2019 Doonhammer “Het up” Being told not to get het up. Meaning “Don’t lose your temper.” South West Scotland expression. That’s ma hame.
het up adjective phrase Animated, “Worked up,” upset.
1904-20 Kephart Notebooks 4:853 They was all het up. lbid. 860 The boys was jist wrastlin’, at furst, but they got het up. 1940 Stuart Trees of Heaven 229 Take a little along with you to keep you het-up after gettin hot at this dance. 1963 Medford Mt People 39 Thus daddy would narrate—around the crackling wood fires of winter, or at other times whenever he got all “het up” in his reminiscences. 1976 Carter Little Tree 15 He got so het up about it that Granma had to quiet him down. 1987 Trent Yesteryear 55 Don’t let that get you all het up. 2013 Venable How to Tawlk 20 Laurie gits het up over the slightest thang.
—Dictionary of Southern Appalachian English
2023 Brasstown “Now don’t get all het up we’ll figure out how to fix it if you’ll just wait a minute and let me study on it.”
Are you familiar with the phrase het up? It’s one I’ve heard all my life. I find it fascinating that it was being used in Scotland as recently as 2019 (and probably still is) and that it’s hung on in Western NC from way back in 1904 until now.
Last night’s video: 9 Brides and Granny Hite 10.
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still in common use here in Northern Ireland Tipper. Along with getting riled up.
sorry, roiled up. Pronounced riled.
Not heard the term before, being 3rd gen Aust with a strong Irish/Scot (Celt) background, I am know the “do my nanna” “go troppo” AKA “get het up” over the slightest thing.
Tipper, Yeah, I expect most of us have been driven into being “het up” at one time or another?
“Don’t got plum het up ‘cause yo mammy druther ye be in afore th’ cows come home”
I commented early, but have also heard many of the other expressions made in the other comments. I say drawers instead of panties because I figure I can say that to both sexes. Might be a fight if I said panties to a man! Could be similar to pouring gas on a fire if he was already “het up”.
I heard a young preacher say, in telling the bible story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that the furnace was het (heated) several times hotter than it normally would have been . . . .” We have used “het” and “het up” and “hetted up” facetiously ever since: “Will you please het up my coffee in the microwave?”
I am very familiar with the expression. I use it, and it used to be very common, but not so much anymore.
Its certainly still used in the west of Scotland. Like yourself I love the similarities and differences in language , they are just fascinating 🙂
I am very familiar with that phrase.
I’ve heard “het up” before. Don’t recall who said it, anyways thought I’d give my two cents. Keeping Granny in my prayers along with the rest of your family.
I have never heard ( het up ).Heard like don’t get your dandruff steird up. Or get your panties in a wad.
Have always said this one. I git het about some things myself.
I’ve never heard “het up”. I am familiar with “Don’t get all heated up”.
Hope you are all doing well. God bless.
I haven’t heard “het up” since my daddy said it. If someone got really upset over something, I heard him say, “don’t get so het up about it, it’s just not worth it.” Thank you, Tipper for reminding me of this saying. I find it really interesting that it has been used in Scotland. That’s amazing.
Last night’s reading was the best yet!! Granny Hite is one smart lady. Can’t wait for the next chapter.
Enjoyed the video of Corie making bread and that it was Miss Cindy’s recipe and the sweet story about visiting with her and the homemade bread, ham and potato salad. Then Katie mentioned the exact same thing. I know all of you miss her so much but what wonderful memories you have! Continued prayers for your family.
A common phrase in my neck of the woods in Eastern Kentucky in my childhood days; maybe not so prevalent today in the “townie’s” vocabulary but still heard in our smaller rural communities. Amazingly, we change with time • but, some phrases stay with us for a lifetime. At 86 years old, I still “warsh and rinch” my hands and face with no regrets!
Of course I’ve heard it and I’ve used it. Still do! Het is a conjugation of heat. Rather that repeat heated as the past perfect tense we tend use an entirely different word. Climb-climbed-clumb is another example! I could give more but my thinker is impaired at the present.
“Study on” is another phrase I am quite familiar with. Study on doesn’t mean to gain knowledge in our lexicon. It means to take knowledge already gained and run it over or over in out minds before making a final decision. Mull or mull over have a similar meaning.
I have often used the word ‘clumb’. I don’t know where I first heard it, but I still use it today. Some folks look at kinda funny when I say it, but since I use it ‘in context’ they know what I’m talking about without any problems. I do get accused of talking countrified occasionally!!
I do not remember ever hearing it when I lived in Swain County or in the Piedmont NC. Have heard several others such as the one Randy mentioned. Also have heard don’t get in a hessy (sp). I have Scotish ancestry on both sides plus Scotch-Irish.
I don’t recall hearing “het up” from my people, nor used it myself. I have heard “Don’t get fired up” many times and used it myself. Like Randy said in his comment, “Don’t get your drawers in a wad” was one I heard too, but it was more often said in my family “panties in a wad “. I’ve also heard and used “Don’t blow your stack “, or “Don’t ruffle your feathers “ and I have no clue where any of them came from, just heard them all my life.
I have heard and used a similar term.
“I know this will get her all heated up”,
I think I like het up better. Have a nice weekend.
I grew up with “het up”. It comes from Scotland and of course, many Scots settled the Appalachians. My Scottish grandfather who came here in 1890 used it. In 1895 he married my Cherokee grandmother. He was a hard working man who first worked the coal mines and then moved to safer work in the city of Lynchburg.
“het up” still used today in Kentucky.
Yes I have heard that word. Not regularly but it is well know to me. Prayers for Granny.
I still hear my dad saying that about my mom or he’ll say “she’s done went into a mindset”.
In southernmost WV, I’ve never heard “hed up” and to me it sounds like “ate up” which is slang for a person who’s always stupid, ignorant and just senseless in all they do and think. But he’d up is good because 1) it’s European and so am I. 2) it’s a good word that needs used more as a shining example to people who get their talking points from tik tok. We live in what I refer to as the great age of stupidity. If they are under 50 (well I will keep it to myself what I’m thinking but it ain’t good.) Bless THE GRANNY AND the whole crew of yous really!
Yep, know what it means and have been known to get that way but more so when I was younger. There are fewer things to get het up about now than there was then. Its use in Scotland makes me wonder all over again just how strong the language connection is with the north of England and with Scotland.
Oh, yes, I’ve heard it and probably used it. Fine expression!
“Het up” is familiar to my ears. I must admit it has been years since I have heard it spoken.
“Het up” is familiar to me but what really resonated with me is my dad’s habit of saying he would “study about” rather than “think” about a question or problem. He was born in 1914 to a father born in 1862 and he grew up in Quallatown (Cherokee). Other mountain folks seem to do a lot of studying too!
Het up, draws in a wad, both bring a smile cause I think I have heard and used them myself. Praying for a better day for Granny and praying for our Country. We are in a bad place. Praying for all those prayers and asking God to show the right way to those that don’t know. Happy weekend Tipper and crew.
I’ll try not to get all her up over my grocery bill…..
I don’t think I have heard “het up” but have often heard and said “don’t get your drawers in a wad”.