Curious Words About the Mountains

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Hillbonics
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Mountain Speech

Appalachian speech is a conglomeration. Born mainly of Scotch-Irish beginnings before and after the American revolution, there's a little folk speech from the colonial British and some Dutch-German thrown in for good measure. It melded into what we now think of as the Appalachian dialect. For a little more in depth insight in to particular patterns, see the Mountain Speech web site. What you'll see here is an amalgamation; words, slang, terms, sayings... Bear in mind that nothing here is intended to poke fun, but rather to maintain and preserve what is slowly, but surely, dieing.

This particular document is divided into two sections. Of course, the first section is the "dictionary" for lack of a better term. It not only gives words, but some phrases one may hear up in the hills. The dictionary is arranged using the pattern:

Word - Meaning. Ole Jake.

The Word is the word or phrase we are learning. The meaning of that word or phrase is second. Finally, Ole Jake gives us some insight as to how these words and phrases are used.

Mountain Speak will take the reader to some phrases that one may hear up in the hills. Some of these can be rather ammusing.

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-A-

A whoop and a holler - A long distance. Ole Jake went to Cades Cove. That's a whoop and a holler from here.
A-childin' - Pregnant. Ole Jake's wife is a childin'.
A-closun - Closing. Ole Jake wants to know when you'uns is-a closun'?
A-far (afar) - Fire. Ole Jake is-a yellin' that the church is a-far.
A-waitun - Waiting. I don't wanna be waitin' all night for you'uns to open.
Acorn-fed critters - Poor people. Poor ole Jake's family shore is some acorn fed critters.
Actin' Up - Hurting. Ole Jake's rumatiz is actin' up.
Addled - Confused That bald faced whiskey has ole Jake all addled.
Agin - Against. Ole Jake shore is agin revanuers after his still.
Ah - I. Ah heared that ole Jake was goin' fishun' today.
Ahr - Our. Ahr family is goin' over to see ole Jake's family today.
Aim - Intend to. Ole Jake aims to plow his field today.
Amerikin - American. Ole Jake's Amerikin through and through.
Arm baby - A child still small enough to be carried. I think that's ole Jake holdin' that arm baby.
Awfullest - The worst. Poor ole Jake gets the awfullest haircuts from his wife.

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-B-

Bald - Lacking a natural or usual covering. In mountain terms, it's a low/no growth area on a mountain. eg.. Andrews Bald
Bald faced whiskey - Fresh whiskey from the still. Ole Jake shore gets addled on bald faced whiskey.
Bar - Bear. The bar chased ole Jake on top of the outhouse.
Bar-Left - Turn or bear left. Bar left at the fork in the crik.
Bar-Right - Turn or bear right. Bar right at the fork in the crik.
Biggin' it - Exaggerating. Ole Jake shore starts biggin' it when gets to cuttin' up.
Bile - Boil. Ole Jake has a new mess of mash for the still on a bile now.
Bonny - Good. That's a bonny bunch of kids ole Jake has himself.
Brethern - Plural for brother. Ole Jake talks to his brethern at church on Sundays.
Brigady - Sassy or impish. Ole Jake's wife shore was brigady with him today.
Brung - Brought. Ole Jake brung it from Cades Cove.
Butter-mouthed - Speaking in flattering terms. Ole Jake can sure be a butter-mouth can't he.

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-C-

Chunk - To throw. Ole Jake can chunk a rock as good as Earnest T. Bass.
Chunk-wahser - Heavy rain. Ole Jake's barn is gonna flood if this chunk-washer don't stop.
Chur - Chair. Ole Jake was laughin' so hard he fell out of his chur.
Churched - Excommunicated. The Methodis' done gone an' churched ole Jake.
Cipher - Count. Ole Jake done gone and learnt to cipher.
Clog - Dance. Thar's a clog in town tonight.
Clumbed - Climbed. Ole Jake clumbed the outhouse when he got bar chased.
Contrary - Obstanant; Opposite. Ole Jake can be as contrary as a mule!
Cove - A level area sheltered by hills or mountains. A valley. Ole Jake lives down in Cades Cove.
Crik - Creek. The crik down by ole Jake's is flooded.
Cuttin' Up - Clowning around. Ole Jake is shore cuttin' up.
Cuz - Cousin. Becasue Ole Ethan shore 'nuf is ole Jake's cuz.

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-D-

Daints - Dance. Ole Jake and his wife are going to the daints tonight.
Dawgs - Dogs. Ole Jake's gotg a whole gaggle of dawgs.
Death watch - Ticking insect in the walls of a house that was an omen of a death in the family. Death watch says someone's gonna pass down at ole Jake's.
Dog trot - A covered passage between two rooms or buildings. Ole Jake's done put a dog trot from the house to the outhouse.
Dome - Top of a mountain. Ole Jake used to live at Clingman's Dome
Doney-girl - A girlfriend or sweetheart. Ole Jake done gone and got hisself a dony-girl.
Dope - Carbonated soft drink. Ole Jake's gonna want a moon pie with his dope.
Dreckly - Directly. Ole Jake's gonna be up here dreckly.
Drug - Dragged. Ole Jake's cat drug a dead rat in the house last night.
Druther (rurther) - Rather. I think ole Jake would druther be at his still.

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-E-

Et - Ate. Ole Jake ain't hungry. I think ole Jake has done et.
Ersoften - Every so often. Ole Jake goes to the general store ersoften.

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-F-

Far - Fire. When the church cought a far, ole Jake done put it out.
Fast Time - Daylight savings time. Ole Jake says we's goin' on fast time this Sunday.
Faulted - To blame. To scold harshly. Ole Jake faulted his on boy for settin' the barn a far.
Fer - Far or for. What'd you do that fer ole Jake?
Fer piece - A long distance. Ole Jake lives a purty fer piece from here.
Fetchin' - Attractive; very becoming. Ole Jake's daughter is a fetchin' lass.
Figgured - Figured Ole Jake figgured he wouldn't get cough skippin' church.
Fixin' - About to. I think ole Jake's fixin' to plow his fields.
Flatlander - Someone from land that lacks significant variation in elevation. Ole Jake don't much cotton to flatlanders.
Ford - A shallow part of a body of water that may be crossed by wading. Ole Jake won't put up a bridge when he can ford that crik hisself.
Fur - Far. It's purty fur from his house to church for ole Jake.
Fur Piece - A long way. Ole Jake can throw a rock a purty fur piece.
Furnal - Funeral. Ole Jake put on his Sunday best for the furnal.
Furner - Foreigner. Ole Jake don't cotton much to furners.

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-G-

Give-out - An announcement. Ole Jake's gonna give out some information.
Ginnin' - To have chores or errands to accomplish. Ole Jake can't go fishun'. He's got some ginnin' to do.
Git - Get. Ole Jake's got it, so now I gotta go git it.
Gonna - Going to. Ole Jake's gonna skin that yellar dawg ifn he don't quit suckin' eggs.
Goozler - A boy whose voice is changing. Ole Jake's boy is turnin' into a real goozler.
Got a notion - Intending to do. I got a notion to run over to ole Jake's and set a spell.
Graveyard cough - A deep, tubercular type cough. Ole Jake's mamma has got a graveyard cough.

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-H-

Heared - Heard. Ole Jake said he heared a bar last night.
Herry - Hurry Herry up ole Jake!
Het-up - Angry. Ole Jake was purty het-up about that yellar dog ettin his lunch.
Hissy - A Temper tantrum. Ole Jake had a hissy when the flatlanders found his still.
Hitch - A Cramp; a limp. Ole Jake seems to have a little hitch in his step.
Hither - Here. Come hither ole Jake.
Holler - A vally. Ole Jake lives down in the holler.
Holt - Hold. Ole Jake's wife purty near skinned him alive when she got holt of him last night.
Hoss - Horse. Ole Jake ain't got a hoss, but he's got a purty good mule.
Hunnerd - Hundred. An outlander offered ole Jake a hunnerd dollars for that yellar dog.

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-I-

Ill - Aggrivated; Angry. Ole Jakes wife got kinda ill with him.

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-J-

Jairy - Nervous. Ole Jake gets a mite jairy when the flatlanders come to visit.
Juice - Electricity. I think they're runnin war for Ole Jake's place to git juiced up.

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-K-

Kin - Family relation. I purty sure ole Jake and ole John are kin.
Kindly - Nearly. Ole Jake is feelin' kindly sick.
Kiver - Cover. Ole Jake wakes up cold every mornin' cause his wife hogs the kivers.
Knee child - Child still small enough to sit on someone's knee. Ole Jake's holdin' that knee child.

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-L-

Lap-child - Child still small enough to sit on someone's lap. Ole Jake's wife is-a holdin' that knee child.
Lass - A young lady. Ole Jake's daughter is purty lass.
Layin' up - Resting. Ole Jake's layin' up for a spell afor he starts plowin' agin.
Learnt - Learn or learned; Taught. Ole Jake done gone learnt cipherin'.
Lightnin' bug - A firefly. Lightnin' bugs are sure flyin' over at ole Jake's place tonight.

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-M-

Matoes - Tomatoes. Ole Jake sure grew some fine matoes this year.
Memberize - To remember or recall. Ole Jake don't seem to memberize where his still is when the law comes.
Mess - A portion of food. Ole Jake can sure eat a mess o' greens.
Methodist measure - A little extra; a little too much. Ole Jake seems to sell is produce for a Methodist measure.
Mind to - Intentions. Ole Jake said he was a mind to go fishun' today.
Mosey - Go to. Ole Jake's gonna mosey over to the general store.

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-N-

Narrer - Narrow. Ole Jake's dog trot sure is narrer.
Nary (ary) - Not one. Ole Jake ain't got nary a mule to pull his plow.
Nemmine - Nevermind. Ole Jake said nemmine about goin' fishun today.

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-O-

Outlander - Someone not of the hills region. Ole Jake don't cotton up to outlanders.
Onliest - The only one. That yellar one is the onliest dawg ole Jake's got.

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-P-

Pack - To carry. I'm purty shore ole Jake packs a gun.
Painter - Panther. I heard a painter growlin' up to ole Jake's place.
Pap - Father. Ole Jake is a pap agin.
Parrydise - Paradise. Ole Jake's place shore seems like parrydise.
Pert - Near; close. Ole Jake must be gittin' pert close. I can hear him a whistlin'.
Pert - Well or good. Ole Jake's mamma seems to feelin' peart.
Pert off - To smart off or be a smart-aleck. Ole Jake whooped his boy for peartin' off.
Persnickety - Acting arrogant; being petulant. Ole Jake was bein' a little persnickity today.
Pile up with trash - People who associate with low class, immoral people. Oh no, ole Jake don't pile up with trash.
Pizen - Poison. Ole Jake kilt a pizen snake.
Playin' Possum - Faking or pretending death. Ole Jake was playin' possum so that bar wouldn't git him.
Plumb - Completely or totally. Ole Jake gets plumb tuckered out after workin' all day.
Poosh - Push. Ole Jake's boys is out pooshin' each other.
Privy - An outhouse. Ole Jake can't come to the door right now... he's in the privy.
Purty - Pretty. Ole Jake's daughters shore is purty.

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-Q-

Quairy - Query. Ole Jake quairied me 'bout my schoolin'.
Quilled - Coiled. Ole Jake's got a snake quilled up in his barn.
Quair - Odd; strange. Ole Jake can sure be a quair sort sometimes.

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-R-

Ramps - A wild onion. Ole Jake's wife makes a ramp gravy for pork chops.
Ranch - Wrench. Ole Jake said to fetch his ranch so's he could fix the wagon.
Reckon - Guess. I reckon ole Jake will know.
Red up - To clean up the house. Saturday is the day ole Jake's wife red's up.
Retched - Reached. Ole Jake just retched over and got hisself a doughnut.
Rinch - Rinse. Ole Jake's wife said "Iffen you warsh, I'll rinch."
Rip and tear - Rucus rasing; Baudy behavior. Ole Jake was on a rip and tear the other night.
Rurn - Ruin. Ole Jake's crop look they're rurned.

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-S-

Sangin' - Digging up Ginseng. Ole Jake is goin' sangin' tomorrow.
Set - Sit. Pull up a stump and set with ole Jake a while.
Shindig - A dance or party. Ole Jake had a fine shindig up to his place last night.
Shore - Sure. Ole Jake shore is a clown.
Sisteren - Plural for sister. Ole Jake always speaks to the sisteren at church.
Skun - Skinned. Ole Jake can skun a squirell afore you can shuck an ear of corn.
Spaded - Spayed. Ole Jake had that ole yellar dog spaded.
Spell - A period of time. Hey ole Jake. Can ya sit a spell?
Stain - Staying. I was a plannin' on stain up at ole Jake's place.
Story - Fib or Exaggerate. Ole Jake don't never tell fishun' stories.
Stoved - Stubbed. Ole Jake stoved his toe on a stump.
Strollopin' - Out Running Around. Ole Jake's been out strollopin' all night long.
Summers - Somewhere. Ole Jake is out in his field summers.
Sumpin' - Something. Sumpin' is a happinin' over at ole Jakes.

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-T-

Tal - A Towel. Ole Jake's wife bought some mail order tals.
Taters - Potatoes. Ole Jake likes taters and greens with pork chops.
Teched - Touched. I'm beginnin' to think ole Jake is just a might teched in the head.
Throwed - Confused or Stumped. That question really throwed ole Jake for a loop.
Tonic - Moonshine Ole Jake likes a bit of tonic on occasion.
Took - Caught or Contracted. Ole Jake done took sick with the flu.
Tore up - Very emotional or upset. Ole Jake was purty tore up about his yellar dawg gettin' snake bit.
Trade - Shopping. Ole Jake went to town to do some tradin'.
Tuckered - Tired. Ole Jake shore gets tuckered when he works all day.

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-U-

Unbeknownst - To not know. Unbeknownst to ole Jake, I couldn't think of a good ole Jake sentence.
Usta - Used to. Ole Jake usta have two yellar dawgs.

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-V-

Vittles - Food. Ole Jake's wife shore cooks some good vittles.

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-W-

War - Wire. Ole Jake has wars on his house... wonder iffn he go 'lectricity?
Warsh (worsh) - Wash. Ole Jake's wife makes him warsh his own clothes.
Wear Out - To spank a child. Ifn ole Jake catches that bo of his bein' all brigady, he's gonna wear him out.
Whup - Beat or Spank. Ole Jake whupped his boy for peartin' off.
Whur - Where. I wonder whur ole Jake dug them worrums to go fishin' with?
Widder - Widow. You know, ole Jake's mamma is a widder woman.
Whilst - While. Ole Jake's wife is usually inside workin' whilst ole Jake is workin' his fields.
Winder - Window. Ole Jake is addin' winders to his cabin.
Womern - Woman. The only womern in ole Jake's family is his mamma, wife and daughters..
Worrum - Worm. Ole Jake dug some worrums and went fishin'.

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-X-

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-Y-

Ya'll - Contraction for you all. Ole Jake says "you'uns" is right. "Ya'll is for flatlanders down south.
Yan - Yonder. Ole Jake lives yan in the cove.
Yan side - The farthest side. Yep, on the yan side of the cove.
Yellar - Yellow. Ole Jake done got hisself a new yellar dog.
Yer - Your. Is that yer still? Ole Jake want to know.
Yonder - There. Ole Jake lives over yonder.
You'uns (yuns) - Y'all or You'all. Ole Jake said to say "Hi" to you'uns.
Yungins - Children; young ones. Ole Jake shore has a bunch of yungins.

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-Z-

Zat - Is that. Zat ole Jake's wagon?
Zit - Is it. Zit ole Jake's wagon? I thought it was ole John's.

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Mountain Phrases and Sayings

Listed here are some of the old beliefs, superstitions, omens and sayings that I've been able to find. There are also some sayings I've heard during the course of conversations with some of these great people. They simply demonstrate that these folks have the same zest for all aspects of life that everyone else does,... they just have a different way of expressing it.

Yes'm, old friends is always the best,'less you can catch a new one that's fit to make an old one out of."

Never spill milk or the cow would go dry.

If a bird flies through an open window, a death will occur in the family.

You can't make a whistle out of a pig's tale.

Keep your fingers crossed when you tell a story, so you wouldn't get in trouble.

If you sing at the table and whistle in bed, the devil will get you by the hair of your head.

There's more than one way to kill a dog than to choke him on biscuits.

Taking out ashes between Christmas and New Year's day means a death in the family.

That liquor is so pure, you can smell the feet of the boy that plowed the corn.

A whistling woman and a crowing hen will always come to some bad end.

Even a blind squirrel will sometimes find an acorn.

A sore bump on the end of your tongue means you've told a lie.

Never tell a bad dream before breakfast, it will come true.

If your ears burn, someone is talking about you.

Hard work pays off in the future. Laziness pays off now.

Small ears means that the person is stingy.

Fish and relatives are just alike. They both begin to stink after a few days.

A rooster crowing at the back door means that company is coming.

Idleness is the devil's workshop.

Always throw salt over your left shoulder if you supect a witch has visited.

Never hang a calendar before January 1st. It's bad luck.

When there's work to do, he's as scarce as hen's teeth.

A sour faced wife is a liquor dealer's friend.

If you find a pin, pick it up and you'll make a new friend.

He's all weed and no taters.

It's bad luck to count graves.

He was as ugly as a mud fence after a hard rain.

Hard work won't kill anybody, but it'll shore scare some half to death.

Right eye itches, you'll be glad. Left eye itches, you'll be mad.

He's tougher than a one-eard alley cat.

if a dog howls at night, it is a sign of death.

He's so lazy he won't even scratch his poison ivy.

If wishes were horses, then beggars could ride.

When you call me hillbilly, you better smile.

If someone has a stye, don't ever look them in the eye or you will get it.

The best sounds I ever heard were a banjo and fiddle... or the cork coming out of a jug.

Don't stand in the sun if you have butter on your head.

Warnin'! Ifn you got a crik in your knee, don't enter. You can't keep yer leg still with this banjo music.

Better to have a lame mule than a dead horse.

Never sweep after dark, it was bad luck.

He was so lazy he wouldn't even work at a pie counter.

If you can't improve on quiet, shut up.

Our ground is so poor, it won't raise a fight.

If the bottom of your foot itches, means you are going to walk on strange ground.

Pray for a good harvest... but keep plowin.

It will rain if smoke goes down toward ground.

A big wife and a big barn will never do a man any harm.

My personal favorite... I wouldn't trade my mountain upbringin' for nuthin'.

It will rain if leaves show their backside when the wind blows.

Never let a baby see it's self in a mirrow before it is a year old, it may die.

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Resources and Bibliography

Hillbonics Preservation Society

http://www.hillbonics.com/

The American Dialect Homepage

http://www.evolpub.com/Americandialects/AmDialLnx.html

Place Names Of The Smokies

Log Cabin Pioneers

Call Me Hillbilly

It Happened in the Smokies

The Cades Cove Story

Trout, Ed. Historic Buildings Of The Smokies. Gatlinburg: Great Smoky Mountains Natural History Association, 1995.

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Update: Jul. 29, 2010
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