Hey, y’all, we’re fixin’ to talk Southern

Yep, that’s right. We’re fixin’ to talk Southern. I just put the photo in to grab your attention. I had this photo made in 2007 or 2008, can’t remember exactly, with a lady from Mississippi who dated Elvis and wrote a book about it (I think her name is June Juanico, but I will have to do my fact checking after I’m through with this post). And that’s a blonder me (when my hair got done a little earlier, the hairdresser and I got a little carried away with the highlights).

Now, if you are NOT a southerner, you probably noticed several things in my post already that are not exactly accepted English. If you’re a southerner, you’re likely scratching your head and wondering what on earth I’m talking about.

Allow me to explain. First, southern lingo is as varied as any other, because the way we talk in Tennessee is not always like they talk in kAlabama, and we definitely don’t talk like Georgia folks (think Jimmy Carter). We actually pronounce our “r’s” in Tennessee. I hate it when Hollywood makes all southerners sound like Georgians.

There’s also a variation in rural southern and city southern. My Memphis relatives don’t talk quite the same as we do. Their accents are not as pronounced, and they don’t put quite as many extra vowels in words as we do.

Remember: no one in the South owns a cat. They own a ca-at. Or in some parts, they own ca-ya-ats.

So this blog is for you non-Southerners who might be planning a trip to our neck of the woods. That’s rural talk, by the way. Memphis and Nashville don’t have real woods. Knoxville and Chattanooga, maybe.

Here’s my disclaimer. Because I spent nine years of my life in Arizona, I am accused of not being completely, truly Southern. I pronounce words a little differently at times. But that doesn’t mean I can’t understand and translate Southern. I do have trouble with British accents, but that is another blog. Let’s just say I have to rewind a lot when watching “The Crown.”

My list, then, is southern rural speech, specifically in west Tennessee. Interested in learning more? Then continue to read.

Words and phrases we use that maybe you don’t, or if you do, it’s different where you are:

1. fixing — usually pronounced fixin’. This can mean repairing (He’s fixing the lawn mower) or preparing (she’s fixing supper.) However, it is frequently used instead of “about to.” (We’re fixing to eat supper, she’s fixing to go to the store, they’re fixing to get married.)
2. supper — the evening meal. Some of us eat breakfast, lunch, and supper. Older folks eat breakfast, dinner, and supper. Many eat Sunday dinner around noon or 1:00, but it’s lunch the rest of the week. However, formal evening meals are dinner. This rule may vary from family to family.
3. Bless your (his, her) heart. This very important phrase has numerous connotations because it can be a kind, loving remark or one that hides sarcasm as something sweet and sugary. Examples: 1.”Did you hear about Bill? He was injured in a car wreck.” “Oh, I’m so sorry. Bless his heart, I hope he’ll be okay.” Translated: “I really am sorry and hope he’ll recover soon.”  2.  “Mr. Harmon, I didn’t get my homework.” Mr. Harmon (my senior English teacher whom I respected but mostly feared): “Well bless your little pea-pickin’ heart.” Translated: “Why are you telling me this? You’re getting a zero anyway.”  3.  “Did you see Mikey ram his head into the lockers to show off?” “Well, no. Bless his heart.” Translated: “Bless his heart for being so stupid.” 4. Nurse: “Dr. Johnson, Mrs. Miller is here again about feeling tired a lot.” Doctor: “She’s 98.” Sighs and shakes his head. “Bless her heart.” Translated: “Actually, bless my heart because I’m tired of dealing with this over and over.”
4. loaf bread or loaf of bread? — My husband and I have this discussion. I grew up hearing my parents talking about buying loaf bread. He never heard that, even though he grew up in Tennessee. Guess my folks were more country than his.
5. Those -oi words. Many Southerners are unable to pronounce these words correctly. (My Arizona upbringing prevents me from talking this way.) They put ole in the car, bole water, use aluminum fole. So, if you hear this, just translate that “o” sound to “oi,” and you will do just fine.
6. Pin and pen, tin and ten — no different in southern jargon. Use context clues to figure it out.
7. “I’m” and “am” — very similar. “I’m leaving” sounds very much like “Ahm leaving.” They (we) really do intend for a subject to be in there (I). It just doesn’t sound that way.
8. On.– Some Southerners pronounce this word like “own.” It sounds like “Dinner is own the table.” I don’t know why they do this. They just do. Once again, use context clues.
9. We was, you was, they was. Ouch, ouch, and ouch. I won’t elaborate. But you’ll hear it. They know better. They know it’s supposed to be we were, you were, they were. It just doesn’t come out that way. Bless their hearts.
10. Have your picture made. — Yes, we have our pictures made in the South. Yes, we know a lot of people, if not most, say “have their picture taken.” We use “made.” I don’t know why. We just do.
11. Mr. or Mrs. (Ms., Miss) before a first name. — This is a sign of respect. Think “Driving Miss Daisy.” It means “I know you better than I know Mr. or Mrs. Jones, but I think it’s disrespectful to call you Bob and Mary, so I’ll call you Mr. Bob and Mrs. Mary as a sign of respect.”
12. Ma’am and sir. — terms of respect. It’s acknowledging that someone is older or in more authority. If someone uses “ma’am” or “sir” to you, be honored. That means they are treating you with respect.
13. Y’all. — There are debates about the correct spelling of this term, but it is a contraction of “you” and “all.” Therefore the correct spelling is “y’all.” This is a casual, plural term, used as “you guys” is in other parts of the country and in parts of Appalachia, “you ‘uns.” It is never considered correct in a formal paper or formal speech, but it is the norm in colloquial speech. So if you are alone and someone asks ,”How are y’all doing?” that person wants to know not only how you are doing but also your family.
14. Finally (for now), the difference in “Yankee” and “Northerner.” — I do not think of myself as a resident of the former Confederacy. That time in the history of the south is a black eye on our history. I can’t help what my ancestors did (but mine were all poor farmers who didn’t own plantations or slaves or anything much), and from what I can tell from family research, my ancestors didn’t get caught up in causes, working all the time to scratch out some kind of living from the soil. But part of the South’s history is not so pretty. At the same time, it’s not all ugly. We have certain customs and traditions. We want to welcome newcomers to our community, but (I speak here on behalf of myself, not others) there is a difference in a Yankee and a Northerner, a Mid-westerner, or a Westerner. Not sure if all of those terms should be capitalized, but I did anyway. Here’s the difference: A Northerner (Mid-westerner, Westerner) moves here and lives among us, assimilating our way of life with theirs. A Yankee, on the other hand, moves here and tries to change us and our way of life. We don’t like that any more than you’d like it if we moved into your area and tried to change your culture. Change can be good, but don’t force it on us. Get to know us. Give it time. Observe. Maybe we need to change some things. But, in some ways, maybe you do.

I hope these hints help, and if you’re fixin’ to visit Tennessee, I hope y’all will have your picture made in front of Graceland or at the Eiffel Tower replica in Paris or even on the steps of The Parthenon replica in Nashville and post it to Facebook so all your friends can see where you’ve been.

Until next time!