The Southern Word Homepage: NetSquirrel.com

The Southern Word Homepage

Each of my Internet Tourbus posts between 1995 and 2002 included a "Southern Word of the Day." The following is a complete list of those Southern Words.

If you choose to redistribute this list, please give credit where credit is due. Questions and comments should be sent to Patrick Crispen, University of Alabama class of 1998.

Index: A to D | E to H | I to L | M to P | Q to T | U to X | Y to Z

07/1/99
ADAM (noun). A distinct part.
Usage: "Please see if that's the only missing adam on the list"
(Special thanks to Peter van Marle for today's word)

07/16/98
AH-ITE (adverb, adjective, or maybe even an interjection). An affirmation; to be in a state of okay-ness; or a request for someone to stop pestering you.
Usage: "How ya doin, Bubba?" "Ah-ite."

09/12/96
AHMA (contraction).
Usage: "Ahma gonna sit rat cheer til foe the safnoon."
(Special thanks to many, many people, including Bill Barbot and Steven W. Reisenauer, for today's word)

01/09/97
AHSPOSO (phrase). The affirmative response to "Wongo?"
(Special thanks to Adam Joshua Smargon of the University of Florida for today's word)

05/30/96
AIGS (noun). Preborn chickens.
Usage: "Honey ... git me another play-it of beckon and aigs."
(Special thanks to Damon Rarey for today's word)

11/20/97
AINT (noun). The sister of one of your parents..
Usage: Come over here an give your aint a kiss.
(Special thanks to Dr. Franklin Drucker for today's word)

08/17/95
ALL (noun). A petroleum-based lubricant.
Usage: "I sure hope my brother from Jawjuh puts all in my pickup truck."

06/07/98
ANAR (phrase). A measure of time.
Usage: "I was drivin' my ol' Dodge pickup about a 100 maul anar."
(Special thanks to George Bratiotis for today's word)

04/17/97
ANHEUSER (phrase). Question pertaining to one's condition. Often mistaken by Yankees for a brewing company.
Usage: "How's yer ma?" "Good." "Anheuser pa?" "Fan."
(Special thanks to Drew Ivan for today's word)

11/28/96
ANOMALY (phrase). My usual practice.
Usage: "Anomaly drink Dr. Pepper, but ah'll have a Pepsi few don't mind."
(Special thanks to an anonymous TOURBUS rider ("deroldad") for today's word)

05/22/97
ARGON (proper noun). Northwestern state where it rains a lot.
Usage: "You from Yurp?" "Nah ... I's from Argon."
(Special thanks to Barry C. McQuade for today's word)

09/03/98
ARMAGEDDON (phrase). Reaching a certain state.
Usage: "Armageddon sick of all them comet movies."
(Special thanks to Barry Haworth for today's word)

01/28/99
AW-BENNIE (proper noun). Town name.
Usage: "The capital of New Yawk is Aw-bennie."
(Special thanks to Dan A. James for today's word)

10/02/97
AWDUH (noun). Obedience to the law.
Usage: "The Marshal brought law an awduh to the town."
(Special thanks to Bernie Santos for today's word)

06/24/99
AWFUL TAR (proper noun). A tall, iron structure on the river Seine.
Usage: "That Awful Tar may be great, but it ain't no Vulcan!"
(Special thanks to "Jon" for today's word; and extra special credit goes to you if you get the "Vulcan" reference -- and, yes, I did indeed say this when I was in Paris a few months prior)

06/09/00
AY-REE-UH (noun). A geographic region.
Usage: "There ain't a single Steak-N-Shake in this entar AY-ree-uh"
( Special thanks go to ME for today's word)

09/26/96
BAGEL (adj). Quite large.
Usage: "That's a bagel bowl of grits you got there."
(Special thanks to Lisa Ward for today's word)

09/17/98
BAIL (noun). A metallic instrument.
Usage: "Y'all come eat when you hear the dinner bail ring!"
(Special thanks to Steve Short for today's word)

04/10/97
BALD (adj, verb). Cooked in very hot water.
Usage: "Bring me some bald shrimp and another moon pah!"
(Special thanks to MANY, MANY riders for today's word)

05/20/99
BALKS (noun). A cubic container, often made of cardboard or wood.
Usage: "Bubba ... get me a balks of matches!"
(Special thanks to an anonymous TOURBUS rider for today's word)

10/22/97
BALMER (proper noun). The biggest city in the State of Maryland.
Usage: "Ju know that your fearless 'Southern' Bus driver was actually born in Balmer, Merlin?"
(Special thanks to "Jack R. Stokvis" for today's word)

07/11/95
BAR (noun). Largest of the land-living carnivores.
Usage: "Davey Crockett kilt a bar wen he wuz only three."
(Special thanks to Ezra Bob Tanenbaum for today's word)

07/13/95
BARD (verb). Past tense of the infinitive "to borrow."
Usage: "My brother bard my pickup truck."

07/18/96
BARN (verb). To obtain with a promise to repay.
Usage: "Thar are two jobs that a bank duz: barn and lyndon."
(Special thanks to Lee Hartman for today's words)

05/04/00
BAUGH-WEE (noun). A male child.
Usage: "Baugh-wee, you have any idea how fast you's drivin?"
(Special thanks go to J. Ray Bobo for today's word)

09/01/95
BAWS (noun). Supervisor
Usage: "If you don't stop reading these Southern wurds and git back to work, your baws is gonna far you!"

02/02/02
BAY-UHD (noun). A place of rest.
Usage: "I'm tarred. I'm gonna bay-uhd"
(Special thanks to Carol Harlow for today's word)

05/30/96
BECKON (noun). A pork product.
Usage: "Honey ... git me another play-it of beckon and aigs."
(Special thanks to Damon Rarey for today's words)

03/12/02
BEE-HAVE (verb). To conduct yourself in a certain way.
Usage: "Y'all bee-have or I'm turning this truck around!"
(Special thanks to Ray Bobo for today's word)

03/02/02
BEE-HIND (noun). Posterior.
Usage: "Git up off yer BEE-hind, Bubba!"
(Special thanks to me for today's word)

09/22/00
BEE-YUL (Noun). A request for payment.
Usage: "Woo-howdy ... did you see this month's bee-yul from the taxidermist?"
(Special thanks to *ME* for today's word)

02/22/96 BONUS - NORTHERN WORD
BEG (noun). A paper, cloth, or plastic container.
Usage: "You wanna beg for your groceries?"
(Special thanks to Talbert Malone for today's word)

02/14/99
BI-CAMEL (adjective). Term used to describe the United State's two-chambered legislature.
Usage: "The House and the Senate comprise our bi-camel legislature."
(Special thanks to Virginia Laddey for today's word)

05/09/96
BIDNESS (noun). A commercial venture.
Usage: "Ah'm ownna git me inta tha Moon Pie bidness!"
(Special thanks to Rebecca Noack for today's word(although, as Rebecca pointed out, the word "bidness" should be attributed to the immortal Molly Ivins))

04/08/97
BLEEVE (verb). To accept as true.
Usage: "Ah bleeve ah'll have another moon pah!"
(Special thanks to Bernie Santos for today's word)

08/07/97
BOB WAR (noun). A sharp, twisted cable.
Usage: "Boy, stay away from that there bob war fence."
(Special thanks to Annabel Henley for today's word)

02/19/98
BOTTLE (noun). A military engagement.
Usage: "Betcha the South woulda won the Bottle of Gettysburg if'n Bear Bryant was thar!"

11/10/01
BRATS (noun). High beam headlights.
Usage: "Turn off yur brats, Bubba! You's blindin' me!"
(Special thanks to Shaun Koch for today's word)

08/31/00
BRAY-ED (noun) --a baked grain product.
Usage: "Bubba, go down to the sto and git me some Wunner bray-ed."
(Special thanks to Gerry Visel for today's word)

07/07/00
BUBBA-FET (noun). The bounty hunter in Star Wars.
Usage: "Sure, Darth Maul was cool, but I still like Bubba Fet!"
(Special thanks to ME for today's word)

12/13/97
BUM (noun). An explosive device.
Usage: "Teller is the father of the hydrogen bum"
(Special thanks to Robyn Winder for today's word)

08/22/96
CAUTERIZE (phrase). To make eye contact with a female.
Usage: "Ju look at that lady?" "Yep ... I cauterize!"
(Special thanks to Jefferey Gold for today's word)

3/31/01
CAY-UN (noun). A metallic food container.
Usage: "Bubba, fetch me another cay-un of spay-um."
(Special thanks to Bruce Ball for today's word)

02/18/99
CHAKE (noun). A financial document.
Usage: "I left my money at home ... kin I write ya a chake instead?"
(Special thanks to Julia McNair for today's word)

10/01/96
CHICK (verb). To inspect or monitor.
Usage: "Chick ural, mistah?"
(Special thanks to "MEPeterson" for today's word)

09/09/99
CIRIL (noun). A grain or a breakfast food.
Usage: "Ju want some more milk for your ciril?"
(Special thanks to Jay Beavers for today's word)

11/30/01
CO'COLA (noun). The pause that refreshes (aka "Chateau Atlanta")
Usage: "Thirsy? Want a Co'Cola?"
(Special thanks to Craig Green for today's word)

02/26/98
COAT (noun). A legal gathering.
Usage: "All rise ... this coat is now in owduh"

11/27/97
CODE (noun). A common sickness.
Usage: "I ain't coming to work ... I got a code."
(Do note that most people speak southern when they actually have a code.)

08/20/98
COTTON (noun). Box or container.
Usage: "Ju' want a cotton of cigarettes?"
(Special thanks to Mike Todd for today's word)

07/15/99
COW-REES (noun). A measurement of heat.
Usage: "I'm on a diet ... how many cow-rees are in a Moon Pie?"
(Special thanks to Yechezkel Missel for today's word)

10/16/00
CUR-SEE (Noun). Generosity or kindness.
Usage: "Bubba, you show yer sister some cur-see!"
(Special thanks to "Shashaken" for today's word)

05/22/98 (TOURBUS Plus)
DAINTZ (noun or verb). Rhythmic body movements.
Usage: "Boy, that Michael Flatly fellow sure can daintz!"

07/30/98
DALE (proper noun). A brand of computer
Usage: "Bubba, juhere that Patrick Crispen just got hisself a Dale k'puter?"
(Special thanks to Benton Levengood for today's word)

12/24/98
DAWFINS (noun). An aquatic mammal.
Usage: "Bubba, ju see dem dawfins at Sea World?"
(Special thanks to Noah Kristoffer for today's word)

12/09/00
DAY-USK (noun). A piece of flat top furniture.
Usage: "Put that floppy dee-yusk on my day-usk."
(Special thanks to*ME* for today's word)

11/30/00
DEE-YUSK (noun). A circular object or a storage medium.
Usage: "Save yer files on your dee-yusks."
(Special thanks to Jon O'Brien for today's word)

12/14/01
DEPTEE (Noun). A proxy or representative.
Usage: "I shot the shurf, but I didn't shoot no deptee.'"
( Special thanks to Dusty for today's word and to Bob Marley for the lyrics)

11/09/95
DID (adj). Not alive.
Usage: "He's did, Jim."
(Special thanks to Todd Bratcher for today's word)

11/14/96
DITTY (noun). A male parent.
Usage: "My ditty kin beat up yer ditty."
(Special thanks to Charlene Smith for today's word)

01/09/97
DOOTCHER (verb). The command form in Southern.
Usage: "Dootcher momma tells ya to do."
(Special thanks to Adam Joshua Smargon of the University of Florida for today's word)

01/21/00
DOT (noun). The act of eating sparingly to loose weight.
Usage: "Boy, you look like 250 pounds of chewed bubble gum. You need to go on a dot!"
(Special thanks to Lee Warlick for today's word)

01/18/98
DROUNT (verb). Past tense of drown.
Usage: "Mah grampah almost drount in the Great Flood!"
(Special thanks to "Richard" for today's word)

04/22/99
DUBBA WIDE (noun). A mobile or modular home.
Usage: "That there tarnaida sho did mess up my dubba wide!"
(Special thanks to Polly Wallis for today's word)