Many of my law school friends are not Southerners. I know, I know, but it can't be helped. The poor dears didn't have any say on what side of the Mason-Dixon they'd be born on. We shouldn't fault them for their misfortune. The following is a guide for said friends who occassionally stop and ask me what the hell I just said.
Curlers: some people call these "rollers," they are the round objects that make my hair wavy
Fiddlesticks: another way to say, "aw, shucks"
The Sticks/The Boonies/The Boondocks: way out there in the middle of nowhere
My land: I have no idea where this came from, I only know the females on my Mom's side of the family say it when they are shocked by something. Maybe it's a genetic phrase. Maybe I was born with a predisposition for bizarre phrasing.
Heavens to Betsy: another weird phrase that means, "My land!"
Bloomin: A word used to emphasize another word (either an adjective or an adverb depending on my whim at the moment); example: I have no bloomin idea what we're supposed to read tomorrow (I don't know if this is from my family, actually. I may have picked this one up elsewhere.)
Dagnammit: Self-explanatory. I use this and shoot, dang, and darn interchangeably
My word: Similar to "my land" but usually used in a shocked-sorry context. "My word" would be used if someone broke their arm and this was a shock to you. "My land" would be used if you found out a friend who said she'd never get hitched finally agreed to take the plunge.
Gussied Up: Dressed up. Fancy. This is not the terminology used for dressing nicely in the corporate sense. This is definitely more in the "I feel like wearing high heels, curling my hair, and wearing red lipstick" vein.
Whoppyjawed: Messed up. Totally crazy. A wreck. Think of a wreck involving a train carrying ice cream and a Mac truck carrying a tank of butane. Ice cream. On fire. That would be messed up. Or, if you know me, think of my room. Yup, that's whoppyjawed.
Alright, I'm sure others will come to me but for now these are the phrases that have proved to be the most confusing to my Yankee friends.
2 comments:
Rachel you definitely are a loser now. I guess I am still inclined to love you since you're my sister. I really did like the southern terms because everyone should be aquainted with southern culture because it kicks ass,not to mention the food which also kicks ass. Hold it down in New Orleans, like I do in Chi-town.
Hmmm, I've heard of Gussied up before but never anything like My Land. I guess it's because I'm a typical northerner :D
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