Favorite NC slang (Durham: fit in, refrigerator, oil)

[stephz1008]

This thread is hysterical... We are planning our move down there, and one of the main things I am concerned about (with my husband moreso than myself) is being confused with Joe Pesci in My Cousin Vinny. We were both born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, so saying two utes is not uncommon!!

[Southlander]

Originally Posted by JQ Public

i love the word nabs

My granddaddy used that all the time. He grew up in and lived in the western NC mountains all his life...Mitchell, Yancey or Avery counties. Anyway, one time I asked what "nabs" meant. First he looked at me like I was nuts, and then explained that it meant crackers...because the first packaged crackers they had ever seen were Nabiscos. I don't think he meant the ones with peanut butter, but I could be wrong!

[rodnificent]

Originally Posted by eabanddjb

I live in Rutherfordton, NC. I have lived in 3 states and NC is my favorite and hopefully I will never leave. BUT~~~ The one word that tickles me and confuses me all at the same time is "chimley." I realize when people say that they are referring to a chimney, but yet most say chimley. I do not understand why some put an L in place of the N but I have come to the conclusion that every state has it's own way of saying certain things. Being from Ky, I can relate. To each his own

THIS ONE IS 4 YOU! I am originally from forest city, nc and growing up it was never called Rutherfordton, it was called RUFF-TON. LOL. I kinda understand because that is a lotta syllables to be pronunciating.

[canda]

THAT IS SO FUNNY I'AM FROM SOUTHERN INDIANA AND THEY SAY ALOT OF THOSE WORDS HERE,ANOTHER ONE IS "OUT ON THE BACK 40"MEANING 'outback'in the yard,also
down yonder" we ain't" my husbands family is from nc,and they really talk the slang,I usually have to say what,excuse me or I'm sorry but I did not understand a word you just said.I LOVE IT I CAN ALSO GET IT GOING, MUST BE THE COUNTRY IN ME.HEHEHE

[MizSeeker]

Great thread! The funniest part of it is when someone calls a phrase or word out .... and I'm thinking .... what's weird about that? everybody doesn't know what that means?

My people are from down east - aurora - ocracoke - get lost and end up places. We had a family reunion in Beaufort and no outsider could understand a word my great uncles and aunts said. My ex got ticked off 'cause he said I dropped back into the accent and he felt "excluded".

Dont make no never mind to me.

I have a friend in Canada that loses it when I try and explain the southern woman speak. We're taught to "be nice" so it led to all sorts of passive agressive methods of communication.

"But momma, I didn't say nothing bad to Billie Sue .... I just told her that her cheerleading routine was 'special' ..... bless her heart."

Yeah I've come close to sending coffee all over the keyboard a couple of times reading this thread - I love it!

Martha

[witchseavey]

We bought a mobile home from a guy who told us we could also have the scrubbery if we wanted (shrubs and landscaping).

I don't know if that's regional or just idiosyncratic.

[Little_TT]

I'm as native to NC as one can be, and I've heard most of the slang and colloquialisms that have been mentioned. I was, however, just enlightened as to a spelling that I've been curious about, that being - how to spell "momicked". Thanks, Bill Hitchcock!

A few goodies come to mind that I haven't seen here, and frankly, I don't know where the person who used them came up with'em, for these were not widely used sayings:

"high as a Georgia pine" (very intoxicated, perhaps moreso than Cooter Brown)

"fine as frog hair split three ways" (that would be in response to having been asked about one's well-being, i.e., "how are you?")

Now, in Southeastern NC, there are words very different from my Piedmont regional colloquialisms. I tease my hubby about them having written "their own dictionary" in these parts! Some of the colorful parts of speech in the New Hanover/Pender/Duplin areas are:

slauchwise - meaning something is crooked, as opposed to being in proper alignment

suaged up - same as "bloated"; abdominal distention from likely having eaten too much


My grandfather, who was born in 1898, amused my sister and I by referring to our bikes as a "wheel". We would correct him, saying "Grandaddy, it's not 'a wheel'... it has TWO wheels".

Tractor trailer is how the folks back home (Halifax Co. and surrounding areas) referred to a "semi". I've found that this term is not widely recognized... or perhaps the Pender Co. folks just made up their own name for them and that's why they've rarely heard of the tractor trailer.

Anyhoo, as my real estate instructor from Nebraska used to say, this thread is definitely good for the soul, for I get a chuckle out of every review!

[Little_TT]

With respect to the "scrubbery" that one poster was offered at the time of purchasing a mobile home, my best guess is that there's more behind that than a local saying.

More are popping in my mind as I ponder this subject:

"zink" - instead of "sink", as in wash basin

"making groceries" - said instead of "going to the grocery store" (this is one that always pushed me to the edge of giggling and asking why a person didn't shop at our store where the groceries were already "made"!)

Ahhhh.... smiling again!

[skygaze]

Or purtiest there ever was.
Or how about being "from off" if you weren't born the Harkers Island?
Ever been called a "dit dot" or a "ding bat'?
Or how about the two sylable words- Brea -id = bread.
It is a very different world here.

[SCtoNC]

You know, I think that every area has their own thing! I am currently in Southern SC, just outside of GA and here are a few that I heard.
"Mash the button and cut up the television!" - that means turn up the TV (To me, you'd need kitchen utensils for that!)
"We went to a shrimp boll" - apparently that's a BOIL - which is common in SC - for Frogmore Stew or Lowcountry Boil. I have to tell you, it took me about 5 minutes of trying to figure out if he meant a bowl or a ball, and I was wrong altogether! I thought he said Shrimp Ball and I was thinking it was some type of a masquerade or formal party! (Guess that's the city girl in me!)
"Put a nickel in it!" - apparently this means hurry up.

Now, my granddaddy is from NC and he refers to the fridge as the "icebox", the gas station is always the "Esso station" and his wallet is a "billfold". And everything is "up across the street from the shopping center". When we lived in the DC area, his directions were horrible, because there must be 100 shopping centers!