Say It Southern

I have lived in various regions of the country throughout my life.  My favorite place I have lived is the deep south.  There are some particular reasons......

There are songs about us (Click to listen)

We are close enough to New Orleans that the culture bleeds to us, but far enough away that it is a place that we continue to explore.  We are close enough to Florida for a day trip to the beaches, but far enough away that it is still a getaway for us.  

I am a transplanted, dare say adopted southerner.  I came from one of the more northern states to the deep south fifteen years ago.  I met, fell in love, and married a Cajun.  I have found that I love calling the south "home".  I love the slower pace that you can still find, the fact that everybody is somebody's cousin - I am pretty sure that my children will have to marry people from other parts of the country so we can make sure that this family circle stays open!  It is still commonplace for men to open doors for women, "yes ma'am" and "yes sir" are some of the first words that come out of a babies mouth and continue to be prevalent throughout life.  Everyone older than you is "Ms." or "Mr." first name. A homemade dessert from a neighbor is not rare.  The beach, flip flops, and sundresses are definitions of our life.  Jesus, SEC, and Sweet Tea are vital.

The longer I live here, the more I pick up "southernisms", and as my children have been born and are being raised in the south, they are a natural part of their vocabulary.  

The past couple days, I have found myself saying things like "N'awlins" instead of New Orleans.  "Fixin' to" instead of getting ready or preparing.  "Bless her heart", no, it is not a blessing.  Something I have found myself saying more often than not is "Y'all hurry up now", or "c'mon".

I realize that the "g"s at the end of my words are not as frequent as they used to be.  My two or three word phrases have become a one word statement.  Often one syllable words are said with at least two syllables.  And I don't apologize for it!

So, let's just quickly go over some "southernisms" that should be adopted into everyday speech.

• He couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket.
• He squeezes a quarter so tight the eagle screams.
• He’s about as useful as a pogo stick in quicksand.
• She needs some fries to go with that shake.
• She’s so clumsy she could trip over a cordless phone!
• The engine’s runnin’ but nobody’s driving.
• They’re off like a herd of turtles.
• You could start an argument in an empty house.
• I am as nervous as a long tail cat in a room full of rocking chairs.
• I’m happier than a tornado in a trailer park.
• That’s about as useful as a trap door on a canoe.
• He’s so rich; he buys a new boat each time one gets wet.
• He was as mad as a mule chewing on bumblebees!
• You look about as happy as a tick on a fat dog.