How much is a right smart? About half enough.
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Tipper
Overheard: snippets of conversation I overhear in Southern Appalachia
Appalachia Overheard
Overheard
How much is a right smart? About half enough.
———————
Tipper
Overheard: snippets of conversation I overhear in Southern Appalachia
19 Comments
Bobbie
August 20, 2016 at 5:55 pmI heard right smart used often in Charlottesville, but “youse’lls” was a new one to me as in what a waitress said, “Would youse’lls like more coffee?” which I took to be a combo of Youse and Ya’ll. I took right smart to mean something that was extra smart such as someone commenting on what someone was wearing or even being quite alert such as in “He set up right smart.”
Quinn
August 20, 2016 at 5:17 pmI don’t hear “right smart” but to do something “right sharpish” means to “look lively and do it right now!” In this hot and humid weather, I’m not doing much right sharpish 😉
Ann Applegarth
August 20, 2016 at 2:56 pmGeorge Pettie defined it exactly as I have always used it. I’ve never heard of the other uses.
TimMc
August 20, 2016 at 6:27 amI always thought it to be quite a bit..
Rev. RB
August 19, 2016 at 9:36 pmAround here “right smart” means pretty intelligent; “right good” means they’re a very good person; “right sharp” means they’re a great sharp dresser. Can’t think of any others, but most anything preceded by the word “right” means better than most, sometimes much better than most.
Prayers everyone has a wonderful weekend, and a safe one too.
God bless.
RB
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George Pettie
August 19, 2016 at 5:05 pmright smart=quite a lot. “There’s right smart timber up in the holler.”
right smart=forceful, vigorous. “She gave him a right smart smack up side the head.”
also right smarten. “We had us a right smarten good time down to the crick.”
Tamela
August 19, 2016 at 2:07 pm“half enough” is a pretty direct statement: a body wants/needs the same amount again to have all of what they were first trying to acquire. Like when a grandchild holds out a glass for lemonade, I fill it half full, grandchild petulantly “says, “Awww, grandma – that’s only half enough. I can hold a whole glass now!”
Tamela
August 19, 2016 at 2:01 pmSeems I’ve heard “right smart” used at least two ways: as an affirmation that something said or done was a little out of the ordinary but very effective or a was an astute observation; or, as a rather sarcastic or condescending comment on someone’s action or statement which they thought was very intelligent or wise but which the hearer thought was ordinary, common knowledge or understanding. I’ve also heard it as a way of complimenting a child on newly demonstrated understandings or skills.
Ken
August 19, 2016 at 11:54 amTipper,
I remember mama and daddy using that expression an awful lot, but I don’t think I ever say that. My grandgirls snigger a lot listening to me talk, they like to make fun of some of the words I use, but they like it…Ken
Mike McLain
August 19, 2016 at 11:01 amI always heard “right smart” meaning “quite a bit”.
Ed Ammons
August 19, 2016 at 10:19 amI’ve always thought of a right smart as a good start. More than was expected. At a pace to finish ahead of schedule.
Ron Banks
August 19, 2016 at 9:50 amI have heard right smart used all my life but I’ve never heard anyone try to explain how smart that is. I’ve also heard right used in other descriptions such as,
right handsome, right purdy (pretty), right upstanding, and right proud.
To me adding the word right before smart means the person in question is a notch above just plain old smart. Another good one Tipper!
Jack
August 19, 2016 at 8:30 amIt’s more than a goodly amount, but not near as much as a beaucoup or slew.
Ron Stephens
August 19, 2016 at 8:24 amGood question. I don’t think I ever thought about it before. It is probably such a subjective expression that it can’t be quantified with any confidence. Yet somehow it communicates well enough to be going on with. Might even be fair to say ‘well enough’ is everyone’s standard operating proceedure?
eva nell mull wike, PhD
August 19, 2016 at 8:24 amNah! A right smart bit is a whole lot! At least that was how we measure things in the Cove! Eva Nell
anita griffith
August 19, 2016 at 8:19 amI’ve also heard right smart to describe someone of good intelligence.
b. Ruth
August 19, 2016 at 8:13 amTipper,
We’ve had a “right smart” of hot weather this summer!
If the cold this winter equals the hot humid summer, we might have a bit more than a “right smart” of cold and snow!
Thanks Tipper,
PinnacleCreek
August 19, 2016 at 8:07 amAnd, there I thought a right smart meant I had a plenty. Or could it possibly mean you have “pretty much?”
Miss Cindy
August 19, 2016 at 8:06 amI’d think a right smart is a little more that half enough.