AUTOCORRECT DOESN’T LIKE COUNTRY SAYIN’S

Abandoned Country Farm, NC

HAPPY COUNTRY NEW YEAR!

I grew up in central Kansas and was the first generation to be raised in town.  So, I grew up around a lot of sayings from my surrounding family that had obvious roots in the declining agriculture society that was being overtaken by the industrial and information age.   Many of these sayings were simply part of the nomenclature and now that I’m rooted in a slightly more southern culture, I’ve discovered that there are many shared expressions.  Sadly, many folks of the current generation give you a blank stare when you use some of these because they have no reference to the world where they sprung up.

A euphemism is considered to be a less direct word or phrase for one considered to be offensive.  I guess this colorful Americana language might be considered to be just the opposite!

I compartmentalized some of my favorites as having their roots in either emotion, nature or observations.  And I especially like those that have a rhythm to them, many from mother to child, such as “you get what you get and you don’t pitch a fit” and “don’t let the door hit ya where the good Lord split ya!”  And if your mama catches you being ornery, “I’m fixin’ to go off on your backside!”  Or speaking of backsides when someone is impressed with something, “well butter my butt and call me a biscuit!”   Or speaking of biscuits “Just cuz the cat has kittens in the oven don’t make them biscuits.”

Actually, the derriere seems to be the butt of a lot of old sayings related to working out in nature if you’ll excuse the **’s.  One of my many favorite sayings attributed to my brother-in-law that grew up on a farm and then successfully transitioned to the urban life is “a clearing up shower is one that rains until it’s clear up to your a**!”  And “it’s snowing up to the a** of a tall cow.”  A storm’s imminent if “it’s comin’ up a cloud.”

Since my blog is primarily based on observations, many sayings about some folks tweak my attention such as “if common sense were lard, most folks couldn’t grease a pan.”  Or “common sense ain’t so common.”  Bless his heart, but “he’s dumber than a fence post or a bucket of rocks”.  He’s “happy as a dead pig in the sunshine” but “ugly enough to make a freight train take a dirt road.”  He said he was “finer than a frog’s hair split three ways”.   

Hopefully, 2021 will be a better year, God willin’ and the creeks don’t rise!