Do You Know Enough Southern Slang to Survive Living There?

WORLD

By: Teresa McGlothlin

5 Min Quiz

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? 

What do you think it means when you hear a Southerner say, "bless your heart"?

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What do you need to do if your "eyeballs are floating"?

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At the table, you're asked to pass the dressing. What are you passing?

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If a Southerner says, "Well, I'll be," what are they expressing?

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Instead of saying "shut up," what do Southerners say?

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How are you looking if you look like a ragamuffin?

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When you're in the South, which one of these roads would you take to get on the highway?

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Which word do Southerners use to describe something that's placed diagonally?

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If you're not from the country, you've been what?

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What are you going to be doing if you go "mudding"?

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How do they refer to sneakers in the South?

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Which of these vessels do they serve sweet tea out of in the Deep South?

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What's meant by the phrase "I reckon"?

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If someone is "playing possum," what are they doing?

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What kind of person is considered a "snake in the grass"?

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While you're in the South, which meal do you have in the evenings?

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What are you grabbing when you grab the "sweeper" and clean up a mess?

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How is someone acting if they are "too big for their britches"?

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Where might you find a Southerner's old "stomping grounds"?

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When a Southerner is angry, they're "madder than a" what?

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What kind of fizzy drink would you order at a Southern diner?

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If someone doesn't have a chance, they don't have a what "in the race"?

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What does "as lost as last year's Easter egg" mean?

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You overhear someone say, "That just dills my pickle!" What does it mean?

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Any idea what an "over the shoulder boulder holder" might be?

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What's meant when a Southerner says, "That dog won't hunt"?

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If someone "only has one oar in the water," what kind of person are they?

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How are things going if they're "off like a herd of turtles"?

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If a Southerner pointed at your "breadbasket," where would they be pointing?

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How does someone look if they are "all gussied up"?

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