Writing Southern Style by Debra H. Goldstein
I am a transplanted Yankee. Although I am proud of my northern roots, I’ve come to love the language and cadence of the south. Being honest, despite loving the writings of many southern authors, I must admit my adoption of the “Southern Style” took me a while.
My first trial as a litigator in the south for the U.S. Department of Labor took place in Mississippi. The day before I was leaving Alabama for the trial, one of my colleagues very seriously asked: “Can you do a bit of Magnolia Lady?”
Sadly, I had to explain to him that I was still working on the difference between y’all and ya’ll. For those who don’t know, y’all is the correct contraction, but it doesn’t always come naturally to northern ears.
Soon though, I learned there were phrases, like “Bless Your Heart,” which when said with a smile were delightfully wicked. Other southern cultural phrases that I learned to work into my daily interactions include: “madder than a wet hen,” “if I had my druthers,” “I’m all tore up,” “hush your mouth,” and “fixin to.” The origins of each of these and many other cultural phrases is the stuff for another blog.
But, for today, let me tell you the biggest difference of how northern and southern authors tell a fairy tale (with thanks to an unsigned internet meme). The northerner begins by saying, “Once upon a time. . .” The southerner gets right to the point: “Y’all ain’t gonna believe this . . .”
Do you have any favorite cultural phrases?
