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

6/21/01
R (noun) Sixty minutes.
Usage: "Woo-howdy ... I got my pickup truck up to 15 miles an R!"
(Special thanks to a TOURBUS rider whose name escapes me -- eeek! -- for today's word)

10/17/96
RACEHORSES (noun). Available means; computable wealth; or immediate and possible sources of revenue.
Usage: "Kin ya tell me where the human racehorses office is?" or "We must preserve our natural racehorses."
(Special thanks to John Chancey for today's word)

04/25/96
RAFFLE (noun). A firearm.
Usage: "Son, fetch me ma raffle."
(Special thanks to Stu Kasten for today's word)

04/11/96
RAISIN (noun). Motive or explanation.
Usage: "There ain't no raisin to be actin' thatta way."
(Special thanks to Jeryl Geary for today's word)

08/10/95
RANCH (noun). A gripping tool.
Usage: "I think I left my ranch in the back of that pickup truck my brother from Jawjuh bard a few munts ago."

6/3/01
RASS (noun) A cereal grass.
Usage: "Fetch me some more of that ray-ed beans and rass!"
(Special thanks to Cindy Vela for today's word)

09/12/96
RAT CHEER (phrase).
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 words)

10/19/95
RATS (noun). Entitled power or privilege.
Usage: "We Southerners are willing to fight for out rats."
(Today's Southern Word comes from a school teacher in America's southern state: Hawaii. As part of her class' study of the "War of Northern Aggression" (known to Yankees at the "Civil War"), she showed her class the movie Gettysburg. The students wondered why the Confederacy was fighting for their "rats." The answer, of course, is obvious: Southerners have very friendly rats ... in fact, you could almost say that we have some downright civil rats.)

01/14/99
RAY-ED (adj). The long wave extreme of the visible spectrum. RGB Color value #FF0000.
Usage: "Why do farmen wear ray-ed suspenners? To keep their paints up!"
(Special thanks to Jeff F. for today's word)

06/25/00
REE-YUBS (noun). Any of the paired curved bony or partly cartilaginous rods that stiffen the walls of the body of most vertebrates and protect the viscera
Usage: "Y'all want me to throw some more ree-yubs on the gree-yuhl?"
(Special thanks go to Alan Coburn for today's word)

09/26/95
RETARD (adj). Completed tenure. No longer working.
Usage: "My granpaw retard at age 65."

02/20/96
RICE (noun). A contest of speed.
Usage: "Y'all going out to Talledega to see the rice?"
(Special thanks to John Munroe for today's word)

02/22/96
ROOL (adj). Not urban.
Usage: "The rool markins wanna see this country move ford."
(Special thanks to Pat Vedomske and Dennis DeVendra for today's words)

06/05/97
ROON (verb). To damage beyond repair.
Usage: "Don't spill grape juice on the rug. You might roon it."
(Special thanks to Robert T. Lane for today's word)

11/21/96
ROONT (adj). Spoiled.
Usage: "I don't see how you can eat that there cottage cheese ... it's just roont milk."
(Special thanks to Elizabeth Nichols for today's word)

9/2/01
ROW TIE (phrase). Team cheer for the University of Alabama's Crimson Tide football team. [Hint: "Row Tie" = "Roll Tide"]
Usage: "Row Tie Row!"
(Special thanks to the Crimsonettes for today's word)

02/12/98
RUM (noun). An enclosed place.
Usage: "Go to your rum!"

05/29/97
RUT (noun). What attaches trees and plants to the ground.
Usage: "We got us a bunch a mass in th' rut cellar."
(Special thanks to Sharon-Bob for today's word)

04/29/00
SAHDIDY (noun). The day on which most of Patrick's "Thursday" posts are actually sent out.
Usage: "So, whatcha doin Sahdidy night?"
(Special thanks go to J. Ray Bobo for today's word)

09/12/96
SAFNOON (phrase). The period after supper and before dinner.
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 words)

12/09/01
SAIL (verb). To exchange or deliver for money or its equivalent.
Usage: "We sail lottery tickets here."
(Special thanks to Donna Williams for today's word. According to Donna, this week's usage quote comes word for word from a sign hanging in a Georgia convenience store.)

01/31/99
SAINT (verb). Past tense of the infinitive "to send."
Usage: "I saint you an e-mail ... did you git it?"
(Special thanks to Tom Rankin (Bob Rankin's brother) for today's word)

06/11/02
SALAD (adjective). Not hollow.
Usage: "Hurry in today, folks, and git this salad wood table fer only $99!"
(Special thanks to Barbara Manning for today's word)

05/28/98
SALARY (noun). A stringy vegetable.
Usage: "You want salary on your salad?"
(Special thanks to Ken Sawka for today's word)

06/15/00
SANGLE (adjective). Unaccompanied by others.
Usage: "Mercy ... Bubba is 14 and he's still sangle?!"
(Special thanks go to Marsha Miller for today's word)

05/30/98
SAWKA (noun). A sport where you aren't allowed to touch the ball with your hands.
Usage: "WORLD CUP?! That ain't FOOTBALL ... that's SAWKA!"
(Special thanks to Mike Cinalli for today's word)

03/14/99
SCALES (noun). Ability or proficiency.
Usage: "I'm a-goin' back to skoo to brush up on my scales."
(Special thanks to Libby Holthouser for today's word)

03/19/98
SEAL (noun). The horizontal board at the bottom of a window.
Usage: "Mercy sakes, Bubba ... y'all need to paint them seals!"

12/12/95
SEED (verb).
Usage: "I ain't never seed New York City ... view?"
(Special thanks to Jack Dohme for today's word)

09/02/99
SEEMENT (noun). An ingredient of concrete.
Usage: "Ju like our seement pond?"
(Special thanks to Jack Dohme for today's word)

06/04/98
SELLIT (noun). A mix of leafy vegetables.
Usage: "Gimme a mess of that there poke sellit."
(Special thanks to Cleve Callison for today's word)

03/28/96
SENSUOUS (phrase).
Usage: "Honey, sensuous up, could you get me another beer?"
(Special thanks to several bus riders for today's word)

11/13/97
SHAR (noun). A compartment for vertical bathing..
Usage: "Bubba, you STINK ... go take a shar!"
(Special thanks to Rachel Wilder for today's word)

09/23/99
SHASTA (phrase).
Usage: "Mom sez shasta work late tonight, so we mizewell order pizza in for dinner."
(Special thanks to Donna Sue Fraley for today's word)

05/16/96
SHEENRY (noun). Tool or tools.
Usage: "Don't know nuttin bout no sheenry."
(Special thanks to Susan Pongracz for today's word)

07/29/00
SHURF (noun). A law enforcement officer.
Usage: "If'n you don't put some clothes on, Bubba, tha shurfs' gonna arrest ya!"
(Special thanks to Cary Lowe for today's word)

01/21/99
SINNER (noun). Middle, inside. Location.
Usage: "Bubba is a security guard at th' local shoppin' sinner."
(Special thanks to Susan Sanderson for today's word)

12/18/96
SKEWS (verb). An explanation. Pardon.
Usage: "You FORGOT why I first wrote to you? Heck, that's no skews!"
(Special thanks to *ME* for today's word)

06/19/99
SKOO (noun). Educational institution.
Usage: "Bubba's the scholar in the family ... he didn't drop out of skoo 'til the third grade."
(Special thanks to "DonnelsonJ" for today's word)

08/09/98
SKWINTA (verb).
Usage: "Skwinta town and get us some moom pies".
(Special thanks to for today's word)

07/09/98
SKWURL (noun). Tree rat. (The true test of "Southern-ness" is your ability to say this word in *ONE* syllable).
Usage: "Look at that skwurl up thar on that par line! I wunner what he's up to."
(Special thanks to a freak power failure for today's word)

05/21/98
SMAWT (adj). Intelligent
Usage: "People who know that pi stuff must be really smawt."
(Special thanks to Alabama Governor Fob James -- actually, to one of his campaign commercials -- for today's word)

10/03/99
SOUL (noun). Firm land.
Usage: "Did the county ag folks do that soul sample for ya yet, Bubba?"
(Special thanks to Jan Oberla for today's word)

03/17/00
SOH-WUR (adjective). Painfully sensitive.
Usage: "Mercy, my muscles are soh-wur"
(Special thanks go to Becky Florence for today's word)

03/11/99
SPA (verb). To descretely monitor the actions of another. (noun). One employed in the art of espionage.
Usage: "That James Bond sure is a good spa!"
(Special thanks to Tara Calishain for today's word)

01/27/02
SPALD (verb) Flawed or ruined.
Usage: "Bubba, you done spald them kids rotten!"
(Special thanks to Brian Smith for today's word)

08/13/98
SPATIAL (adj). Readily distinguishable.
Usage: "Two burgers, and hold that spatial sauce!"
(Special thanks to Marjorie A. Phillips for today's word)

8/15/01
SPAY-KERS (noun). Lecturers, or devices that create loud sounds.
Usage: "Kin ya turn down them there spay-kers? My ears is ringin'!"
(Special thanks to Glenn Arnold for today's word)

3/31/01
SPAY-UM (noun?). A processed meat product with the shelf life of gravel.
Usage: "Bubba, fetch me another cay-un of spay-um."
(Special thanks to Bruce Ball for today's word)

12/31/98
SPEARMINT (noun, verb). Part of the scientific method.
Usage: "I jus did a spearmint to see if my pickup truck could run on Jack Daniels instead of gasoline. Well, it caint."
(Special thanks to Noah Kristoffer for today's word)

8/7/01
SPLICE (noun). Provisions.
Usage: "Kin ya run down to the store and fetch me some office splice?"
(Special thanks to Arlene Hocking for today's word)

03/05/97
SPLODE (verb). To release energy by the sudden production of gases.
Usage: "Ah went to the races last night, there wuz lots of kee-rashes but none of um sploded."
(Special thanks to Louis Jezsik for today's word)

11/05/98
SPOTTER (noun). An arachnid.
Usage: "Along came a spotter who sat down beside her and frightened Miss Muffit away."
(Special thanks to comedian "Gennylight" for today's word)

01/02/96
SQUARSH (verb). To smoosh. (noun). Yellow, gourd-shaped vegetable.
Usage: "Warsh that squarsh, Bubba ... you don't know where its been!" "Quick, squarsh ‘at spotter!"
(Special thanks to Barb Fogg for today's word)

01/16/00
STAY-UMP (noun). A small piece of gummed paper sold by a government for attachment to an article that is to be mailed.
Usage: "Don't forget to fetch ya some of them new 34 cent stay-umps."
(Special thanks to Cary Lowe for today's word)

05/23/96
SUDDEN (adj). Relating to a geographical region.
Usage: "Boy, we sho do like them sudden words!"
(Special thanks to Milan Graf for today's word)

07/17/97
SURP (noun). What you put on pancakes or waffles.
Usage: "Pass me the surp!"
(Special thanks to Kathi Bloomquist for today's word)

08/25/00
SWIM POO (noun) -- a man-made body of water.
Usage: "Bubba, git out of that there swim poo!"
(Special thanks to Susan Brisby for today's word)

7/30/97
T'-EM (proper noun). Short for Timothy.
Usage: "Hells donkeys, Martha ... you sing like Tiny T'-EM!"

06/25/98
TAHBACKA (noun). a rather controversial weed.
Usage: "We're gonna go cut 'n hang tahbacka in the barn."
(Special thanks to Michael Kelsey for today's word)

04/01/99
TAL (noun). Absorbent cloth.
Usage: "No outhouse is complete without a tal and mira."
(Special thanks to Teri Baginski for today's word)

02/03/00
TALL (noun). A piece of fired clay used especially floors and walls.
Usage: "Bubba, you need to clean your bathroom tall!"
(Special thanks to Janice Carlson for today's word)

09/14/95
TAR (noun). A rubber wheel.
Usage: "Gee, I hope that brother of mine from Jawjuh doesn't git a flat tar in my pickup truck."

06/11/98
TARA and TERRA (noun). A state of fear.
Usage: "I haven't felt this much terra since the night our football team had to play against Bama!"
(Special thanks to Dr. Art Thompson for today's word)

01/01/98
TAR-NADIR (noun). A weather anomaly used to drop houses on the wicked witches.
Usage: "I doe-no what it is 'bout moeblomes that attracts tar-nadirs."
(Special thanks to "Pat" for today's word)

10/12/95
TARRED (adv). Exhausted.
Usage: "I just flew in from Hot-lanta, and boy my arms are tarred."

08/27/98
TAU (noun). Something found in a bathroom.
Usage: "Mercy! You're SOAKED. Go get a tau!"
(Special thanks to Rex Chilcote for today's word)

05/27/02
TEFFONE (noun). A communications device.
Usage: "Hey, Bubba ... what's Mary Bob's teffone number?"
(Special thanks to Bryant Fry for today's word)

01/08/98
TENSY (noun). The state on top of Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia.
Usage: "Elvis lived in Tensy, ju know?"
(Special thanks to Doug Keel for today's word)

09/11/97
THANK (verb). The ability to cognitively process.
Usage: "Ah thank therefur ah am."
(Special thanks to an anonymous TOURBUS rider for today's word)

01/30/97
THAR (adv, noun, pronoun). The opposite of HAIR.
Usage: "Thar's a phone call fer yew. Itch yer waaaaf."
(Special thanks to Richard Omer for today's word)

05/15/97
THRIT (noun). An intention to inflict evil.
Usage: "Bubba is a serious thrit to society"
(Special thanks to "The Most" Bob Klepfer for today's word)

08/15/96
THUD (adj). What comes after second.
Usage: "My dad just graduated from thud grade."
(Special thanks to Dan Bragg for today's word)

09/14/95
TIRE (noun). A tall monument.
Usage: "Lord willing and the creeks don't rise, I sure do hope to see that Eifel Tire in Paris sometime."

11/29/98
TOAD (verb). Past tense of the infinitive "to tell."
Usage: "I done toad jew not to do that!"
(Special thanks to Sharyn Shields for today's word)

05/25/00
TOE-MAH (noun or adverb). The day after today.
Usage: "My brother from Jawjuh gonna bring back my pickup toemah."
(Special thanks go to Elwood Downing for today's word)

12/05/96
TOWEE (noun). Things that children play with.
Usage: "We bought our grandchild a new towee. "
(Special thanks to Bob James for today's word)

06/12/97
TUBAFOR (noun). A special cut of lumber.
Usage: "Don't make me have to whomp ya upside the head with a tubafor!"
(Special thanks to Karen Stuart for today's word)

08/28/97
TUNA MINT (noun). A contest.
Usage: "Y'all gonna go to that Bass Masters fishin tuna mint?"
(Special thanks to Franz Witte for today's word)

03/09/00
TUR-BLE (noun). Extremely bad.
Usage: "Mercy, that Chris Porter sho did get himself into a turble mess of trouble!"
(Special thanks go to Robin Peoples for today's word)

02/25/99
TURBUS (noun). A large, multi-wheeled form of transportation.
Usage: "Ju read last week's Turbus?"
(Special thanks to Dr. Bob Rankin for today's word)

4/8/01
TWEE-YUNS (noun) Two offspring born at the same time.
Usage: "Bubba, you make sure to brang them twee-yuns with ya the next time ya come over."
(Special thanks to Gregg Tate for today's word)