A few weeks ago Dollie Adkins left the following comment.
This doesn’t concern this post but I was wondering if you know what a hancher is? My family uses this word for handkerchief. I’ve heard it once spoken by Fetus on Gunsmoke but other than that I have never heard anyone else use this word. I’ve done several Internet searches for that word for years and a few months ago I found it on a Wikipedia page and it says the term is used in the Uncle Remus stories. I always thought it may just be a southeastern Kentucky word.
I have never heard the hancher usage Dollie asked about, but I did find it in the Dictionary of Southern Appalachian English.
hancher (also handkercher, hankcher, hankecher, hankercher, hankersher, hanksher) noun A handkerchief.
1867 Harris Sut Lovingood 161 Pimple-face wall’d up his eyes, coff’d blow’d his nose in his hankecher an’ sorter looked behine the preacher, like he ‘spected tu see a buzzard, or an’ onbelever, or sich like, a tween him an’ the wall. 1927 Dingus Appal Mt Words 470 hankersher. 1931 Thomas Ditties 46 His magic fingers transformed his red bandana “hanksher” into something amazing. 1952 Wilson Folk Speech NC 549 hancher = handkerchief. 1955 Ritchie Singing Family 83 He’d get that p’int expounded and then he’d take his hankcher and wipe off his face, and begin again. c1975 Lunsford It Used to Be 174 “Hankercher” for handkerchief. “I always keep a little money tied in the corner of my hankercher.” 1978 Burns Our Sthn Mtneers 12 He may speak of a “sight of flowers,” “riving shingles,” “handkerchers.” 1995 Montgovery Coll Fay, I’m needing my handkercher (Cardwell). 2005 Williams Gratitude 37 hancher.
The only reference used in the entry for the actual word hancher comes from the book Gratitude for Shoes written by Cleo Hicks Williams. Cleo was born and raised in my county of Cherokee. Her book is a wonderful story of her life—the hardships and the successes. Interestingly Cleo is a niece of Rachel Gibby Hicks (Granny Hicks) that I interviewed several times last year. If you missed those interviews you can find them here.
Be sure to leave a comment and let Dollie know if you have heard hancher used for handkerchief.
Last night’s video: Planting Beets When the Dogwoods Bloom & Tippers First Popsicle!
Tipper
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When my great grandmother passed my grandma gave all the grandchildren one of Great Grandmas dress hankies. They are so pretty, some with floral print and some with lace edges. I’ve heard many of folks have different names for them grandma all just used hanky.
I’ve heard that word too but didn’t know how to spell it. My husband always has to have a clean one on hand. He’s a Minister so it comes with the territory. They are beginning to be harder to find around here. I’ve thought about making a few handmade ones but thought is all I’ve done so far. And I still say “God bless you” when someone sneezes. It makes me feel good to do that. So “May God bless you Tipper!” whether you are sneezing or not. Love and hugs to you my dear friend.
Correction! I meant to say I have heard hank·uh·chur. And come to think of it, when I was growing up, that’s all we called it, unless you want to include the dreadful sounding “snot rag”.
Now I have hears hank·uh·chur!
I’ve never heard the word. Daddy carried a handkerchief all his life. They were one of the first things I ironed. They were pressed flat and then folded and pressed into a rectangle. He called it a “snot rag”. I loved doing this and later loved ironing shirts into a folded shape like they come in. Now I avoid ironing almost any way I can–I keep a supply of wrinkle releasing spray on hand! My mother-in-law gifted us an iron and ironing board fifty one years ago as a wedding present–still have the ironing board!
I’m so glad that Miss Granny is better. I hope she feels like crocheting soon.
I always loved ironing my own daddy’s handkerchiefs too and folding, pressing into shapes
Tipper,
I have never heard the word hancher though I my family used the word hanky or handkerchief.
I am thrilled Granny is home!! I would keep praying for her, the Wilson and Pressley family. H.H
I don’t remember ever hearing the word hancher but may have read it somewhere sometime. I’d like to hear the pronunciation! I’d bet if I saw it in a book. I’d just read right over it and never notice.
Hak-e-chef is the best way I can spell what we called those lace-embroidered squares of cotton only used on Sundays. We would tie up three pennies in one corner to be dropped in the Sunday School collection plate, then use the hakechef during preaching to wipe snotty noses. Sometimes when preaching went on for what seemed like an eternity my Ma would show me how to fold it into a baby in a blanket. You certainly can’t do that with kleenex! Memory lane is a wonderful place to visit. Thank you.
I’ve heard my grandparents called a handkerchief a hancher. Knd of like callin tobacco, backer. My grandparents are from the coal country of Morgantown KY. My grandma always carried her hancher in her bra. So I carry my tissue in my bra to this day. Last week my 2 old grandson reached for his other grandmothers breast sayin “run nose!” We laughed when I asked her “don’t all grandmothers carry a tissue in their bra?” Haha now I’m gonna start askin “don’t all grandmothers carry a hancher in their bra?” I love it, thanks for the memory! PS your Corrie is definitely called to preach, she’s right there with Sadie Robertson, what wise young women the Lord is calling!
My Eastern Ky. family said hanky, or hankerchif. My grandpa was called Hank, so, we mostly said hankerchif. We knew how to spell it correctly.
Never heard the word Hancher but always heard hanky or hankerchief. I grew up in the 50’s and we always had those pretty flowered hankerchiefs, while the men had white ones or the red checked ones. So wonderful to know Granny is home and ya all are able to get going on the garden plantings.
Since I can remember back when I first got married and my husband had bought a used aluminum fishing boat. He loved to fish and in our early years of marriage with just the two of us, we had so much fun going fishing in that little “lund” boat. At that time, I couldn’t put a worm on a hook or take a fish off if I caught one:) He was very patient to teach me how and he always cleaned the fish and I cooked them. Oh my goodness what wonderful meals we had. My husband is in heaven now but our oldest son has that old “lund” boat and has restored the red paint on the side. Our sons loved fishing from the time they were three on forward to middle age. That old aluminum boat is tough and I think will still be here after we are gone. Matt, I do think you will someday get your boat and you and the boys will absolutely love it!!
Everyone carried a hanker-chief back in the days before Kleenex designed a disposable tissue of the same size. In eastern KY, we made up our own words but hancher was not one of them. I have a picture of my granny sitting by my baby brother’s coffin while holding a pretty embroidered hanky under her eyes.
I always heard hanky for short. I know they didn’t have kleenex’s like we do, so everyone, men and women, alike carried hankies. I have to think how awful laundry day would be with those nasty hankies. I am praying for Granny, you, Paul and Steve. it shows the strength and faithfulness of your damily for you all to be there with her. It shows in how you have raised such wonderful daughters. Family strong.
I heard hankecher used alot when I was young.
I’ve never heard that term before this morning, but if it’s a good enough word for Festus, it’ll work for me too.
Never heard hancher, but we did keep a handkerchief in our packet/pocketbook at church on Sundays. one of my grandmothers (who had 60 grandkids) gave each of us a new handkerchief each Christmas. I was thinking of that the other day. That gift was such a sacrifice for them to give. I wish I’d been more appreciative of that. I don’t even know if you can still buy those pretty little things now. (We pronounced it “hankerchiff”.)
Granny carried these when dressed up. They were so pretty and I think you can still buy them but I don’t think I could blow my nose on something that pretty.
Hi! I never heard that exact but a couple of the variations I have. I love hearing about the different customs, cultures, and speech. I am certain that not too far into my family line were Appalachian or near there as we have so many like minded ways of living.
continued prayers Gor Granny and all of you. God bless you and yours❤❤
Never heard “hancher”. Mostly heard “hanky”. Did hear”hankerchief” sometimes but can tell just by the sound alone it is not Appalachian.
I have never heard the word hancher. I watch Gunsmoke and Fetus each night along with my favorite western show The Rifleman. I heard Ken Curtis committed suicide after his wife died. The name Cleo caught my attention, my paternal Grandmother’s name was Cleo.
I looked it up. Ken Curtis did not commit suicide if wikepedia can be believed.
Did you know that he followed Frank Sinatra as the lead singer in the Tommy Dorsey band, or that he sang with The Son’s of the Pioneers on Ghost Riders in the Sky, or that he married John Ford’s daughter and was cast in several of Ford’s movies?
And he was born with the surname Gates and changed it.
I haven’t heard this, but maybe this story shows how easily the words are connected: you know how kids make fun of other kids’ names. My maiden name was Hanchey, and while many of my schoolmates called me Ann Hershey-bar, others called me Ann Handkerchief.
For both men and women, my mother and grandmother called them “hankies,” presumed spelling, meaning cloths for noses. My mother collected many made by my grandmother; the women’s either linen or light weight cotton and materials printed with flowers, and the men’s were large cotton pieces with checkered or bandana prints. I can remember my grandmother carrying and using hankies and also my dad though he frequently used rags. I’ve never seen the word “hancher.”
Growing up, we watched Gunsmoke faithfully once a week. I can’t remember for sure what night it came on back then, but you can bet my whole family was watching. I can just hear old Festus saying something about getting out his hancher to use for something. He was so funny on that show. I have not heard that word before though.
I never heard of the word “Hancher” used to describe a handkerchief in our family. I’ll have to ask my mother the next time I speak with her on the phone. She lives in Ohio.
You mention Festus from Gunsmoke. Ken Curtis, who played Festus, had quite a career. He was in many John Ford movies with John Wayne. He was also a singer! One of my favorite movies is The Quite Man. Curtis was Dermot Fehy. The main singer in the pub who played the hand a accordion. I have never heard the word Hancher but I can sure hear Festus saying it in my mind!