DR. GOODWORD'S GLOSSARY OF SOUTHERNISMS

[Dr. Goodword]

When Dr. Goodword was Dr. Language at yourDictionary.com, in a gleeful mood one weekend he began recalling all the funny words he learned as a child growing up in North Carolina. The result was his Glossary of Quaint Southernisms which we have been featuring for a week or so now.

It is part and parcel of the most popular page on our Website by far, the Rebel-Yankee Test, which predicts with amazing accuracy the degree to which the speech of speakers from the States reflects a southern or northern accent.

[KatyBr]

a worthy undertaking, Doctor. My Northern-proper mama had some stories to tell about our time in the South, in Jawguh and Bammer and a few miles from Looville.

Kt

[Dr. Goodword]

Katy,

Everyone in my family tried to speak "standard" English and loved to pick on each other's slippage. I told my students for decades that it is just a regional variation of English, but I still find it funny myself for some reason.

I will eventually get around to Brooklyn to balance things out.

[tcward]

Dr. G, I loved the list! It brought back a lot of memories of growing up in rural eastern NC.

-Tim

[gailr]

I also enjoyed the list, Dr. G; it reminded me of the first telephone conversation I had with my sister's new inlaws.

(Septin I'd add "skeert" to the list...)

-gailr