Did you ever wonder how an idiom comes into being? I’m fixing to tell you. I’ve always said that the fashionable, popular thing was “all the rage in Natchez.” I said it because Mama always said it. And Granny always said it. And I never gave much thought to why Natchez. With all due respect … Continue reading All the rage in Natchez
Tag: Southernisms
Open up a can of whoop-ass
It’s Iron Bowl Saturday. For those of you who have been living under a rock (or in the great, frozen north) and don’t know what that means, the Iron Bowl is the die-hard football rivalry game between the University of Alabama and Auburn University, and it will be played today. Since 1893, once a year … Continue reading Open up a can of whoop-ass
You’re as dumb as a sack of hammers
When Sonny was in grammar school they taught him that “stupid” was a bad word. I agree. You absolutely should not walk up to someone and say “You’re stupid.” But there are times when situations, actions, and, yes, other people just are not smart. So here’s what you can say to avoid using that horrible, … Continue reading You’re as dumb as a sack of hammers
I’m so hungry my stomach thinks my throat’s been cut
The big day is here. A time to gather with family and friends, break bread together, and count our many blessings. And maybe learn a few new sayings. Here’s how my Thanksgiving Day will probably go — idiom by idiom. When I cook, like this year, I have to get up before the chickens, which … Continue reading I’m so hungry my stomach thinks my throat’s been cut
Busy as a one-armed paper hanger
Thanksgiving is tomorrow! Christmas is hot on its heels. There is only one word to describe this time of year and that word is “busy.” Now you can be just plain old busy, which will barely warrant a sympathetic nod from your friends, or you can be: Busy as a bee! The doctor in Citronelle … Continue reading Busy as a one-armed paper hanger
The lies have it
The truth evades some people. No matter how much you want to, you just can’t believe a word that they say. Whether malicious or harmless, a lie is a lie is a lie, so here are a few idioms about liars and lying. He lies like a rug. A play on words, like a rug … Continue reading The lies have it
It’s hog killing weather
It’s been an unseasonably warm fall in Alabama. Here we are in late November, and the mercury has still been rising to nearly 80 every day, but we’re about to get a little relief. It’s about to be hog killing weather. Hog killing weather? Is that a good thing, you might wonder. Well, if you’re … Continue reading It’s hog killing weather
Pretty is as pretty does
In the south, we place a premium on “being sweet.” And it can be a real struggle as I’ve written about before. So since we all aren't born angelic like Gone With the Wind’s über-virtuous Melanie Wilkes, here are a few idioms about the art of being sweet, or not. Pretty is as pretty does. … Continue reading Pretty is as pretty does
When the cat’s away…
So there I was, sitting on a bench in Central Park at dusk with Sonny. We were enjoying the sunset and talking about our day in the Big Apple, when, out of the corner of my eye, I saw movement. Surely it's a little birdie kicking around in the leaves looking for a worm, I … Continue reading When the cat’s away…
The odds and ends
I’m halfway there. Halfway to 30 posts in 30 days. Halfway through #bloglikecrazy. We’ve looked at umpteen idioms over the past couple of weeks, and I hope you’ve learned a few new ones, remembered some old ones, and had a few laughs along the way. I too have learned some new ones from your comments, … Continue reading The odds and ends