Southern Phrases You'll Need a Dictionary For

The South has a unique and rich culture known for its homestyle cooking, strong family ties, and dialect that leaves others scratching their heads. People from the coasts might have a hard time figuring out what folks from the South are saying sometimes. Here's a handy guide to some of the common phrases one might run into when visiting.

"A Mind To"

Visitors soon come to realize that the South has a phrase or saying for just about anything. "A mind to," for example, is a phrase people use when they're thinking about doing something. One might usually hear this preceding the actual plan they've been thinking about.

As an example, one might say, "I've a mind to head to Austin's place later, but I'm not sure when." In this sense, the phrase expresses whatever is currently on the mind that the person is still contemplating.

"All Get Out"

Another Southern phrase people likely have not heard is "all get out." This expression means the most extreme example of something. It's used to express an exaggeration of some kind, most commonly when someone is exasperated. It's a phrase anyone can come to use daily.

For example, one could say that they're "hungry as all get out" or "that meal was as good as all get out." It's a quick and easy way to describe something at its utmost maximum, be it negative or positive.

"Aren't You Precious"

This phrase has fooled many an outsider. In other places, it might be seen as a compliment for something or someone cute. But in the South, it's more likely to be used sarcastically as a veiled insult.

The South is nothing if not polite, and their insults are the same in that regard. "Aren't you precious" is typically used in response to someone being offensive or stupid. Did someone throw an insult at a friend? Well, aren't they precious?

"Barking Up the Wrong Tree"

This old saying is one coastal people have heard before, but it actually originates in the South. There are two ways people can use this phrase. It's either being used as a warning, telling someone to back off, or for when someone is mistaken.

Most of the time, it's used to let someone know that they shouldn't take this fight because it won't end pretty for them. However, it's still common to hear it used when someone assumes something and is terribly wrong.