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Yes! That reminds me that my grandmother, in addition to "I declare" would say, "I swannee!". Sometimes, just "Well, I swan". To mean, "Wow!" I'd forgotten about that.
Yes - "I swan!" ha ha ha ha!!!
The best use of "I declare" is to draw it out - give declare 3 syllables. . . "Well, I de-clayuh!!!!!" or better yet, "Well, I do de-clayuh!"
Location: The place where the road & the sky collide
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I grew up in SW lower Michigan & have always used a lot of expressions that are the same or nearly the same. A local man who I pay to help me with some things thinks it's the funniest thing that he's ever heard when I come out with them.
I nearly had a stroke when I found some Civil War slang dictionaries online & realized that most of it was how we talked when I was a kid in the '50s, right on down to the "Tennessee trots".
All gummed up was always the equivalent of all screwed up or something that was just disgustingly dirty.
If you were all heated up, you were hot under the collar.
I don't know if "happy as a clam" is a southern expression, but no one around here has a problem understanding it.
It's not just personal antedotes Even your link to the Urban Dictionary says it is an expression to show sympathy. And that is how every southerner I know has used this phrase. In fact, I've only ever seen this expression as a subtle insult on THIS forum.
Last edited by lovesMountains; 08-24-2009 at 08:04 PM..
I'll see you next -fill-in-day "the good Lord willing" or "the good Lord willing and the creek don't rise." Of course the all-present ya'll and all ya'll, good ol' boy, mess of <stuf> as in a mess of catfish.
When it takes forever to get somewhere or you got lost . . . you've driven "all over hell and half of Georgia." LOL!!! I definitely still use that one!!!
1: phrase used by Southern women to excuse themselves for speaking ill of someone else.
2: an expression of sympathy or pity.
3: a polite way to respond to an ignoramus, particularly male, who showers upon you flattering but unwanted compliments.
1: "She's as ugly as a mud-fence, bless her heart."
2: "Well, bless your heart, that must have been terrible!"
3: drunk fella: "I think you're beautiful! Even if you were ugly, I'd STILL think you were beautiful!"
I think Loves and Ani are subtley saying something...LOL
1: phrase used by Southern women to excuse themselves for speaking ill of someone else.
2: an expression of sympathy or pity.
3: a polite way to respond to an ignoramus, particularly male, who showers upon you flattering but unwanted compliments.
1: "She's as ugly as a mud-fence, bless her heart."
2: "Well, bless your heart, that must have been terrible!"
3: drunk fella: "I think you're beautiful! Even if you were ugly, I'd STILL think you were beautiful!"
I think Loves and Ani are subtley saying something...LOL
Yes, Sham . . . you know if Loves and I were to use "bless your heart" in that way . . . it would be b/c we sincerely felt sorry for the speaker's ignorance.
As in . . . "He doesn't know any better, bless his heart."
As in . . . "He doesn't know any better, bless his heart."
For the past couple of years I just didn't understand why I got sooo many "blessing" everytime I went to Charlotte.
Why didn't you guys tell me sooner. . I would have stopped saying "Thank You."
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NOW I know!
