Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1886-04-15
A FEW SOUTHERNISMS.
EXAMPLES OF QUAINT SAYINGS IN
GEORGIA AND SOUTH CAROLINA.

GEORGIA AND SOUTH CAROLINA.
Peculiarities Of Pronunciation Held by
tho Southern People rs . Class-Ths
Word Funny Used with Startling Ell
fects-"To Get to Go"-Examples.
Some years ago Richard Grant Whitt
wrote a delightfully."- interesting book on
Americanisma He might well have divided
the sub;;e into two parts: Yankeeism.
and southernisma Absolute CORRECTNESS in
pronunciation, or in the formation Of SEN
fences, is most difficult accomplishment
and few there be, either north or south
who have reached such degree Of perfec
ton that no exception can be taken by
-carping critics. to their utteranceS In the
matter Of pronunciation the times are
changing. and one can scarcely keep pace
with the innovations being introduced by
the leading ortheopistA
The purpose Of this paper is, however, tc
present, in a succinct way. few Of the
luaintnesses Of pronunciation and construc
ton held by the southern people as q class.
Among these the first that comes to mind is
the custom Of emitting the last two letter.
Of such words as more" store -four
which are pronounced mo" -sto,' 10
What O'Clock is it," you ask the Carolinian,
and ten to one he tells you it's -half-pas'
TO-" if that happens to be the hour.
Another common southernism Is the use
Of like as IT," or like" for the words -al
IT, ~She looked like she knew me-" is q
common expression, or she looked as il
she'd die This is very common in Wash
ington, and in all the states south Of Mason
and Dixon's 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 a caller was telling Of
the death Of her mother through swallow
ing a fisb-bone. -Oh, wasn't it funny" ex-
claimed our visitor, at tine close Of tho mar
rative. Il think you mean strange said
the caller, as soon as she recovered from her
astonishment Our girl friend has never
used the word funny" since
If you happen TO hear anybody say rye
cheer you may know it is intended to
mean right here" For instance: A South
Carolinian will say: Where was he at last
night!- and his fellow citizen will say, He
stood rye cheer with me-" Djear-pro-
nounced in one syllable-is not q Russian
word, as might be supposed; it means do
YOU hear and is usually addressed to serv-
ants in this form: You, Jim, Bring in
that wood, djear.7
TO get to CO. is essentially a Georgia
expression They say, do, don't fail to
come tonight" and the reply is, I've tried
to get to go three weeks now, so l reckon
I'll be there might" The expression do
don't is heard in Georgia and South Iaro-
lima, but rarely elsewhere. One of the most
laughable things you ever heard is the pe-
culiar pronunciation Of the word about. >
It is impossible to express the South Caro-
linian pronunciation, phonetically. 1t
sounds like about-pronounced very quickly
in three syllables .Qaare," for queer" is
another word The use Of reckon" for pre-
sumo, is said to have been derived from the
Yankees, as was the expression right
smart" for the word much"
In imitation of English, perhaps, Is the
custom of saying I've got H." for Il have
it." and the general use of the word got
where it is quite unnecessary. Also Eng
lish is tine use OF obliged" as I'm Obliged
TO do it for Il must do it, "he is Obliged
to 60" for he must CO. Ambiguity Of
expression is too prevalent in Dixie, and too
many people sacrifice sense TO sound.
PEcULIARITIEs OF PRONUNCIATION.
Low-country people and the residents of
middle South Carolina say 'gee-arden" for
garden" 'gee-yard" for 'guard'-with the
hard sound of g." So too, with such words
as card car" and cart into which is
introduced the sound Of 'kee," to take the
place of the first consonant, thus: -kee ard,
.kee-ar," "kee-art
The use Of deli yhtful for delicious, is such
a sentence as: Tire ice-cream is delightful,
is very common Pretty is a word very
often misused, for instance: Isn't this a
pretty dayf-and this error is very
general one North Carolinians say the
scenery is "pretty'-meaning picturesque;
the day is pretty fine; and that
a persons manners are pretty
well-bred.
You all, or, as it is abbreviated, y all, ="
is one of the most ridiculous Of all ths
southernisms can call to mind. 1t usII-
ally means tyo or more persons, but 1t Is at
times used when only one person is meant.
For instance, caller on taking her depart
ure says, ~ all must come to see us She
means the lady upon whom she is calling
and her husband may call
The YANKEES have quite as maEy ridicu-
lous figures of speech as those l have men
toned as peculiarly southern, AMI it will be
reserved for another paper to present the
oddities OF Yankee conversation In the
meantime every true hearted southerner
who reads these lines will declare that he
never used amy of these s,uthernisms, AMI
will lie just AS honest in his belief as the
Charlestonian when he vows that he never
says -dis-a-way" for this way" and dat a.
way for that way"-Dixie.