Over yonder down the road. If I could only count the times I've been made fun of for my accent or things I say... And because so many people ask, I am here to give you a list of common Southern phrases and words with the meaning behind them. PowerPoint Files. My accent contains only hints, and my children even less. I got my own way of talking, but everything gets done. Then you just end it with your personal opinion on all this and saying the random 3 words. I got my own way of talking, but everything gets done. "We say it like 'git.' I definitely to travel about to the small southern towns. No wonder anyone can understand me half the time!! Explore Thesaurus Definition and synonyms of southern from the online English dictionary from Macmillan Education. Makes me want to give it a go with other words but then I might just sound a bit too silly (not that I didn’t already). Questions and comments should be sent to Patrick Crispen, University of Alabama class of 1998. the dashes ain't that that long of a space, just very short. Keep up the great work and I ask that you read one or two of my hubs, and I ask you to "please," be My Follower. when I say southerner ,because was born in texas,I would say southana. Without the elders around I miss harin ole wys of sayun thangs. As distinct as the British accent, the Southern accent means different things to different people. But that does not rhyme for us. Theprime farmland of the tidewater zone of the South was mostly occupiedby 1750. This distinction may do for a Connecticut college play, but the regional accents have a far greater flavor range than these four catch-all boxes. Likewise, again is pronounced the way it looks, and rhymes with rain. Only one thing, and please don't take it as a criticism, but you left Missouri out of the South. Southern accents are different in many different parts of the South. I have actually tried to speak differently but can’t do it. We went shopping, and I heard a clerk say "I just love to hear Southerners talk. Some trace this exclamation back to the Revolutionary War and Betsy Ross, but there's no evidence of where "heavens to Betsy" really came from. It has always been school (skewl). All the time, actually. This is resourceful. The mid-18th century saw wealthy British people start dropping the "R" from their speech. While I will agree with most of your usages, I can't help but notice that you seem to be following more of a Plantation English - or, old time rich Southern. Some of these are incorrect and maybe even just insulting . The phrase may be accompanied by a gesture indicating north, south, east, or west. Thank you!!! hi im 15 i grew up in memphis tennessee but i noticed that i didn't have much of a accent in boston because people don't say anything. Especially in TN. when excited. I was frequently asked, "You're not from around here, are you?" Just like it's spelled. There is a common rhyme teachers use at school when students complain about not getting their first choice. They seemed ahead of the pack. Ver 2 * 4. Each of my Internet Tourbus posts between 1995 and 2002 included a "Southern Word of the Day." I'm not in the habit of correcting adults with accents different from mine. "Might could" just refers to a possible willingness or ability to do something. I really think it's all according to how you're brought up and what family you were brought up in. It was a union state during the civil war. I'm from Tennessee, and I feel like this definitely isn't accurate across the entire southern dialect. I am a native of Charleston, South Carolina who is well-versed with the variety of Southern accents out there. For example, "How are y'all?" Fire follows the same rule and is pronounced faar. It'd be nice if you could add these to your website. “Crap” 7. Most of these crops required plenty of water forcultivation and for transportation to market. Growing up in the south, you probably learned several key phrases (e.g. It's often used sarcastically. Ddave is absolutely incorrect. It's not pictures, it's pitchas, and the ladies keep those pitchas in their pockabooks, rather than their pocketbooks. Then they set about to change all our ways. The stronger Southern accents are more widespread in the smaller towns and communities. I wasn't too happy eether. I have a friend who is a Southern lady, and she pronounces 'teriyaki' and 'teriyaka'. You may try using Southern accent words to mimic the way people from this region speak. I've been to each of the lower 48 states. The greeting Hey means Hello. What is YouTube Accent Challenge? Replacing throw with pitch. Think is thank and stink is stank. feature. We don't say taar or faar, either, for tire and fire. If you choose to redistribute this … Maree Michael Martin from Northwest Washington on an Island on November 07, 2013: I think there needs to be a class to teach us the old southern way of talking before it is completely gone. The vowel in words like thought and long tends to be a diphthong, traditionally IPA ɔo. alphaDictionary will compute your score and tell you where you're coming from: are y'all speaking Bubbaese or are youse guys Yankee Doodle Dandies? The Southern US accent was recently voted one of the top 50 in the world, making a strong appearance at No. If two or more people are near, we use this word to address the group. Then we have list of words you have to read fast. Most everyone I've ever known has never made two syllables out of one syllable words. The young 'uns call it country, the Yankees call it dumb. We never say eyether. So, you may hear "Now y'all come on ovah hee-yah to owwah rivah hahss for drinks" (Now you guys come on over here to our river house for drinks.) SClemmons from the Carolina Coast on March 20, 2018: I was born and raised here in North Carolina, and we don't talk like that here. We would say "git in tha carrr." But we all say "fixin' to.". Think about it. Nobody says any thin’, especially southerners. Subscriber Much of my family has roots in the Carolina's and Missouri. I'm from Arkansas, and I'll tell ya one thing right now, it ain't all jis quite like how you put it on here. I was absolutely fascinated when I joined the marine corps in the early 70's and found American Indians from the Oklahoma reservations that had the exact same dialect that I have here in nc. However, there are a few key characteristics of most Southern accents. It’s so refreshing to be back around more southern accents, culture and tradition than where I was living before! Like any other kind of challenge, the Accent Challenge is very fun to watch and to film. I've had several friends, in their failed attempt to sound a little more intelligent than the person they're gossiping about, say things such as, "They don't know no better. :D I'd appreciate a lot. Florida is a Southern State. IDK, I guess it’s just in our blood. “Holy guacamole” 15. The first is that word stress can change compared to what you’d hear elsewhere in the U.S. For example, most Americans will stress the second half of the following words: Hotel: /ho TEL/ Guitar: /gui TAR/ Police: /po LICE/ The dialect survey has now become a viral internet challenge known as the – Accent tag or Accent Challenge. These words tend to come out with even more zest if the Southerner has been drinking bourbon. I like mah southern accent now. The word “anything” is key to spotting a fake southern accent. Delaware, Maryland, Oklahoma, Texas, and Florida aren’t really part of the South. I'LL give you some examples; "how'd y'all" & "I ain't goin' to the doctor at all". But that does not rhyme for us. 0. days: 01. hrs: 39. min: 10. sec. “Crud” 9. That's all I've ever heard from my family, and I live in California. I guess I do have more of a Southern accent (or at least influence) than I thought that I did. I am reading the autobiography of Jane Pittman I can not understand what the word is. (A Southern favorite) The 4-letter “S word” substitutes: 6. Pro Play This Tab. It's the smallest dialect in the South, known as the Tidewater accent. 1. I get teased all the time and people use to have me say words because i was different i moved from virgina to Michigan, I was born in Tampa Florida in the early 50’s and moved to Maine in the 60’s against my wishes and have been teased all my life because of my southern drawl. We say "You git what you git, so don't throw a fit." This one done to label themselves as part of upper society. English is supposed to sound mid western. Hmmm...maybe that is where ain't came from. Then I met my cousins from Texas. The South is well-known for having a way with words. Charlestonians do not use Southern expressions like just pickin, though we do use the famous y'all. He calls them "General American Southern," "Plantation," "Hillbilly" and "Panhandle-Texas". That went on for 10 min... Then she if asked we needed tomatoes...I replied no we don't need no matas. Personally I love the Southern drawls, especially in women. I just threw my wife for a loop. I done herd it wit my own ears. I'm not sure what my accent is because Miami is very diverse so you'd think I wouldnt have an accent, but growing up I was around southern accents all the time. You'll mostly hear this one in the deep South, like Georgia or Alabama, and often in regards to food. A twang is quite distinctive from a drawl. HA.. People from Chalmette tend to sound like Thibedeaux mixed with Boston, which is quite strange. It is not quite hass, but more like hahss. This was the first American zone of plantation agriculture,where farmers first grew commercial crops of rice, indigo, tobacco, and(later on) cotton. Now you can talk with others who have taken our test about your accent and theirs. There's a southern accent, where I come from. However, if you grew up in the north, you probably recognize some vastly different ones (e.g. Growing up here in Washington it's definitely a rarity to hear such a thing. This is definitely describing a south Carolinian accent because in Georgia we don't say "dress" with two syllables, nor do we say "river" as "riv-ah"...it's riv-er. The Southern US accent was recently voted one of the top 50 in the world, making a strong appearance at No. Born and raised in Mississippi, now living in southern Louisiana, I have heard and used many of these sayings myself lol. ", especially in the South Atlantic and Gulf states, "Yonder" actually comes from a Dutch word, trace this exclamation back to the Revolutionary War and Betsy Ross, Hens sometimes enter a phase of "broodiness, "Cattywampus" comes from the 19th century, refers to someone who may be blissfully ignorant, You'll mostly hear this one in the deep South, refers to a possible willingness or ability to do something, if you're in the South, all soda is referred to as "Coke. Gordan Zunar from New York on November 06, 2014: John R Wilsdon from Superior, Arizona on September 17, 2014: I greatly enjoyed this hub. It took me years to get my dialect back, and sometimes I still find myself saying "eyee" instead of "ah" and "tieem" instead of "tahm". To find out how much Southern blood your speech shows, simply choose the words you use below, then press "Compute My Score!" Accent Tag Questions: Research the specific Southern accent you want to adapt. My son just pointed this out yesterday and its how I say the word wash which is warsh. Although there are some good Yankees one being my wife most are generally rude jerks who need to learn how to be polite and relax a little, Love how some of these people wanna claim Texas ain't part of the the South. Cast is pronounced [kʰast], rather than the [kʰɑːst] pronunciation of most southern accents, and so shares the same vowel as cat [kʰat]. GreenMind Guides from USA on December 25, 2016: Great idea for a hub -- my southern-bred folks use these sayings all the time. You missed one more. The Delta would say "git in tha cahwa". Lol, I'm Canadian so this was interesting. This phrase can be intensified by the addition of the word “way,” as in “way over yonder.” And thank is thanky - maybe from thank ye??? Shutterstock. I think you have missed some words. Maybe in the Carolina’s and GA they say a-gain. However, most of it sounds like how someone who lived in a holler many years ago would speak, or as we are depicted in a scene from The Beverly Hillbillies. Missouri came into the Union in 1821 as a slave state and (informally) seceded in 1861. This was very helpful. Phrases and accents were different in Georgia in 1800s as opposed to modern day New Orleans. What is hyphen". Their descendants grew up speaking the same way, and so the accent stuck. Ah, I remember "You git what you git so don't pitch a fit/You git what you git and you don't pitch a fit". Over yonder past the cotton field. I realized then that I had to learn a new language--- fast. Think of Matthew McConaughey in the movie A Time to Kill. ?..only if yer dippin' (skoal). OK is in fact a southern state but because we were still Indian territory My don’t know where to classify us. Southerners don't say I or eye the way you do. What is the southern accent? Tumblr Accent Challenge. I'm from Arkansas, the Ozark Mountains, to be exact, but our accent is different from the Arkansas Delta (eastern part) or South Årkansas. (Let me put my feet up - I'm tired.) The drawl, which is more common in the Deep South, tends to drop the "R" sound and sounds softer to the ear as syllables are drawn out. We aint used some of these words in fuh-ever. Her accent is so thick that she can barely use talk-to-text (although she perseveres), she’s missing one of her front teeth, and though she has yet to master the art of pronouncing the word “tortilla,” she is, undoubtedly, one of the smartest people I have ever known. F Dm C F Dm C F There’s a southern accent, where I come from Dm C F The young’uns call it country Bb C The yankees call it dumb Dm C F I got my own way of talkin’ Bb C Dm C … You’ve likely heard some Southern words and phrases in your time, but you do know all of these? Both states recognized my NY accent straight away. coam oawn ovah herah swatie i gawt a yellah flawar, it would be nice with some recording examples bcs it occurs some difficulties for me .I am confused about how to pronunce it :(. "Cattywampus" comes from the 19th century, and is a variation of the word "catawampus," which can mean destructive. So I told them they sound like a dyin possum in a trash can. Only the yankee influence over the past 30 years has watered it down. Tom Petty - Southern Accents Lyrics There's a southern accent, where I come from The young 'uns call it country, the yankees call it dumb I got my own way of talking, but everything gets done Or it may be, "Lem-me put mah feet up - Aah'm taard." "The word get does not rhyme with yet here in the South," writes Sarah Johnson, a South Carolina native and Southern accent specialist. In a Southern home, "hold your horses" is used when someone is being impatient. When a pig dies outside, the sun will dry out its skin, pulling its lips back to reveal a toothy "grin," making it look happy. This is as wrong as it could possibly be. Southerners don’t pronounce “I” the way others do. Ha, KEE-EE-UM, congrats on being freshly pressed and thanks for making me LOL. The best then is when you hear someone say they want to go for ice cream. Synonyms and related words +-The compass and points of the compass. Being a foreigner can be intimidating – especially when there's a different form of slang and accent when you get there! Sometimes crawfish are also called freshwater lobsters or mountain lobsters. You will also notice words that run together like gonna (going to) and lem-me (let me). We wanted to delve a little deeper and find out some characteristics of the accent to see why people find it so sexy.. We’ll start you off with somethin’ simple. Cast is pronounced [kʰast], rather than the [kʰɑːst] pronunciation of most southern accents, and so shares the same vowel as cat [kʰat]. large area that features many different dialects of the Southern accent." This distinction may do for a Connecticut college play, but the regional accents have a far greater flavor range than these four catch-all boxes. I get a funny feeling it's a White racist implication. I very much enjoy listening to the Southern accent spoken, and I will surely be returning to this site so i can learn a little "Southern" by heart. It features non-rhotic speech, gliding vowels, and elongated pronunciation of vowels. You have solved my problems. So for those who love it , thank you, for those who poke fun at us , God bless you. Similar to a Southern American accent, a Southern French one has a sweet sound that everyone drools over—and to be specific, it tends to be the Southwest French accent that wins people’s hearts. i really appreciate about the southern accent, Is there a vid I can watch that is not on YouTube on how to do it. 12. Most the time my folks will pernounce the "i" in "like" as a long I sound instead of using what they call a dipthong where the i sorta turns halfway through into an e. I also heard, and this may be wrong, that the word "tump" is something unique to Arkansas. I do enjoy listening to a Southern lawyer! Give meh that yellah mustard for mah dawg. If you're from the region, you probably won't bat an eye at these southern slang words and phrases. And there's a stark contrast between Cajuns and New Orleans and Thibedeaux and every other parish. It was adapted into famous Southern literary works, such as Mark Twain's "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court," and has been used in the South ever since. Southerners love to make things sound nicer than they are, so "hush up" is a way to tell someone to "shut up" without sounding too harsh. This non-rhotic accent carried over to America; it can still be heard in Boston and New York accents. Pretty interesting, huh? In such a case, you will be wholly focused on the way the words sound, which is a pretty efficient technique. ", "hush up" is a way to tell someone to "shut up", 25 things every Midwesterner knows to be true, 20 cities in the South that Americans are escaping in droves. Our accent was affected by the local African-American Gullah dialect, as well as different European influences. We were talking about the Oregon Trail and how they talked. I worked in broadcasting for 20 years, and they ruined my accent. "sayd"..has become "told"..."I dun told you", "Skole"?? Newcomers to the city who expect to hear Hollywood’s idea of the Southern drawl will be disappointed. I have also found that we have moved away from "taar" (tar) to a point where we overly annunciate the "i"...tYre. Most everything I’ve seen in movies and television is atrocious. Farmers thus dunk hens in cold water to "break" their broodiness... and hens don't like that one bit. SClemmons from the Carolina Coast on April 02, 2018: Some common expressions you can hear in North Carolina include: My brother ran that dog slap over with his truck, I can't go in that store..they run me off, That hammer you're looking for is over yonder, If that boy keeps it up I'm going to wear him out with my belt, It's not "hell no", it's pronounced "hail no. how do you say we all with a southern drawl? ", If you didn't hear something, it's not pardon me? 'y'all' or the famous 'bless your heart'). The phrase may be accompanied by a gesture indicating north, south, east, or west. There are some Charlestonians that clip their words a bit, so house is more like huss. But that may be because I was visitin' distant family and stayed in the house the whole time. All vowels tend to be pronounced longer than in northern American accents. The following are some characterstics (Wells, ... You can hear this in centre, poor and other words. at the end. Over yonder toward the water tower. Ya use it kinda like dump, but on accident. can you even? southern Europe. "Y'all" is typical Southern slang, but it's also a proper contraction (you all = y'all). We have more residents from elsewhere than native Virginians. (It's a nice night tonight.) Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers Lyrics. French-language accents differ from region to region (and even country to country) but a lesson on how to imitate a general Southern French accent should definitely be helpful for any French learner. Were you impressed with my Southern style of commenting? Slap my mammy! Helpful for meh cowboy and cowgirl ball. Southerners are known for … "Yonder" actually comes from a Dutch word, "ginder," which means "over there." Your first sentence was "The American South is (?) Had a guy from New York years ago just giggle everytime I said something. Can't seem to break the habit. Some accents, like British English and Boston accents, are non-rhotic accents. This is a really helpful website for me 'cause we've got a school play that has southern American accents. I live in Minnesota and we say, "You get what you get and you don't throw a fit.". If you consider yourself a wiz when it comes to riddles, or if you just need a break from the hectic world around you - give this quiz a try! It's kind of sad. I must have gotten most of it back though because a coworker and I were in Seattle on business (she's a retaarrd English teacher, and we were both legal editors at the tahm.) For example, lip [lɪəp]; web [wɛəb]; rap [ræəp]. It is the kind that you often hear in various media like films and TV. Sometimes it's used as a passive-aggressive insult (a nice way for a polite Southerner to tell you that you're wrong), and sometimes it's used as an exclamation. Whereas in the North, you may find i also noticed that when im with a friend thats from the south my accent gets stronger. In the entertainment field, you may have an acting role for a character that is from the Southern United States. When you’re in the South, “over yonder” is a distant direction—any direction. I finally felt the need to correct my dear friend who grew up in Seattle when it got to be too much for me. From "What in the Sam Hill" to "Heavens to Betsy," you probably won't hear these 25 words and expressions anywhere but the South. I might ask them to repeat what they are saying when I don't understand them. Then you just end it with your personal opinion on all this and saying the random 3 words.