there; in that direction, usually referring to a place at some distance.
• Might could Might be able to; a polite way of expressing a tentative possibility.
• Cattywampus Crooked, diagonal, or not aligned properly; askew.
• Tump over To knock something over or cause it to tip and spill.
• Reckon To think, suppose, or believe something to be true.
• Sunday best Your nicest, most formal clothing, traditionally worn to church on Sunday.
• Madder than a wet hen A colorful Southern expression meaning extremely angry, evoking rural imagery.
• Dadgum A mild Southern exclamation used as a substitute for profanity; a cleaned-up ...
• Well, I declare An exclamation of surprise or astonishment.
• Hankering A strong craving or desire for something, especially food.
• Pitch a fit To throw a tantrum or have an angry outburst.
• Buggy A shopping cart at a grocery store.
• Coming up a cloud A storm is approaching; dark clouds are gathering.
• Carry (someone somewhere) To drive or take someone to a place; to give someone a ride.
• Coke (generic) Any soft drink or soda, regardless of brand — used as a generic term in the S...
• Crawdad A crayfish; a small freshwater crustacean found in Southern streams and used ...
• Diddly-squat Nothing at all; a very small or worthless amount.
• Do what now? A Southern way of saying 'what did you say?' or expressing confusion about wh...
• Fuss at To scold or nag someone; to express displeasure by complaining at them.
• Good ol' boy A friendly, easygoing Southern man, typically from a rural background, who em...
• Piddlin' around Wasting time on trivial tasks; puttering around without real purpose.
• Sweet tea Cold tea that is heavily sweetened with sugar while still hot, served over ic...
• Tore up Very upset or distraught; also can mean damaged, messy, or intoxicated.
• Knee-high to a grasshopper Very young or very small; used when reminiscing about someone's childhood.
• Ugly as homemade sin Extremely unattractive; used to describe something or someone very ugly.
• Dag-nabbit A mild exclamation of frustration; a euphemism for 'goddammit.'
• Frog-strangler An extremely heavy rainstorm; a downpour.
• All get-out To the greatest degree; extremely. Used as an intensifier.
• Honky-tonk A bar or nightclub that features country music and dancing, especially a live...
• Supper A regional term for the evening meal, used mainly in the South and rural area...
• Finer than frog's hair Doing very well; feeling great. Also used to describe something very thin or ...
• Cut the light on/off To turn a light (or any appliance) on or off.
• Mash (a button) Southern dialect term meaning to press or push a button firmly.
• Fixins Side dishes served with a main course; all the accompaniments to a meal.
• Taters Southern dialect shortening of 'potatoes,' common in casual and rural speech.
• Plumb Completely, totally, entirely — used as an intensifier.
• Ain't A contraction for 'am not,' 'is not,' 'are not,' 'has not,' or 'have not' — w...
• Howdy Hello; a casual, friendly greeting.
• Down the road a piece A short distance away; not too far from here.
• A mess of A large quantity of something, especially food; a lot of.
• Rode hard and put away wet Looking exhausted, worn out, or rough; having been through a lot.
• Spit shine To clean or polish something hastily; also a thorough polish using spit and e...
• Porch sitting The Southern tradition of relaxing on a front porch, often socializing with n...
• Sass Disrespectful or impudent talk, especially from a child to an adult; back talk.
• Cotton-pickin' A mild intensifier expressing frustration or emphasis; equivalent to 'darn' o...
• Fit to be tied Extremely angry or agitated; so upset you need to be restrained.
• Too big for your britches Acting arrogant, conceited, or above your station; being overly confident.
• That dog won't hunt That idea, plan, or argument won't work; it's not going to succeed.
• Full as a tick Extremely full from eating; stuffed.
• Living in high cotton Doing very well financially or socially; living prosperously.
• Hissy fit A dramatic, childish outburst of anger or frustration; a tantrum.
• Mind your P's and Q's Be on your best behavior; watch your manners carefully.
• Hold your horses Be patient; slow down; wait a moment.
• Snake in the grass A deceitful, untrustworthy person who hides their true nature.
• Lollygag To dawdle, waste time, or move aimlessly without purpose.
• Jawing Talking at length; chatting, often in a leisurely or gossipy way.
• Goodness gracious An exclamation of surprise, shock, or dismay — a genteel alternative to profa...
• Slower than molasses Extremely slow; painfully unhurried.
• Tuckered out Completely exhausted; very tired.
• Commode A Southern and older euphemistic term for a toilet, still heard in rural areas.
• Slap your mama good So delicious that you might lose your senses; extremely good food.
• Southern hospitality The tradition of warm, generous, and welcoming behavior toward guests that is...
• Yes ma'am / Yes sir Polite forms of address used in the South to show respect, regardless of the ...
• Down-home Simple, unpretentious, and traditionally Southern; authentic and homey.
• Gully-washer An extremely heavy rainstorm; a torrential downpour.
• Like white on rice Very close to something or someone; following closely; all over something.
• Well, butter my biscuit An exclamation of surprise or astonishment.