We live in the Deep South and have for more than two hundred years. My family contributed to the development of such things as Southern Hospitality and Southern Drawl. We’re a typical Alabama family: I have 33 first cousins on my mother’s side alone; however, none of us are married to one another.
The Language of Alabama is truly something special. Down here, we’re always fixin’ to do something.
Grandma: I’m fixin’ to go to Piggly Wiggly.
Grandpa: Well Honey-baby, if you’ll slow down, I’ll go with you.
Grandma: I will slow down if you’ll hurry up!
My parents had that conversation the other day. Those old folks just tickle the snot out of me sometimes.
We also have Standard Pronouns for gender: Man, Woman, Boy, Youngun, and Sweet Thing. Down here, Youngun and Sweet Thing are pronouns.
Granny: Hey, Man, bring us in some firewood. Let’s have a fire and I’ll put me on some of that cologne from Christmas.
Grandpa: We hain’t got time, Woman. Them younguns is gonna be here shortly and that boy is bringin' that sweet thing from down at the mill.
Old Alabama joke
Question: What’s the plural of “y’all”?
Answer: “All y’all”
I don’t imagine any single word is as closely associated with deep south speech as the word “y’all”. A contraction of ‘you’ and ‘all’, it has a couple of pronunciations including one that sounds like ‘yaw’.
Freddie: Yaw come on, Jamie and me are fixin’ to go swimmin’ at the quarry.
Barbara: Y’all go on, we’ll be over there in a little bit.
Freddie: Yaw gonna bring some KFC? Jamie’s got the beer already.
Barbara: Who all is coming? Can I go get Tammi and them?
Freddie: Sure, all yaw can come. We’ll have us a good time no matter.
And bless our hearts! If there’s any problem we can’t solve for someone but want to show we care anyway, we can always bless someone’s heart.
Jeanetta Rae: Bless Freddie’s heart, that poor youngun hain’t got a ride to work ‘cause his truck’s broke down. He’s fixin’ to walk.
Georgia: Y’all got that motor bike out there. Cain’t he take that?
Jeanetta Rae: That boy duhdn’t know how to ride that bike!
Georgia: Yaw didn’t show him how?
Jeanetta Rae: Naw, uhn-uhn!
Georgia: It’s a good five-mile walk to the plant, bless his heart. He’ll be wore out ‘fore he gets there.
And yonder is another colloquial gem.
Eddie: What’s that over yonder?!
Cleo: Old turkey buzzard.
Eddie: Naw! That thing further out yonder!
Cleo: You just lookin’ at that smoke from the trash pile, sugar.
Eddie: No!! Way out yonder!
Cleo: Hmmm...What the hell is that?
Eddie: I don’t know, but I’m fixin’ to go get my gun. Looks like a damned UFO to me!
Holler is both a noun and a verb here in the Deep South. Right after my mother bought her farm land, she and my father encountered hunters who politely knocked on her door and asked if they would direct them to Meat Holler. They were referring to a lovely dale with a natural artesian spring visible from my parent’s back deck. It is a hive of animal activity and the hunters had heard they’d find quarry in Meat Holler.
We also holler to speak. An alternate spelling is holla.
Granny: Boy, holler down to yore Grandpa and tell him lunch’s ready.
Freddie: Yes ma’am. Can I holler over and see if Jamie wants to eat?
Granny: Yeah, you can holler at him too, bless his heart.
Freddie: [at the barn door] Grandpa!
Grandpa: Holla!
Freddie: Granny says lunch is ready! And I’m fixin’ to holler at Jamie to see if he wants to eat too.
Grandpa: He’s way out yonder at the fence down in the holler. Better take the truck.
Freddie: Cain’t, Grandpa. It’s broke down.
Grandpa: Well youngun, I guess you’d better make tracks if yaw gonna get back ‘fore I’m ready to sit down.
Freddie: I’m fixin’ to go right now.
Wonder what would all these sound like strung together?
[Jeanetta Rae and Georgia are drinking iced tea on the porch]
Jeanetta Rae: Bless Freddie’s heart, that poor youngun hain’t got a ride to work ‘cause his truck’s broke down. He’s fixin’ to walk.
Georgia: Y’all got that motor bike out there. Cain’t he take that?
Jeanetta Rae: That boy duhdn’t know how to ride that bike!
Georgia: Yaw didn’t show him how?
Jeanetta Rae: Naw, uhn-uhn!
Georgia: It’s a good five-mile walk to the plant, bless his heart. He’ll be wore out ‘fore he gets there.
[Grandma walks out the front door, Grandpa right behind her]
Grandma: I’m fixin’ to go to Piggly Wiggly.
Grandpa: Well Honey-baby, if you’ll slow down, I’ll go with you.
Grandma: I will slow down if you’ll hurry up! [they leave]
Jeanetta Rae: You heard what Eddie and Cleo saw the other day?
Georgia: Naw
Jeanetta Rae: She and Eddie were out back and he said, “What’s that over yonder?!” and Cleo says, “Old turkey buzzard.” Eddie said, “Naw! That thing further out yonder!” Cleo says, “You just lookin’ at that smoke from the trash pile, sugar.”
Georgia: Eddie can’t see for nothing!
Jeanetta Rae: So Eddie hollers, “No!! Way out yonder! Well then Cleo says, “Hmmm...What the hell is that?” Eddie says, “I don’t know, but I’m fixin’ to go get my gun. Looks like a damned UFO to me!”
[Later in the day. Great smells are coming from the kitchen]
Granny: Boy, holler down to yore Grandpa and tell him lunch’s ready.
Freddie: Yes ma’am. Can I holler over and see if Jamie wants to eat?
Granny: Yeah, you can holler at him too, bless his heart.
Freddie: [at the barn door] Grandpa!
Grandpa: Holla!
Freddie: Granny says lunch is ready! And I’m fixin’ to holler at Jamie to see if he wants to eat too.
Grandpa: He’s way out yonder at the fence down in the holler. Better take the truck.
Freddie: Cain’t, Grandpa. It’s broke down.
Grandpa: Well youngun, I guess you’d better make tracks if yaw gonna get back ‘fore I’m ready to sit down.
Freddie: I’m fixin’ to go right now. Jamie’s gonna holler when I tell him Granny’s made chicken and sweet potatoes.
Grandpa: Yep, not many women can cook like yore Granny. Now go on and git!
[After lunch, girl-next-door is over for a visit]
Freddie: Yaw come on, Jamie and me are fixin’ to go swimmin’ at the quarry.
Barbara: Y’all go on, we’ll be over there in a little bit.
Freddie: Yaw gonna bring some KFC? Jamie’s got the beer already.
Barbara: Who all is coming? Can I go get Tammi and them?
Freddie: Sure, all y’aw can come. We’ll have us a good time no matter.
[Later that evening]
Granny: Hey, Man, bring us in some firewood. Let’s have a fire and I’ll put me on some of that cologne from Christmas.
Grandpa: We hain’t got time, Woman. Them younguns is gonna be back here shortly and that boy’s got that sweet thing from down at the mill.
And so on, as the barbecue turns on the grill...
I love my home in Alabama. If y’all up yonder ever come down this way, slow down and holler at us! We’re fixin’ to eat right now.
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