A Turn of Phrase 5/2/2021

By: Jennifer Richardson Holt

I was recently exploring a treasure trove of old folkways.  I had already been pondering some sayings that were particularly endearing to me and thinking of how I could work them into the blog and I stumbled upon a lady producing a lot of fabulous content in attempt to preserve her way of life.  I immediately was drawn to her accent, to her stories of her family, to her love of her home.  She even talked about sayings she had heard in her time that came from either her family or that she’d heard in her community.  There is something so captivating about a colorful saying and in most parts of the south we are somewhat famous for them. Today I want to explore a few descriptive turns of phrase that I have heard or learned.  Hopefully I can give you some new vibrant sayings to add to your vocabulary repertoire.

I will begin with the first one that came to mind.  If I remember correctly, my mother told me that it was something that her father used to say after someone had made a particularly verifiable statement. Apparently my grandpa was prone to say “Truth will stand when the world’s on fire.”  Now it will help to be more authentic if, as you read that, you pronounce the word “fire” like the word “far”.  That will make it sound more true to form.  I suppose it’s actually a decently accurate statement. When everything else is in shambles, the truth remains unchanged; this makes it a perfect case of a simple point presented with a bit of pizzazz.

I am not entirely certain where this next one came from but I have heard it from multiple sources. I have heard it from my mom’s side who are a people from the hills and valleys of northeast Alabama. I have also, I think, heard it from my dad’s side who are a very flat landed people from the peanut and cotton fields of southeast Alabama.  Let me add a quick disclaimer that there are and have been cotton fields all over this state, hills or no hills, but I digress.  I have also heard this exceptionally vivid saying from folks from my beloved Smoky Mountains in Tennessee and North Carolina. It’s a response to the simple question of asking how someone is doing. I know there are a plethora of responses to this question already but, if you are searching for something to really jazz up your day and merit either a smile, a head tilt or perhaps an eyebrow raising, may I present you with this one.  When asked how you’re doing you reply: “I’m finer than snuff and not half as dusty”.  Now I have to insist that you say it with as much of a southern accent as you can muster, preferably if you are familiar, a bit of mountain twang is recommended, but heavy southern will suffice.  I always loved this saying. I loathe snuff, but this is still just an inordinately lovable saying.

This next phrase is equally, hmm what is the word, let’s say picturesque in its language.  I picked this one up from a woman whose family has lived in the same hollow (pronounced “holler” of course) of the North Carolina mountains for multiple generations. She also shared several other sayings that I had heard but for some reason this particular one stuck with me.  When describing something that is a small space you belt out this beauty, “This isn’t big enough to cuss a cat without getting fur in your mouth.”  You are welcome for that gem.  I recommend that you use it as soon as possible. I also recommend that you don’t cuss at cats. I try not to cuss at anyone though as a cat owner I do know that on occasion they can inspire less than angelic reactions with their shenanigans.  But the next time you’re feeling a bit cramped I can guarantee the mood will be ever so slightly lightened if you comment on felines, fur and foul language.

I am not sure where this brief quip came from but I am pretty certain I have heard both parents utter it. It is of course possible that one said it and after their nearly 48 years of marriage that the saying of one has rubbed off on the other so I would have to do some investigation to see if I could find its origin. This phrase is one that identifies a defensive person as one with a guilty conscience and does so quite succinctly by saying, “The hit dog hollers.”  I mean it is short and to the point.  There isn’t much retort available for the person in whose direction it is proclaimed.  At that point I suppose silence is very much the best bet.  No one likes to hear a hollering dog either in reality or figuratively.

The last one I will share has the ever so charming quality of inspiring distinct visual imagery.  If you see someone with a big toothy grin then you can describe them as “grinnin’ like a mule eatin’ briars”.  Now, picture with me if you will, a long faced mule already blessed with sizable teeth attempting to eat vegetation with thorns. As such, it is a rather delicate process and if you imagine the peeled back lips that such a beast would have whilst trying to achieve this then you can get some semblance of what a large smile this would produce. I can see this in my head and I type and am noticing it also tends to make the aforementioned smile somewhat contagious.

As you know, if you read my blogs, you know I am wordy. I suppose that is why I am so fond of such descriptive language and sayings like these.  Use of words here makes the simplest of ideas into something more rich and vibrant. I guess my wordiness makes me a sucker for something that changes a drab statement about the size of a room into the way you talk to your pets when you are particularly irate.  I’m just a believer that there is in fact more than one way to skin a cat so therefore there must also be more than one way to make a statement.  I just happen to be of the school of thought that the more expressive the words to share your thoughts the better.  When I see delightful sayings it makes me feel, as my dad always says, “finer than a frog hair split four ways”.  It makes words more your own.  And when these sayings get passed down through generations and around a community they really do feel all the more representative to teach others of the bright and spirited people from whence they came.