John C. Campbell Folk School Dairy
“Farming today was just as tough then as now. My grandpa in 1932, bought 12 dairy cows. He just got them home and a mad dog came through and bit every one of them and never made a penny on them. That was a big lick.”
—Clay Logan (Brasstown NC)
After last week’s post about the word lick a friend emailed me and asked if I’d ever heard it used in the phrase “had the lick.” That’s sort of what Clay is saying.
I have heard it used in that manner, in fact I used it in blog post myself many years ago. I just clean forgot about it.
Here’s what I said:
“Had the lick = tired, exhausted, wore out, completely done in.
Boy I’ve got all kinds of sayings going through my mind this morning. Ones about being tired (very late night), ones about being worried, and even ones about being late since this post is late according to Blind Pig standards.
But the one that keeps coming to mind is “Boys I’ve had the lick.” Probably because I heard Pap say it a few times yesterday.
Pap took a fall sometime early yesterday evening. Scared the living daylights out of himself and us.
As of 3 a.m. this morning he was on a ambulance headed to a hospital in Asheville. The verdict so far: 2 hip fractures and all that pain awakened Pap’s old nemesis – heart angina in triplicate.
We’d sure appreciate a prayer for Pap if you’re a praying person. I’ll keep you posted on his recovery. The local hospital didn’t think surgery would happen for the hip—I’m hoping they are right and its not necessary.
I’ll leave you with one more saying: “He’s a tough ole bird.” That’s what my sister-n-law allowed about Pap last night.
After his fall he somehow miraculously crawled (duck walked is what Pap called it) to the car and made it as far as Miss Cindy’s house before he had to pull over. There’s some construction going on nearby so she didn’t hear Pap and he said by the time he got there he couldn’t even blow the horn. But what do you know, Providence sent along one of Pap’s old friends. Pap got him to alert Miss Cindy and she got him home after that.”
Interestingly I wrote the post about Pap saying he’d had the lick in the month of May too. May 2015.
Pap’s angina pain was a full blown heart attack. His heart gave out on him a year later in April of 2016. But another miraculous event happened in the months after his fall. His hip healed completely. There wasn’t even any sign of arthritis. I was with him when the elderly doctor pointed at me and said she’s supposed to heal like that but not you an me.
Tipper
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I don’t post often here- and catch up on the posts and replies weekly. As someone from Indiana – with great grandparents who were from Kentucky (mom’s side) – I often see similarities in the language and fun words Tipper will post and other will share. When my mom was alive she always said “lick” for many things – like you all have already shared. My heart is warmed by all the prayers and community you all share and I often wish I was from your neck of the woods. Praying for everyone as well as Papaw Tony and Corie. Have a wonderful week and Congrats Tipper – can’t wait to see your movie debut.
Hi Tipper. From the time I was very young, my granny Wilson, who was from Bell County Kentucky a stones throw away from the Tennessee line, told me the list of how the waterways were. And I’ve never forgotten them.
She said “water goes from smallest to largest in this order: Seep/Rill, Lick, Brook, Creek, Stream, Run, and finally River.
My granny Wilson taught me more things than anybody else put together in the whole world. She even took me to church, and I learned about the Lord Jesus. God will bless you and your family tipper and I am praying for Papaw Tony and for Corie. ✝️♥️
Tipper, I haven’t posted a comment in a while, but my husband and I faithfully read the blog and watch your videos every single day. I’ve been fighting a bad bout of A-Fib and am currently doing all the necessary tests to have an Atrial Ablation done hopefully this summer. Also losing our son in March has taken a grief toll on our family. I’ve never experienced such grief as that of losing our son. Please add us to your prayer list. We will certainly appreciate any and all prayers.
Concerning the word “lick” in Appalachian language, one usage is from Kentucky and that is the name of places such as “Knob Lick” as an example. I was told by someone from this area of Kentucky that the word Lick in this sense refers to a small stream or tributary from the Licking River. The Licking river was given that name to my understanding due to all the salt licks and saline springs along the river. Many of the towns and communities along the small streams and tributaries of the river were given names with the word lick added to denote the area as being along either the North Fork & South Fork of the Licking River.
I’m so sorry. I will pray for you both!! God bless you!! We appreciate all you do for us!!
We have a place called Lizard Lick here in Wake County, North Carolina.
Touching memories of Pap, Tipper. He was an amazing and resilient man.
I have never heard the word, lick, used in the way you talked about Pap. It was certainly a miracle back then that his hips healed so well, and without surgery. There are miracles all around us. I will keep everyone who needs a prayer in mine.
I just remembered hearing what was called the “Big Lick” concerning Tennessee Walking Horses. It’s a reference to the high stepping horses did–caused by cruel applications to their hooves. It was called soring, I think and it is outlawed now. I knew a family involved in competitions and at that time it was considered ok. Animal abuse is a terrible thing.
I hope Tipper or nobody else thinks I am trying to compare my father in law (Curtis Brooks) to Pap. I mean anything I write as a compliment, nothing more or less. Pap reminds me of Curtis, he was tough as nails and would not even let the doctor deaden a cut he got at work before having it sewn up. He also loved his older Gibson guitar and his music. He family came home one time from going to town on Saturday and found him laying in the floor when they got home, he got up and refused to go to a doctor, just tried to take it easy and go on, probably went back to work on Monday. Later he was told he had had a heart attack somewhere in his past and was told many people have small heart attacks without knowing it.
My husband had a heart attack on the football field when he was 14 yrs old. Freshman in high school. He didn’t find out until the next year’s football physical. He’s 73 now.
My mother would sometimes get frustrated with people and say of them, “they don’t have a lick of sense”.
Or I’m plum licked. Loved the way my family talked. I love your channel Celebrating Appalachia.Thankyou ☀️
My family said, boy I’m licked or boy I’m plum worn out.They we’re from Arkansas.They moved here to the Pacific NW. My home now. I live in charleston Oregon, The gateway to the deepest Port on the Oregon Coast.Coos Bay Oregon.We have 2 fisplants and I am a filleter also. I’m 60 now .I no longer work there, but can still cut fish. You never really lose that skill.My husband was born in Smithfield.I would love to visit Brasstown. I remember when we went to Arkansas to visit my Mama’s family .I was around 5 years old,I can still remember fishing catfish and picking muscadine grapes. We lived in Oklahoma, Arkansas, Homa Louisiana and Victoria Texas . Loved the south. I love the Pacific NW. It is my life.I wish I could go back and forth though,that would be kool.Love you’re family.You guys are cool also.Thankyou for sharing all that you share and show,it’s like I’m there vacationing.Thanyou very much ❤️✝️
I don’t think I’ve ever heard ” had the lick.” I am familiar with “I”m licked,” meaning one is worn out, given up, etc. Prayers for all who are struggling with sickness or death in their family today.
My parents used to say “wouldn’t strike a lick” when someone was lazy. I’ll have to remember “having a bad lick” and use it sometime.
Thanks Tipper!
“He’s so lazy he wouldn’t hit a lick at a snake.”
Praying for Papaw Tony!
I also forgot a “goodun”. It is a phrase used when someone does a shoddy job for services rendered or sold and the buyer demands satisfaction. An example would be, “that dentist charged me $150 to fix that broke tooth, but he left a rough spot on it that I simply cannot keep my tongue away from. I believe I’ll go back up there and let him “lick his calf over”! This probably derived from a mama cows not doing a good job of licking the afterbirth off a newborn calves (“she needs to lick that one over”) I too forgot the use of “lick” in the form described above (i.e. “the football team really took a licking last night, etc.”). Remember the old Timex watch commercials? “Timex, they take a licking and keep on ticking”.
I remember when this happened with Pap. I was going to remind you of what he had said when you recently post about “lick” but I held back because, since Granny’s recent passing , more memories might bring on too much sadness.
He’s so lazy he wouldn’t strike a lick at a snake even if it bit him.
Many years ago, Timex aired a commercial about their watches, saying that they take a licking and keep on ticking.
I wonder if “had the lick” comes from boxing (or fist fighting generally) when one gets a knockout blow that “puts them down for the count”? I think most everybody at one time or another has that happen. And I think it likely that there are a great many expressions saying it in very different ways. A sailor might say ” took the wind out of my sails”. Then there is “took the heart out of me.” Us guys generally (and Appalachian men in particular) don’t generally speak directly about feelings. Instead we use a expression meant to be understood as being about feelings. Even then understanding requires a better than average knowledge of the speaker.
I’ve learned new definitions of the word “lick” from your post and from the comments. Some I’ve heard before, but others first time. It’s good to learn something new or in Appalachia vocabulary old, every day. Now if I could just remember it all, then I’d be pretty smart. I guess some would say, “She’s worth a lick after all.”
This is concerning to me, since the month of April when I had the gout so bad and think I got dehydrated and passed out for a short period of time, I seem to “have the lick” pretty often. I was wore out last night before going to bed after not doing anything that would have amounted to more than a hill of beans all day. I go to my doctor next week for my yearly blood work and am worried about what might show up. Something is going on, either mental or physical. Hopefully it won’t be more than old age! After working 38 years at Michelin and seeing /reading some of the MSDA sheets on the rubber and other things we used, I wonder. Seems like lately a lot of my coworkers are dying or having health problems, three died over the last few days.
Please talk to your doctor about Allopurinol. I struggled with severe gout for many years with little hope for the future. Then my daughter’s friend told her that her father was in the same condition as I was until he started taking it. At my next doctor visit I asked him about it and he prescribed it to me.
It was several weeks before it kicked in but when it did my gout pain started to recede to the point where Tylenol is all I need now.
Allopurinol has almost no side effects. It can cause heightened risks if you are already afflicted by diseases other than gout. It is cheap and if you have Medicare and a supplemental insurance, it’ll probably cost you nothing.
Please give it a try! It is much more likely to help than hurt you and if you are like me, physical pain and depression go hand and hand.
Ammons, I will have to write that down, I can’t pronounce it and sure can’t spell it! I do intended to talk to my doctor and see if he will give me something for gout. I don’t think I need to take something everyday, but I want something better than tart cherry juice and Advil if or when it flares up again. I know it has been 5 years since my wife’s death, but after her being my heart, soul and companion for 50 years there is a hole in me that won’t heal. I also get depressed because of not being able to do for myself like I once could, I didn’t have to ask for help with much of anything -sorta like Matt. I still know how to do it but am physically unable to do it unless I can do it sitting down. I am serious but trying to be humorous too, don’t none of you worry about me, I am going to do one of two things either get better or die! There are too many other members with a lot worse health problems than me. I think and pray for all of you even I can’t remember every name and especially B.
Randy, I’m praying for your appointment and for you to feel better and not so tired.
Tipper, your family continues to amaze me in so many ways. Your daddy was as strong as they come, I see where you get it from. How wonderful you have so many stories and memories to not only keep alive in your writings, but by passing them along to us. Thank you.
I have heard in my family “He’s never hit a lick in his life” meaning he never worked a day in her s life. I grew up hearing that word used in various ways. It will be good to see the sun today after much needed rain. We should have a mess of Peanut Beans soon. Hope all is well.
That is a miracle! Wow! To heal so completely! A blessing to be reminded of his strength and courage.
“Had the lick” is a good saying. I feel like that some days, guess we all do. Let’s pray for each other as we go through good days and hard ones ❤️
It’s really strange to be talking about licks to the head. My aunt messaged me yesterday that my uncle took a fall yesterday morning, hit his head, and died at 1:30 yesterday afternoon. That made me so very sad.
He found us in the middle 90s. His family grew up in the same area as Momma. His mother told him before she died that his father was my papaw. Momma said they knew there were rumors of papaw having children before he met Mamaw, but didn’t know who. When Uncle Hershel came for the first visit it was like seeing a younger version of Papaw walk up. There was no denying it. We welcomed him with open arms and he was so light hearted and joy filled. No one went around blaming anyone for anything although we knew if Mamaw was still with us she might not have taken it so easy.
We have so many wonderful memories of him. He retired from mining limestone. Strange as our papaw was a miner, coal miner. I’m grateful for him coming into our lives. He was also a minister and led Papaw to Christ. I will be forever grateful for that. His beaming smile and joyous heart will be missed. I’m so thankful the Lord knew the timing for him to come into our lives. God is good!
Tipper, congratulations! Y’all are going to be stars! And thank you for sharing Bs praise report. May God get all the glory!
Debbie I’m so sorry. I will pray for your family.
Debbie, your post reminded me of something my mother would tell, and laugh: One day, someone asked a little boy, “Son, who’s your daddy? Fiddlin’ John Carson, Ma says.” I wonder where Mom first heard that?
Debbie, I’m sorry for your loss, your uncle sounds like a wonderful man.
I’m so sorry for the loss of your dear uncle Hershel, Debbie. Thank you for sharing about him with us. He sounded very special.
good morning, got appointment with gastroenterology, 9:45, got to get ready, God bless you friends have a great day
Norman I’m praying you find out something today.
Norman, prayers are up for answers and healing.