“I’m zonked!”
“That’s what happens when you lay out with the dry cattle.”
Tipper
Overheard: snippets of conversation I overhear in Southern Appalachia
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Overheard
Overheard
“I’m zonked!”
“That’s what happens when you lay out with the dry cattle.”
Tipper
Overheard: snippets of conversation I overhear in Southern Appalachia
Subscribe for FREE and get a daily dose of Appalachia in your inbox
21 Comments
Jean
August 8, 2021 at 2:25 pmMy Grandmother used to say this to my sisters and I when we were tired in the morning. To us it meaning we had hung out with the dry cows because dry cows don’t have to be in to feed their calf’s.
Sally
June 29, 2021 at 7:16 amMy grandmother would say to me”You hung with dry cows last night”. Meaning I stayed up too late!
Ken Roper
February 29, 2020 at 7:18 pmTipper,
Before Donna Lynn went off Thursday, she played two of my Favorite songs. “Cabin By the Side of the Road, by Pap and his brother, Ray. The other one was by those beautiful girls of yours and the Deer Hunter’s, “River of Jordan.” The station is on the Internet, it’s WKRK in Murphy 105.5 FM and 1320 AM. Donna is on 9 till 2 weekdays, but Sundays, she’s on earlier for singers and a bunch of preachers till 3. She is there from 3 till 5 for song Requests. …Ken
David Frost
February 29, 2020 at 5:39 pmThe expression around here was “laying out with a dry cow.” I heard it quiet often in my younger days.
North Alabama
SusieQ
February 29, 2020 at 5:14 pmI sure do know the word zonked, and being zonked,….. Haven’t heard ”laying out with the dry cattle” 🙂 either,….oh so fun reading all the replies. Hope everyone has a good day….it’s almost March ..yayyyyyyy !!!
Terry Price
February 29, 2020 at 2:20 pmI heard that a lot when i was growing up. My grandparents and my dad said it.
Terry Price
February 29, 2020 at 2:22 pmBtw, I’m referring to “You’re going to have to lick your calf over”
Ron Banks
February 29, 2020 at 12:23 pmMy dad used that term often for someone who stayed out all night. “ He laid out with the dry cows last night.” He would also say, You’re gonna have to lick your calf over.” When you fixed something that didn’t turn out right. Meaning you’re going to have to do it again.
Referring to a momma cow cleaning her newborn calf and not getting it clean enough.
Dee
February 29, 2020 at 11:45 amI have used the word Zonked as meaning completely worn out and fell asleep. Don’t remember anyone saying dry cattle but I have heard of a cow going dry. Smile…. I have heard of a sorry ole thang laying out all night but haven’t heard it actually said for about 50 years.
Quinn
February 29, 2020 at 11:44 amA dry cow – or goat – is no mystery to me, but I have no idea what “laying out with the dry cattle” means. I hope you’ll explain this one, Tipper!
Gigi
February 29, 2020 at 10:53 amI have said, im zonked, meaning that I’m so tired. I’ve never been so zonked that i ‘ve had to laid down with the cows. Lol
Jackie
February 29, 2020 at 10:51 amA dry cow doesn’t give milk. When I was dating and came in late dad said this. He meant I was out late with a girl that didn’t have sex with me. Same as the statement , “Don’t buy a cow if you can get milk for free.” If the girl or woman is willing … why marry her. That’s what most young fellows want anyway.
PinnacleCreek
February 29, 2020 at 9:16 amThat does remind me of a very old term once used when many people I knew had milk cows. They would say their cow “went dry.” That most certainly is probably not what was meant since this referred to cattle. Another expression used in an area where everybody was expected to be in at a decent hour was so and so had “laid out all night.” Even though I have never heard this particular expression, I would imagine it was frowned upon to stay out late. Another thing maybe unique to my area is nobody ever wanted to get caught sleeping late, and sometimes would get up early just ’cause. Even if you were sick or tired you needed to roll on out of that bed lest you be referred to as a “sorry ole thang.” I have tried to steer away from that type pf thinking through the years, because when one hasn’t had enough sleep they just might wake up on the wrong side of the bed.
Ed Ammons
February 29, 2020 at 8:58 amI’ve been zonked but I’ve never laid with dry cattle. Nor with milking ones either for that matter!
aw griff
February 29, 2020 at 8:27 amWell, I know what a dry cow is but I still ain’t certain what that means. Maybe hanging out and running with the wrong crowd.
Ron Stephens
February 29, 2020 at 8:08 amNever heard about laying out with the dry cattle. But I will plan not to do it so as to not get zonked. I have found, though, that there are other effective ways to get there. Sue McIntyre on this blog may have an idea or her husband, who runs a ranch, may know.
Colleen Holmes
February 29, 2020 at 7:53 amFor us Michiganders it means tired, wore out. That’s why one would lay down with cattle.
Jack
February 29, 2020 at 9:45 amMany years ago we used the expression “going out with the dry cattle” to mean going out on a date. Haven’t heard that in a long time.
Tommy
March 1, 2020 at 8:52 pmLaying out with the dry cows! Too many ppl too far removed from the farm (i own a degree in Dairy Science from Mississippi State). A milk cow is ‘turned dry’ – stopped milking so production dries up for her mammary tissue to rebuild – 60 days before her calf is due. Thus the ‘dry cattle’ don’t hafta come in daily. So if you ‘laid out with the dry cattle’ you probably wasted a night carousing etc. & ain’t too sharp this
Miss Cindy
February 29, 2020 at 6:54 amThar’s a new one on me!
Bill Burnett
February 29, 2020 at 6:37 amIs laying out with dry cattle similar to laying down with the dogs and getting up with fleas?