“If it goes down one of them holes it’ll be ruint!”
Tipper
Overheard: snippets of conversation I overhear in Southern Appalachia
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Wish I lived close enough to come hear Don’s program. Know it will be great!
You did it again. I understand ‘ruint’ and its variations perfectly fine. But I have no idea when I may have said it myself. I guess though that school caused me to switch to ‘ruined’. In other words, I got ruint, dad gum it.
Echoing Jim Casada about mountain English being very expressive, the dialect also wasn’t limited to short words. “I’m bodaciously ruin’t” meant “I’m seriously injured.” (at a time when bodacious meant completely or thoroughly, instead of admirably audacious)
I’ve heard ruint most of my life but rurnt was more likely used by our clan along with spoilt. That meat is rurnt and the milk is spoilt. Kids can also be spoilt and rurnt. True story, my friend worked for the local telephone company in Ellijay and was on a call to check a bad phone.
The lady who lived there had a baby that cried every time she tried to put it down. My friend said jokingly, “I believe that baby is spoilt!” The mother said, “Ah, she ain’t spoilt she always smells like that!”
Now when I say true story I mean it is true he told that but whether it truly happened is anybody’s guess.
My Dad wrote a letter to my Mother before they were married. He was asking for another “picher” of her because the one he had got “rurnt”. He only attended school part time until half way through the 5th grade.
I’m bad t’ come out with that word.
“That youngun is pure ruint.” (spoiled rotten)
Once, I was visiting with a newcomer to the mountains and usually bum-fuzzle them.
Me: “I don’t think I’d eat that stuff, it’s ruint.”
Newcomer; ” O! it is burnt?”
Me; “Naw, it is RUINT
Newcomer: “I don’t understand??”
Me: ” You will if you eat it!”
Another term I’m always explaining when exiting a meeting —
“Ya’ll come see us!”
Somebody always says “Right NOW??”
Me: “Well, ye can if ye want too, but it is a figure of speech that you are welcome to come to my house sometime.”
http://www.itsnotmymountainanymore.com
The cat kilt it and drug it way back up inunder the house and nobidy knowed it wuz thair til it was too late. I had to crawl back in thair without a flashlight er nothin and git it out. Had to! It was stankin us outta house and home. Never did figger out what it was cause time I got it out you cudden even tell.
That is how I talk. I don’t usually write like that though, because I can see what I say and try to fix it. I used to try to write like I talk but was asked to stop because some of my readers were offended.
I won’t talk on the phone unless absolutely necessary because of being laughed at for the way I speak. When I was younger my nickname was Gomer because people said I talked like Gomer Pyle. I didn’t like to talk at parties or public gatherings for that reason. I usually replied to questions with one word answers. I opened up to one woman once at an in-law family thing. She told my wife later she didn’t even know I could talk.
I am oft times accused to being highly intelligent. I’m not! I figure the misunderstanding is because people assume you are smart until you open your mouth and convince them otherwise.
Ga-lee Sergeant!
Ruint and spoilt are part of my vocabulary here in Texas as well as among my Kansas cousins.
I’ve always said it more like “rernt”. But my wife says ruint. Lol.
“…An’en hit’ll not be fit for man nor beast…”
Tipper,
I recon I’m too “refined” to say stuff like that, “by crackie”. Anyway, I’d like to make the speech on March 2nd. by another one of my buddies, Don Casada. …Ken
Another variation I’ve have heard of ruined is rarent as in “If Deer Hunter don’t get that deer field dressed and cooled down it’ll sho nuff be rarent by morning.”
MY! MY! Tipper, I would like very much to attend this lecture. But it is a “LONG ROW TO HOE!”
Not sure we can make it though! Eva Nell
Tipper–And “If hit goes down one of them thar holes hit sho’ ’nuff will be ruint.”
Interestingly, mountain English, however much it can jar the “proper” ear, has the distinct ability to make a point which is impossible to ignore.
I fondly recall, when I was a boy, pointing out to someone visiting our home how I had “killed a rabbit on that ridge over yander.” Momma was mortified that I had used “yander,” although the visitor got my point in clear fashion.
Jim Casada
I hear “ruint” all the time at home. I also like “spoilt.” When we got back from New Mexico last week, something had spoilt in the fridge.
I’ve also heard my Dad say “gone rank.” I always liked that one, too.
I hear ruint and rurnt, I have heard and used rurnt the most.
I hear ruint and rurnt, I have heard and used rurnt the most.
I hear ruint and rurnt, I have heard and used rurnt the most.
I hear ruint and rurnt, I have heard and used rurnt the most.
Cause that big snake will sure enough eat him!