Favorite NC slang (Rutherfordton, Beaufort, Harkers Island: real estate, mobile home, landscaping)

[Little_TT]

I've had my morning laugh now... and without reading through all of the pages of posts on this topic, I'll pass along another saying that is used to describe one who's quite intoxicated: "High as a Georgia pine".

Then - in response to "how are you?" - you may hear "fine as frog hair split three ways".

I'm orginally from Halifax County, NC, and heard these sayings back home.

Keep this going... laughing is good for the heart and soul!

[Kentuckydude]

Just a word to the wise. Your level of ignorance only depends on what part of the country you come from. Folks from NC aren't stupid or "quaint". When it comes down to just plain common sense, they probably have MOST of this great nation at a distinct disadvantage. EVERY region in America has its own way of speaking. I had the priviledge of attending high school in eastern NC, near Greenville. I'll offer a few bits of coastal "slang" that I picked up while living there.

boot = the trunk of your car

foot = the floor of your car

cent = the "s" is dropped, eg., It cost seventy five cent more than I expected.

drink = soda, pop, etc. Does anyone have change for the drink machine?

Cokecola = ANY brand soft drink. What kind of Cokecola do you want?

workin 'bacca = Harvesting tobacco. Many of us "worked 'bacca" as a summer job as kids back in the day.

coc k = female genetalia. Sorry 'bout THAT one, but it's true, at least 30 years ago. Imagine my confusion when my new pals said they were gonna "get some **** this weekend".

fog one = smoke a marijuana cigarette. Wanna go "fog one"?

pig-pickin = a party where a whole pig is barbequed.

dunna = dinner

puncle = pencil

stew = many meanings. Chicken stew is chicken and large, dumpling-like noodles, but darned near ANYTHING can be a stew, noodles or not. Dove stew, quail stew, fish stew, crab stew, deer stew, you name it. If it swims, flies, creeps, or crawls, it can be made into a "stew". Going to a "fish stew" means going to a party where a giant pot of fish stew is served. Brunswick stew is kinda like vegetable soup that's been sneezed in. In Kentucky, we call it "burgoo". You can also "beat the stew" out of someone.

buttah beans = lima beans

stumphole liquor = moonshine

skins = pork rinds

carry = give someone a ride in your car. I "carried" him back to the house.

BTW, "scattered and smothered" is NOT NC slang, it's Waffle House's own description of various ways you can have your hash browns. Look at your menu. It's the same, nation wide. Besides, EVERYONE knows that Carolinians don't eat hash browns with their eggs, they have GRITS!

peace, y'all...

[birkland]

Originally Posted by NANASIX

[What are your favorite NC slang words or phrases???????
Then there was the one that described your "Aunt" as in sister of your mother or father. The word used by everyone down here is "ANT", i.e., Ant Judy, Ant Barbara, etc...it's just there way, and you learn to love it, once you understand what they're saying.

Here in Cary (the containment area for relocated yankees) we're not exposed as much to NC dialect as folks in other parts of the state are, but all of the posts here ring a bell. I grew up in the Pacific Northwest, where your mom's sister is your ANT, but I lived in the Northeast for a while, where it's often AHNT. In Albany, NY, where I lived last, you'd get the western NYers saying ANT, and the New Englanders saying AHNT, so it got confusing!

Immersion in a language works! I have caught myself saying "might could" a time or two. Oh, and I am getting sloppy with the turn signals. I think I will retire here!

[JQ Public]

I like when people see your relatives and they say "you favor your dad" or "she favors you"...instead of you look like so and so. I had never really heard that before til I spoke with real Southern people.

[vetegnc]

"Boot" as in the trunk of your car is used in Britain.

[Major Minor]

The NC Electric Co-cperative magazine has been collecting NC colloquialisms for several years. The following link will take you to 42 articles dating back to 2004.

You Know You're From North Carolina If...

It's interesting to note that some of the common local saying for one part of the state might mean something totally different in another part.

[movingnahurry]

Yeah...I don't say or ever have said most of that stuff. However, I do hear my aunts say some of that at times. The only thing I can think of that we say that might be considered slang is "Let me find out". The only time you would say that is if you're gonna make some kinda gross exaggeration. Like "Let me find out you're trying to start a basketball team," meaning when the hell do you plan on not having anymore kids. lol. Thats about it.

[deuterdu]

Originally Posted by NCMommy2-4

Coming from NJ a year ago, my first noticeable encounter with a phrase that has become my favorite is "Bless Your Heart".

We have come to the conclusion that it means "Sucks to be you" if you were in NJ LOL

Linda

In California that would mean "Better you than me"

[RDSLOTS]

One of my favorites is "fixin'" as in "I'm fixin' to go to the store" -- preparing to go? My Grandfather would comment that he was "fixin' to burn him a new one" which I took to mean something rather unpleasant.

I often catch myself saying things like "I swannee," a more polite way of saying, "I swear," or if I am pushed beyond my limits, I may complain of feeling "ill as a snake."

[jbird22]

Here's a good Geographic name that it took me three tries to understand.
Getting directions I was given them to head towards "Fetvll" It took me a while to discern that what I was hearing was "Fayetteville".

How about :
"He was as drunk as Cooter Brown!"

I like that one.