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Volume II, No. 3, Spring 1975 |
This Speech of Ours
In the Ozarks there are many, many, old terms and words handed down from generation to generation which are still used today. We would like to share with you several of our favorite ones.
Common (usual): I feel as well as common.
Croopy (coughing): Uncle Jim has been croopy ever since he stayed all night at the river.
Dash (small measurement of food): Put in just a dash more flour.
Dilitary (lazy): He's the most dilitary person I've seen.
Dither (nervous state): She had the whole family in a dither getting ready for her first date.
Evening (anytime after 2 p.m.): Why don't you come by this evening about 2:00?
Flour gravy (thickened gravy): After the chicken was done Mom would always make flour gravy from the grease left in the frying pan.
Hoofit (walk): I missed the bus and had to hoof it home.
Horning in (interrupting): She is always horning in on conversations.
In back of (behind): I have a small
patch of berries in back of my house.
Kit an' kaboodle (bunch) The sheriff threw the whole kit an' kaboodle in jail for causing such a ruckus.
Mess (serving): We always look forward to a mess of greens in springtime.
Mosey along (walk slowly): The children like to mosey along the road coming home from school.
Perkative (laxative): Sassafras tea makes a good perkative if you are ill.
Persnickity (particular): The two sisters were very persnickity about the clothes they wear.
Pinch (small measurement usually picked up with fingers): Add a pinch of salt to cocoa for better flavor.
Poke (bag): Mother bought a small poke of candy at the store.
Red up (shortened for ready up, clean up): All the family had to help red up the house to be ready in time for company.
Right smart (large amount), Piece (distance): The house is a right smart piece down the road.
Slaunchways (sideways or catty cornered): The snake move slaunch-ways across the yard and under the shed.
Snotbox (nose): I've got a drippy snot box.
Snot rag (handkerchief): The man couldn't find his snot rag when he needed to blow his nose.
Souse (hogshead cheese): They look forward to fresh souse after butchering.
Swamp measles (dirt): The boys always seemed to have a case of swamp measles.
Tetched (crazy), Mite (little): After the old man's wife died everybody thought he was a mite tetched after being alone so long.
Tuckered out (tired), Plum (completely): He was plum tuckered out from playing all day.
Whip stitch (brief interval): My cousin visits me every whip stitch.
Whole bate (a lot): We had a whole bate of rain this spring.
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Copyright © 1981 BITTERSWEET, INC.
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