Tipper: “Did she tell you that I was going to be gone tomorrow?”

Friend: “No she didn’t name it to me.”

In Appalachia the word name is used in place of the word mention-and I adore the people who use it in that manner.

Tipper

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

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18 Comments

  1. Hi Tipper,I carefully read your comments on how to address a person and the things best not to attract them to name, especially diseases.
    Exactly as I have ever written for your comments, those who live in countries like USA or Argentina, which were formed on the basis of immigration, where as here, it is said, the roots of the vast majority of Argentines, not in land but on ships.
    Like your comments in Spanish, who is regarded with great respect, their age, their rank or position is called by his last name is Mr. ahead. When a lot of knowledge only his first name, (named after the priest gives, on the font).
    And also our grandparents and great-grandparents, never spoke or appointed to disease by name, always sought to do with references softly and caring children who were not there, were careful to mention the fact that a woman was pregnant , perhaps for children not to ask questions that would end with stories of the stork, a pumpkin that opened through him, etc etc.
    In English I say to my brother, you go in your car? the teacher, I say,you go on your car?
    In Spanish I say to my brother, TU go in TU car?, The teacher I say USTED go in SU car?
    Available in Spanish even more difference in treatment between friends and between differences by age, position, etc..
    Thanks for reading all this, I like to exchange cultures and conclude that we are all much more alike than we think.
    Best regards from Argentina, to my friends of the Appalachians, José Luis.
    Excuse me if I went to the side of tomatoes, hahaha!, JL, (idiomatic expression meaning here, ramble or wrong theme)

  2. Another new word phrase for me to learn. I don’t remember hearing it here, but then again the jest of the meaning can be gotten my the content. Thanks!

  3. Tipper,
    Love the pig! Aren’t graphics fun! I just love my ABC’s and words arranged just for the fun of it. I love fancy large caps at the beginning of a word in a paragraph. You know like they did in the olden day books. A lot of books of poems use those decorated letters at the beginning of the sentence!
    I’d name them to you but forgot a lot of the old ones. The reprints usually don’t have them in the reprints…
    Later…I hear the ducks!
    Thanks Tipper

  4. I haven’t heard the use of “name” in quite the way you used it. However, I am familiar with the more secretive or hidden version which relates to certain Native American and other cultures concept of the use of name.
    For instance, if you were privileged enough to know a person’s given name your had to be very close indeed. I recently encountered this with a man whom we have always referred to as Mr. ____; although he is several years younger than I, he only just told me that I had known him long enough to use his first name which he then told me. He still introduces himself to others as Mr. ___ and I am supposed to call him that unless in the company of those closest to him.
    In other cultures using the name of someone or something gave you power over it (I wish I could reference this but don’t recall the reference nor have time to look it up now.)
    In a similar vein, using a “name” made something “more real”. My grandmother and great grandmother who lived nearby during my growing up years wouldn’t speak of “cancer” or “miscarraige” or traffic accidents or the like because they became more real. If you didn’t talk about them, they were somehow less likely to happen, or maybe didn’t happen. I never did quite understand how that was supposed to work.
    – – and by the by – your pig is way cool!

  5. That’s one I have not heard since I was knee high to a grasshopper. My grandpa used it often. He would also say speak of it. As in,”he didn’t speak of it to me”. I like the pig very much!

  6. I’ve heard folks say “Name it” all my life. They said that fella was gonna leave but he never did name it to me.
    I really like that little hawg; it’s really neat but, all those memorable words that make up its form are what gives it such an endearing value.

  7. Tipper,
    I’ve heard my daddy use those
    exact words so many times back in
    the Good Ole Days. And what a
    touching affair to see all those
    names in the drawing that shows
    your compassion. It’s Appalachian
    Love…Ken

  8. I remember the old-timers-and some not so old, after a particularly hard days work will get up the next morning and say “I’m all ‘stove-up’ this morning”. Any idea where the term ‘stove-up’ came from?

  9. I don’t recollect ever hearing ‘name it to me’ used. Love your pig for it perfectly names off components of your blog.

  10. I love the pig! Name it to me was used all the time when I was growing up. It was usually associated with secrets. Mom would say, “I’ll tell you something if you promise not to name it to a soul.”
    Leave it to Tipper to come up with something I haven’t heard in forever.

  11. Well, Tipper, I can’t rightly say that I ever did hear the expression ‘name it to me’ back in the mountains. But I will put it in my thinking cap – to remember when I want to impress my fancy talking acquaintances!
    Eva Nell

  12. Speaking of “naming it” I have discovered in lots of Appalachian census records, children listed as Mothers Child. It took me a long time figure out these children hadn’t been named yet. Some were well over a year old. These days children have to have a name and a Social Security number before they leave the hospital and most are named even before they are born. Years ago children were born at home and no birth certificate was filled out at the time.
    I’ve heard that if you look at a child before you name it, it will name itself. I guess it took “Mothers Child” a little longer to make an impression on it’s parents.

  13. I had not heard the term “Name it to me” in years! Good to have my memory jogged on it. You “come up with” some very good ones, Tipper; and there’s another, whether just Appalachian or not I know not, but “come up with” is to “think up,” “to recall,” “to bring to mind.”

  14. I love the pig!!! Cute as a button.
    I’ve heard that, Tipper, but it’s not something I use….which means I didn’t grow up hearing it. If I had I would probably still be using it.

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