HARLEY L. BARBER
132 Franklin St.
Plymouth,Ohio 44865
 

Having been born in Cave Run and spending a bit of time in the area, even though we moved to Ohio when I was about two years old. I wonder if anyone can answer a few questions I have about some of the things I used to hear my Dad and other oldtimers say. What do they mean?
All entries will be posted exactly as received. No editing.

1. Dagnabbit?
Reply: From Paper451-- Dagnabbit is basically a euphemism for "GD". Though, anyone who ever used it, is not likely to know that, and would be unwilling to admit it.
echale@iquest.net (E. Carroll Hale III).Numbers 1,4, and 5 collectively mean "Damn it", but are considered
"bywords" which means that you didn't actually say "damn it", but you said
something that meant just the same..... My great-grandmother always said
she "couldn't abide swear words, nor bywords neither......"

2. Sam Patch?
Reply: From Paper451-- Havn't heard "Sam Patch", but I bet it is the same as Sam Hill.
Reply from imlah@ethergate.com ( Michael L. Imlah ) Sam Patch was early American Dare devil, who made his fame jumping from high places into water. He twice jumped Niagra Falls, also the Genessee Falls.

3. Sam Hill?
Reply: From Paper451-- My Mom would say, What in the name of "Sam Hill " did you do that for? So "Sam Hill" is either a euphemism for St. Peter, or Christ, cause she also heard " What in the name of Christmas".

Reply from imlah@ethergate.com(Michael L. Imlah) Sam Hill was a wealthy railroad man out west. He tried to start a city on the Columbia that was supposed to rival Portland. He built a mansion for his wife that is now the Mary Hill Museum. Because she was from England he also built a replica of Stone Henge. Both can be wisited today.

Why the name Sam Hill came into popular usage in unclear but perhaps " Who the Sam Hill" was near enough to "Who the Hell"
echale@iquest.net (E. Carroll Hale III)
 

4. Dad Burnit?
Reply by Paper451, I think they #4 #5 are the same as #1
 

5. Dogonnit?
Following are submitted by Paper451.
echale@iquest.net (E. Carroll Hale III)

 6. Hit? " Hit never occured to me "
Reply by bjvan@comteck.com- it
 

7. Baccer? Tobacco

8. Plum Crazy or Plum right? They use a carpentry term ( plum or plump ) to discuss a person's sanity. I suppose GOD was a Carpenter who either plumbed a person one way, or another.

 9. Pole Cat? = skunk

 10. chifferobe? = armoire

 11. Blinky? Milk that is just bedinning to go bad is reffered to as blinky. ( never heard that before )
Reply by bjvan@comteck.com- Same as clabbered.
Reply by RElrod5535@aol.com- I have always heard of "Blinky Milk". In fact, I still use it to describe sour milk.
Paper also reminds us " Add an "a" as a prefix to a word, while removing the ending "g". i.e. a-watchin, for watching, a- huntin, for hunting, a- fishin for fishing.
Add the word " all " to a sentence. " Who all went to the party? " or " How are you all doin today? "
Of all the Scotch-Irish speech paterns that continue to influence the Appalachian Regions, I like " a lost ball in high weeds " the best. i.e. " I felt like a lost ball in high weeds, when I started searching my family tree. "

Following added by VMcca43559.

 12. Spargrass?
Reply from bjvan@comteck.com- asparagus.

 13. plumgranny?
Reply by bjvan@comteck.com- A fruit that grows on a bush and they make plumgranny preserves or eat them raw for breakfast.

 14. Pawn my word of honor?
reply by Paper451: " Pawn my honor" is "upon my honor".

 15. pert nigh?
Reply by PQLEAR@aol.com- Also pert neart, meaning close to or near.
Reply by bjvan@comteck.com Grandma said pert nigh, Mom said pretty nearly.

 Heres another I heard.

16. Drekley?
Reply by Wardhill@zoomnet.com: My father used to say Drekley all the time. It means in a minute, as soon as I can. I try not to forget the sayings of my folks. Minnie.
Reply from Paper451: " Drekley" is another way of saying " directly".

 Reply by markwr@mediaone.net (marilyn wills rabens). .My folks were both from Bath and Montgomery Co. and my mom especially had some good ones. She always said "dreckly" when she meant directly or when she could get to it. See additions by Marilyn at the end of list numbering 37 - 44.

 Folkism's 17 thru 20 submitted by RElrod5535@aol.com.
17. tinesy- itty bitty
18. frigidare- frigerator
19. druther- would rather
20. poke- bag or sack

 Folkism's 21 thru 31 submitted by PQLEAR@aol.com
21. Swivly-
22. Fit.
echale@iquest.net (E. Carroll Hale III)fit. This can be either the past tense of fight, which I have heard it
used as, but also as part of "fit to be tied", which meand "mad as hell".

 23. Perty Pert-
Subj:  Re: Appalachian colloquialisms
Date:  7/27/01 1:39:48 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: nenatierney@excite.com (Nena Tierney)
#23: Perty-pert, my grandma would say: 'she looks purty pert' or pretty(fairly) fit/lively/bright/healthy. The pronounciation for 'pert' was always: p-ear-t. Another common question was: 'is he pert or poorly?' -meaning healthy or sick(ly).
The balance of her E-mail can be seen at the end of the list and includes items
24. Perty Tolible- its ok
25. Pack- Carry-
26. Worsh.- wash
27. Here'd- heard
28. Frog in a Hail Storm-
29. Cam-
30. Ginnin around- makin work
31. Burnin Daylight- wasting time

 Two more by RElrod5535@aol.com
32- Tookie cap-
33- mackinall-
echale@iquest.net (E. Carroll Hale III)--mackinall. It's a type of coat--also called a mackinaw.

34- brigady-

 By Larry Hicks on 7/1/98
35- Pribbie
36- Fer Piece
echale@iquest.net (E. Carroll Hale III)fer piece. A long way--literally "a far piece".
 

By markwr@mediaone.net (marilyn wills rabens).
37-"cob tub"
38- "thimble pie"
39- dadblasted
echale@iquest.net (E. Carroll Hale III)dadblast it. Means the same thing as #s 1, 4, and 5--a byword for
"damn it"
 

40- right smart piece up the road-From: annapplegate@maysvilleky.net (Ann Lemaster- Applegate)-40- right smart piece up the road
This means the same as a long way.
echale@iquest.net (E. Carroll Hale III)--right smart piece up the road. It also means a long way, the same as
#36.

 41- carry or tote
42- pig in a poke
echale@iquest.net (E. Carroll Hale III)--pig in a poke. Used like this: "Boy, you bought a pig in a poke...."
meaning you got taken (swindled).

43-Lordy-mercy
echale@iquest.net (E. Carroll Hale III)--Lordy Mercy. A corruption of "Lord have mercy (on me)".

44-"jest a'hollerin rain."  -One of the most poetic things I ever heard came when I visited cousins near Olympia a few years back and Marcy said it was "jest a'hollerin rain." Which meant that it was going to rain any minute now.
 

                                                                       Marilyn

From VMcca43559 2/5/99
45 Shoemate Tree-
echale@iquest.net (E. Carroll Hale III)--Shumate Tree. A sumac tree.
 
 

46 Paper Crate-From: annapplegate@maysvilleky.net (Ann Lemaster- Applegate)-46 Paper Crate-
A paper crate is the same as a cardboard box.
echale@iquest.net (E. Carroll Hale III)--Paper Crate. I always remember this one as a cardboard box.
 
 

47 "Sparkin"-From: annapplegate@maysvilleky.net (Ann Lemaster- Applegate)-47 "Sparkin"-
Sparkin and courtin' both mean dating
echale@iquest.net (E. Carroll Hale III)--Sparking. Kissing while courting.
 
 

48 Hainted House-From: annapplegate@maysvilleky.net (Ann Lemaster- Applegate)-48 Hainted House-
Hainted house means a haunted house.
echale@iquest.net (E. Carroll Hale III)--
--Hainted. Means "haunted".
 
 
 

49 Wasper-From: annapplegate@maysvilleky.net (Ann Lemaster- Applegate)-49 Wasper
A wasper is a wasp
 

50 Perping down rain-
51 VM no FTM (oh well)
From jackeeblue@webtv.net (Jackie Hartley)
52 Aigs-
53 old as Mathuslum-
54tuckered out or plum tuckered out-
55it'll make the cow give bloody milk -

Following list from ;
Subj:  Re: Appalachian colloquialisms
Date:  7/27/01 1:39:48 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: nenatierney@excite.com (Nena Tierney) To: haybarber@aol.com
Hello! Thank you for this wonderful list! My family is from the mountains of south-eastern West Virginia. They've been there since emigrating from Scotland and Ireland in the late 1700's. I found so many of the terms/sayings/words similar to what I'm used to and it warms my heart toread them! On another note, it is important to preserve these things as they are disappearing quickly with each generation.
For #23: Perty-pert, my grandma would say: 'she looks purty pert' or pretty(fairly) fit/lively/bright/healthy. The pronounciation for 'pert' was always: p-ear-t. Another common question was: 'is he pert or poorly?' -meaning healthy or sick(ly).
Here are some other sayings and words from my family that others might recognize:
#56 Reckon - suppose; guess
#57 Whup - span
#58 Wisht - wished
#59 Satchel - carrying bag/purse
#60 Satchel headed - useage varied: could mean white/very light hair (on a young person) or when a child, usually a boy, had cowlicky hair or a flat head
#61 Tow-headed - when a child had white/very light hair
#62 Up, down, back, and/or over yonder - 'yonder' meaning there but with a bit more action attached
#63 Bar - bear
#64 Yourn/ourn - yours/ours
#65 Poleaxed - surprized/shocked to the upmost degree
#66 Traipse/tramp - to walk around; sometimes: to be walking around where one shouldn't be
#67 Ole/old - a term of familiarity with a essence of endearment to it - as in:'that ole dowg'
#68 Vittles - essential foods
Git you some - as in: 'set down here and git you some vittles'
#69 I'd have like to've fell out of my shoes - pretty surprised
#70 Backbone - a common food that consisted of boiling backbone and then spreading it on a biscuit. I never did eat it.
#71 Cut it off - turn it off
#72 Right quick - now
#73 dungarees - jeans
#74 bib overhalls - overalls
#75 glow beetle - lighting bug
#76 vehicle - any car or truck
#77 motorcicle -like:icicle but with motor and no ice
#78 good god amighty - ok to say with children around

From:    greene@pop.myavista.com (Bryan Greene)
I really got a kick out of your Folkism page. My family of Mynhier's came to Montana in the 1950's and still use these words today HA! I found it hilarious as I started reading the words and I knew what they meant!!
 We always used the word "Blinky" for any dairy products that have gone bad. My sister was always :Brigady"! My grandmother always said so and so is meaner than a "polecat". "Lordy Mercy" is still one of the family favorites that my grandmother still uses often. That's the only word my sister seemed to remember when she was in labor with her second child HA! Most have shortened the saying by just saying "Looorrrrrd". I never knew who Mathuslum was.. but that is something we always said "Older than Mathuslum".
#79 Jakey
One word I didn't see on your list is "Jakey". My husband still laughs when he hears us use that word. I have even caught him using it a few times as the kids grew up and started experimenting with different cloths and makeup. We always said he/she looks Jakey or he/she is going through their Jakey stage when a child or person looked disheveled or wore mismatched clothes.
 Anyway your page really brightened my day!! Thanks from Montana!!

Tammy

Give em a try!! What do they mean?

Please feel free to try and explain the meaning and add to list.
 
 

Last updated 8/29/2001

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