After listening to all the rock music at the gym I watched two programs that I had recorded of the Cumberland Highlanders at Jerusalem Ridge, KY. This is the home of legendary musician Bill Monroe. I needed a fix of bluegrass after the silly "other" music I've had to endure. I will agree that the beat of rock is conducive to keeping up a rhythym in one's workout, so I don't really mind it.
I love anything Appalachian, the people, the music, the accents, the "Trail", the words. It got me to thinking about words I recall from when I was young and spent time in the country. I can't remember many of them, so readers please feel free to comment with your own country words.
One of my favorites that I remember my Mom saying was when one of the kids would limp - she would say they were "walking like a chicken with a bumblefoot." What the heck is "bumblefoot" I can only imagine, but I remembered this saying recently when I was limping with my sciatica. Poor chicken; poor Gypsy!
Other country favorites are "directly", as in "I'll be there directly" and could mean 10 minutes or several hours. "Yonder" is another great inclusive word that can cover many situations, - up yonder, over yonder, the wild blue yonder. Because today is Thanksgiving, we will be eating turkey and "dressing". What the heck is this "stuffing" thing - Stove Top? The proper word for what you stuff the turkey with or bake as a side dish is "Dressing".
So what words do you recall from your memory that maybe aren't used much any more, and relate to where you were born and raised?
I wish you all good food (however you refer to it) and good company today. I will be leaving directly to go yonder to my youngest son's place for the full turkey and dressing dinner.
(Speaking of my youngest son, my baby, Joey, turned 38 yesterday. He did a little celebrating last night at American River Brewing Company, and I can only hope he brought some samples home with him.)
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Stuffing is what you put in the bird. Dressing is what you put on a salad. :P I suppose instead of beer you might drink pop? Not soda! Soda is what you take for a sour stomach.
ReplyDelete'Dressing' a turkey, I believe from back when folks raised their own turkeys, meant from feather to table? In an old Pat Boone movie the family raised a tom turkey and the young son bonded with it. He was sent out to 'dress' the turkey, and not wanting to harm his buddy, he found some clothes to dress it in. A subplot of a silly, funny movie.
ReplyDeleteStuffing or Dressing? I think it depends on where you grew up. South of the Mason/Dixon line it is always "dressing," You may possibly "stuff" the bird, but it always comes out as "dressing." lol
ReplyDeletePeople further up north use the term "stuffing" most of the time. My mom was from Alabama and she always made old-fashioned cornbread dressing which was appropriately placed in the bird. For some reason no one ever got sick and never dreamed of baking the cornbread mixture outside of the bird. If something was put on a salad, it was called a "salad dressing." Of course, "Stove Top" didn't exist in their world and simply couldn't compete. When they cooked from "scratch" they went outdoors to get the bird.
My mother used to use "Heavens to Betsy" quite a bit. I use "yonder" and "alas". One reader told me he had not heard the word "alas" since the 60's...lol, I guess I am dating myself :)
ReplyDeleteI watched one of the country award shows a little while recently. I think what I watched was the top country singles. I don't think I had heard a one of them. I find that with the new country the music is so loud you can't hear the words. I like bluegrass too but you don't hear much of it on TV now days.
ReplyDeleteWe called it stuffing, and my mom made a great stuffing too. As far as remembering anything of words can't think of a thing right now. Hope everyone had a fantastic day.
ReplyDeleteLove yonder and alas. Was it a creek or a crick? Wash or worsh? I remember "it does a body good" and " bless her/his heart"
ReplyDeleteHi, Gypsy! I thought of you last night when the DFW news reported that the homeless were fed turkey and "dressing." Some things I think of re southern talk: I gave it ( a chore) a lick and a promise. There is mor'n one way to skin a cat. He can't find his way out of a paper bag. Don't cut your eyes at me.
ReplyDeleteHope your Friday is a good one.
Thanks RunNRose. I've heard all of those and my mom used to say "lick and a promise" a lot. It brought back some memories.
DeleteWhen I first moved to Texas years ago, I met someone from East Texas who mentioned her aunt. It took me a minute to catch on when she referred to her. When she said "Aint Neeter", she meant "Aunt Nita."
DeleteIn the culinary world dressing is what's served/baked outside the bird. If it is baked inside the bird it is called stuffing. It's not a regional thing, rather how it's cooked.
ReplyDeleteBack in the early to middle 20th century it was nearly always put in the bird and it was always called dressing in the south no matter where they put it. These women were just old-fashioned "country" cooks.
DeleteI know things change and it probably is now called stuffing in the culinary world. I just remember the distant past and haven't forgotten those fabulous meals prepared by loving hands in simple kitchens.
Hi, Janet. Guess what? My mom was from Alabama, too. I was born in Montgomery, brought to TX at five years old, but my mom always spoke Alabaman!
DeleteMy mother was born in Jasper, Walker County area. It's funny you and I both ended up in Texas. I lived there for many years until a couple of years ago when we retired and hopped over the Red River into Oklahoma. I can see the hills of St. Jo, Texas from my yard. Oklahoma is a whole other world. I am getting used to it, but still miss Texas.
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