Regional Dialects/Odd Sayings

[Dinahann]

I've always said Y'all... It comes naturally, as opposed to "You all", or "All of you". I have a friend from Pennsylvania who says "You'se Guys" which cracks me up..
My husbands' gym coach used to tell them to "Git chu a shour bath" (go take a shower) after class.

[Google]

 

[Matt64]

"You'se" is one word that I can NOT stand. It infuriates me. We don't say it here in Vancouver, I think it's predominantly the northeastern Unites States, but when I've heard it.. it makes me cringe.. I can tolerate "ya'll" or "you guys", but "you'se guys".. AHHHHHH!!!

[scarlett530]

Originally Posted by queenb

Nah , I don't think they were from GA- they were from "Stupid". We do call all soft drinks "Coke", but if we're asking to be served one we ask for it by the name brand, Diet Coke, 7-Up, Dr. Pepper, etc. Otherwise how would anyone know what we wanted.
Example:
Queenb: Matt, it sure is hot. Wanna Coke?
Matt: Sure!
Queenb: OK, what kind? I have Diet Dr. Pepper, Coke and Sprite.

Weird, huh?

I always had to clarify that, too, when waiting tables.

Me: "Would you care for something to drink?"
Customer: "Coke is fine."
Me: "Ok, we have root beer, coke, sprite, orange soda..."
Customer: "Do you have lemonade?"

True story, I swear.

A proper Southern sentece could very well be, "I reckon I'm fixin to go up the street to that store over yonder to get a co-cola."

I think I may have mentioned this before, the one saying I cannot get away from is "There it goes." :rolleyes Irritates me to no end when I catch myself saying it. "Where is that book? Oh, there it goes."

My grandma uses words like "plum," and "swony (sp?)," i.e., "I swony he must be plumb tuckered out. He was busier than a cat in a room full of rockers." And she would say, "I swony, that's so good it will make your tongue slap you upside the head." Always a great visual. Oh, yes, and she says "fetch" and "warsh" and "hope" (help). She told me a second helping would never hurt my figure if I would just "Take a little exercise."

[Matt64]

It think it's actually very interesting that people in the South use a lot of metaphors in their speech.. at least according to what everyone here seems to be saying. Everywhere metaphor is used in speech, but it seems like there are many more metaphors used in the speech patterns of Southerners.. especially the older generation.. as that would be what everyone here seems to be commenting on..

[scarlett530]

True. Like the "cat and the rockers" saying. Also, "Sweating like a [not so nice lady] in church on Sunday." "Slow as molasses in January." "Up the infamous creek without a paddle." "Busier than a one-legged man in a butt kicking contest." "Can't trust him as far as I could kick him." "Cheap as a three dollar suit." "Smokes like a chimney." "Lies like rug." "Closer'n two peas in pod." "Mad as a June bug." "Hotter'n a two dollar pistol." I don't know how many are particularly regional, but sayings like that are usually laced throughout speech around here, especially older generations.

Another term I love is "doll-baby." For example, "He is the cutest little doll-baby I have ever seen!"

[queenb]

Scarlett, youforgot, "mad as a wet settin' hen" . Matt, the use of metaphor is a big thing down here, and I think we all still do it, not just the old folks. I think a lot of Southerners try to avoid using these colloquialisms around "outsiders" for fear of appearing uneducated or worse, but everyone I know still uses these figures of speech, at least at home and around their friends. Lots of Southern business people also take classes to lose their accents; I think you can try to speak more carefully, when you're speaking to someone who's not from the area, but trying to lose your accent entirely just seems somehow wrong to me! I enjoy a little variety myself, even if I do sound more like Gomer Pyle than Jimmy Carter. (Jimmy has a gentle South Georgia accent, the kind where they don't pronounce the r's. Gomer and I sound like hillbillies from the North Georgia mountains.)

[Lotuslander]

How many different types of southern accents are there, and how far do you have to travel in order for the accent to change, or is it mostly by state, and do y'all identify each other right away by the accent?

[Dinahann]

Originally Posted by scarlett530

...My grandma uses words like "plum," and "swony (sp?)," i.e., "I swony he must be plumb tuckered out. He was busier than a cat in a room full of rockers." And she would say, "I swony, that's so good it will make your tongue slap you upside the head." ...

My Grandma always said "I'll swan" As in "I'll swan, it's hotter'n a firecracker this mornin'."
I always thought it was another way to say "swear", which would fit, because both swony and swan are "sw" sounds, like swear.

[scarlett530]

Originally Posted by queenb

Scarlett, youforgot, "mad as a wet settin' hen" . Matt, the use of metaphor is a big thing down here, and I think we all still do it, not just the old folks. I think a lot of Southerners try to avoid using these colloquialisms around "outsiders" for fear of appearing uneducated or worse, but everyone I know still uses these figures of speech, at least at home and around their friends. Lots of Southern business people also take classes to lose their accents; I think you can try to speak more carefully, when you're speaking to someone who's not from the area, but trying to lose your accent entirely just seems somehow wrong to me! I enjoy a little variety myself, even if I do sound more like Gomer Pyle than Jimmy Carter. (Jimmy has a gentle South Georgia accent, the kind where they don't pronounce the r's. Gomer and I sound like hillbillies from the North Georgia mountains.)

Ok, good point. I would be more willing to slip into the metaphors around the locals. I guess people associate a southern accent with being not very smart, which is a shame. The "southern speak" is actually considered a legitimate dialect (as would a Boston accent, "Spanglish", etc) and while everyone should know how to speak "academic" English, dialects should be treasured. There are different dialects in the south, I think. Florida doesn't really have a distinctive accent, there is more of a mixture here, whereas you can tell the difference in the way most Georgians speak. There is more of a drawl quality to a Georgia accent. I don't think I have much of an accent, but I wouldn't want to lose it entirely. I wouldn't want to be all "high-falootin'" and "hoity-toity" and try to get "above my raisin'." (That was for you, queenb )

[queenb]

Originally Posted by Lotuslander

How many different types of southern accents are there, and how far do you have to travel in order for the accent to change, or is it mostly by state, and do y'all identify each other right away by the accent?

Lotus, there are at least four different types of "southern" just in Georgia! You could pretty much divide the state into thirds horizontally from north to south to get three, and then figure that more rural folks have a slightly to extremely different one.
In South Carolina there are at least three, including, on the barrier islands, a different form of English called Gullah or Geechee, spoken by descendants of slaves from West Africa, which is sadly dying out, though they are trying to keep it alive.
I know Tennesee mountain people also sound different from West Tennesseans.
In one state (North Carolina I think but I'm not sure) there are some mountain people who speak a dialect that sounds almost like Elizabethan English!
In other words, there are a zillion "southern" accents that usually depend on where the primary settlers of that region are from. Sometimes I can identify them, and sometimes I can't. I have noticed that in the larger cities many of the teens and 20 year olds do try to sound more like the Hollywood types, and sometimes it sounds really weird!