Different local sayings from around the Country.

Question

I work for a local rental car company and I pick up people at the airport to drive them to the office to pick up their rental car. I have found that people can be hilarious just based on where they are from.

Some of you may have heard the phrase, "down the road a piece or down yonder". How far in distance is down yonder? Well, I heard a new one the other day. This couple was from North Carolina and as we were carrying on a conversation she said "half in two" in a sentence. I looked at her and said "please say that again". She said if you have an apple and you cut it half in two, how many pieces do you have? Well, feeling dumber than a bucket of hair, I wasn't sure if it's 2 or 4. I asked her what the answer was and she refused to tell me. So: Question: If you cut something half in two, how many pieces do you have?

If you don't mind, I find these local sayings from around the Country very interesting. If you wouldn't mind, would you share some other local sayings that are common place from your neck of the woods?

Answer 1

I live in NC too and the comparisons people use to describe what they are saying are very funny. I worked with a guy raised here and wished I could have brought a tape recorder to work with me to record him.  I could have made a lot of money with the comedy act - but he wasn't acting.  He didn't even know he was being funny, but he was genuinely amusing.  I can't remember what he said but there was a "like" in nearly every sentence or story.  Great story tellers! Have you ever heard of the comedian Jerry Clower?  You would love him!

Common sayings:  "thin as a hair in a biscuit" or "thin as a hair in a biscuit cut in two" and sometimes 4!  I heard it used in reference to how hard he had been working.  

I heard a great one today. My co-worker said she had enough corrections to choke a cow (and they have 4 stomachs)!  We work clerical jobs.  She also says this quite often, "Whistlin' girls and cackling hens both will come to no good end."

A very common phrase even among the most educated is "got gone".  I had a lady tell me her dog "got gone."  I didn't understand what she meant.  "Oh, you mean went missing!" I said when I finally figured it out.

Some folks use the word "gander" for take a "look".

One language barrier is when they combine an entire sentence into two or three syllables: "fya-unto" means "If you want to."  "whacha'll dune" means "What are you all doing?"

The people here are the most wonderful , beautiful, genuine people you could ever meet!  Really.  They are friendly and live to help others.  I think is what Heaven must be like.

I'm not sure how many slices of apple you have there.  I'll ask someone when I get out and about.  My guess would be two.

Where do you live?

Answer 2

I live in NC too and I find some of the things they say here hilarious! I can't answer your apple question but I was talking to a friend a few weeks ago and he said he had to go because his wife was 'coming up from down yonder'.

My grandfather was from Western NY and when he was trying to make a point he would say,"Let me show you where the Bear sh*ts in the Buckwheat.