The How Not to Use Language Like a Hillbilly Thread

BrotherWu

BrotherWu

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Let me preface this by saying that I am no English professor and I hope this thread is not seen as elitist but educational. Hence the Grown Up section. Language is malleable and is a tool for people, not the other way around. It obviously changes over time as variations gain acceptance. That said, I cringe sometimes when I come across certain types misuse. I also cringe at some of the errors that I used to make and like learning about the application of and history of words, phrases, and colloquialisms.

While recognizing that hodj hodj is an articulate, it a bit prolific, linguistic representative of the great state of Kentucky, the point is to develop a more refined and informed command of the language than would be typical for the region. So, I present to you The How Not to Use Language Like a Hillbilly Thread to discuss these topics, covering both written and spoken forms.

Basic rules:
- Anything related to spoken or written English: questions, proposals, assertions, discussions, contrasts (for example American English vs. UK English), overviews, tutorials.
- If you are making an "assertion" that some usage, spelling, definition is "correct", try to provide a reference.
- Don't Grammar Nazi points not germane to the discussion.

Let's talk about that. I'm going to kick it off with three of my favorites that I see on FoH a lot:

etc. / et cetera versus ect. / "eckcetera": The correct usage is the former, "etc." or "et cetera". This phrase, meaning "and other similar things", "and so on", "and so forth", literally translating to "and the rest", is among a number of Latin phrase abbreviations in common usage. This particular one seems to occur more in both spoken and written forms than some of the others (e.g. et al., i.e.) (see what I did there?), which seem to occur mostly in written form. Get this one right because you definitely sound like you might have a meth lab in your trailer if you don't. Reference

jive versus jibe: The use case here is when one is trying to communicate that something doesn't seem "right" or doesn't agree with expectations. The correct word here is "jibe". This verb means "to fit", "to agree with". "Jive" is a noun describing a type of idle chatter, African-American slang, or a type of music. Reference Reference

"Begs the question": This is one I don't blame people much for misapplication because you can see it at all levels. In fact, it may already be considered acceptable in its new use. I include it here because I have always liked original, albeit a bit more esoteric, ancestry of this phrase. People commonly use it to mean "raises the question" or "brings up the point". However, "begging the question" actually has its roots in describing a logical fallacy that assumes the truth the assertion the person is trying to prove instead of actually proving it. Think of it as a type of circular reasoning. An example would be Lumi Lumi says "You fucking retard, I can't even believe how shit-for-brains stupid you are. God is obviously the Creator of the universe because The Bible tells us so and The Bible was written by the Creator of the universe." That said, even Wikepedia states that the other meaning has slipped into the vernacular. Reference
 
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Borzak

Borzak

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Made a good living translating between english, redneck and sometimes ebonics from professionals to trades people. You make your language fit your audience if you want to accomplish something. In fact I would say it has been my major skill in business.
 
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Jx3

Jx3

Riddle me this...
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I'm from West Virginia. Do I get a pass? Just curious, I ain't learned as some of y'all.
 
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MusicForFish

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  • Far: If he don't turn that stove down, them chickens will catch far.
  • Bard: Cousin Jesse bard money from me and I ain't seent him since.
  • Ranch: Go in the back of my truck and get that ranch!
  • Munts: It's been four munts since I heard from my brother.
  • All: I'm gonna need me a all change on that truck.
  • Ahz: I can't see nuthin' out these ahz.
  • Bawl: You gotta bawl that water fo' you put in the egg.
  • Own: Turn them lights own.
  • Nekkid: There he was nekkid as a jaybird.
  • Hep: "HEP! There's a far!"
  • Shevuhlay: I got me a new shevuhlay pickup!
  • Tar: He got him a flat tar!
  • Uhmurkin: We's uhmurkin, born and raised in the United States of Uhmurka!
  • Spearmint: Billy Ray doin' some type of spearmint in school.
  • Clinics: You got any clinics so I could wipe my nose?
  • Co-Cola: Yall want some co-cola? It's nice and cold.
  • Bar Code: Dems fightin' rules at the bar.
  • Bare: Gimme a bare - Michelob!
  • Barium: Jimmy- they just barium at the cemetery.
  • Bleeve: Does you bleeve in ghosts?
  • Did: You got that fox Jim he did, not movin' at all.
  • Fat: If'n y'all don't stop fat'n I'm comin' down there.
  • Gubmint: Casey dun got a gubmint job.
 
MusicForFish

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  • (to) be too big for one's britches - to think too highly of oneself
  • britches - pants
  • can't carry a tune in a bucket - to be unable to sing at all
  • clod-hopper - large, heavy shoes like those worn by farmers
  • colder than a witch's tit (in a brass bra in January) - the bit in parentheses simply adds some extra color to an already off-color (but quite effective) description of the weather
  • (gosh) dang/darn/dern - a cleaner version of a well-known, blasphemous expletive
  • dang/darn/dern tootin' - an expression of agreement, as in, "Louella, you make the finest biscuits this side of the Mississippi." "Dern tootin'."
  • fell out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down - if someone is unbelievably unattractive, looking as though they've been hit with several ugly sticks, this is the proper way to express that ugliness
  • fixin' to - getting ready/preparing to, as in, "I'm fixin' to go to the Wal-Mart. Do y'all need anything?"
  • get up with - to contact or get together with
  • granny-slappin' good (so good, it makes you want to slap your granny) - very good, usually delicious
  • gussied up - cleaned up and dressed very nicely (perhaps formally)
  • a hankerin' for - a desire/craving for
  • happy as a puppy with two peckers/peters - very happy
  • high cotton - wealthy; successful (and maybe snobby)
  • hit with the ugly stick - if someone is quite unattractive, you can say they look like they've been hit with the ugly stick
  • honky-tonk - a bar, perhaps where country music is played live for folks to dance
  • hotter than a goat's butt in a pepper patch - very hot
  • how-do - shortened form of "How do you do?"
  • If I had my druthers - if I had my way/my preference
  • kin/kinfolk - family, especially extended family
  • knee-high to a grasshopper - very young and small, as in, "The last time I saw you, you were knee-high to a grasshopper, and look how grown-up you are now!"
  • lick - (noun) any amount at all, usually used in negative sentences such as, "I didn't get a lick of work done today because my boss kept calling me in for meetings." (verb) To beat up, as in, "I licked him good that time."
  • like herding cats - anything that is difficult to do, but especially anything that requires organizing difficult people (like small children)
  • mash - to press or push, as in, "Mash that green button and turn on the computer."
  • (to) need something like one needs a hole in the head - Obviously you do not need a hole in your head; it's even bad for you. Thus anything you definitely don't need, and that might be detrimental to you in some way is described by this phrase.
  • ornery - difficult to deal with; stubborn; finicky
  • piddly/piddlin' - a small amount (negative connotation)
  • poop or get off the pot - make a decision and take action
  • reckon - suppose, guess, as in, "I reckon we'll see you at the reunion."
  • right - very (often surprisingly); an adverb usually used to modify adjectives, as in, "You wouldn't know it to look at him, but he's a right good ball player."
  • rough talk - to speak harshly
  • rubber-neck - to drive slowly so as to get a good look at a wreck or disabled vehicle on the side of the road. Those who rubber-neck are rubber-neckers.
  • skedaddle - to leave hurriedly
  • snug as a bug (in a rug) - very comfortable
  • sugar - affection, as in, "Come here and give me some sugar."
  • sweet talk - to speak nicely, usually in order to get something you want
  • tater - potato
  • (to) think one's s*** don't stink - to think too highly of oneself
  • tore up - broken/destroyed, as in, "I came home to find the curtains all tore up," or, "My knee has been tore up since that skiing accident back in '93."
  • uppity - snobby
  • used to could - used to be able to, as in, "I can't do a cartwheel any more, but I used to could."
  • useless as tits on a bull - utterly useless
  • varmint - an animal (usually wild)
  • Well, I'll be a monkey's uncle. - an expression of surprise, shock and/or disbelief
  • y'all - a contraction of you + all. This is the informal 2nd person plural in Southern English.
  • yankee - a person from the North
  • yapper - mouth
  • younguns - young people
  • you'uns - a contraction of you + ones. It is a collective plural as in "each of you."
 
Hoss

Hoss

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I could care less about this grammar nazi shit.
 
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Kharzette

Kharzette

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There's a caster pair that drives me nuts in the overwatch league. One is very well spoken and seems well read and somewhat educated. The other says Expecially, Eksetera, exscape. I haven't heard him say axe instead of ask yet but I'm expecting (especting?) it soon.
 
Aldarion

Aldarion

Egg Nazi
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BrotherWu said:
Let me preface this by saying that I am no English professor and I hope this thread is not seen as elitist but educational. Hence the Grown Up section. Language is malleable and is a tool for people, not the other way around. It obviously changes over time as variations gain acceptance. That said, I cringe sometimes when I come across certain types misuse. I also cringe at some of the errors that I used to make and like learning about the application of and history of words, phrases, and colloquialisms.

While recognizing that hodj hodj is an articulate, it a bit prolific, linguistic representative of the great state of Kentucky, the point is to develop a more refined and informed command of the language than would be typical for the region. So, I present to you The How Not to Use Language Like a Hillbilly Thread to discuss these topics, covering both written and spoken forms.

Basic rules:
- Anything related to spoken or written English: questions, proposals, assertions, discussions, contrasts (for example American English vs. UK English), overviews, tutorials.
- If you are making an "assertion" that some usage, spelling, definition is "correct", try to provide a reference.
- Don't Grammar Nazi points not germane to the discussion.

Let's talk about that. I'm going to kick it off with three of my favorites that I see on FoH a lot:

etc. / et cetera versus ect. / "eckcetera": The correct usage is the former, "etc." or "et cetera". This phrase, meaning "and other similar things", "and so on", "and so forth", literally translating to "and the rest", is among a number of Latin phrase abbreviations in common usage. This particular one seems to occur more in both spoken and written forms than some of the others (e.g. et al., i.e.) (see what I did there?), which seem to occur mostly in written form. Get this one right because you definitely sound like you might have a meth lab in your trailer if you don't. Reference

jive versus jibe: The use case here is when one is trying to communicate that something doesn't seem "right" or doesn't agree with expectations. The correct word here is "jibe". This verb means "to fit", "to agree with". "Jive" is a noun describing a type of idle chatter, African-American slang, or a type of music. Reference Reference

"Begs the question": This is one I don't blame people much for misapplication because you can see it at all levels. In fact, it may already be considered acceptable in its new use. I include it here because I have always liked original, albeit a bit more esoteric, ancestry of this phrase. People commonly use it to mean "raises the question" or "brings up the point". However, "begging the question" actually has its roots in describing a logical fallacy that assumes the truth the assertion the person is trying to prove instead of actually proving it. Think of it as a type of circular reasoning. An example would be Lumi Lumi says "You fucking retard, I can't even believe how shit-for-brains stupid you are. God is obviously the Creator of the universe because The Bible tells us so and The Bible was written by the Creator of the universe." That said, even Wikepedia states that the other meaning has slipped into the vernacular. Reference
Click to expand...
I cant like this post enough for your correct description of begs the question.

I see well respected scientists get this wrong at every conference I've ever attended. Maddening
 
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