It’s time for this month’s Appalachian Vocabulary Test-take it and see how you do!
- Pack off
- Piddling
- Pilfer
- Pitch
- Play pretty
- Pack off: to shift the blame. “I know he’s the one that done it but he’s done gone and packed the whole thing off on me. I don’t know how I’ll get out of this mess, but I promise he’s gonna pay me a pretty penny for getting me into this.”
- Piddling: insignificant amount. “James said they raised such a piddling amount of taters last year that he’d never grow’em again.”
- Pilfer: prowling around; sifting through items. “When I got over to the school there was a bunch of them pilfering through the trash barrel. They took off as soon as they saw me. I don’t know what they could have been looking for.”
- Pitch: to fall forward. “Bobby Sue just pitched right off the porch. Said she got light headed when she went out to throw out the scraps. Lord it scared me to death but she said she wasn’t hurt.”
- Play pretty: a toy. “Tell your momma to send you some play prettys next time you come. Granny don’t have nothing much to play with.”
I still hear all of this month’s words on a regular basis. Although play pretty is mostly used by older folks.
How did you do on the test?
Tipper
p.s. I heard through the grapevine that Ethelene Dyer Jones, regular Blind Pig reader and commenter, is in the hospital. Please say a prayer for her and send a good thought her way.
44 Comments
Betty Brantley
March 12, 2021 at 7:58 pmI have heard all of them except, pack off.
Janice Stout
February 16, 2015 at 5:48 pmI have never heard of #1 and #5. But, I used piddling just last week. The others are commonly heard here.
Glenda Beall
February 13, 2015 at 2:41 pmPack off is the one I never heard used in my family. When I hear the word pilfer, I think of my aunt Hortense who used it often. I still use piddle and I remember hearing toys called “play purdies” by aunts and uncles and my daddy.
I hope we hear good news about Ethelene. My prayers go out for her.
Carol Stuart
February 12, 2015 at 6:55 amI am playing “catch up” this morning in reading my email – so am very late in getting to comment on my favorite post – VOCABULARY! I have never heard of pack off, but have certainly heard and used the others. Piddle had another meaning in WV because I have heard folks say that somebody “piddled in their pants” because they waited until the last second to head to the bathroom.
Brenda S 'Okie in Colorado'
February 11, 2015 at 2:32 amGrowing up in small town Oklahoma with my grandparents, I heard most of these. My Granny would tell me to stop being a Pilfering Pete because I was always prowling in her drawers or boxes under her bed. She called my toys play pretties and when my cousins would come visit, she would tell us to play pretty(nice). I’ve heard people say, She really pitched a fit when he left her behind. I still use piddling today. Someone calls me and asks what I’m doing, I usually say, Oh, just piddling around.
Lifting you up in prayer, Ethelene.
Patty hall
February 10, 2015 at 9:48 pmI’ve heard all these at one time or another.
will say a prayer for Miss Ethelene.
Jackie
February 10, 2015 at 9:33 pmI thought I didn’t know # 1 until I read your usage. Then I remembered it from my youth. The other four I use and hear often, especially piddling when I am out in the garage and my wife asks, “What are you piddling on now?”
Prayers for Ethylene are going up from here also even though a little late in the day. We’re in Nashville now on our way to Utah for a three month mission project. I hope we can get there, the alternator went out on the truck, so we’ll see tomorrow how long and how much it will cost.
Mike McLain
February 10, 2015 at 8:27 pmI knew all of them, heard them all at one time or other in East Tennessee.
TMc
February 10, 2015 at 8:04 pmFirst,,Prayers for Ethelene..
Pack off I’m not familiar with, but the rest I hear a good bit.. My GrandMother use to say play pretty.. Pilfering is of my favorite hobbies now..
Marianne
February 10, 2015 at 6:52 pmI have heard all but the first. I have also heard “play purty” instead if play pretty.
Miss Cindy
February 10, 2015 at 4:17 pmPrayers for Ethelene, for sure!
I know and have used all these but number 1. I don’t recall ever hearing it before.
trisha too
February 10, 2015 at 3:45 pmHey, Tipper!
Wow, I did terrible on this one–only piddling and pilfer.
But they’re all so good, I’m going to start using all of them. (Maybe I’m easily influenced as well as easily amused?)
Quinn
February 10, 2015 at 1:55 pmI know some of them, but some a bit different in meaning. Pilfer means downright thieving here: “I caught those two fellows out in my orchard with a bushel basket, pilfering my best Macintosh. And it wasn’t a piddling amount they were taking, either – he already had two full bushels more in the truck! Well, I pitched a fit, and the one man was so surprised he pitched right out of that tree and landed on his behind. He tried to fob off the blame on his buddy, who was driving the truck, but that didn’t wash with me. I’ll be getting a load of firewood from those two, and we’ll call it even.”
PinnacleCreek
February 10, 2015 at 1:51 pmThere is much concern for Ethelene, as it is quite obvious she is a sweet spirit. I said a prayer for this very nice lady.
I’m late on here today–those errands can certainly interfere with life, especially when I am in the habit of piddling until I wake up really well. I felt like pitching the magazines in the waiting room. What senior citizen wants to read parenting or Popular Mechanic magazines? There, I have already used 2 of the words. I use most of them commonly except the play pretty
Play pretty brings back the sweetest memories ever. My little grandmother who was born around 1898 always used the word “Purdy” for play pretty. I have such fond memories of this tiny lady’s promises to give us a Purdy if we would do so and so. Apparently, I was hard-headed and never earned this because I can’t actually remember getting a Purdy. However, she would pull from her apron a small bag and hand out one a day of the wonderful candy orange slices to each child. She died rather young so didn’t get to enjoy her very long. She had 12 children and 11 survived to adulthood. I still remember the purdys and the orange slices when I see them at the store. Tipper, you have a way of making us think about routine things, and then they take on a magic when we reminisce about what part they played in our lives. Love your Appalachian vocabulary tests!
Quinn
February 10, 2015 at 1:45 pmEthelene is in my thoughts, and I hope she will soon be right as rain and adding her always interesting comments here!
Ron Banks
February 10, 2015 at 1:39 pmI’m familiar with all of the words. I don’t hear play pretty or play purdy much anymore and piddling can be just goofing off or a small amount of something.
Get well soon Ms. Ethelene!
Sue Crane
February 10, 2015 at 1:13 pmenjoyed hearing them all again — brought some good memories to mind. Prayers for Ethelene (I read so many of her posts I feel we are on a first name basis!).
Ken
February 10, 2015 at 12:17 pmTipper,
I’m familiar with them all except
Pilfer, don’t recon I’ve heard that
one before.
Ethelene is one of my favorite
and most knowledgeable commenters.
My prayers are with her…Ken
Ed Ammons
February 10, 2015 at 10:38 amI got them all. Some of them have other meanings to me as well.
Pack off can mean to steal. “You better watch them McCall boys. They’ll pack off everthing that ain’t nailed down.”
Piddling is doing something just to kill time. “What you doing today?””Not much, just piddling around.”
Pitch is how you get hay up in the barn loft.
Play pretty means to behave yourself with other kids. “You can go out but you better play pretty or I’ll make you come back in.”
George Pettie
February 10, 2015 at 10:32 am2 out of 5. Okay, 1 1/2 out of 5, on account of being half right about Pitch.
Luann
February 10, 2015 at 10:23 amKnow all of them and still use #2-4.
I admit, before I read your definition of ‘play pretty’ I thought of ‘play nice’—get along with each other. Have used that one a lot in the past!
Sure do enjoy these quizzes.
Adding Ethelene to my prayer list.
dolores
February 10, 2015 at 10:13 amTwo new ones for me -play pretty and pack off. The other three I could understand the use of them. I’m still learnin’. Happy day!
Cheryl Soehl
February 10, 2015 at 10:00 amKnew all of these except “pack off.” That’s one I haven’t heard. I have another “P” word for you: plunder. There’s a thrift shop here in Columbia named “Let’s Just Plunder.” Meaning, collect things (especially at yard sales…).
Aquilla Yagoda
February 10, 2015 at 9:57 amAnother term for Play Pretty was when company arrived, all Mothers would tell their children “to play pretty”. Well most all Mothers, I asked my Mother why she didn’t say it and she replied “because you have been taught to ply pretty.”
ncmountainwoman
February 10, 2015 at 9:41 amYes, I’m familiar with all of them. My granny used “play pretty” not only meaning a toy but as a verb to remind us to be nice to one another, “Now y’all play pretty with each other and I’ll give you some cake.”
b. Ruth
February 10, 2015 at 9:34 amTipper,
Got them all except ‘pack off’!
I usually say or hear, ‘put off’ in these parts! For instance, “He put off that job on me, and it wasn’t my fault to clean it up”!
Yep, I’ve been ‘piddling’ all morning!
“That masked bandit (RACCOON) has been ‘pilfering’ my birdseed! It’s stored on the porch in a large garbage can! Why that sneaky so and so. He even puts the lid back on when he leaves of a night”!
When I was taking CHEMO, I would have a dizzy spell sometimes. I walked out on the porch, took a spell and “pitched” right off. I didn’t fare well. I was carried to the ER with a shattered wrist, in three places. After surgery, I woke with some kind of bar and screws in my hand and arm!
I miss my Granny saying ‘play pretty’! At Christmas she would ask if Santa brought us some new ‘play pretties’!
Thanks Tipper,
PS…I just knew something was wrong with Ethelene…She was on my mind several times yesterday and day before, when reading your blog. Whispered prayers are being sent to her!
Jane Bolden
February 10, 2015 at 9:27 amI’ve heard play pretty, pilfer, and piddling many times.
Shirl
February 10, 2015 at 9:06 amPiddling is used in a slightly different way around here. I say I’ve been piddling on days when I don’t get into big jobs around the house. I have definitely heard all the words used just like your examples. It’s been years since I’ve heard anyone say play pretty.
Get well soon, Ethelene Dyer Jones! Sending prayers your way!
Jack
February 10, 2015 at 9:04 amDon’t think I’ve ever heard “pack off”, but am familiar with the others. Always kinda liked “play pretty”. As long as were in the P’s, how bout “pert near” (almost).
Brian Blake
February 10, 2015 at 8:21 amI missed all but one of these expressions, a “piddling” amount of something, meaning minimal. This is considered a colloquialism, used in dialogue but not in formal writing.
Ann Applegarth
February 10, 2015 at 8:13 amI don’t remember “pack off,” but all the others are alive and well in my vocabulary. I think I have heard about
folks who “put off” their responsibilities onto someone else.
Gayle Larson
February 10, 2015 at 8:00 amPiddlin is a word I use now to mean slow.
I told the dog this morning to quite piddlin around and get down to business.
I hadn’t had my coffee yet and she was taking way too long.
I also use it to describe cars that are just piddlin along holding up traffic.
Sheryl Paul
February 10, 2015 at 7:53 amPack off is new, the rest are part of my speech. We say put off or push off for pack off.
Sheryl Paul
February 10, 2015 at 7:53 amPack off is new, the rest are part of my speech. We say put off or push off for pack off.
Sheryl Paul
February 10, 2015 at 7:53 amPack off is new, the rest are part of my speech. We say put off or push off for pack off.
Sheryl Paul
February 10, 2015 at 7:53 amPack off is new, the rest are part of my speech. We say put off or push off for pack off.
Barbara Gantt
February 10, 2015 at 7:51 amI have also heard, You kids need to play pretty. Meaning that you need to get along.
I hear all of these expect pack off.Here, the word pack is used to mean carrying a gun. Barbara
Judy Mincey
February 10, 2015 at 7:34 amI hear them all here in Gordon County. Play pretty not common anymore. Prayers ad good thoughts for Miss Ethelene.
Lola Howard
February 10, 2015 at 7:25 amI have heard everyone of those words.
May Ethelene soon be well .Prayers for her.
Lola Howard
February 10, 2015 at 7:25 amI have heard everyone of those words.
May Ethelene soon be well .Prayers for her.
Lola Howard
February 10, 2015 at 7:25 amI have heard everyone of those words.
May Ethelene soon be well .Prayers for her.
Lola Howard
February 10, 2015 at 7:25 amI have heard everyone of those words.
May Ethelene soon be well .Prayers for her.
Don Casada
February 10, 2015 at 7:21 amI’ve never heard “pack off” but the others are familiar friends.
Prayers are being lifted for Ethelene. I’ve never met her in person, but just from the articles she’s done for BlindPig and comments she’s offered, it is clear that she is a fine and dear soul.
Jim Casada
February 10, 2015 at 7:15 amTipper–First and foremost, Ethelene is certainly in my thoughts and prayers. She always has perceptive comments and clearly is a most knowledgeable woman of Appalachia.
While I’m familiar with the words and phrases, I know and use some of them in a slightly different way.
Piddling to me is most often just fooling around or wasting time, such as “I think I’ll go out in the garden and piddle around a little bit.”
Pilfer is an act of thievery, such as “Someone done gone and pilfered my watermelons.”
Pitch has multiple other meanings, with the most frequent one involving assisting in something. When our neighbors saw we were struggling with that big project, they just pitched right in and helped. Another usage would involve making a case for something. “I reckon that carny barker’s pitch is about as believable as Beelzebub.”
I more frequently hear “play purty” than play pretty, but that’s a matter of pronunciation, not meaning.
Jim Casada