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- What do you call the thing on 4 wheels that you push around a grocery store to hold your groceries in? A shopping cart, right? Nope. They call it a Buggy. Not just that, they ask if I need to "fetch myself a buggy". Oh my word. I usually just say, "No thanks, I'll take a cart."
- I've noticed when I'm in a client's classroom for sessions, their teachers will tell them, "Ok kids, go put your books up!" Up where? Don't you mean, put them away?
- Don't even get me started on the colorful grammar I've heard with a sweet, little twist of southern accent...When I first moved here, I transferred to Macy's as Shiseido's counter manager in the cosmetics department. A woman-person hiked over to me and gruffly demanded, "Wehh's da jerry depahht!!?" Trying to solve this puzzle, I look at the person and after asking her to repeat herself a couple times, she cussed me out and stomped away. Later, I had a local southerner translate for me, and I found she was asking me where the jew-el-ry de-part-ment was. My word. Don't even get me started on "might could", "he do", "she gone", "big ol'", or "he done did". Eugh.
- Other common sayings I have heard often, since living in the south: "I'm fixin' to go..", "What a great idear..", "Git.", "I reckon why..", "My kin folk..", "Near 'bout" (means "almost"). If going to a friend's house they say, "She's over to..", "I will get get ill with you" or "Don't be ugly.." (means to get "angry"), "I got way-laid" (means "knocked over"), "Yon't" (means "you want").
- 99% of drivers here are absolutely horrific. Why? They don't have to take Driver's Ed! It's a miracle when you get from A to B without being hit or almost hit by another car.
- Ladies, what is that important item we carry on our shoulders that holds all of our important things, like our wallet, makeup, planner, gum, etc.? A purse? Nope. They call it a Pocketbook.
- Pop vs. Soda? They call it soda or "Coke" here. Not only do I get REALLY dirty looks when I forget to translate that I want a "soda" when I really want "pop", but down in the south, people often call it all "Coke". What?! So if I'm asking for a can of pop, I'm supposed to remember to translate it to this: "I'll take a Coke..er.. a Sprite flavored Coke, please." You've got to be kidding me.
- Justin has really noticed, since living here, that the real southern guys greet eachother by saying, "What's up, Boss Man". But, of course they never enunciate, so they say it as slurred and lazy-south as possible: "Whaap, Boh Maahh". I have no words.
- Up north, when two cars collide, we usually call it a "car accident". In the south, they call it a "crash" or a "wreck".
- Things I didn't know existed until I lived here: Grits, at least ONE church and a Title/Loan shop on every corner, authentic sweet tea, pre-pay only gas pumps, "church tv" available 24 hours a day
Goodnight, ya'll!
xo
Git-'Er-Dun Mix
proper English and Australians ALWAYS say "reckon" or specifically, "what do you reckon" = "what do you think?" I didn't realize that word existing outside of The South until I made some commonwealth friends. CRAZY. Welcome to the world of different cultures... trying to figure it out is usually half the fun! xoxo :)
ReplyDeleteThat IS crazy!! I wish I could travel with you someday.. I can't imagine how lame MN seems after living in such amazing places that you have lived and visted! Living in the south is bittersweet, but I like it for the most part! :)
ReplyDeleteAnd the south wonders why they lost.
ReplyDeleteThis made me laugh! I didn't realize how integrated I was into SC until I read some of these and remembered how I thought they were weird twelve years ago...but now I don't even blink an eye!
ReplyDeleteHaha. All I have to say is, are you going to bring it with? And you know, since pepsi did used to come from a soda fountain I think we have you on that one....it sizzles a bit but popcorn pops. Lol :) just about everything else is so dead on and hilarious. You left out the miraculous way that southerners " come" over in the past .. ". He come over earlier" and how they " carry" each other to the store. Please though for this southerners sake, don't form your whole impression of the entire region from upstate sc.... There are different things to make fun of in the rest of the south. Lol. I enjoyed this!
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