I have been a Southerner all of my life, even though I have lived in non-Southern places at times. Each local has its own peculiar life sayings, and Jeff Foxworthy made those of the Redneck quite famous. Often Redneck and Southern are almost synonymous terms.
But that is okay, because there is much wisdom for living in these words. Here are some of my favorites.
“Too much sugar for a nickel (or a dime) – According to the internet AI, this means that
• Something sounds suspiciously good, like a purchase that seems to be a bargain, but is really “fools’ gold.”
• Something is more troubling than it is worth – often this comes with attractive promotions, grant funding, or anything that seems to be achievement or flattering, but has enormous built in personal commitment.
• Over the top behavior - such as rambling on and on with information about a matter that is way beyond what the listener needs.
“Bless Your Heart” comes across as a nicety, but is often really a criticism where the talker is really putting down the listener.
“Fixin to” means that a person is getting ready and immediately about to do something. I say this all the time, such as “I am fixin to go to town” or “I am fixin to cook supper.” And of course, my Southern associates know exactly what I mean – they say it too.
We all have people in our lives who we think are “Too big for their britches” – they go around acting like they are more important than other folks.
“Can’t get blood from a turnip” – Trying to get something from someone who just does not have that something to give.
Finally, my favorite adjective from our Southern way of speech is “plumb” – this means that something is the ultimate, downright, absolutely, or “to the max.” Examples that one Southerner may say to another are “I am plumb tuckered out” – that means the person is tired/fatigued. Another one is that “She is plumb beside herself” – that means the person is upset about something or maybe excited about something and cannot contain the emotions within herself, but just “lets it all hang out.”
We may talk funny to others who are not blessed to be Southern, but our talking reveals our blessing.
