The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1886-03-27
A FEW SOUTHERNISMS.
EXAMPLES or QUAINT SAYINGS IN
GEORGIA AND SOUTH CAROLINA.

Peculiarities Of Pronunciation Held by
the Southern People ms n class-Ths
Word "Fanny" Used with Startling EFF
focts-'ro Oct TO eo"-ExamPies-
Some years ago Richard Grant White
wrote a delightfully."- interesting book on
Americanisms. He might well have divided
the sub ects into two parts: Yankeeism'
and southernisma Absoluts correctness in
pronunciation, or IN tne formation OF son
tences, IL a most difficult accomplishment,
and few there he, either north or sou b.
who have reached such degree Of reffec-
ton that no exception can be taken by
acarping critics" 10 their utterances. In the
matter OF pronunciation the times are
changing. and one can scarcely keep Ia Q
with the innovations being introduced by
the leading ortheopists
The purpose Of this paper Is, however, &c
present, in o succinct way, few Of the
quaintnesses OF pronunciation and construc
ton held by the southern people as class.
Among these the first that comes to mind is
the custom OF emitting the last two letters
OF such words as more STORE -four
which are pronounced "mo," ''sto," 40. "
what O'Clock Is itP you ask the Carolinian,
and tan to one he tells you it's "half-pas'
for II that happens to DO the hour.
Another common southernism is the use
Of slike as IT," or "liken for the words "aa
IT," @She looked like she knew me- is a
common expression, or "sho looked as II
she'd dien This is very common in Wash
ington, and In all the states south Of Mason
and Dixons line.
ONE USE OF THE WORD FUNNY"
The word funny" Is frequently used, in.
stead Of strange, and sometimes with start
ling effects A young southern girl was
visiting us once, and caller was telling OF
the death Of her mother through swallow
ing hsh-bona "Ohl wasn't 1t funnyf" ex-
claimed our visitor, at the close Of the mar
rative II think you mean strange" said
tho caller, az soon a. she recovered from her
astonishment Our girl friend has never
used the word funny" since
II you happen 70 hear anybody say "ryt
cheer" you may know 1t Is intended &c
mean fright here For instance: A South
Carollnian will says where was be at last
night" and his fellow citizen viii say, "Ht
stood rye cheer with me-" Djear-pro
nounced in one syllAble--is not Russian
word, as might be supposed; it means "ds
you heArr and Is usually addressed to sery
ants In this form: "You, JIM Bring IL
that wood, djearl"
ITO get to go" is essentially a Georgia
expression They say, 3D. don't fail t,
come tonight" and the reply is, "pve trieC
to get 10 20 three weeks now, so reckon
III be there t'night.n The expression AZ,
don't" is hoard in Georgia and South caro-
lima, but rarely elsewhere One Of the mos
laughable things you ever heard ia the pc
culiar pronunciation Of the word about
It is impossible to express the South Caro-
linian pronunciation, Theoretically.
sounds like about-pronounced very quickl,
in three syllables. "Quare," for queer
another word. The use Of reckon for pre-
sumo" Is said 10 have been derived from tn
Yankees, as was the expression "righ
smart" for the word much
In imitation Of English, perhaps, Is tn
custom Of saying ave got It," for n hav
it, and the general use Of the word "got
where 1t Is quite unnecessary. Also Eng
lish Is the use OF Obliged" as HIm oblige
| to do it" for a must do IT." Hhe is oblige
| to CO." for "he must GO" Ambiguity q
expression Is too prevalent in Dixie, and to
many people sacrifice sense to sound.
PEcULIARITIEs OF PRONUNCIATION.
Low-country people and the residents c
middle South Carolina say "gee-ardenp "a
garden" @gee-yard" for aguArd"-with Ii
hard sound Of e." 80, too, with such word
as Hcard," car and "cart, into which
introduced the sound Of akee," to take Il
place Of the first consonant, thus: @kee- ard
Hkee-ar," akee-art"
The use Of delightful for delicious, is sue
a sentence as: 1.-THE ice-cream is delightful
is very common pretty is word yer
often misused, for instance: "Isn't this
pretty dAyF-and this error is yer
general one North Carolinians say Il
scenery is "prettyp-meaning picturesqu
the day Is Apretty"-meaning fine; and thl
persons manners are @pretty"-meanin
well-bred.
"You all, or, as II isabbreviated, ay'all
Is one OF the most ridiculous of all Il
southernisms l can call TO mind 1t usi
ally means two or more persons, but 1t is
times used when only one person ia mean
For instance, caller on taking her depar
ure, says, "Y'all must come to sec uzn 81
means the lady upon whom she is calm
md her husband may call
The Yankees have quite as many ridic
lous figures Of speech as those have me
toned as peculiarly southern, and 1t will |
reserved for another paper to present Il
oddities Of Yankee conversation In Il
meantime every true-hearted southern
who reads these lines will declare that
never used any of these southernisms, al
will he just as honest in his belief as Il
Charlestonian when he VOWS that he new
says Adis-a-way" for this way" and Sdat-
way" for that way. p-Dixie