Translate These Common Southern Phrases and We'll Guess Which Southern City You'll Visit Next

By: Teresa McGlothlin
Estimated Completion Time
5 min
Translate These Common Southern Phrases and We'll Guess Which Southern City You'll Visit Next
Image: Lisa-Blue/E+/Getty Images

About This Quiz

When you are told that something is located over yonder, do you know where to find it? The southern U.S. is known for its charm, its history and its colorful phrases. After you translate a slew of phrases you might hear in any southern town, we'll tell you which of the south's cities you'll visit the next time you head down yonder. 

If you know what it means when a southerner says "that dog won't hunt," you have probably already visited a few places in the south. If you have no idea what "jerking a knot in someone's tail" means, this might be your first trip. No matter which one, you are destined to have a great time translating these phrases and traveling to some real gems of the south. Will you know as many of them as you think you do? 

We've buttered our butts and called ourselves biscuits while finding phrases for you to translate. We do hope that you'll pick up on the unique southern way of putting things and adopt a few of the phrases into your everyday speech. You'll need to know a few of them when you're walking the streets of the town you're going to see! Which one will it be?


Kitty Bath
Elena Kulikova/Moment/Getty Images
If someone were"madder than a cat getting baptized," how angry would they be?
I think it means that someone's insane.
They would be mad enough to screech.
I think it means as angry as a wet cat.
It's another way of saying "bless your heart."

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Pet possum on tree stump
Grove Pashley/Photographer's Choice RF/Getty Images
In your opinion, what does "that possum's on a stump" mean?
It means someone is sitting pretty.
That person is up a creek without a paddle.
The possum fell out of its tree.
Things are as close to perfect as they are going to get.

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Turtles are sitting on a tree trunk
Lisa Schaetzle/Moment/Getty Images
If you're "off like a herd of turtles," what are you doing?
Stuck in your shell
Moving slowly
Walking in single file
Running for the salad bar

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Rodeo cowboy and wild horse
olaser/E+/Getty Images
"This ain't my first rodeo" means which of the following?
Don't treat me like I"m stupid.
I know a lot about horses.
I've done this before.
Nothing surprises me these days.

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Man running on morning commute
Seb Oliver/Cultura/Getty Images
If you are skedaddling in the south, what are you doing?
Taking your time
Procrastinating
Running away
Fishing

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Red-eyed treefrog
JH Pete Carmichael/Photodisc/Getty Images
What do you think "finer than a frog's hair" means?
It means something is hard to see.
It's slang for someone who is hot.
It references expensive things.
It's talking about something that's rare.

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Hand reaching towards glowing light
Paper Boat Creative/DigitalVision/Getty Images
"God don't like ugly" means what to the rest of the world?
Ugly people won't get into heaven.
Ugly hearts are not attractive.
You should always try to be pretty.
God doesn't make mistakes.

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Hen lays egg
georgeclerk/E+/Getty Images
Does "madder than a wet hen" mean angry or insane?
If you're British, it means insane.
I can mean either thing.
I think it refers to anger.
I don't think it means angry or insane.

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Woman listens to music and holds a cup of coffee
SDI Productions/E+/Getty Images
"Act like you've been to town before" is a southern way of saying ____________.
Look sharp and act presentable.
Don't be so stupid.
Show me around the place.
Use your manners!

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Weight scale with a heart and a couple in balance
Fanatic Studio/Gary Waters/Getty Images
Do you know what "I love you a bushel and a peck means"?
I love you more than anything.
I like you a lot!
Our love is immeasurable.
I have a little love for you.

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Dill pickles
Brian Yarvin/Photographer's Choice RF/Getty Images
Which emotion is intended with the phrase "that just dilled my pickle"?
Anger
Happiness
Fear
Sadness

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Man meets woman
praetorianphoto/E+/Getty Images
What do southerners mean when they say "me and you are gonna mix"?
We are going to go out on a date.
I think we should be friends.
We are now sworn enemies.
We'll share our favorite cake recipe.

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Border Collie lying down
echo1/E+/Getty Images
Can you pick out the right meaning of "that dog won't hunt"?
It means someone is lazy.
I think it means that a theory is not going anywhere.
It means that a dog is lazy.
Southerners are saying that there's no point.

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Heart shaped branch tree
johnwoodcock/DigitalVision Vectors/Getty Images
What does "his family tree doesn't have many branches" really mean?
He comes from a close-knit family.
It means he's not that smart.
He doesn't know much about this background.
He's as thick as his papa.

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Gold Woman
101dalmatians/E+/Getty Images
Is it a good thing or a bad thing when a southerner says you look "gussied up"?
It's a real compliment.
It's sort of an insult.
I think it's a polite way of saying you're overdressed.
It's another way of saying that you look the part.

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Evangelical Preacher
pixeldigits/E+/Getty Images
Which trait would someone who "could make a preacher cuss" have?
A big mouth
A sense of intelligence
An argumentative streak
A trying personality

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Morning at home
filadendron/E+/Getty Images
If it's "been a month full of Sundays," how long has it been?
Four weeks
A long time
A few days
A couple of years

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Arrogant man buttoning his suitcoat
Beau Lark/Corbis/VCG/Getty Images
Someone who is uppity is which of these words?
Tall
Educated
Rich
Snobby

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Pottering around
Nomad/E+/Getty Images
What are you being told when you're told to "stop pottering around"?
Get to work.
Move faster.
Put down the J.K. Rowling.
Get out of the garden.

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Fully fed tick
Knaupe/E+/Getty Images
What is meant by "fuller than a tick on a hound dog"?
It means your belly is full.
I think it means you are fulfilled in life.
It's another way of saying standing room only.
It's used to describe the body in someone's hair.

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Woman being tempted by dessert
PeopleImages/E+/Getty Images
If you're "hankering for" something, what are you doing?
Sick of it
Wondering about it
Craving it
Crying over it

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Yellow Staircase
Maico Presente/Moment/Getty Images
What's the meaning behind "down yonder"?
In the south
Over there
The next town over
Below the belt

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Bread in a basket
andresr/E+/Getty Images
What part of your body is called a "bread basket" in the south?
Head
Buttocks
Stomach
Armpit

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American Alligator
LaDora Sims/Moment/Getty Images
What is meant by "you can't call an alligator a lizard"?
I think it means you should get your facts straight.
You should know the right names of things.
It means that you can't make something into something else.
There's no reason to tell a lie.

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Girl Rounding Up Geese
Monty Rukusen/Cutura/Getty Images
If someone "gets your goose," what are they doing to you?
They are ruffling my feathers.
I think they would be making my dinner.
It means they are angering me.
They are understanding what I'm saying.

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Tree
assalve/E+/Getty Images
What kind of weather does "it's so dry, the trees are begging for dogs" reference?
A sunny day
A blizzard
A thunderstorm
A drought

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Moth
Buddy Mays/Corbis/Getty Images
When you're at work, are you "as busy as a moth on a mitten"?
it depends on the day of the week.
I do get pretty busy.
I'm always as busy as a moth on a mitten.
I don't know exactly how busy that is.

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Cowgirl on horse
Sisoje/E+/Getty Images
If someone told you that you "have a burr in your saddle," how would you feel about it?
I would adjust my attitude.
I would say they have a bee in their bonnet.
I'm sure it would annoy me.
I would thank them for giving me a heads up.

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Biker Riding on a Mountain Trail
vm/E+/Getty Images
Can you pick out the correct meaning of "What in the Sam Hill?"
What in the world?
It's a local trait. You wouldn't understand.
I have no idea what that means.
Sam Hill would not approve of your ways.

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White duck
Oscar Sánchez Photography/Moment/Getty Images
What does it mean when someone has a "duck fit"?
It means they are waddling from an injury.
It means their jeans fit well.
It's another way of saying hissy fit.
It's a type of hat they wear in the south.

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