The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1886-03-04
SOME ODD SOUTHERNISMs.
a FEW EXAMPLES OF 9UArNTsAYGSas
IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
Our ridiculous Figures OF speech and how
they Look in Print--Some OF tho Idle
Fancies OF IL Phiiogogist.

(S. Partiee 81, "Dirts")
Some years ago Richard Grant White |
wrote a delightfully."- interesting book |
on Americani>ms. lie might well |
have divided the subject into TWO
parts; Gankeeisms and Suuthcrnisms.
Absolute correctness in pronunciation,
VI Ill The formation OF scntcucvs, is a |
most difficult accomplishment, and
there be, either North or South, who
nave rcachedsuch degree otpcrtcction
that no exceptions can be taken by
''carping critics" 10 their ulterunces.
In the matter Of pronunciation, the
tunes are changing, and one can scarce
~ Keep pace with the innovations
being introduced by the leading orthe
OplstS.
The purpose of this paper is, how
ever, to present, in q succinct way, q
few vi the qualntne>ses of pronuncia-
tloh and construction held 70 by the
Southern people as u class. Among
these the first thrt comes to mind i,
The custom OF emitting the last two
letters lii such words as more"
"lour, "store"-whicha are pronounced
"mo," "to," and "sto." "Whai
O'Clock is IL" you ask the Carolinian,
and ten to one he tells you it il "half.
pas fo'," II that happen to be the hour.
Another common Southcrlism is the
use of "like as it," or "likc" for the
words "as it," "She looked like She
knew me" is i common expression, or
'shc loo"cd like AS if she'd die" This
ls very comIHon in Washington, and
i'll all the States south of Mason and
Dixon's line.
The word "fnnny" is frequently
used instead of strange, and some
times with startling effects. A Young
Southern girl was visiting us once,
and caller was telling of the death OF
her mother through swallowing II fish
bone. "Ohl wasn't it .funny?" cx-
claimed our visitor at the close of the
narrative. II think YOU mean strange
SAID the caller, as soon as she recover
ca from the astonIslnent. Our glri
friend has never used the word "iilu-
ny" since!
you happen to hear anybody say
'rye chce'" you NAV know it is in
tended to mean "right here" For
instance: A South Carolinian will Say
"Where was hr ut last night 2" and his
tellow-citizcn will SAY, "lIe staid rye
cheer with me-" Djeur pronounced
III one syllablc-is not a Russian woru
AZ might be supposed; it means "0,,
YOU hearE' and is usually addressed ia
servanss in this form: "IIou, Jim
Bring in that wood, djcar?"
"Io get to go" is Essentially Gcor-
ga expression. They say, "Do, don't
tail to come to-night,' and the reply
is, "l'vc tried to gettO go three weeks,
now, SO l reckon III Dc there tnight." ="
Inc expression ''DO don't" IL heard in
Georgia and South Carolina, but rare
~ elsewhere. One OF the most laugh
able things you ever heard is the be-
cuilar Pronuncinlion of the word
""6out." IL is impossible to express
the South Caroliniun's pronunciation
, phonctically. 1t sounds like aba0ut-
+ pronounced very quickly in three ~ /
: tables "Quare," tor "qu.cr." is
ano'hcr word. The use of "ro ,
, for "presume" is said to have bee,
4 derived from the Yankees, as was tn,
= expression fright smart" for the wore
"much."
: "ln imitation of English, perhaps, i
, the custom of saying "I'vc got i'' to
Z II have 1t, and the general Use of tn,
! word got" where it is quite unnrccs
! snry. Also English is the use o,
"obligcd," a. "I'm obliged to do it,
for 81 must do it;""hc is obliged I,
co." for she must go" Ambiguity .
! expression Is 100 prevalent in Dixie
| ana too many people sacrifice sense
for sound.
, Low-counlry people and the resi-
, dents OF middle South Carolina SAY
"gee-d'tten" for "garden," and "1ee
, g"rd" for "guard"-with the hare
sound of "g" SO, too, with sucl
words as "card," "car" and "carl''
INTO which is Introduced the sound OF
"6ec," to take the place of the first
consonant, thus: "kee-urd," "kee-ur,'
"kee-ayt."
The use of delightful for delicious,
IN such sentence as: "rhc ice cream
Is delightful" is very common. "Prei-
ty" Is word very often rnisuscd, for
instance: "Isn't this pretty day p
ana this error is very general one.
North Carolinians say the scenery il
"'pretty"-neaning picturesque; the
day is "pretty'-meaning fine; and
that PERSONS mahncrs are "pretty"
meaning wcll-brcd.
You 0U," or, rs it is abbreviated
"ydW,' is one oft the m st ridiculuu>
VI all INC SouthcrnismS | can call to
mind. Ii usually means two or more
| persons, but is sometimes used when
only one person is meant. For in
stance caller on trking her de parture
says: "G'all must come to sec us -
She means the lady, npon whom she is
calling, and her husband may call.
The Yankees have quite as manI
ridiculous figures of SPEECH rs those /
nave mentioned as peculiarly Southern
ana 1t will be reserved for another
paper to present the oddities OF Yankee
conversation. In the meantime every
| true-hearted Suulherncr who reads
these lines will declare that he never
used any Of these Southcrn.sins, and
viii be just "a honest in his belief os
the Charlestolian when he VOWS that
he never SAYS "diS-n-wnv" for "thi.
way and "d"t a-way" for "that way"
Dr. BrIlingo Case.
>. The case against DR.. Amos N. Bel