Time for this month’s Appalachian Vocabulary Test
- Eat up
- Evening
- Et
- Far
- Fer
- Eat up-bite badly, consume. “I swear the chiggers have eat me up this summer.”
- Evening-time between noon and night. “Late this evening we’ll go fishing if you want too.”
- Et-eat, ate. “Come on in and sit down, have you et?”
- Far-fire. “If you play in the far you’ll pee in the bed.”
- Fer-for, far. “Mother said she was going to town and I said what fer you just went yesterday?”
I use all of this month’s words-except et-but I hear it on a daily basis cause The Deer Hunter uses it. I think far and fer are funny-cause if we just said far for fer we’d almost be right-does that make sense to anyone else? Hope you’ll leave me a comment and tell me which words you’re familiar with.
Dave Tabler, who runs Appalachian History, recently asked me to write a guest post for his amazing site. I was and am very honored-it aired today if you’d like to jump over and read it click here.
Tipper
Hey there. Just wandered over from my blog… I think these words seem funny when put into writing…yet, I use most of them.
I am from Ohio, which most do not think of when you say Appalacian, yet we are. We are on the border of WV, so we have a slight “twang” when we speak, although I don’t hear it.
I will add a few words we use here:
Crick- creek: Get out of that crick right now!
Agin- Against: Just lay that board agin the tree.
We also tend to end words with -ing by leaving off the “g”.
As in “Where’s the clock? Is it in the buildin’?”
LOL…gotta love it!
PS: Love the site!
Now these I have heard before!
Yep, know them all! Been eat up with chiggers many times in my life.
I did try to discourage the use of “far” as the Deerhunter was growing up….but it did nary bit of good! lol
Hi Tipper, sorry I missed this the other day. I have heard and used all of this tests’ words. “You et yet?” “How fer is it to Bobby Jo’s house, I cant stay here all evenin. Put another chunk uh hickree on the far. Im just eat up with happy! Yall have a great day. and the squash you make looks lip smackin, lairipin tasty.YUMMMMM
We use all of them too except for et. But in the area it is common as well.
ongrats on the guest post – that’s exciting.
Tipper,
The vocabulary test as always brings back many fond memories of growing up here in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The words are second nature to my ear. I’ve heard and even used these terms many times. Great posting!
I’m familiar with all except that version of evening. And I’m SO glad I live where I do not get “eat up” by chiggars!
I’ve heard them all. And use most of them. My Mother used the “et” thing all the time.
I’ve heard all of these in Texas, too; “fer” and “far” in particular sound just that way in my part of Texas (Texoma).
My great-granny told me not to play in the fire or I would pee the bed. LOL Her family was from “old Virgina” so her accent was different. Still funny how mountain people are the same no matter what state you hail from.
Tipper,
I certainly enjoyed reading the article you wrote. It’s interesting all of the things that grow naturally that can be used for medicinal purposes.
As for the vocabulary test, I’m familiar with all of them and yes, I’ve been et up by mosquitoes and black flies. lol
Enjoyed my visit, as always. Hope you and your family had a great 4th of July.
Blessings,
Mary
I’ve heard and used all of those, though I second the fact that we use “fer” for “fire” in East TN.
I didn’t know I knew someone so famous. Your guest post was really good. Bebe’s grandmother used to make me gather sassafras roots for a tea she brewed for me. She claimed my blood was too thick. It tasted like root beer. It’s been so hot here lately you could light a “far” on the sidewalk. It’s not “fer” out the back door to my cement pond. Thanks for the memories. Tell Pap hello for me. Pappy
I have heard all them at some point in time. I like your definitions.
I have heard these words before. Also on your photos I have seen old porches and houses with rocks stacked underneath them like that! Blessings,Kathleen
I passed the test, I knew them all. And we were always told if we played in the ‘far’ we’d pee in the bed. Also smoke from the ‘far’ always goes toward the prettiest one.
I use some of those, but I’ve heard them all. I passed the test!
I am guilty of saying all of them except et, but I do hear people say it. Also…..we sometimes get the food ready, like at a family get together, then tell everybody “time to eat up” meaning it’s time to fix your plate.
I’m familiar with these words-still use them. I still tell my grown kids when they burn for us “now if you play in that far you’ll pee in the bed tonight.” They just laugh and say “aw Mama.” Fact of the matter is it happened to me just like my Mamaw said, when I was little. I didn’t mess with fire much till I was grown.
HE HE!!! I said et the other day and my husband thought I had lost my mind. He had no idea what I was talking about!! lol
Always fascinating to hear another’s language, Tipper! And congratulations on your interesting post on “Appalachian History.” I’ve just bookmarked it. Thank you fer sharing! :))
Funny Tipper! I have heard all of these but don’t use any 🙂 and this “If you play in the far you’ll pee in the bed.” I don’t get! Never heard that before.
I have heard all of these except “far”. 🙂
The reason you blanch your vegies before freezing is so the texture remains the same. If you don’t either they will taste not so good or the texture will be mushy.
Tipper,
As a corollary to “eat up,” I’ve also heard (and used) “eat up with,” meaning to either be consumed with (usually an illness) or totally engrossed in something.
Football? Why, my boy is eat up with it. (translation: My son loves football.)
The doctor told us that granny was eat up with cancer and only had a few days to live.
Growing up in Middle Tennessee, we said “far” meaning fire. But here in East Tennessee, I’ve heard people saying “fer” meaning fire. A neighbor stopped by a few days ago to say that there was a “fer” down the road and it took me a minute to realize that he was talking about a “fire” down the road.
I am familiar with all the words today, I have probably used them all at one time or another. I have a daughter that always says Et and we kid her about it.