Toni L. P. Kelner

Learn to Speak Southern

As the mama of two, I believe that there's nothing more important than a good education, and nothing shows good schooling like a pretty Southern accent. Unfortunately, not everybody has had the benefit of learning how to speak the way they ought to. So to help folks out, I've put together this quiz of Southern phrases and figures of speech. Knowing these won't make you fluent, but as my mama always says, you've got to start somewhere.

Match up the first piece of these Southern expressions with the tail ends:

1. As nervous as a long-tailed cat in
2. That's his tale,
3. Country come
4. If he'd had another nickel,
5. Running around like a
6. Plain as
7. He acts like he owns the road, and
8. Trouble looking for
9. Gooder than
10. If she were moving any slower
11. Putting on
12. I've got more time than
13. What in the
14. Tight as a
15. It wasn't no dinner, it was
16. Hug your
17. A lick of
18. Between you, me, and
19. I ate so much I like to have
20. As common as

money
a room full of rocking chairs
dirt
neck
she'd be going backwards
sense
half the town besides
bust a gusset
airs
he'd have bought a red car
to town
chicken with its head cut off
Sam Hill
a place to happen
I'm sitting on mine
tick
the gate post
just something to eat
snuff
a mud fence