bunged up participial adjective
1 Constipated.
2005 Williams Gratitude 53 The big youngens and grown people got Black Draught (Drawft) when they was bunged up.
2 Bruised, injured.
1988 Jackson Commodities 31 She is all bunged up, her arm is in a sling. 2009 Holbrook Upheaveal 31-32 It’d be his own woman laying bunged up in the back room, her holding a butcher knife, cussing him with one breath and begging us not to take him off with the next.
—Dictionary of Southern Appalachian English
I was reminded of the word bunged when Francis Cook used it in the interview I shared recently. It’s a word I heard often in childhood.
I can’t remember the last time I heard someone say bunged. It was likely Pap before he died. I’ve only heard the word used to describe an injury.
There are many reasons I enjoyed the interviews I shared that week. Hearing the rich colorful language of Appalachia was one of them for sure.
Last night’s video: Late Summer in Appalachia: Storms, Bounty, & Love.
Tipper
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I stay “bunged up” all the time. Missy came this morning and fussed at me because of all the scratches, scrapes, cuts and bruises all over my arms and legs. I’ve been weedeating, tree trimming and brush piling. My skin is thin and it takes only a touch and I’ve hurt myself. I don’t even know I’ve done it until I see blood dripping from somewhere. Sometimes it bleeds under my skin and make big purple blotches that turn yellow and green as they heal. I look like I’ve been run over by a truck when I’m not really injured at all much.
Bunged up, banged up, beat and scratched up. I’m like an old truck, I wear them badges of my age. If I stop I’ll be in the ground!
I told an xray technician that I was ‘stove up” and she had no idea what I meant.
Mama used to tell us about the springtime purge when she was a child. They were each given a pill that she called a “Callitab”. I wonder if anyone is familiar with this? Mama and my aunt Gladys went out on the porch and Aunt Gladys thought she had hidden hers justlaid it down on the porch. Of course their mama found it immediately.
I’ve heard and used bunged up many times. If you eat too much cheese at once, you’re sure to get bunged up!
I have been “bunged up” since Tuesday morning with a swelled up arthritic ankle. It is all I can do to get from the bedroom to the bathroom- that is not good for an old man! I also remember Black Draught, X-Lax and Fenn- A- Mint. Like Herman I remember in high school pranks being pulled on some unsuspecting person with X-lax and especially one person with Fenn-a-Mint. He was always bumming chew gum. One day someone gave him a good bit of Fenn-A-Mint, he thought it was Chiclets chewing gum. Let’s just say it was bad, real bad but it did break him of bumming gum. In today’s society they would probably want to arrest and expelled a student for doing something like that.
I have heard and used ‘bunged up’ all my life–it was describing physical injuries
We were given Black Draught and X-lax growing up but also some natural purgatives. Black Draught always cramped me and I tried to avoid it. I heard the old folks mentioning ” croakin oil” but I do not know what this was. I have heard stories of X-lax being put into chocolate pies as a get even for someone who felt they were slighted or insulted. Won’t go into detail but you can let your imagination supply the details.
From Merriam-Webster:
croton oil
noun
: a viscid acrid oil obtained from seeds of an Asian croton (Croton tiglium) formerly used as a powerful purgative but now used especially in pharmacological experiments as an irritant
I’d heard banged up but not bunged. I should start using that instead.
Ma’am, I’m about the same age as this blog by a few months. I don’t remember when my mom first introduced me to Blind Pig, but I’ve been off-and-on following your family probably since I was a young teen. Sometimes I get homesick for Tennessee so I come to your blog or your family’s YouTube channels. 🙂 So grateful to see people who want to share and preserve our special part of America!
Not something you’d like to be, either way you define it.
I use bunged up somewhat regularly here in Western Kentucky to indicate an injury.
Don’t remember bunged up but banged up I guess more often for an injury:)
Sure enjoyed seeing you and Matt work together to put up all that bounty. You remind me so much of my Mother and Daddy cause they worked as a team and did a lot of putting up food for the winter. Your whole family will enjoy all that delicious food this winter! Beautiful video. I shall not me Moved is one of my favorites of gospel songs. Great job! God bless and I keep you all in prayer and Papaw Tony.
It has been a long time since I heard “bunged up”. Yet it is familiar. I recognize a trend. Over time here on BP&A I usually say I recall whatever Appalachianism from my growing up years but haven’t heard it in a long time. Partly – I guess – that is because I grew up in southeast KY hill country but have lived just south of the north Georgia mountains for over 40 years. And partly – I think – it is because some Appalachanisms are passing out of use, even within Appalachia. One that has in my lifetime has been using “hope” for “help”. My Grandma said that but I think it is gone now. I have posted this before but I have worked all over southern Appalachia and always felt at home in it. I don’t take credit for that. I credit the people, like Tipper and my many church brothers and sisters. Not to say I know everybody but I start from a place of feeling like I ” know of” them.
I think I’ve had more bunged up days than safe and sound days in my life. I got out yesterday and worked with a shovel and wheelbarrow for about two hours. Today my back and shoulders are very sore. Every year I have a ‘wellness checkup’ and the first question always stumps me. “How many times have you fallen in the past year?” My usual answer is, “Too many to count.” This year in May I could count at least six since Christmas. The scabs came off one knee on Saturday and I bunged up the other knee on Monday. BUT— I guess God watches over me pretty well. I’ll celebrate birthday number 84 soon and most of me still works fairly well.
Can’t say I’ve ever heard or used “bunged up” before, that I can recall. Interesting to always learn new word usage, or sayings. Thank you for sharing it with us.
I haven’t heard that in years.
I loved the video last night. So many wonderful things in it. Little Ira’s voice, singing, putting up….so wonderful! Matt’s reaction about the runner made me laugh out loud!
I’m hoping to salvage some corn this weekend and get some silks for tincture. Corn silk tincture has saved us a many a hospital trip for kidney stones.
I won’t have enough corn really to put up, but I might get enough to pickle. It’s been heartbreaking to see all the things lost, but I will be able to save some seed and am grateful for that. I did see some yellow squash trying to recover. I hope so. I’m afraid to look at the potatoes but will this weekend. We had graveled out some for the only mess of beans we picked before the last damage. God knows our needs and will provide. I will have some tomatoes. I’m hoping to make a run of salsa and ketchup. We had such a plentiful bounty year before I have plenty of juice and sauces. Praise the Lord. God is so good! May y’all have a very blessed day!
My brother in law is preparing for surgery right now on his aorta. Please remember him in prayer. Love to all!