My life in appalachia - Blare your eyes

Ever heard the word ‘blare’ used to describe someones eyes? See Chitter’s face in the pic above-when she looks at me like that I say “Don’t blare your eyes at me.”

I’ve heard blare used in relation to someones eyes my entire life. Another example-Pap might say “Now he was hot. He looked up there at them, blared his eyes, and said “No Sir that ain’t gonna happen here!”

I checked my Dictionary of Smoky Mountain English to see if the word was listed there-it’s not. I did find it on this website: Jim McManners – Ferryhill/Cassop C20/mid. Mr. McManners has compiled a list of words he heard used in the 50s and 60s when he was growing up in England. Only in his area of the UK the word is used to mean cry-as in “She blared her eyes out after she lost her dog.”

After I started thinking about the word-I tested my girls and one of their friends. I asked them “If I told you not to blare your eyes at me would you know what I meant?” They all 3 said yes-and all agreed I would be telling them not to cut their eyes at me or give me a dirty look.

So the use of the word blare in relation to eyes is alive and well in Brasstown NC-what about where you live?

Tipper

Appalachia Through My Eyes – A series of photographs from my life in Southern Appalachia.

 

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38 Comments

  1. I have never heard this particular expression, but I often hear my sister-in-law tell her sons, “Don’t stick your eyes out at me.” I’m sure it refers to the same thing, and I’ve never heard anyone else say it.

  2. lol i love that look.. remember it well.. with my two daughters.. never used that word.. but my mom just said.. dont you look at me like that .. so guess i got the message across… heh
    hope you are warm and safe.. we have had some strange weather here.. snow.. ice.. sleet.. ugh
    big ladybug hugs and have a great week
    lynn

  3. This is so funny! Everytime Mitchell & I have a disagreement he says, “Now don’t you blare them eyes at me!” I had never heard it before I met him, but it needed no translation. It also leads to more blaring!

  4. My Mother: “Don’t you look at me in that tone of voice!” (sounds like something Sade Gook would have said to Victor R. Gook)

  5. We’ve always used blare here. My family also says, “Don’t waul them eyes!”…where most folks would say “Don’t roll your eyes”. Not sure about the spelling on that one, but pronounced like wall. More Mountain English. I love it!

  6. Yep, know it well! When I blare my eyes at my kids they know they are pushing their luck! How about this one, she stared a hole through me! Looks are at times more powerful than words!
    Ron

  7. Never heard that one, but it does make sense when you think of something blaring (very loud). Her eyes spoke loud and clear!
    When we were youngin’s my parents were much like the comedian Bill Cosby depicted. My mom would say don’t glare at me, look down when I speak to you. The next time, we might look down to beat her to sayin’ it and she’d say, look at me when I’m talking to you little girl. It was quite confusing :/

  8. Barry-I’ve heard Brar and Blar used for brier too. In fact the only time I use brar with it’s proper pronunciation is in singing the old ballad Barbara Ellen (Allen) and then only because it doesn’t rhyme with choir. Although I imagine you could pronounce choir quar.
    Tipper-Does the Blind Pig Gang do Barbara Ellen? I’d love to hear it.

  9. sorta like “blazed”huh? someone sent a child to get do-nuts , told him to get glazed , from then on they were “blazed”
    yes i have heard them all ,i,m old school, older than dirt before it made a rock
    Be blessed

  10. All I had to see was this headline on my iPhone and I laughed and laughed. Momma used to say that to me all the time. Apparently I was bad to blare. I’m still laughing.

  11. When I saw the title of this post I knew there would be a picture of Chitter there.
    It’s what she does so well. I think of it a yelling with your eyes and Chitter’s got it down pat!

  12. Raised in the Blue Ridge I know one thing I better not hear my mother say Carol Ann don’t blare them eyes at me. Blaring was not good where I came from.

  13. Tipper,
    My Granmother said, “blare”…I always thought she mean’t
    “glare”…bless her little heart!
    Of course someone could “Stare” then “Glare” and then “Blare” all in one movement of the eyes…I “sware” I can’t “bare” to “stare” or “glare” or “blare” ’cause it makes my “nostrils flare”…
    Quothe the sayer..B.Ruth
    Thanks Tipper,
    Great post…
    I think Jim is right!

  14. I understood immediately what you meant. Sort of like talk loudly-using your eyes.
    Mom has what we call “patented freeze ray 403.9”. She can look at you with a quick steely nonblinking stare and you freeze in place. It even worked on an unhelpful clerk at a store. He froze for a second and then immediately became more polite and helpful.

  15. It was definitely used often where I came from. We also used blare to describe the look in someone’s eyes when they experienced fear, disbelief and other emotions.

  16. I have heard the term “don’t GLARE your eyes at me” and found this meaning…
    The noun GLARE has 3 senses:
    1. great brightness
    2. an angry stare
    3. a focus of public attention
    Familiarity information: GLARE used as a noun is uncommon.
    • GLARE(verb)
    The verb GLARE has 3 senses:
    1. look at with a fixed gaze
    2. be sharply reflected
    3. shine intensely
    When I have used the term Glare – I meant it to mean,- Don’t look at me in an angry state.
    So, I guess I at least used it in it’s proper text.
    Angie

  17. I’ve heard Blare and Glare used interchangably to describe a look of dissatisfaction, usually an intense reaction to something someone has said or done. Related to another statement “Her look spoke volumes”. I usually used the “Look” when I knew that actually speaking my piece could bring on a “Whupping”, the “Blare” or “Look” sometimes brought on the same results as my Dad was very good at discerning what the “Blare” meant.

  18. Heard that term since I was little. My folks used it to mean widening your eyes as if surprised or being sarcastic.
    Also, people around here say Blar instaed of brier, which I have to admit that I don’t care for.
    Everyone around here also refers to Vienna sausages as Vie-einnies.
    Don’t care for that one either but when I call them by their name, its always a big stink. At my age, I don’t eat them anymore unless its on the river bank or in the boat while we’re fishing.

  19. Tipper–I wonder if “blare” is a bastardization of “flare”? Flare is a way of pronouncing flower and wide-open eyes would be like a flower in full bloom. I’ve never heard blare although “don’t roll your eyes at me” runs as a steady thread through my memory. In fact our daughter got in serious trouble for “rolling her eyes” at a teacher when she was a fifth daughter, and now her daughter is sometimes wont to roll her eyes.
    I’d make an educated guess that you’ve seen a bit of that out of Chitter and Chatter.
    Jim Casada
    http://www.jimcasadaoutdoors.com

  20. Tipper,
    Now you got to admit, she’s still
    purdy. I think every parent has
    said something to make their kids
    blair their eyes at them. That look can be a look of astonishment
    cause they’re in another world, most of the time…Ken

  21. I’ve heard the term “blare your eyes” used all my life. In fact just yesterday. In my dictionary blare refers to sounds not sight. But, if a people can speak with their eyes, why not speak forcefully, i.e. blare.

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