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. Bungle: to mangle or tear up. “I had it almost finished and them kids got in there bungled the whole shebang up. It’d be easier to start all over than try to fix it now.”
2. Bugaboo: ghost or nonsensical fear. “If you let it, your imagination will work up all kinds of bugaboos to keep you scared to death when it’s dark.”
3. Buck up to: to defy; stand up to. “He was in such a habit of bucking up to people that he’d even call in an quarrel about stuff on the radio.”
4. Break daylight: to become light in early morning. “The calmest time is just before it breaks daylight. The Deer Hunter loves that time of day best.”
5. Brag on: to praise; boast about. “She’s always a bragging on her daughter. I know she’s a good person but good grief it gets old hearing about how every little thing she does is the best that’s ever been!”
I’m familiar with all of this month’s words and phrases. The two that are least common in my area are bungle and bugaboo. Hope you’ll leave a comment and let me know how you did on the test.
Last night’s video: 96 Year Old Mountain Woman | Washing Clothes in the Creek, Bootleggers, & Arsh Taters (Part 3).
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Grandma always used the word hootenanny. sp? There was one locked room at the middle landing of the staircase that was the hootenanny room. As kids, we flew around that corner as fast as we could to get on up the stairs. One day I was the only kid there and Grandma took me in that room. It housed all of her fancy belongings that she didn’t want to get broken. I never told the cousins.
Has anyone ever heard the word “purt” My Dad use to say “you look purt this morning”. Not sure about the spelling
Shirley-I’ve most often seen it spelled peart. And I hear it often because Granny uses it 🙂
Knew all of them and have used them all.
Like Christine, I have heard and used ‘break of day’ or even ‘first light.’ I don’t think I’ve heard ‘break daylight’ but would totally understand if I did.
I checked Merriam Webster for bugaboo and bungle. It seems both of those words go to the 16th Century. I ‘think’ (we all know how dangerous that is when I do it) I remember bugaboo from Shakespeare. I’ve bragged on my daughter since the day she was born.
I’ve always heard and used ‘buck up’ in the sense of raising someone’s spirits, not in the sense of arguing. Webster confirms this for me.
Another great post, Tipper! Thank you!!
Love your vocabulary tests. I use all but bugaboo.
I’ve heard and used all of these except for bugaboo which I think is so cute. Prayers to all who are or have been in the path of this storm.
And Randy…. Your comments are just Jim Dandy! Keep them coming!
My family uses the words buck up & brag on often. We don’t say breaking daylight, just daylight. Like Ron, we also say bow up & stub up. We also say shebang that was mentioned in today’s blog. I strongly believe children should be bragged on everyday-find at least one little thing to brag on them everyday and I believe they will develop the compassion to brag on others throughout their life. I also think it will help them have confidence. I made a point to do that with my kids. Unfortunately, my parents did not do that & I never had a bit of confidence in myself & was always afraid I was going to make a mistake because that was a sin in my household. Nothing I did was good enough for my Dad. Blessings to all today!
I’ve heard all but ‘buck up.’
I’ve heard all the words, but really only use brag. Instead of using break of day or break of Dawn, I’ve used crack. Crack of day or crack of Dawn. Instead of bungle up, I say mess up. Instead of Buck up, I say act out or act up. Instead of bugaboo, I say boogie man, butI like bugaboo much better to describe all the kiddos all dressed up on Halloween.
Beautiful, common expressions. I love them.
I have heard all of the phrases and like one of the other readers, I don’t consider them to be particularly Appalachian as much as rural southern. “Bragging on” brought to mind a friend who is always bragging on her grown children.
Many years ago I was working third shift during college break at a textile mill and would go out to watch the sunrise at the break of daylight. As I get older I see the break of daylight just about every morning because I can’t sleep.
Forgot to say I have enjoyed all your interviews with 96 year old Mrs. Hicks. My Grandmother always said “Arsh Taters,” and since I was a little girl my Mother would show me the tiny creek that never ran dry at my Grandparents farm. My Grandmother said my Father was her helper every wash day as he built the fire under the boiling pot and filled it with water from the creek. He would help her boil the clothes and then she had a battling board to scrub those heavy bib-overalls on. They had five boys and the last baby was a girl.
Growing up in far south Texas I heard & used all of those terms – still do
Oh how I love these vocabulary tests! Thanks for always putting a smile on my face. Your blog is the first thing I read in the morning before I tackle the day.
I’ve heard them all except Bungle, we just said messed up. We have been praying for those in Florida and for those on the east coast as the storm moves up.
I try to proofread my comments but after they get posted, I see a lot of mistakes. I am sorry for this, between my one good eye and my one finger typing I am making a lot of them
Randy-you do a fine job 🙂 I’m praying for all those who’ve suffered or will suffer from the storm too.
I’m not sure if I’ve ever heard bugaboo or bungle used that way. The other three sayings are used often around here. I try to brag on somebody or something every day. Bragging on a person or thing leaves no room for negativity.
Shirl-I LOVE that outlook. Pap was good at bragging on folks to encourage them. I aim to be like him so I try to brag on folks too 🙂
Good grief. I thought they was just things. But then I once met a Yankee who didn’t know what kin was. I live in the north now and I guess they just laugh cause they’re ignorant
I have not heard “bungle” except in the usual.sense of ‘make a mess of’ and would not in my mind associate it with Appalachia. “Bugaboo” is the same, don’t recall ever hearing it though from some source I know what it means. Can’t think offhand of an Appalachian word I am familiar with having the same meaning. I have heard “buck up” some but the more common to me is “bow up” or “stub up”. ” Bow up” is reserved for a sudden stop in front of, whether a vehicle or the person ahead in line. “Stub up” is a refusal to cooperate or to do so very reluctantly. “Break daylight” is very familiar, as is “brag on” Guess overall I’m a two and a half!
I have never heard the first two but I do know know and use the last three. I agree with the Deer Hunter on break daylight. To be outside in the woods or on a lake at this time of day and hear the wildlife begin to stir around or watch the sun come up over a lake gives me a feeling of peacefulness and somehow makes me think of how great God is. I can spend a couple of days at the beach and have a gut full of it but always try to watch the sunset and the sunrise over the ocean on at least one and night. I do change break daylight to breaking daylight.
I love the scarf your daughter is wearing. Did you weave it?
Carole-we didn’t weave it but it is a lovely one. Thank you 🙂
It’s rare for me to be familiar with all terms in vocabulary test time, but today I am familiar with them all and have used them all at one time or another.
Heard and used all of them…so nice to hear others do the same. It is an ‘airish’ 64 here this morning and Praise the Lord all the wind and rain in my part of upstate Florida is over with. Prayerfully will see a blue sky today. Hope you guy are doing ok. I know you are quite a way in from the coast and maybe the wind and/or rain won’t make it that far. Stay safe and warm and well. God Bless.
I am glad you came through the hurricane ok. I am worried about another Florida member named Gene, he lives in Daytona and I think this area was hit hard with a lot of damage. I have been praying for him and his family. I live in upstate SC and I think the path of the hurricane is suppose to go east of my area and we are only are going to get some wind and rain today. I hope we do get a good bit of rain.We are very dry and have been all summer. Just thought of this, Jim Casada lives in Rock Hill and may be in for a rough day. this is close to the predicted path of the storm.
I love the picture of the flower, it’s so sweet! I know all the words on today’s vocabulary test. I notice that all our pictures today include sweaters, it’s that time of year. The air is crisp and cool here in the mountains!
I hear and use these words myself.