11 Days and Counting
I decided a while ago that I would start a journal documenting my transition from New Jersey to THE SOUTH. Perhaps someday it will be a bestseller...or maybe it will just serve as proof that I once did in fact talk 'Non-Southern'. I've already been informed that the 'Southern' way of speaking is much like a dialect. Just because it doesn't follow the rules and examples set forth in books such as the dictionary and grammar textbooks (used across the U.S.) does NOT in fact mean that they are using the language incorrectly. They are just speaking SOUTHERN English which is something different entirely. Boy have I got a lot of learnin' to do! I'm not completely convinced of the whole thing but have agreed to at least 'try' to fit in. Bo has been very dutiful in giving me linguistic lessons and although I may be a bit of an aggravating student at times...I do try - honest.
Along with my language lessons and explanations of various slang phrases (that are very curious indeed) I will also document here my feelings and experiences of every facet of my move and transition to the general population of North Georgia. Well...maybe not EVERY facet.
I find it most amusing when I tell people that I'm moving to Georgia. The responses are varying but there is one common theme, utter shock and amazement and often condolences - haha. One thing is for sure...so far not a single person has said - wow good for you. Once I tell them it is to start a new life with Bo then they'll usually add the good for you part in :)...sometimes. It's almost as if people are surprised that someone like me would want to live in the bible belt...if you can imagine hehe.
Ok, I really should be packing so I'll leave you with some of the more popular phrases and terminology I've picked up thus far...
Reckon - This one should be obvious, and yes they really do use it...all the time
Fixin' - Same as above
Supper - Ok, not so different from Dinner right? Here's the cincher...there is NO lunch, dinner is lunch and supper is dinner - go figure
Coke - This is what you order when you want a 'soda' THEN you tell them what flavor you'd like - haha
Carry - This is often used in place of drive or take...ex: 'Can you carry me to the store?'
Buggy - These are the carts provided at grocery stores (another thing about grocery stores in the south is that there is an order to them, people walk in one direction and there is an actual flow of traffic - oh, and people don't abandon their 'buggy's' in the middle of an aisle (Bo was VERY distraught when we went shopping at the local Shoprite here - haha)
And a few that you may not be familiar with...
Hit a lick - basicly means go or run, I first heard this when Bo's mom said that her car wouldn't 'hit a lick' I had to get Bo to translate for me - haha
Brick Shithouse - this is one of my favorites, basically because it is a compliment! That's right ladies, if a southern gentleman thinks you're a brick shithouse it means he thinks you're hot...will wonders never cease.
I've also noticed the tendency for words to combine to form shorter phrases...like y'all, in addition to that sometimes they'll just drop off whole consonants, like 'I need to change that light bub'. Then of course there is the adding of consonants like 'I've got to get the warsh done'...it's a cornucopia of variety, let's just hope I can master it.
That's it for now, gotta save some for next time. Next post I'll also explain how easy it is to change the meaning of a word in Southern English - for example the word 'like' and we'll also cover the basics of 'Mob Rules' when it comes to pronunciation.
Along with my language lessons and explanations of various slang phrases (that are very curious indeed) I will also document here my feelings and experiences of every facet of my move and transition to the general population of North Georgia. Well...maybe not EVERY facet.
I find it most amusing when I tell people that I'm moving to Georgia. The responses are varying but there is one common theme, utter shock and amazement and often condolences - haha. One thing is for sure...so far not a single person has said - wow good for you. Once I tell them it is to start a new life with Bo then they'll usually add the good for you part in :)...sometimes. It's almost as if people are surprised that someone like me would want to live in the bible belt...if you can imagine hehe.
Ok, I really should be packing so I'll leave you with some of the more popular phrases and terminology I've picked up thus far...
Reckon - This one should be obvious, and yes they really do use it...all the time
Fixin' - Same as above
Supper - Ok, not so different from Dinner right? Here's the cincher...there is NO lunch, dinner is lunch and supper is dinner - go figure
Coke - This is what you order when you want a 'soda' THEN you tell them what flavor you'd like - haha
Carry - This is often used in place of drive or take...ex: 'Can you carry me to the store?'
Buggy - These are the carts provided at grocery stores (another thing about grocery stores in the south is that there is an order to them, people walk in one direction and there is an actual flow of traffic - oh, and people don't abandon their 'buggy's' in the middle of an aisle (Bo was VERY distraught when we went shopping at the local Shoprite here - haha)
And a few that you may not be familiar with...
Hit a lick - basicly means go or run, I first heard this when Bo's mom said that her car wouldn't 'hit a lick' I had to get Bo to translate for me - haha
Brick Shithouse - this is one of my favorites, basically because it is a compliment! That's right ladies, if a southern gentleman thinks you're a brick shithouse it means he thinks you're hot...will wonders never cease.
I've also noticed the tendency for words to combine to form shorter phrases...like y'all, in addition to that sometimes they'll just drop off whole consonants, like 'I need to change that light bub'. Then of course there is the adding of consonants like 'I've got to get the warsh done'...it's a cornucopia of variety, let's just hope I can master it.
That's it for now, gotta save some for next time. Next post I'll also explain how easy it is to change the meaning of a word in Southern English - for example the word 'like' and we'll also cover the basics of 'Mob Rules' when it comes to pronunciation.