Fixin’ to Carry you to the Store
I am marveling at language and how it changes. I am startled by social cues and the evolution of language. I love talking to my bestie about slang and phrases that have faded in popularity. I always have been. Perhaps I should have stuck with my high school plan to become an etymologist and linguist.
I was in Alabama recently and we were talking about some of the things our parents and grandparents used to say that we don’t say anymore. These are things I have heard my whole life and now that my dad is not around to say them I realize they were things he said because he was a southerner. In honor of my southern heritage and my dad who would be 90 years old tomorrow if he was alive, I thought I would share a few of things I miss hearing.Not only do they say things with a certain cadence and lilt, but they often need interpretation:
Mash a button – press or push
Fixin to – getting ready to
Up yonder – over yonder – somewhere besides here
might could – maybe
poke – a bag
Carry you – take you to
Have a hankerin’ – I am in the mood for or have a craving for
A ways … not here or now
Reckon so -yes – sure
That’s so sweet – I like it
Chunk it – throw it away
All get out – to the ultimate degree
Buggy – cart
trade days – flea market or swap meet
get some grits – go eat
catheads – a large biscuit
kiddy corner – cattywampus – askew
mess of – a lot of
flat out – as fast as possible
hush up – be quiet
cokcola – all soft drinks
lightin’bugs – fireflies
Now we come to “Bless your heart” and its variations. This expression is a linguistic chameleon and means so many different things. It is kind of like Aloha in Hawaii. It can mean “Oh my Goodness” or “I’m sorry” or even “That person is clueless”! It can even mean Thank you – you shouldn’t have and That’s funny. Some even use it as a way to excuse things or placate someone. The point is that it is an expression that can mean a whole lot of things, depending on who’s saying it to whom where and when.
There are more things that I could say – and I haven’t even touched on the unique foods that have been part of my palate including grits, fried okra, Alabama white sauce, biscuits and gravy, black eyed peas, tomatoes, pimento cheese, sweet tea, Milos, BBQ, cornbread, pecan pie, boiled peanuts, fried chicken, lane cake, figs, blackberry everything, creamed potatoes, green beans. …
Slang/regional dialects are one of my favorite things, too!
My northerner (Michigander) dad (now gone 27 years) used to say several of those that you mentioned as well. For instance:
He used “kitty corner” instead of “kiddy corner.” Same thing.
and for “mess of” –
“We need to catch a mess a blue gills today for supper tonight.” (The reason we needed a “mess” of them is that they are very small fish, so it takes a “mess of” them to make enough for a meal.)
and for “all get out” –
“I was surprised as all get out when Brian scored that touchdown!” or possibly “I was pleased as punch when Brian scored that touchdown!”
and for “hankerin'” –
“I’ve had a hankerin’ for ice cream all day today, Let’s drive over to Marianne’s after supper tonight.” To that I would reply a hardy “YES!”
and
Instead of “Chunk it” my dad would say, “The leftovers in the fridge are too old. Chuck ’em.” And into the trash they went.
and for “a ways” –
“It’s a ways up to The City, so be sure you take everything you need in case it’s cold at The Stick cuz’ I’m not turnin’ around and goin’ back because you forgot a jacket.” To which I’d reply, “GO GIANTS! Hummmmmmmmmmmm baby!!”
and for “flat out” –
My dad’s use of “flat out” was a bit different. He might say, “I’m flat out amazed at that report card of yours. Good job!”
and another one he used a lot was “tickled me” as in “It really tickled me when Jeffy stole that ball and drove down for the lay-up.”
and my all-time fave was when we went berry picking together each year in June so that I could make my famous Triple Whammy Jammy, As we started down the boysenberry row, every year he said the same thing to me (as if I didn’t remember it after all those years of picking berries together.) He would say, “Now don’t pick ’em unless they’re black. They gotta be just black.” They had to be “black” – aka dark, dark purple – in order to be really ripe and full of juice.
Dad’s favorite meal was a Michigan specialty called “Boiled Dinner.” Something we introduced to folks in California when we moved there. Basically: Fill a pot with water and put a chunk of bone-in ham in it with a little salt. Simmer it on low for an hour. Add a cabbage cut in chunks, peeled carrot pieces, peeled potatoes, and peeled rutabagas in chunks. (The rutabagas are my favorite part.) Add a little more water. Simmer on low for 4 -5 hours or so – until the veggies are very tender. Serve with some of the yummy water/juice in the pot as a “gravy” after you mash the veggies a little on your plate and put a little butter on them. Even better the next day…and the next.
…and now for one last slang term from my dad:
One of his mainstays was “I’m plum tuckered out, so I ‘m gonna hit the hay.” To which I’d reply, “Goodnight Daddy. I love you….”