I just finished Hot and Bothered, the first in my Savannah Sizzle series. I love writing the South, but let me tell you a thing or two…they do not talk, act, eat or socialize in the South like they do in the North. Savannah is not Cincinnati! I’ve visited Savannah lots of time, love it to pieces…except for those palmetto bugs the size of a VW and the ten pounds I pack on eating at Paula Deen’s…in fact my daughter goes to school there. But knowing and writing so it sounds true and like the South are two different things.
I know the Civil War is never referred to as that but more like the northern unpleasantness or the northern aggression. When something is to be right away that means anytime this month…Slovannah time. Mama and Daddy abound as do nicknames or pet names or even given names. My dh is from Kentucky and had an Aunt Bo-Peep, brother Tunny, sister Toosey, sister Ru-ru. Wonderful people, do anything for you and can cook like a dream.
But my problem is, I used a lot of southern speak in Hot and Bothered and need some new authentic ones for the second book. So, if any of you Southern Belles out there could help me out with some of your pet sayings, I’d truly appreciate it. Or pet nick names or given names, that would be terrific!
To show my gratitude I’ll send off a The Morgue the Merrier (BRAVA Kensington 9/07) tote.
Thanks for the help and ya’all have a good day now, ya’hear.
Hugs, Dianne
DianneCastell.com
DianneCasetll@hotmail.com
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Y’all
Over yonder
Bless her heart
Barking up the wrong tree. (you are wrong)
Caught with your pants down. (surprised and unprepared)
Don’t bite off more than you can chew. (attempt what you can accomplish)
Don’t count your chickens until they hatch. (first know the results)
Fly off the handle. (angry and lashing out)
Go hog wild. (have a good time)
Go off half-cocked. (have only half the facts)
In a coon’s age. (been a long time)
Too big for one’s britches. (someone taking themself too seriously)
You can find some more southern sayings here.
http://www.ashlandbelle.com/Southern.html
by Amy S.
on August 14th, 2007 at 11:48 am
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One that I love is, Ain’t that the berries?
by ruth
on August 14th, 2007 at 12:43 pm
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Ivy is a nickname in the south. If a man has IV after his name sometimes they call him Ivy instead of his name.
by ellie
on August 14th, 2007 at 1:02 pm
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I’m not from the South but here are some I know we use:
ain’t she it - doesn’t she think she’s great
like finding a needle in a haystack - very hard to find
scarcer than hen’s teeth - won’t be able to find it/doesn’t exist
that takes the cake - well if that isn’t something/surprised
I’m fixin’ to - I’m about to
a falling out - an argument
by RobynL
on August 14th, 2007 at 4:58 pm
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lol The one that comes immediately to mind is Bless your heart. I know Tee laughed at me for it at the Gettogether in June.
by Pamk
on August 14th, 2007 at 7:25 pm
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Cold as a banker’s heart,
So dry I’m spitting cotton
He’s rough as a corn cob
He’s as tight as the pages in a book
It’s hot enough to peel house paint
confused as a cow on astroturf
by jenna
on August 14th, 2007 at 7:36 pm
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I know men named Jeter-Bob, Cooter, Cleatus,Junior and Trey(as in the 3rd).
(Ellie, I know a man called Ivy and he is a 4th!)
Women named Mamie Clyde, Jimmie, and Mae.
I know grandmothers called Maw-maw, Grammy and Nana. And Grandfathers called Big Daddy, Gooddaddy, Daddy Blue and Paw-paw.
Darlin’, Baby-doll, Sweet-pea, Honey, Sweet thang, and Sugar beet are nicknames that I’ve been called.
Trucks have names like Pearl and Martha. Aunts do, too.
We say:
“It is hotter than the gate hinges of hell” or
“It’s hotter than nine miles of hell.”
“She’s sweatin’ like a ho’ in church.”
“I wouldn’t trust him in a hen-house with a muzzle on.”
” I swanee” - (I swear)
“Pert near”- (Pretty near)
If that don’t beat hawgs flyin’!
Say it ain’t so! - (This is usually said after hearing something good.)
Preach on brother! I’ll turn the pages - (meaning I hear you and I agree with what you are saying.)
Remeber, Ya’ll is plural..we never refer to one person as y’all. Only yankees do that. 
When you ask for tea, you get iced tea (sometimes called sweet tea.)
We call regular milk “sweet milk” to distinguish it from buttermilk.
We eat cornbread in buttermilk..we call that a Georgia milkshake.
by Angie T
on August 14th, 2007 at 8:52 pm
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Oh my goodness. Most of the saying that everyone has given are actual saying that I use. LOL I never knew that I was so southern (that would be my daddy’s roots).
This is not a saying but we southerns have MamMaw and Pappaw’s for grandparents.
by Patty L.
on August 14th, 2007 at 9:44 pm
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I’m not from the South but I had an aunt who born and raised in Georgia and used these phrases all the time.
A whistling woman and a crowing hen never comes to a very good end. (be who you are)
Ain’t that the berries! (that is great!)
As easy as sliding off a greasy log backward. (very easy)
Barking up the wrong tree. (you are wrong)
Be like the old lady who fell out of the wagon. (you aren’t involved, so stay out of it)
Busy as a stump-tailed cow in fly time. (very busy)
Get the short end of the stick. (not invited and treated wrong)
Give down the country. (give someone a piece of your mind)
Go hog wild. (have a good time)
Go to bed with the chickens. (in bed early)
Gone back on your raisin. (deny heritage)
Got your feathers ruffled. (upset and pouting)
Happy as a dead pig in the sunshine. (doesn’t grasp or worry what’s going on)
Have no axe to grind. (no strong opinion)
Holler like a stuck pig. (someone mislead you)
I do declare. (usually means nothing)
In high cotton. (rising up in society)
In a coon’s age. (been a long time)
Like a bump on a log. (lazy and doing nothing)
Like two peas in a pod. (act and think alike)
Mend fences. (settle differences)
Scarce as hen’s teeth. (no such thing)
Sight for sore eyes. (Nice to you!)
Stomping grounds. (familiar territory)
Sun don’t shine on the same dog’s tail all the time. (you’ll get what you deserve)
That takes the cake. (surprised)
Too big for one’s britches. (someone taking themselves too seriously)
Two shakes of a sheep’s tail. (done quickly)
Well, shut my mouth. (shocked and speechless)
Chugged full. (full and over-flowing)
Do go on. (you must be joking)
Don’t let the tail wag the dog. (the chief is in charge, not the Indians)
Don’t let your mouth overload your tail. (talking too much)
Either fish or cut bait. (work or make way for those who will)
Even a blind hog finds an acorn now and then. (everyone is sometimes lucky)
Every dog should have a few fleas. (no one is perfect)
by Susan
on August 15th, 2007 at 12:36 pm
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Grain of sense: lack of intelligence
Hush yo’mouth: expression of pleased embarrassment from a female
Pick at: annoy
That old dawg won’t hunt no more: that wouldn’t work
Take-on: behave in that manner
Well, butter my butt and call me a biscuit: isn’t that something
He’s as country as Cornflakes
Argue with a fence post: being stubborn
by Shari C
on August 15th, 2007 at 7:13 pm
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Haw-haw-howdy-har-har! I am laughing at all the funny sayings! I heard these sentences over the backyard fence down the line,
Oh tis it sweet to shine on yawl down the line at Ma and Pa’s place?
Oh my heaven’s, it is yawl? Where is ya Pa be? He ain’t wandering off to get some moonshine now is he?
Are ya straggling over to the five and dime uptown? I’ll go wit ya!
That guy is sweet on ya.
You can also watch some old Andy Griffith shows and get some good southern sayings. Andy had some really good ones too!
by Michele L.
on August 15th, 2007 at 11:29 pm
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Lordy, you all are wonderful! Thanks so much! I’m printing off all these.
Now that I got your attention, any good cussing? Or name calling, like …low-rent, Yankee pig-stealer? etc
I love the south. I think was born the wrong side of the Ohio River. :-)
Hugs, Dianne
by Dianne Castell
on August 16th, 2007 at 7:20 am
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I have enjoyed reading all of these South sayings! Dianne, I was born too far north by the Mississippi River :) Reading different accents in a book really adds extra character and personality!
by Kathleen
on August 16th, 2007 at 9:02 am
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Doodley-squat–doesn’t amount to much
Hissy–temper tantrum
Lawdy or Lans-sake–Exclamation
Persnickety–prissy acting,being petulant
Stick it where the sun don’t shine–this one is pretty self explanatory.
My aunt didn’t cuss very much!
by Susan
on August 16th, 2007 at 2:10 pm
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Nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rockin’ chairs (never really heard anyone say it except on tv, but it works)
Carrying someone somewhere–which apparently means driving them someplace, not actually picking them up
I’ll do it in a whole minute –think it means soon, but not this minute
By the way, in an Alison Krauss concert, she said “if we’d of known you was comin’ we’d of baked a cake”. Sounds familiar. Does anyone know from where?
by sandy hennessy
on August 26th, 2007 at 3:01 pm
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I got this in an email today and laughed so hard!! Unfortunately, most of these are really true!
YOU KNOW YOU ARE IN GEORGIA IN JULY WHEN. .. .
The birds have to use potholders to pull worms out of the ground.
The trees are whistling for the dogs.
The best parking place is determined by shade instead of distance.
Hot water now comes out of both taps.
You can make sun tea instantly.
You learn that a seat belt buckle makes a pretty good branding iron.
The temperature drops below 95 and you feel a little chilly.
You discover that in July it only takes 2 fingers to steer your car.
You discover that you can get sunburned through your car window.
You actually burn your hand opening the car door.
You break into a sweat the instant you step outside at 7:30 a.m.
Your biggest bicycle wreck fear is, “What if I get knocked out and end up
lying on the pavement and cook to death?”
You realize that asphalt has a liquid state.
The potatoes cook underground, so all you have to do is pull one out and
add butter, salt and pepper.
Farmers are feeding their chickens crushed ice to keep them from laying
boiled eggs.
The cows are giving evaporated milk.
by Angie T
on August 27th, 2007 at 7:24 pm
