Regional: Southern

American slang and expressions from the Southern United States

はじめに

アメリカ南部にはアクセントだけでは語れない独特の話し方があります。「y'all」や「fixin' to」から「bless your heart」まで、南部の表現には温かさ、ウィット、そして豊かな文化遺産が詰まっています。

この章では、アメリカ南部——アラバマ、ジョージア、テキサス、カロライナなどの地域のスラングと表現を紹介します。

テーマ

この章のアメリカ英語スラング一覧（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.