22 Southern Phrases People Need Help Understanding

1. “Fixin’ to…” - Preparing to do something. "I was fixin' to run into town and go grocery shopping before the kids got home."
2. “Cut on/off” - This is not meant as in "to slice". It's more like turning something on or off. "Cut that porch light off; all those mosquitoes are coming up here."
3. “'For day in the mornin'…” - Before sunrise. "I had to get up, 'for day in the mornin', to get breakfast ready for the babies before they went off to catch the school bus."
4. “Set” - The alternative way of saying "sit." "Set that down before you lose it!"
5. "Tore up" - Displeased, upset, distraught, or hurt. "Chris was tore up about his Granddaddy passing away. I felt so bad"
6. “Bless your heart” - I can't believe you're that stupid. "Bless his heart, he's got about as much sense as a door knob."
7. “Stompin’ grounds” - Where you're from or a place you frequently visit. "My stompin' grounds is way down out in the low country. You can find me down in Beaufort every other weekend. I make that trip back home so often."
8. “Good Lord/Lord have mercy” - Are you kidding me?/You're stressing me out! "Good Lord James, I can't do it all by my self! Help me out around the house. The kids are driving me up the wall!" "Lord have mercy, I'm at the end of my rope. I've had it!"
9. “Reckon” - An educated guess. "I reckon Ann-Caroline is still coming up here, to visit, from Georgia. She hasn't be returning my calls but last I heard, she was."
10. “Buggy” - Shopping cart. "If you run into the back of my feel with that buggy one more time! Lord have mercy!"
11. "Rile" - Incredibly upset. "Katherine got all riled up because Emerson said he hated her cooking, in front of all her friends."
12. "____ is ill" - This isn't to be confused with an actual illness/disease. It's a state of mind. Someone is in a foul mood. "Grace, your man is ill today. I ran into him down at the Pharmacy and he was so rude. What's his problem?"
13. “Supper” - Dinner. "Mama made shrimp and grits for supper! Look at God!"
14. “Stick it where the sun don’t shine” - Keep that to yourself. "You can take your opinion and stick it where the sun don't shine because I don't have time for it!"
15. “Lightning bugs” - "Grant and Michael are sleeping out on the porch tonight because it's finally Summertime and they want to catch lightnin' bugs to put in those mason jars."
16. “Crank” - To start. "I went to crank the car but I forget my keys inside.
17. “Y’all” - You all. One person is "you". Two people is "y'all". Three or more people is "all y'all".
18. “Yonder” - Down in the distance. "I went down yonder to see if my traps had anything caught in 'em but they were empty."
19. "Well aren't you precious?" -This is something said out of pity. "Well aren't you precious?! Look honey, she's using her salad fork instead of the dinner fork!"
20. “Fire” - Super upset. "You scared the fire out of me and made me spill the barbecue sauce all on the floor!"
21. "Figure" - Not an object, but rather an idea. "I figured you were upset so I just went ahead and left you alone."
22. "Tote" - To carry something. "I didn't grab a basket so I have to tote these groceries around, in my hands, in this store until I either find one, or go to check out."