The silver state. [volume] (Unionville, Nev.) 1870-1903, 1886-03-17
ODD sOUTHEkNIsMs.
Few Examples Of Quaint Saying in
south Carolina.

divided the subject into two parts
Yankeeisms and Southernisms. Abso.
Lutte correctness in pronunciation or in
the formation OF sentences is most
difficult accomplishment, and few there
be, either North or South, who have
reached sucI, degree of perfection that
no exceptions can be taken by "carpiag
critics" to their utterances. Ia the
matter OF pronunciation the times are
changing, and one can scarcely keep
pace with the innovations being intro
duced by the leading orthoepists.
The purpose of this paper is. how.
ever, to present, in a succinct way, a
few Of the quaintnesses of pronuncia-
tion and construction held to by the
Southern people as a class. Among
these the first that comes to hand is the
custom Of omitting the last two letters
of such words as "more," ''store,"
-four" which are pronounced mo"
"sto,' and 80" "What o'clock is
it," you ask Carolinian, and ten to
one he tells you it is "half-pas' fo'," if
that happens to be the hour.
Another common Southernism is the
use of ''like as it," or ''like, for the
words "as IT," "She looked like she
knew me-" is common expression, or
"she looked like as if she'd die." This is
very common in Washington, and in all
the States south of Mason and Dick
sons line.
The word 'funny" is frequently used
instead Of strange, and sometimes with
startling effects. A young Southern
girl was visiting us once, and caller
was telling of the death of her mother
through swallowing tishboue. "Oh
wasn't it funny?" exclaimed our visitor,
at the close of the narrative. II thiuk
you mean strange" said the caller, as
soon as she recovered from the aston
ishment. Our girl friend has never
used the word ''funny" since.
II you happened to hear anybody say
"rye cheer" you will know 1t is intend.
ed to mean fright here" For instance.
a South CIroliuian will say: "Where
was he at last pight?" and his fellow
citizen will say, "He staid rye cheer
with me-" "Djear"-pronouuced in
one syllable-is not a Russian word, as
might be supposed; it means, "Do you
hesr:" aud is usually addressed to SER
wants in this io.m: "You. jim bring
in that wood, djear,"
"To get TO 20" is essentially a
Georgia expression. They ray, "Do,
don't fail to come tonight, aud the
reply is, "Pve tried to get to 20 three
weeks now, so / reckon I'll be there to-
night" The expression ''do don't" is
heard in Georgia and South Carolina,
but rarely elsewhere. One of the most
laughable things you ever heard is the
peculiar pronunciation Of. the word
about" 1t is impossible to express
the South Carolinian's pronunciation
1t sounds like abaout-
pronounced very quickly in three sylla-
blesI "Quare." for "queer." is another
word. The use Of reckon" for ''pre.
,ume'i is said to have been derived from
he Yankees, as was the expression |
right smart" for the word "much.
Ia imitation of English, perhaps, is
;he custom Of saying: "Tve got it,
or IL have it, and the general use OF
he word "got" where it is quite un-
Also English is the use of
Obliged" as II am obliged to do it"
or II must do it," she is obliged to
TO-" for 'he must CO." Ambiguity OF
is too prevalent in Dixie,
md too many people sacrifice sense for
Iound.
Low country people and the residents
II middle South Carolina say "gee-
lrden" for garden" ''gee. .yaad" for
guard" with the hard sound of &.
So, too, with such words as card,
scar" and "cart," into which is intro
duced the sound OF "kee," to take the
place of the first consonant. thus:
"Kee ard" "kee.ar," "kee.art.