I was plumb happy that our friend David played our gig with us on Sunday
In Appalachia we have many ways to express completely or all the way.
- clean through: The bullet went clean through his hand and into his brother’s back.
- done dead: The snake was done dead when I saw it.
- plumb: I walked plumb up to the gap of the mountain.
- eat up: She was eat up by bug bites.
- slam up: I’d be covered slam up with bites too if I went traipsing around half naked.
- slap: She didn’t get home till slap dark and I was worried to death.
- pure out: That boy is pure out sorry. He’s been that way since the day he was born I reckon.
I’m sure you can think of more ways to express completely-leave a comment and share any you think of with us.
Tipper
I lived here in Tallahassee, Florida on and off for over 60 years. Three years in Madison County, North Carolina. Johnson City too.
There is one South Georgia word that might be local to there. the word is
FRAM. and framming.
What does this word mean? I never heard it here in Tallahassee except from someone from that region, 20 miles away. I think it has to do with digging in the soil or tearing something flat apart.
Oops!
I think *there* is One right there, “flat”!
There was a strange experience back in my college days at FSU. I belonged to a caving club and we all were driving around the rural Georgia countryside looking for caves to explore. I asked a farmer if he had any caves on his land. He says he did not but “Jones”, down the road, has a couple. A mile further I talked with Mr Jones. [made up name, 50 years ago!]
“do you have any caves on your land”?
“yes, I do, each is about six months old”!
????
I had forgotten that a calf is pronounced with a long I sound thus the plural is also pronounced like in caves!
have a good day you all……freestone
Chock full
Topped off
Full as a tick
Cram full
Blivet [30 lbs. in a 20 lb. sack]
Hit rock bottom…[completely broke]
Stood stock still…[completely still]
Smack dab in the middle [centered completely]
I’m Stuffed to the Gills. I’m so hungry I could eat a horse with its harness on. That chicken looks plumb pitiful. We’re Poor as Job’s Turkey.l
Lock, stock and barrel
Comes from the three main parts of a muzzleloading firearm. Lock, the firing mechanism, the shoulder stock and of course the barrel, thus the whole thing.
Well, let’s see. There’s full as a tick. And come to the end of the road, Plumb tuckered for being completely tired. Full to bustin’. In the bag. That’s all I can think of tonight but I’m sure there’s more.
I was certain I would know every expression in your post. BUT I only knew the first THREE on your list. Guess I was more isolated in the Cove than I had realized!!!
Eva Nell
A friend told me about a town in Alabama called Slap Out. It was originally, according to the story, just a general store at a cross roads. When people came asking for something they were out of, the owner would say, “Sorry, we’re slap out of it.” Evidently, they were so often out of things, that the name stuck.
Slap Out is in Elmore County just north of Montgomery by 20 miles or so.
That is just one of the many unique place names Alabama. We have a lot of “indian” names too. Mississippi, I imagine, is the only other state with more names of places, creeks, and rivers named using native names. These are real places in Alabama; Letohatchee, Loachapoka (LOH-chə-POH-kə), Talladega, Boligee, Escambia, Cahaba, Casada, Oakamulgee, Opelika, and many more. My county is filled with unique names as well (Boar Tush, Booger Tree, Hogjaw, Sipsey, Capsey, Sohuogahdee it never ends LOL).
Dog gone-it, I cant thank of anythang
Did anyone say ‘pert near’ yet ? “He’s pert-near the end.” I’m not sure of the spelling.. -)
I’ve used pert near all these expressions at one time or another, I can’t figure fer the life of me why anybody would object to us using these perfectly descriptive expressions.
Tipper,
How could I forget this one since the husband put in near part of his life working there…
“Are you finished with that paint on the barn?”
“Well, hits close a ‘nough for guve-ment (government) work!”
A couple more I thought of ….”My old bear hound finally “cashed in”, “done and gone” bless his heart!” Yep, just laid next to the porch and ‘checked out’! ”
Reading Jims comments reminded me of these. I had to laugh at “smack dab” for I have used it many a time…. I “smack dab” ate all my husbands peppermint candy!
One more that Jim noted that pretty much sez it all! …. “graveyard dead”….Now that is shore enough finished, completed and certainly over and done in this old world anyhow!
Thanks Tipper
Full tilt, comes to mind. I sure love all our sayings, our speech is colorful, to say the least.
You’ll have to do another post on our sayings for things not complete like “a bubble off of plumb.”
Tipper,
I’ll have to agree with you about too much rain cause I took a container home with me yesterday (a bowl with a handle) and picked a few of the smallest blackberries I ever saw. I guess it’ll make one cobbler, in a 5″ x 5″ x 1″ container with a lid to freeze. Lots of ’em were still red. …Ken
LOL! Best one – He’s plumb eat up with ugly . Very similar to – He’s been severely beaten with an ugly stick.
‘Pure Dee’ comes to mind, as in “She was pure dee proud of them kids!”
Love the ecpressions on peoples faces when I say something like I am slap full.
The girls have got to be out and out frazzled from all their recent gigs. They are shore enuf busy these days.
How about slap dab as in, “I walked slap dab in the middle of a yellow jacket nest!” and crammed full, as in, “that drawer is crammed full of junk.”
My father always said “tetotally”.
I’ve used all of these at one time or another. We also use “slam up” in a slightly different way:
“It was our anniversary so Kim slammed up some hotcakes to celebrate.”
My dad will also slam up a meal at a cook out. My son just said yesterday that he wanted me to slam up a pot of soup beans.
I guess that means to do it right.
He’s plumb eat up with ugly.
Tipper–Some other synonyms for completely:
flat out
smack (or smack dab)
head over heels (usually associated with romance)
knee walking (usually associated with inebriation)
over the moon
instead of “done dead” graveyard dead
Jim Casada
I sure miss seeing you at Hazel Creek. You made alot of lives richer for just being yourself. Will dedicate the next cobbler to you…..Uncle Mark.
Use all except slam up and slap and use “purely” instead of “pure out”.
The “done dead” sentence for me would mean that the snake was found already dead versus a snake that still had a little twitch to it in it’s final moments of life which, I guess,still makes sense of thinking of the snake as “completely” dead.
I would add “whole hog” as another way of expressing “completely”: “He went after the garden whole hog and had it all turned over by suppertime.”
Also use “surely” and “sorely”: She was “surely” mortified to learn that her dress was on inside out.!”
“He “sorely” vexed when he found out that his boy had lied to him.”
Tipper,
Completely, sort of and maybe!
Question…the head gardener sez: “Did you finish weedin’ all the last of them green beans?”
Answer…the weeder sez: “Done did !”
Thanks Tipper