Sunday, February 6, 2011

What it Means to Be Southern

Gene reminded me of something the other day when he was teaching Pat to speak southern.
He reminded me that I actually have two books right on this subject.

 What it means to be Southern.

More about what it means to be Southern

I first bought these books when I met TJ.  He's from California you see.
When we found out he was moving here to NC, I wanted him to know exactly what he was getting in to.
I mailed him these books, asked him to read them and really think about it.
He wasn't phased!  He's so versatile, he could fit in any where. 

I'll give you some snippets from the book and we'll do book two later.

Ready?

The chapters are:

"Bless Your Heart" and Y'all Come"
Favored Phrasing from the Mouths of Southerners

"Ugly as Homemade Sin"
 and Other Southern Ways of Putting It

"Y'all Better"
Some of the Ruler We're Taught to Live by

"Don't you Dare..."
Some of the Rules we Don't break

Greens, Hoppin'-Johns, and Pork eating for Health and Wealth in the New Year

The Collard Club
Our Small Town Traditions

Spoon Bread, Pecan Pie, and Other foods favored
in the south....and Shag dancing at the beach

A Moon Pie and RC Cola
Southern Soft Drink Rituals

Your daddy is your best man
The way we do weddings in the South

Giving directions.
How to get to the new Methodist church
(my favorite)

Here's what I want you to do, let me know which of these chapters you'd like to know more about.
I think this will be fun.

Pat....after this is over if you need too, I'll be glad to let you borrow these fine books.

9 comments:

  1. I certainly think the "Bless Your Heart" section would be fun for starters!!!

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  2. I am chuckling here! We are also from California and have lived all over the world....welcome to the south! LOL

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  3. I think Giving Directions would be a fun read. I know I give directions differently than our Northern relatives. They just look at me like I'm crazy when I tell them to turn left at the yellow truck or the big bush that looks like an elephant.

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  4. LOL.. I think giving directions might be fun too.

    There is one restaurant that I would never find again if they moved the school bus that is always at the turning spot.

    I have heard this in a town I lived in once (I had just moved there) "You know where the Jack's used to be before it burnt down?" Me"Uh, no!"
    "well then you won't never find it"

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  5. All of these make perfect sense to me. 'Y'all c'mon over' was a standard way of saying good bye where I grew up.

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  6. I LOVE this post! I may have to share!

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  7. how about salted peanuts in the bottom of a cold bottle of coca cola????

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  8. I've actually said "Cut through the old VFW parking lot, watch for the zebra, you'll see two conch houses, you want the second one". The person got lost. Bless your heart, I would love to hear the don't you dare.

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