Any Yankee (non-Southern person) who travels in the South may hear certain phrases and suppose they know the intended meaning. But do they? For example:
1. "How y'all doin' today?" doesn't necessarily mean the inquirer wants to know how you're feeling at the moment. So don't panic at a stranger's seeming interest in your personal life. (I had a great "Yankee" friend in college who was taken aback whenever I asked how she was doing.) This phrase is simply the most common form of greeting in the South. The common response is "fine," and then the conversation may proceed as usual.
2. "What can I get ya, Sugar?" You'll most likely to hear this phrase at Shoney's, O'Charley's or another Southern eating establishment. The waitress, who doesn't know your husband from Jim-Bob, nevertheless addresses him with terms of endearment such as "Honey" or "Sweetie Pie." Don't worry––she's probably not making a pass at your man. That's just how a true Southern waitress talks. She'll probably call you "Sweetie" when she asks if you'd like some more "swait" tea.
3. By the way, "iced tea" is always sweet in the South, unless you ask for un-sweet. If you do, be prepared to have them look at you like you're crazy. Southerners don't understand why people would want to drink bitter water. But beware––some iced tea is so sweet you could heat it and pour it over pancakes.
4. "Can I get you a coke?" If a Southerner asks if you'd like a coke, they don't mean Coca-Cola. They mean one of the carbonated beverages you call "pop" or "soda" or "soda-pop." So when they ask what kind of coke you'd like, they don't mean regular or diet or caffeine-free. They mean, "Do you want Coke, Dr. Pepper, Sprite, Root Beer, or ____ ?"
5. "I'll just go down yonder a minute, then swing back and hit ya." Don't worry. He's not going to punch you. He's going to leave for a little while, then come back and check with you.
6. "Hi, Miss Julie." Perhaps you're a married lady who's used to being called "Mrs. Smith." Then some Southern chick dares to call you "Miss" and use your first name. She's not trying to insult you. That's just how younger people are supposed to address older people in the South, regardless of marital status. (Again, I've had this happen. My college pastor's wife, who was from a northern state, thought I was being rude when I called her "Miss Rhonda." I meant to be friendly.)
7. "Yes, sir" or "Yes, ma'am." The person addressing you is not trying to make you feel old. He or she has just been taught to say "sir" or "ma'am" as a term of respect. (When I moved to CO after college, I had a supervisor ask me not to call him "Mr. Tom" or say, "Yes, sir." Took a long time for me to get used to calling older grown-ups by their first name, without a Mr. or Miss in front of it.)
8. "Bless your heart." When a Southern lady says, "Bless her heart," it may be meant kindly, as in "I'm so sorry she's going through that." But it doesn't always mean the speaker has good feelings toward "her." Loosely translated, "Bless her heart" could also mean, "What a naive person" or "What an idiot!" But of course a lady would never say that in polite company. So "bless her heart" may be a nice way of saying someone's a few dozen watts short of a 40-watt bulb.
What other distinctly Southern phrases have you heard and perhaps wondered at the meaning? Or what other phrases can you translate for those who didn't grow up in the South?
1. "How y'all doin' today?" doesn't necessarily mean the inquirer wants to know how you're feeling at the moment. So don't panic at a stranger's seeming interest in your personal life. (I had a great "Yankee" friend in college who was taken aback whenever I asked how she was doing.) This phrase is simply the most common form of greeting in the South. The common response is "fine," and then the conversation may proceed as usual.
2. "What can I get ya, Sugar?" You'll most likely to hear this phrase at Shoney's, O'Charley's or another Southern eating establishment. The waitress, who doesn't know your husband from Jim-Bob, nevertheless addresses him with terms of endearment such as "Honey" or "Sweetie Pie." Don't worry––she's probably not making a pass at your man. That's just how a true Southern waitress talks. She'll probably call you "Sweetie" when she asks if you'd like some more "swait" tea.4. "Can I get you a coke?" If a Southerner asks if you'd like a coke, they don't mean Coca-Cola. They mean one of the carbonated beverages you call "pop" or "soda" or "soda-pop." So when they ask what kind of coke you'd like, they don't mean regular or diet or caffeine-free. They mean, "Do you want Coke, Dr. Pepper, Sprite, Root Beer, or ____ ?"
5. "I'll just go down yonder a minute, then swing back and hit ya." Don't worry. He's not going to punch you. He's going to leave for a little while, then come back and check with you.
6. "Hi, Miss Julie." Perhaps you're a married lady who's used to being called "Mrs. Smith." Then some Southern chick dares to call you "Miss" and use your first name. She's not trying to insult you. That's just how younger people are supposed to address older people in the South, regardless of marital status. (Again, I've had this happen. My college pastor's wife, who was from a northern state, thought I was being rude when I called her "Miss Rhonda." I meant to be friendly.)
7. "Yes, sir" or "Yes, ma'am." The person addressing you is not trying to make you feel old. He or she has just been taught to say "sir" or "ma'am" as a term of respect. (When I moved to CO after college, I had a supervisor ask me not to call him "Mr. Tom" or say, "Yes, sir." Took a long time for me to get used to calling older grown-ups by their first name, without a Mr. or Miss in front of it.)
8. "Bless your heart." When a Southern lady says, "Bless her heart," it may be meant kindly, as in "I'm so sorry she's going through that." But it doesn't always mean the speaker has good feelings toward "her." Loosely translated, "Bless her heart" could also mean, "What a naive person" or "What an idiot!" But of course a lady would never say that in polite company. So "bless her heart" may be a nice way of saying someone's a few dozen watts short of a 40-watt bulb.
What other distinctly Southern phrases have you heard and perhaps wondered at the meaning? Or what other phrases can you translate for those who didn't grow up in the South?
Hi Joanna. I grew up in PA, so am a "Yankee" by birth. I found your blog post interesting. I am familiar with every one of the sayings and their correct interpretations. The only one that gave me pause was the "bless her heart" phrase. While I have heard it used in the manner in which you described it, my first thought when I heard it was not the Southern interpretation. My first thought was hearing my grandmother, also a "Yankee," saying, "Bless her heart! What a hunny!" in an affectionate tone of voice while observing one of her grandchildren or great-grandchildren. She used it often and her eyes spoke of her deep love for us. She often used it when a child had fallen asleep, but did use it when we were awake as well. Maureen Longnecker
ReplyDeleteMaureen, thanks for sharing this precious story about your grandmother! And you're absolutely right . . . "Bless her heart!" can be meant very kindly. I didn't mean to imply that it's ALWAYS negative. I grew up in the South and have heard it used both ways.
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