25 words and phrases you'll only hear in the South (2025)

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A Southerner will say "hold your horses" if things are going too fast. "Till the cows come home" is another way to say "forever" in the South. Southerners address a group with "y'all." "It doesn’t amount to a hill of beans" means that something isn't worth much. "Bless your heart" shows sympathy ... for the most part. Southerners are never just getting ready to do something, they're "fixin' to" do it. If something's far away from you, it's "over yonder." "Pretty as a peach" is a great compliment. A mild exclamation of surprise used in the South is "Heavens to Betsy!" If someone is VERY mad, they're "madder than a wet hen." "Cattywampus" means something's askew. "She's as happy as a dead pig in the sunshine" is positive, despite the sad connotation. "I'm finer than frog hair split four ways" means you're good. Southerners call crawfish "crawdads." You have a "hankerin'" when you're really in the mood for something. "Might could" is the Southern way of saying "might." "He could eat corn through a picket fence," refers to an unfortunate set of buck teeth. "Take your own sweet time" means you're taking too long. "What in the Sam Hill" is another exclamatory phrase. "Well, I'll be" expresses surprise. "Thingamajigger" is the word for something you've forgotten the name for. "Coke" refers to all soda. "Hush up" is the Southern way of saying "shut up." If you look like a "ragamuffin," you don't look good enough to leave the house. "Goodness gracious" is a classic Southern exclamation, though it has caught on across the country. FAQs

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Shelby Slauer and Frank Olito

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25 words and phrases you'll only hear in the South (1)

  • The South is well-known for having a way with words.
  • "Bless your heart" and "Take your sweet time" might seem like sympathetic phrases — but they're not always.
  • From "What in the Sam Hill" to "Heavens to Betsy," you probably won't hear these 25 words and expressions anywhere but the South.
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25 words and phrases you'll only hear in the South (2)

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The South is a special place with its own quirks and traditions, but it's especially well-known for having a way with words.

For instance, down south, "madder than a wet hen" means being angry, "over yonder" is a more poetic way of saying "over there," and "bless your heart" can be both an insult and a way to show empathy.

Keep scrolling to see 25 Southern words and expressions you probably won't hear anywhere else.

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A Southerner will say "hold your horses" if things are going too fast.

25 words and phrases you'll only hear in the South (5)

In a Southern home, "hold your horses" is used when someone is being impatient. In other words, the idiom means "wait" or "hang on a minute." The words originally had a literal meaning, which was used to command horses to slow down.

"Till the cows come home" is another way to say "forever" in the South.

The phrase means "for a long time; forever." According to dictionary.com, a Southerner could use the idiom like this: "You can keep arguing till the cows come home, but I won't change my mind."

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Southerners address a group with "y'all."

25 words and phrases you'll only hear in the South (7)

"Y'all" is typical Southern slang, but it's also a proper contraction (you all = y'all). Southerners say this word all the time.

"It doesn’t amount to a hill of beans" means that something isn't worth much.

25 words and phrases you'll only hear in the South (8)

Apparently,this expression entered the mainstream at the end of the film"Casablanca," when Humphrey Bogart says to Ingrid Bergman, "Ilsa, I'm no good at being noble, but it doesn't take much to see that the problems of three little people don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world."

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"Bless your heart" shows sympathy ... for the most part.

25 words and phrases you'll only hear in the South (9)

"Bless your heart" has many different meanings in the South. 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. The importance is the tone used.

Southerners are never just getting ready to do something, they're "fixin' to" do it.

25 words and phrases you'll only hear in the South (10)

"Fixin' to" is a common phrase, especially in the South Atlantic and Gulf states, like Georgia and Florida.

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If something's far away from you, it's "over yonder."

25 words and phrases you'll only hear in the South (11)

"Over yonder" is a phrase that means something's still typically in your line of sight, but far away.

"Yonder" actually comes from a Dutch word, "ginder," which means "over there." 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.

"Pretty as a peach" is a great compliment.

25 words and phrases you'll only hear in the South (12)

In states known for their peaches, "pretty as a peach" is as good as a compliment gets.

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A mild exclamation of surprise used in the South is "Heavens to Betsy!"

25 words and phrases you'll only hear in the South (13)

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.

If someone is VERY mad, they're "madder than a wet hen."

25 words and phrases you'll only hear in the South (14)

Hens sometimes enter a phase of "broodiness," meaning that they'll do anything to incubate their eggs and will get agitated when farmers try to collect them. Farmers thus dunk hens in cold water to "break" their broodiness... and hens don't like that one bit.

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"Cattywampus" means something's askew.

25 words and phrases you'll only hear in the South (15)

"Cattywampus" comes from the 19th century, and is a variation of the word "catawampus," which can mean destructive.

"She's as happy as a dead pig in the sunshine" is positive, despite the sad connotation.

25 words and phrases you'll only hear in the South (16)

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 expression refers to someone who may be blissfully ignorant of something.

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"I'm finer than frog hair split four ways" means you're good.

25 words and phrases you'll only hear in the South (17)

This phrase is often used by Southerners to answer the question, "How are you?" While we all know frogs don't have hair, it means to ironically highlight just how dandy you feel.

The phrase reportedly originated in C. Davis' "Diary of 1865."

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Southerners call crawfish "crawdads."

25 words and phrases you'll only hear in the South (18)

"Crawdad" is mostly used in Louisiana, but is common across the South. Sometimes crawfish are also called freshwater lobsters or mountain lobsters.

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You have a "hankerin'" when you're really in the mood for something.

25 words and phrases you'll only hear in the South (19)

You'll mostly hear this one in the deep South, like Georgia or Alabama, and often in regards to food.

"Might could" is the Southern way of saying "might."

25 words and phrases you'll only hear in the South (20)

"Might could" just refers to a possible willingness or ability to do something.

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"He could eat corn through a picket fence," refers to an unfortunate set of buck teeth.

25 words and phrases you'll only hear in the South (21)

Imagine ahorse eating a carrot, and you'll get the picture.

"Take your own sweet time" means you're taking too long.

25 words and phrases you'll only hear in the South (22)

"Take your own sweet time" means that someone is doing something as slowly as they feel like, even though everyone else wants them to hurry up. It's often used sarcastically.

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"What in the Sam Hill" is another exclamatory phrase.

25 words and phrases you'll only hear in the South (23)

Apparently, there once was aSam Hill that used such vulgar language that his name became a euphemism for cuss words. Southerners love using euphemisms in place of real swearing.

"Well, I'll be" expresses surprise.

25 words and phrases you'll only hear in the South (24)

This expression of complete shock is typically a reaction to a recent revelation.

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"Thingamajigger" is the word for something you've forgotten the name for.

25 words and phrases you'll only hear in the South (25)

Other options for this word include "dohickey," "thingamabob," and "whatchamacallit." These terms have been popularized by popular children's stories, like "The Little Mermaid,"as well as Dr. Suess books.

"Coke" refers to all soda.

25 words and phrases you'll only hear in the South (26)

You may hear "soda" in the Northeast or "pop" in the Midwest, but if you're in the South, all soda is referred to as "Coke."

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"Hush up" is the Southern way of saying "shut up."

25 words and phrases you'll only hear in the South (27)

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. "Shut up" is viewed as rather rude in the South.

If you look like a "ragamuffin," you don't look good enough to leave the house.

25 words and phrases you'll only hear in the South (28)

Sometimes this can mean a poorly clothed or disreputable person, as well.

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"Goodness gracious" is a classic Southern exclamation, though it has caught on across the country.

25 words and phrases you'll only hear in the South (29)

"Goodness gracious" comes from the 1700s, and can mean surprise, shock, or dismay.

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25 words and phrases you'll only hear in the South (2025)

FAQs

What are common phrases in the South? ›

  • A Southerner will say "hold your horses" if things are going too fast. ...
  • "Till the cows come home" is another way to say "forever" in the South. ...
  • Southerners address a group with "y'all." ...
  • "It doesn't amount to a hill of beans" means that something isn't worth much. ...
  • "Bless your heart" shows sympathy ... for the most part.
Jun 21, 2020

What are Southern politeness phrases? ›

Bless your heart or bless you – expresses empathy to a person. Fixin' to – You're going to do something. Yes, Ma'am – Always the polite way of saying yes to a female in the South, and the same as “yes sir” to a man in the South.

What is the southern phrase for shut up? ›

Hush Your Mouth – Kinder than “shut up” you'll likely hear this phrase when you are too loud for the setting (picture children in church on a Sunday morning). Too Big for His Britches – This one is most definitely an insult and is generally used to refer to someone that thinks they are better than everyone else.

What do southerners say when they are mad? ›

18. I'm so mad I could spit! 19. I'm going to jerk you bald! or I'm going to skin you alive!

How do southerners say hello? ›

In the South, saying "hello" isn't just one word. The Southern greeting is unique and, like many other Southern customs, means to make you feel at home. Southern hospitality isn't a myth, and you'll experience the warmth for yourself when you encounter your first enthusiastic, “Hey, y'all!

What do Southerners say when it's hot? ›

Classic Things Southerners Say When It's Hot

Man, it's hot as all get-out! It must be 90 in the shade. This one's gonna be a scorcher. It's a barn-burner.

What is the Southern saying pretty? ›

You're much more likely to hear "you're as pretty as a peach in June" from a Southerner offering a compliment. These compliments and lighthearted digs have Southern flair aplenty.

What do southerners say differently? ›

8 things Southerners say that the rest of the US just doesn't...
  • 'Coke' Billionaire Warren Buffett says he drinks five Cokes a day. ...
  • 'Fixing' Shutterstock. ...
  • 'Barbecue' Flickr / Carlos Pacheco. ...
  • 'Buggy' ...
  • 'Mash' ...
  • 'Yankee' ...
  • 'Sweeper' ...
  • 'Foot'
Mar 16, 2018

What are some Southern quaint expressions? ›

13 Southern Sayings That The Rest Of America Won't Understand
  • “We're living in high cotton.” ...
  • “She was madder than a wet hen.” ...
  • “He could eat corn through a picket fence.” ...
  • “You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.” ...
  • “You look rode hard and put up wet.” ...
  • “He's as drunk as Cooter Brown.”
Oct 31, 2013

What is the Southern slang for kissing? ›

This phrase means that you basically got an unfair deal or cheated out of something. Give Me Some Sugar. Simply means give me a kiss.

What is the Southern way of saying drunk? ›

Three Sheets To The Wind

This expression has a nautical origin, referring to the sheets that control the sails. When the sheets are loose, the ship rocks uncontrollably. Southerners use the phrase as a polite way to say someone who has had too many porch cocktails is very drunk.

How do Southern people say you all? ›

But the best-known word in the Southern vernacular is probably our most-loved pronoun: y'all. A contraction of "you" and "all" is what forms "y'all" when addressing or referencing two or more people.

What's one thing you shouldn't say to a Southerner? ›

"I'm not hungry."

Stopping by a Southern grandmother's house means you're in for a meal, or at least a snack. Don't even think about telling her that you're not hungry. If you do, you will be met with a plate and an affectionate scolding of "Hush your mouth."

What is the Southern saying for worthless? ›

"Worthless as gum on a boot heel!" "Y'all." "I been running all over hell's half acre." "She has her nose so high in the air she could drown in a rainstorm."

What is the Southern saying for slow down? ›

1. “Hold your horses” No, we don't mean literally (although our Southern Pictographs collection begs to differ). This saying means “wait a minute” or “slow down.” It comes from days of old when people would travel via horses or carriages.

What do southern grandmas say? ›

25 Things Only Southern Grandmothers Say
  • "Did you forget to put on your lipstick, honey? ...
  • "I wish you'd look a-yonder. ...
  • "I don't mind feeling this way, but I sure do hate to look like this."
  • "Yes, what? ...
  • "If you do that again, Granny's fixing to thump your head!"
  • "Well, bless!"
Mar 26, 2022

How do people greet each other in the South? ›

Greeting each other in the South has its own particular charm. One usually sees a genuine smile that is seen in the eyes as well. Men usually shake hands and women hug each other. The reason for shaking hands originated to show that you did not have a weapon in your hand.

What is the most commonly used phrases? ›

Top 10 English phrases and sentences you need to know
  • Good morning. Sometimes, all you need to start the day right is a good coffee and someone greeting you smiling. ...
  • Good afternoon. ...
  • My name is Mondly. ...
  • I'm pleased to meet you. ...
  • How are you? ...
  • Fine, thanks. ...
  • I'd like a beer. ...
  • I'm sorry.

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