Do You Know Enough Southern Slang to Survive Living There?

By: Teresa McGlothlin
Estimated Completion Time
3 min
Do You Know Enough Southern Slang to Survive Living There?
Image: Jose Luis Pelaez Inc / DigitalVision / Getty Images

About This Quiz

Do you have a dog in the fight when it comes to Southern slang? Take your best shot at deciphering what's meant by some of their funniest and most interesting phrases, and we'll let you know if you could live there. Other parts of the country might say that they speak a different language down there. Will you agree by the end, or will you be tempted to load up a moving van and drive south to your new home? 

Southern slang is full of all sorts of euphemisms and comedy. Whether you've heard some of these phrases or not, you're sure to find one that you'll want to add to your vocabulary. Before you pick up the family and relocate there, make sure you understand enough Southern speech to survive. You'll need to know what "madder than a wet hen" means before you would even have a chance at communicating with the locals. 

As you go through our questions, put yourself in a Deep South state of mind. Roll through each answer like a herd of turtles, and make sure that no one can see Christmas while you're doing it. Once you've finished, we'll let you know if you're a good candidate for Southern living. Will you be able to hack it? 

Follow your heart What do you think it means when you hear a Southerner say, "bless your heart"?
It's a nice way of expressing sympathy.
I think it means they are saying a prayer for me.
It's what they say when you sneeze.
I'm sure it's a way of saying that you're annoying.

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Scratched eyes What do you need to do if your "eyeballs are floating"?
Use the restroom
Get some sleep
Find your glasses
Take aspirin for a headache

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Salad dressing At the table, you're asked to pass the dressing. What are you passing?
Oil and vinegar
Ranch
Stuffing
Biscuits

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Bangkok-bound, buddy! If a Southerner says, "Well, I'll be," what are they expressing?
Sadness
Surprise
Shock
Love

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Q28 Quiet Instead of saying "shut up," what do Southerners say?
"Zip it, lock it, and put it in your pocket."
"Hush up!"
"Buck up!"
"Simmer down."

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Am I a Hot Mess How are you looking if you look like a ragamuffin?
Ratty
Dapper
Hot
Suave

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Driving When you're in the South, which one of these roads would you take to get on the highway?
Access road
On-ramp
Boarding lane
Carriage road

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Rocking Chair Which word do Southerners use to describe something that's placed diagonally?
Longways
Half-cocked
Cattywampus
Catty-corner

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Sidewalk Couple If you're not from the country, you've been what?
Citified
Yankee-ized
Towned
Decent

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Q14 - mudding What are you going to be doing if you go "mudding"?
Off-roading in a truck
Putting up drywall
Going to a spa
Wrestling in a pit

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Sneakers How do they refer to sneakers in the South?
Tennis shoes
Kicks
Running shoes
Trainers

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Sweet Tea Which of these vessels do they serve sweet tea out of in the Deep South?
A carafe
A pitcher
A vase
A jug

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Q9 Path What's meant by the phrase "I reckon"?
I suppose.
I don't know.
It's logical.
It makes sense.

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Possum If someone is "playing possum," what are they doing?
Begging for food
Hiding from the boss
Going camping
Pretending to be asleep

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Rattlesnake What kind of person is considered a "snake in the grass"?
A quiet person
A rich person
An untrustworthy person
A person of low status

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Order a Bunch of Food from Olive Garden and We'll Guess Which State You Live In 2 While you're in the South, which meal do you have in the evenings?
Tea
Supper
Dinner
Slunch

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Cleaning What are you grabbing when you grab the "sweeper" and clean up a mess?
A vacuum
A broom
A dustpan
A mop

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13 Arrogant businessman How is someone acting if they are "too big for their britches"?
Arrogantly
Shy
Charitably
Deviously

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Country house with green back yard in sunny summer day Where might you find a Southerner's old "stomping grounds"?
Their home town
Their backyard
A cemetery
A grocery store

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She's mad When a Southerner is angry, they're "madder than a" what?
Hornet
Tick
Setting hen
Hatter

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Soda What kind of fizzy drink would you order at a Southern diner?
Coke
Pop
Soda
Frappe

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Race If someone doesn't have a chance, they don't have a what "in the race"?
A dog
A horse
A rabbit
A cat

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Easter Basket What does "as lost as last year's Easter egg" mean?
It means you need to stop for directions.
I think it means that you're confused.
That means that no one will ever find you.
It's another way of saying that something's gone forever.

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pickle You overhear someone say, "That just dills my pickle!" What does it mean?
They're happy.
They're angry.
They're disappointed.
They are shocked.

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Rock Any idea what an "over the shoulder boulder holder" might be?
A bookbag
A scarf
A belt
A bra

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Shy-Dog What's meant when a Southerner says, "That dog won't hunt"?
It means someone's not that smart.
It's the way they say that someone's lazy.
It's a way of saying that someone's a liar.
I think it's the way they say that something's pointless.

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Couple enjoying a ride on a typical canoe in Canada If someone "only has one oar in the water," what kind of person are they?
Mean
Stupid
Polite
Ambitious

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Spotted Turtles How are things going if they're "off like a herd of turtles"?
Flawlessly
Problematically
Beyond expectations
Slowly

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bread If a Southerner pointed at your "breadbasket," where would they be pointing?
My stomach
My butt
My bosom
My mouth

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12-fancy-dinner How does someone look if they are "all gussied up"?
Raggedy
Professional
Messy
Smart

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