It’s time for this month’s Appalachian Vocabulary Test.
I’m sharing a few videos to let you hear the words and phrases. To start the videos click on them.
1. Adam’s needle: yucca plant. “You’ll usually see Adam’s needle a blooming in May after the weather warms ups.”
2. Addle-pated: same as addled (confused, dazed, mentally weak). “I swear after I fell off that ladder and hit my head I walked around addle-pated for days.”
3. A-front: in front of. “I’ll walk a-front of you and that way when they see you they’ll be really surprised!”
4. Atter: after. “Atter while we’re going to head down to mommas to eat some ramps and taters. Yuns are welcome to come along there’ll be plenty to go around.”
5. A-holt: hold. “Oncet I took a-holt of the front and pulled we were able to get him out of the ditch.”
While I’ve heard all this month’s words used in my area of Appalachia, atter is probably the most common. And you’re much likelier to hear addled than addle-pated.
Hope you’ll leave a comment and let me know how you did on the test!
Last night’s video: My Favorite OLD Cast Iron Pieces – (Favorite things to Use in the Kitchen – Part 2).
Tipper
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17 Comments
cmack
April 21, 2022 at 9:53 pmgit choo s’moe
help yourself to some more.
Robert
April 1, 2022 at 2:26 pmI missed Adam’s Needle.
All of the others are common in Eastern and Central NC (or were when I was growing up and into adulthood). I had to ask my Pa about addle pated. Being him, I had to get the dictionary out and look up both words. It made a great deal of sense when I learned that ‘pate’ refers to a human head which is about the only place one can get addled.
Thanks for the quiz, Tipper.
Wayne hackworth
April 1, 2022 at 1:00 pmSaddy atter noon weuns all go to town to trade. Atter I grabbed aholt of the lectric wire I uz all addle pated for a bit.
Don Byers
March 31, 2022 at 7:53 pmYore mommer nem awrite?
OkieJammer
March 31, 2022 at 4:00 pmOh, reading your vocabulary posts swells my heart like getting a letter from a beloved relative!
Ron Bass
March 31, 2022 at 1:22 pmStill use aholt, atter, a-front and addled. We call yuccca plants “bear grass”, don’t know how that came about.
Love your vocabulary test.
PinnacleCreek
March 31, 2022 at 12:50 pmThis vocabulary quiz shows me there are words used in Appalachia more unique to certain areas. I have heard ahold, but the aholt I have heard but not certain when nor where. All the words sound exactly as something we would use.
I agree with Larry Paul Eddings about folks getting invited to one’s home easily, but in our neck of the woods it was usually, “why oncha come see us.” It was usually a drop by visit, and I recall one widowed uncle by marriage dropping by after several decades. It became difficult for me since I worked long hours, but my raising prevailed and there was always coffee and something to offer at a moment’s notice. It was always enjoyed, and I can honestly say I miss those random unpredictable visits. It was a part of my Appalachia that no longer is. The housework can always wait!
Gene Smith
March 31, 2022 at 12:40 pmGot them all except Adam’s needle.
Miss Cindy
March 31, 2022 at 12:03 pmI’ve heard all of these except Adam’s Needle. My favorite of the bunch would be addle-pated, it just seems so descriptive!
I love our colorful and descriptive words and expressions, and I love how we can make up words to fit whatever we are trying to say!
Christine
March 31, 2022 at 11:55 amI hadn’t heard these before, but they make sense to me. One of the pastor in my youth use to say wush, instead of wish. The first time he said it we were all confused, but yet when he said borned again, we understand him perfectly…lol…funny how we understand words we are use to hearing growing up, but are confused by words we aren’t use to hearing.
Sheryl Paul
March 31, 2022 at 11:13 amAddet pated was one of my Gramma favorite words, my fahe and grandfather both had to gey s holt of thinga. The test I’vr heard often ss a child, not so much anymore
Brad Byers
March 31, 2022 at 10:58 amI love them all!
ANN H APPLEGARTH
March 31, 2022 at 10:17 amI’ve always heard a-holt, and addlepated was in the Disney movie Bambi, but I have
never heard the others.
AWGRIFF
March 31, 2022 at 10:15 amI’m not sure about atter but {problee.} I’ve heard a-front used in another way as when you confront someone or insult them.
Ron Stephens
March 31, 2022 at 8:38 amWell, let me see, of Adam’s needle, addle -pated, afront, atter, and a-holt I have encountered all of them but ‘a front’ at one time or another, one way or another but in varying degrees.
I knew yucca before I ever read about Adam’s needle. Hmmm wonder if the folk tale was that he used it to sew the fig leaves? Those yucca blades are for sure tough stuff. Katy would like our yard, got lots of Adam’s needle. Looks like a big, tall haint in the night when it blooms.
Grew up hearing “addled” and still use it but don’t think I ever heard ‘addle-pated’. Don’t think I ever heard ‘a front’ though. I’m thinking “go ahead” may have started out meaning just that and gradually came to mean ‘do it’. (That one got changed into ‘gourd head’.) We would say ‘atter’ as a conscious imitation of ‘old timey’ talking (in fun at ourselves, not mocking) but likely say ‘by an by’ for ‘after awhile’. Grew up hearing “ahold” with the “d” but only occassionally hearing the “t” version spoken, though I’ve seen it in print some several times.
Guess that comes out at about a 2 1/2 out of 5 or thereabouts.
Larry Paul Eddings
March 31, 2022 at 8:37 amYears ago, we went to church with a fellow who would say, as we were leaving, “Youins come over to the house atter while.” He passed away a few years ago, and I hadn’t thought about him saying that for quite a while until this morning.
Martha Justice
March 31, 2022 at 7:42 amI’ve heard most all of these words before but reading them brings back memories. My dear husband still says “a -holt” of and “addled” purt near everyday ! He’s a preacher and says ” you must be BORNED AGAIN “❤