Pine needles are called twinkles in appalachia

twinkle noun A pine needle.
1913 Kephart Our Sthn High 285 In some places pine needles are called twinkles. 1929 Chapman Homeplace 313 = pine or spruce needles; balsam leaves.

~Dictionary of Smoky Mountain English

twinkles: n. pl. pine needles. “I’ll go git a load o’ twinkles to bed the cow” (A). In some places pine needles are called twinkles

~Smoky Mountain Voices A Lexicon of Southern Appalachian Speech

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I have never heard pine needles called twinkles have you?

Tipper

 

 

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16 Comments

  1. we enjoy your wonderful music and song’s.
    simply beautiful and up lifting.
    wishing you all a very Merry Christmas
    and
    Happy New Year.
    God Bless you all!
    Ruth & Sonny

  2. we enjoy your wonderful music and song’s.
    simply beautiful and up lifting.
    wishing you all a very Merry Christmas
    and
    Happy New Year.
    God Bless you all!
    Ruth & Sonny

  3. we enjoy your wonderful music and song’s.
    simply beautiful and up lifting.
    wishing you all a very Merry Christmas
    and
    Happy New Year.
    God Bless you all!
    Ruth & Sonny

  4. we enjoy your wonderful music and song’s.
    simply beautiful and up lifting.
    wishing you all a very Merry Christmas
    and
    Happy New Year.
    God Bless you all!
    Ruth & Sonny

  5. Tipper,
    Finally back again….No, I don’t recall ever hearing pine needles being called “twinkles”! I know when we used to fish early in the Spring, on the lake and the pines were still moist they sure twinkled in the morning sunrise..
    Have you ever heard the blooms on pines in the Spring call Jesus Crosses? I love to see them in the Spring, there lovely lime green to yellow buds, just before they bloom out and scatter pollen a float all over the lake!
    Can’t wait to wear the scarf and hat…just in time for this cool down coming in for the week….
    Thanks Tipper again,
    PS….hope my computer holds up this time!

  6. How interesting! No, I’ve never heard them called that. Would love to know how they got that name though.
    God bless.
    RB
    <><

  7. Tipper,
    I never heard of anything but pine needles either. Most all our pines are dead, especially the big hemlocks. A lot of ’em have fallen and it really makes a mess.
    My internet and phone have been out since last Friday evening, and it feels so good to have them back…Ken

  8. That’s a new one for me. I wonder where that name originated? I can see why they are called twinkles because when moisture is on them they do twinkle in the sunlight. Especially when the water freezes on them. Tipper you done learnt me something new again! Have you ever heard learnt used in place of taught?
    Very common up in the hills where I’m from.

  9. Every morning when I open my eyes I see a huge friend/ motel/ work of art pine tree just outside my window. Crows squak at me from its branches while squirals race along limbs like cars on a racetrack. Even with all this, I am most captivated by the shape and dancing movements of the Pine tree’s hands. Some are in thick clusters but others wait as solitaries against the sky like spiders hanging down from their web, watching. I’ve never heard “sparkles” applied to them but how approaperate a term. Thanks.

  10. I’m still learning some new words and this is one of them. Thanks for starting my new day with a new use of the word, twinkles. I have lots of them all over the driveway, the roof, and gardens. I am happy someone invented a blower to help gather them into a better place.

  11. I’ve never heard pine needles called twinkles either, I can’t even get an image of how they may have come to be called twinkles.
    Those sure are some cute Christmas Angles you have in your Etsy store. I saw some Christmas decorations going up yesterday, It’s not even Thanksgiving yet!
    I’ve got to get to Chitter’s Etsy store and do a little Christmas shopping for a couple of friends of mine. The gifts I bought there last year were a hit!

  12. That’s a new one for me. I’ve never heard pine needles called twinkles and we have plenty of pine trees in our area.

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