Photo from Miss Cindy’s family album
jewlark (also jewlarker, jewlarkey, jewlarky, jularker)
A noun See also jusem-sweet.
1892 Fruit KY Words 230 jewlarky = sweetheart: “I’m going to see my jewlarky.” 1939 Farr Tn Mt Regions 91 jewlarker = beau. “Susie’s jewlarker bussed her.” 1952 Wilson Folk Speech NC 555 jularker = a beau. (Avery Co. NC). 1968 Wilson Folklore Mammoth Cave 43 (jewlark or jewlarky) = one’s sweetheart. 1972 Cooper NC Mt Folklore 25 In the long ago, a male sweetheart was a jularker and his sweetheart was a sweetie, darlin’ or juseum sweet. 1997 Montgomery Coll: jularker (known to Brown).
[DARE jewlarker n cf gill, jill “a girl, sweetheart” + EDD lark v “to flirt,” South, South Midland]
—Dictionary of Southern Appalachian English
Although I’ve seen jularker in books I’ve never heard anyone use the word.
There was couple of other words from the dictionary entry that jumped out at me.
Granny uses the word beau instead of boyfriend.
I wasn’t familiar with the word bussed until after I started Blind Pig and The Acorn.
I have never heard nor read jusem-sweet so I find it especially interesting.
Hope you’ll leave a comment and share your thoughts about the words. This is the time of the year for sweethearts—well actually every day of the year is a good time for sweethearts, but this time of the year they get more attention.
Last night’s video: One of my Favorite Old Cookbooks, Wood Cook Stove Memories & an Easy Recipe for Honey Bread.
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Miss Cindy, here in the Blue Ridge
We called them Darlings. I like your
Word better!
Kathy Patterson
Well I sure learned to new words today and what a treasure Miss Cindy has in her photos. Such a good looking couple.
I’ve never heard jewlarker, however, I have heard beau several times throughout my life.
This post piqued my curiosity, A LOT! 🙂 So I looked up the origin of jewlarker. Here are a few links that explain it somewhat. Evidently, it may have been a slang word back in the day.
https://greensdictofslang.com/entry/k7wtj3y
https://greensdictofslang.com/entry/gjiszfq
The following link looks very interesting but you have to subscribe to learn more of what they have to say. I’d love to know, but won’t pay money to find out!
https://www.daredictionary.com/view/dare/ID_00032326?language=en
Another new word for me as well. Keep’em coming.
That is, indeed, a handsome couple in that photo. In my childhood, Easter Sunday was an occasion for dressing one’s best and therefore for taking photos. Do you suppose that might have been the occasion?
Men’s dress clothing has changed little over the last hundred years or so, but the lady’s style speaks of the 1930s or -40s to me. That looks like a ’31 or ’32 Ford Model A with a soft top; so I’d guess the photo to have been made in the ’30s.
Jewlarker is new to me. JC beat me to it. I was wondering if the word might have come from Cherokee or another native language.
Jewlarker, etc., I’ve never heard before. I wonder where the word came from? Most mountain words come from Cherokee or European words. We did use “bussed” and sweetheart.
I knew what buss meant but jularker is foreign to me.
However, if you extract the “lark” I have something pertinent to share. The other afternoon I was outside and noticed the chirping of birds in the trees all around me. I couldn’t see any of them but I knew from the sounds they made that they were all the same species. I am not an bird expert so I couldn’t identify them by their “chirps”.
Just a few minutes ago I looked out into the backyard and observed dozens, if not hundreds of robins all over the place. Robins are quite common here but I’ve never seen them in such a flock.
Robins are noted as portenders of spring. If their sheer numbers have any meaning, Spring is eminent and in force!
Yeah, I know it is a leap from lark to robin to Spring but not as the crow flies!
Cousin Ed, how did you get those paragraph breaks? I’ve tried using Word then pasting text here but the markup was lost. 🙁
I hit the enter button twice and it worked.
Maybe Tipper has done something to fix it.
It didn’t show the break until she “moderated” it.
Could you please define “bussed”?
Ron-I’m sorry I should have noted that in the post. Buss means to kiss 🙂
Thank you for the response.
Well, I learned a new word today. Very interesting! I have heard and used Beau many times. I love the picture. It makes you wonder since they were so dressed up if they may have been fixing to go get married. One thing is for certain, they wanted to look their best. Like we all talked about the other day, wish we had names and dates on these old pictures. Miss Cindy sure has some nice-looking folks in her family!!
Haven’t heard that one! Have you ever heard of a tomato being called a “love apple”? People used to give them to their sweethearts. I guess that was hard to do in the winter!
My mother told me her father called them “love apples”. He said they were poisonous and wouldn’t allow them in the house. Grandpaw died before I was born.
Beau and bussed I’ve heard, used or read and understood before but never heard anything like the jewlarker and variations of it. Is there a sweet fruit known by that name or anything else common that would provide a basis for the word? Seems strange to me.
I’ve never heard these terms. I learned something new.
Jularker! My Mother and I’m sure her older family members would say this (E. TN, N. Ala.) I have looked it up without success and have never seen it in print. She would say it derisively, as in a “not quite proper” relationship. Be careful out there, ya’ll.
Who are the two persons in the photograph?
Gary- I don’t know their names. The photo is an old one from Miss Cindy’s family. Wish the names had been written on it.
First off, Miss Cindy’s family members in the photo are surely handsome people! They look outfitted to beat the band! I’ve never heard of a jularker and to be honest it sounds like a dirty word- like mommy used to call me “Turkey Rogue.” I hated that. Lol I like the word beau as opposed to boyfriend because it makes a feller sound fancy in a way. At least it does to me. Now all I have to say about this and that name is really what does it matter as long as you don’t forget to call me for supper!!! I’ve been called just about every name in the book and I’ve learned to let it roll off me like water off a duck’s back! That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. Lol One more thing did you all ever hear the song about the Frog Who went a’courtin’ and he did fine?
I’m 76 and when in elementary school, we used to sing Froggy went a Courting, he did ride, uh huh, uh huh, to take miss ??? for a bride. Don’t remember what his ‘beau’s’ name was but it was a very common song in music class and just for kids to sing back eons ago. I’d forgotten all about that little ditty and thanks for reminding me of a happy little tune. Hey, where in the world did ‘ditty’ come from? We used to call cute, short tunes, dittys, too.
Miss Mousie?
I’m a bit older and yes, we sang it too.
He tied Miss Mousie to a tree, then he proposed. Men have concocted all sorts of ingenious scenarios in which to ask for their sweetheart’s hand in marriage but tying her to a tree is a bit strange. Froggy got away with it because, after all, he is an amphibian.
What a strange word! Totally new to me. I’ve heard, read, and used the word beau all my life.
Some of my favorite columns are when you introduce me to new words that I love!
Beau is the only one that is familiar. These words and the “time of the year” bring many old words to mind. Young people courted or were spooning. The porch swing could seem like a good place to court until you found your privacy invaded by every child within a mile radius. You were “going with” a person, and often “broke up” a time or two before becoming engaged. Some think fate brought them together, but many remember the overpowering attraction that blocks out all sound reasoning. As usual, Tipper, you have given us another thought provoking post.
The word “sparking” meant that a couple were courting. When sparking progressed to the stage of seeing each other exclusively, they were “going steady” and he was her best beau. That then sometimes proceeded to an engagement and “gettin’ hitched.”
Never heard any version of jularker nor juseum sweet. To turn that around, what would our ancestors of 100 years ago think if us if they could visit? Guess they would quickly decide they didn’t know what the world was coning to.
By the way, the Epoch Times has the article today about Katie and Corie liking older clothing styles and it links to their Youtube also. ET is by subscription but I can share it with you, Tipper, if you want at your BP&A email.
That is a great article and beautiful photos. Congratulations Corie & Katie!
Good morning Mrs Tipper.
I would also like to know the origin of ‘jewlarker’, Sheryl!
I used the word ‘beau’ as a Scrabble word…40 odd years ago and my friends challenged the word! I guess I read it in “Gone with the Wind” from my momma’s book shelf.
I often wonder how young folk get along working crossword puzzles now a days without knowing vocabulary and sayings of the past.
Reading old books opens eyes to whole new worlds! Blessings to all 🙂
I have never heard, nor read, those. I have heard beau all my life and still use it, especially with granddaughters growing up. Love the old picture!
Wonder if it’s ever turned up in a crossword puzzle or a game of Scrabble? New word for me.
I grew up in the early 50s in Northern California and lived there until I was 42. I am now a proud resident of North east Tennessee. I do not know where I heard the word beau but always have and use it often myself. I’m sure I have never heard it here in the south though.
Never ever heard any of the other words either. I personally am a lover of language so appreciate your blog so much! Keep up the good work
Well, that is a new one on me. Beau, yes, jewlarker, no. I am assuming it is pronounced jew-lar-ker the way it is spelled. Interesting how some words go in an out of ‘style’ so to speak, but this one???…Love the Wilson pictures you share. In looking back to some of my pictures, smiles were just scarce sometime.
Interesting!! Never heard of any of the versions you mentioned, but very interesting. Since it’s almost Valentines Day, I have a funny for you about my Valentine/husband…… all my life he has called me “Dear” not Sweetheart or Sweetie but Dear. Jan of 2016 I had a hip replacement and from the time I woke up from the surgery to a good 6 weeks after surgery, he called me Honey. He had no clue he was even doing it. He was the best nursemaid anyone every had! I couldn’t put any wait at all on my right leg for 6 weeks so I was pretty laid up there for a bit and it concerned my husband terribly, he wanted to help me in every way on earth, but why he called Honey I didn’t know and neither did he. I loved it, it was so sincere, so gentle, so very very sweet, something I will cherish always.
Jew larker I am not I am familiar with. Beau is one I’ve heard most of my life. I love the old pictures they always look so formal.
that is a new one for me. never even saw in a book. I would love to know the origins of the word.