CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY ENGUSH COLLECTION THE GIFT OF JAMES MORGAN HART PROFESSOR OF ENGUSH SOME PECULIARITIES OF SPEECH IN MISSISSIPPI BY H. A. SHANDS, A.M. Fellow in Bnglish, UNrraBsiTY or Mississippi ^ PUBLISHED BY THE AUTHOE 1893 h Cornell University Library The original of tiiis book is in tine Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924031439015 lIortoDob f ress : S. Gushing & Company, Boston, U.S.A. PREFACE. In this paper, written as a thesis for procuring the degree of Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Mississippi, my object is to collect, and as far as possible to explain, those dialect words and phrases that are peculiar to, or very common in, the State of Mississippi. Many difficulties present themselves at the outset. No pre- vious study of this special subject has, within the knowledge of the writer, been made, so that completeness is almost a matter of im- possibility. The writer must depend upon the conversation of those with whom he is thrown, for whatever specimens of dialect he secures, and consequently must fall far short of obtaining all, or even a majority, of the dialectical peculiarities of his section. The derivation of nearly every colloquial expression is doubtful, and must be, for the most part, simply conjectural. In many instances, words have been so warped from their original forms and meanings, that even a guess at their origin is hazardous ; but, on the other hand, a few readily disclose to the careful observer the various changes that occurred before they reached their present form in colloquial speech. In the discussion that follows, I have omitted those words and expressions that have been introduced into Mississippi by foreign immigrants, for the reason that the same peculiarities have been made known by them to every other portion of the United States. And while it doubtless would be interesting to discuss such additions to our speech, still they could in nowise be said to pertain especially to Mississippi. I have thought it best to leave out also the majority of the provincialisms that are noted as common by Bartlett or other lex- icographers. As it is the object of this paper to give evidence of 3 4 PREFACE. original research, it seems to me useless to repeat accounts already given by the dictionary-makers. I have endeavored to exclude purely slang phrases, such as, " to get on his ear," " I should smile," " on it," " in it," etc. Such phrases as are consciously used by the speaker as slang, I do not regard as a part of the dialect of the State, and hence desire to give them no place in this paper. However, it is very difficult to always determine just what expressions are slang and what are not, so that I may have erred both in excluding some and in including others. In treating the dialect of the State, I have tried to distinguish three constituent elements, — the cultivated white, the illiterate white, and the negro dialects. Of course, all three have many words in common, still they are in many respects essentially dis- tinct ; and, in treating each word separately, I have taken especial care to indicate by what class of people it is used. Where no class is named, it is to be understood that the word is used by all. The phonetic system employed is that of the American Dialect Society : all words enclosed in parentheses are spelled according to that system. In preparing this treatise, I have consulted Bartlett's " Dic- tionary of Americanisms," Earle's "Philology of the English Tongue," Cook's " Sievers' Grammar of Old English," Sweet's "History of English Sounds," and the standard dictionaries of the language. It now remains only for me to express my thanks to the writers in " Dialect Notes," from whom I have ventured to take a great deal of assistance in the way of words treated and comparisons suggested. I also owe and hereby acknowledge gratitude to sev- eral friends in the State who have been so kind as to furnish me with lists of words in their neighborhoods. And most of all do I thank my highly esteemed and learned teacher, Eev. William Eice Sims, Ph.D., who has so kindly assisted me by his valuable suggestions and scholarly advice, and Professor H. Schmidt- Wartenberg, Ph.D., Professor of Modern Languages in this University, who has assisted me in my work by useful notes and revision. H. A. S. University of Mississippi, March 1, 1893. SOME PECULIARITIES OF SPEECH IN MISSISSIPPI. oV<«o GENERAL DISCUSSION OF VOWEL AND CONSONANT SOUNDS. In discussing the vowel changes, I shall pay attention to the sounds rather than to the individual letters ; since, in the Eng- lish language, so many different vowels represent the same sound, and so many sounds are represented by one vowel, that in some instances it is impossible to determine just which letter should be written. In both the vowel and consonant changes there are many isolated examples that cannot possibly be brought under any gen- eral rule, — changes that may have been developed through forms now unhappily lost, or that may have originated from analogy with some other word, not readily ascertained. Some of these changes seem to be mere caprices of the language; and being unable to explain them, I do not, in the majority of instances, attempt it. However, before proceeding to the detailed discussion of these several changes, I feel that I ought to call attention to the fact that the dialect of the illiterate whites of the extreme backwoods districts possesses a characteristic that cannot be adequately rep- resented by written characters, — a kind of drawling nasal twang. This can be fully understood and appreciated only by hearing this class of people talk. The enclosing of a word or letter in parentheses indicates that it is to be spelled or pronounced according to the phonetic system of the American Dialect Society. 5 6 SOME PECULIARITIES OF A (a). , § ]. a) When final, this a is pronounced by negroes and illiterate whites ^as short i; as, (Lindi) for Linda, (Mairi) for Mira, (Minisoti) for Minnesota, (soti) for so/a, (s6di)Jor soda, — an example of the weakening of the strong vowels that has already played so prominent a part in the history of our language. b) This vowel (a), when coming after the palatals c and g, is changed into ia or ya ; as, gyarden for garden, cyar for car, cyar- pet for carpet, gyardeen ioT guardian. This usage is most common among the illiterate, but is prevalent also among the immigrants from Virginia and South Carolina, whatever may be their educa- tion. This is akin to the usual effect of the palatals on this vowel in Anglo-Saxon : "the palatal semi-vowel j, when beginning a word, unites with the vowels a, ce, o, to form gea and geo. . . . The palatals g, c, and sc have a similar effect." — Sievers, pp. 38, 39 ; §§ 74, 75. The change of a into ya under these circumstances is also a cockney pronunciation, and was very common in England about a century ago, according to the best orthoepists. c) The same (a) sound becomes (se) in the words : (psepi) for papa, (paes-1) for parcel, (paetrid3) for partridge, (steeas) for stars, (aea) for are. All of these belong to the dialects of the negroes and the illiterate whites. By them the (se) sound is given also to the vowels in launch, haunch, saunter, haunt, aunt, and nearly all similar words. This last list of words is not correctly pronounced by any class of Mississippians, as the vast majority of the educated people make the vowel sound as (o.) Among the educated classes palm, calm, psalm, qualm, and sim- ilar words are correctly pronounced, btit the illiterate of both colors pronounce the a as (ae). This change occurs in almost every instance before either a liquid or a nasal, but I do not think that these consonants could be said to produce the change. d) In the words scrofulo, cupalo, and fistulo for scrofula, cupola, 2i,x\A fistula, the uneducated make (o) of this (a). f A {ce). ■■'■■ § 2. a) This sound of a becomes (a) in (bal) for barrel, (ma) for mare, (ra) for rare, (praa) for prayer, (ba) for bare, (da) for SPEECH IN MISSISSIPPI. 7 dare. All of these words are used both by negroes and illiterate whites. It seems that this change occurs only before r, as I can find no instance of it under other circumstances. E in these words is not a guttural, but a vocal continuant (Evans). This vocal continuant has been entirely dropped from the pronuncia- tion, and this disappearance has doubtless caused the change from (ee) to (a). , 6) (se) becomes (o) in (tjomp) for champ, (stomp) for stamp, (tromp) for tramp; but this pronunciation is not universal before mp, as is evinced by the fact that the regular (eb) sound is given in camp, hamper, lamp, damp, sample. The pro- nunciation of (se) as (o) belongs more especially to the negro dialect, but it is sometimes used by the whites of both classes. c) The (ae) sound is changed to (e) in (kerid3) for carriage, (hed) for had, (redij) for radish, (ken) for can, — all of which belong to the negro dialect. I think that no general rule can be formulated for this change, as, in words very similar, (ae) has its proper sound. In the words (kerid3) for carriage, (keri) for carry, (skeas) for scarce, (skeg) for scare, (tjea) for chair, (kee) for care, the (ae) is changed to (e), probably through the influ- ence of the preceding palatal or the following r. All of these last-named words belong to the negro or the illiterate white dialect. d) (se) is changed to (§) in (sk§s) for scarce, to (o) in wheel- borrow for wheelbarrow, and stob for stab, to ('b) in ruther for rather. It appears somewhat strange that negroes should say (stob) for stab, and should pronounce slab, scrap, trap, grab cor- rectly. A id). § 3. The sound of a denoted by (a) as in past, fast, is com- monly pronounced by all classes as (ae) : (aesk) for ask, (pses) for pass, (faest) for fast, (laest) for last, (graes) for grass, (caef) for calf, (haef ) for half, (pae)>) for path. A large number of ex- amples of this pronunciation could be given, as it is almost universal in such words. A few educated people — but a very few — give this vowel the correct pronunciation. The words ending in If, as half, calf, are probably correctly pronounced more often than the others. 8 SOME PECULIARITIES OF A(^). § 4. a) This sounds as (e) in (pleg) for plague, (nekid) for naked, (mek) for make. The last word belongs to the negro dia- lect ; the first two are used by all classes. b) The (se) sound appears in (nsep) for nape, (slaekd) for slaked, (meea) for mayor, (weeri) for wary, — the first two words being used by all classes, the last two by the illiterate. c) The (i) sound is heard in (ii3in3) for raisins, (stip-1) for staple. Au (3). § 5. a) This sound appears as (ae) in the two negro words (saes) for sauce, and (ssesi) for saucy. The negroes say (k@z) for because, (audgjas) for audacious. (Dob) for daub and (mud- dobg) for mud-dauber are very common pronunciations among all classes. E (i). § 6. a) This sound is pronounced as (e) in (blgt) for bleat. The short (i) sound is given to this long e in (slik) for sleek, (tit) for teat, (nigro and nigg) for negro. b) Illiterate whites say (raea) for rear, and (qusee) for queer. The short e sound is given this long e in a large group of words, in which r follows the vowel, even by well-educated people. Peer, fear, here, seer, steer, gear, are all pronounced as if the vowel were short (e). B(e). § 7. a) The confusion of this sound with (i) is very common indeed among the illiterate classes, and is heard quite often among the educated : (simineri) for seminary, (simiteri) for cemetery, (sit) for set, (pin) for pen, (egin) for again, (tjist) for chest, (git) for get, etc. This list of words could be prolonged almost indefinitely, for whenever short e occurs in the middle of a word, short i is likely to be substituted for it. 6) In the negro dialect (e) is represented by (e) in (hgd) for head, (M3) for edge. c) (e) sometimes becomes (i) in the dialect of the illiterate classes : as, (in) for end, (wipgn) tov weapon. d) (se) appears for (e) in (rses-l) for wrestle, (seri) for e'er'^a, (})rsej) for thresh, (taerifai) for terrify, (yaes) for yes, (taeripin) for terrapin, (togaeSa) for together, (teeri-a) for terrier. These SPEECH IN MISSISSIPPI. 9 words, of course, belong to the dialects of the uneducated. For the change from (e) to (ae) in those words in which r pre- cedes the vowel, see Sweet, p. 218, § 790. The r coming after the vowel seems to exercise somewhat the same influence. I cannot account for the change in the other words. e) Both negroes and illiterate whites sometimes use (e) in the place of (e) : as, (t-erib-l) for terrible, (tres-1) for trestle. f) In (sent) for sent, (sot) for set, negroes use (o) in the place of (e). T think, however, that this is owing rather to anal- ogy with some other preterites than to vowel change. E(e). § 8. a) As by this character (e) not only a sound of e, biit a sound of i, o, and u, is represented, I shall put under this head such words as have the same vowel sound that appears in curl, word, sir, etc. In the negro dialect, the short u sound Qe) is very frequently used as an equivalent for this ; as, (wek) for work, (d'et) for dirt, (f-ESt) for first, (m'Bsi) for mercy, (p'Bsli) for purslane, (sk'sjan) for excursion, (wi3s) for worse, (s^tnli) for certainly. As may be seen from the phonetic spelling, the r of all of these words is dropped, which causes the change from (e) to (-b). V) Negroes and illiterate whites break the (e) into (ye) be- fore r in the words (pyest) ior pert, (hyead) for heard, and the r is dropped. c) By the illiterate of both colors (a) is substituted for (e) in (kansaand) for concerned, (sa) for sir, (saatj) for search, (saamint) for sermon, (saatn) for certain, (saavnt) for servant, (saav) for serve, (vaamint) for vermin, (yaab) for herb, (laan) for learn. It is readily seen that this change occurs only when the vowel precedes r. This change from (e) to (a) before r is a very well-known phonetic change : cf. Sweet, p. 218, § 789 ; p. 264, § 904. d) That development of parasite-vowels called by Sweet " parasiting " is exemplified by the pronunciation that educated people give to such words as earth, birth, dearth, worth. The r is hardly sounded at all, and the vowel sound is (e), followed by a vanishing (i) sound : cf. Sweet, p. 40, § 159. § 9. The sound of e in there sometimes becomes in the dialects of the flower classes (a); as, (da) for there, (hwa) for where, (6a) for there. 10 SOME PECULIARITIES OF I (ai). § 10. a) Long i (ai) is nearly always correctly pronounced, and seems to follow no rule in those changes that it does undei-go. There is no group of related or similar words in which it suffers any regular change. In a few isolated examples there is incor- rect pronunciation of this i, but nearly all of these are old words and owe their present forms to etymological spelling or assimila- tive change. Long i (ai) is changed to (i) in (blid3d) for obliged, to (8) in (tjeni) for china, to (au) in (mauti) and (maut) for mighty and might. All of these pronunciations indicated by the phonetic spelling have been, at some time in the past, current in England. I (*). § 11. a) Short i (i) is very frequently pronounced by all classes of people as short (e) : as, (pen) for pin, (set) for sit, (ben) for been, (led) for lid, (melt) for milt, (merik-1) for miracle, (rikal-ikj-n) for recollection, (sperit) for spirit, (yist-idi) for yes- terday. I suppose that this confusion of (i) with (e) is la,Tgely due to laziness or negligence, as surely the great majority of people must possess ears delicate enough to readily distinguish between the two sounds whenever their attention is called to the differ- ence. 6) Negroes and uneducated whites sometimes give (i) the sound of (i) in (dij) for dish, (fij) for fish, (spirit) for spirit, (itji) for itch. c) All classes frequently give (i) the sound of (e) in such words as sing, ring, thing, fling, sting. This sound is heard only before ng, and only in words that have the accent on the ing, and is due to nasalization. d) Short (i) appears as (ae) in (maerik-l) for miracle, as (u) in (hwup) for whip, (wuj) for wish, as (■b) in (s^rap) for sirup, as (ai) in (haim) for hym,n, and in (ind3ain) for engine. O(^). § 12. a) Long o (o) nearly always is correctly pronounced in Mississippi; (drev) iov drove is the only instance that I know of, when (■e) is substituted for (6), and I think that this is not due so much to vowel change as to a confusion with the preterites SPEECH IN MISSISSIPPI. 11 of some other verbs. The noun drove is never given this pronun- ciation. The vulgar pronunciation of home and stone, so common in New England, is never heard in Mississippi. In Mississippi long o is never given the sound of (o). 0(0). § 13. a) One of the most characteristic marks of the South- ern pronunciation is the substitution of (o) for short o (o) ; as, (dog) for dog, (hog) for hog, (log) for log, (fog) for fog, (sor|) for song, (lori) for long, (tor)) for tong, (tom) for torn, (romp) for romp, (ofis) for office, (coti) for coffee, (of) for off, (cost) for cost, (lost) for lost, (tost) for tost, (tos) for toss, (los) for loss, (mos) for moss, (God) for God. The o intermediate between (o) and (o), by Webster marked o, is generally pronounced (o) ; as, (rimos) for remorse, (cos) for corse, (sodid) for sordid. On the other hand, sop, lop, sot, not, lot, rod, hod, nod, throb, rob, sob, stock, rock, shock, sorrow, morrow, borrow, fox, box, are correctly pro- nounced. As Ood is the only word ending in a dental, and having (o) instead of (o), and as this pronunciation of God is rare, we may conclude that short o preserves its proper sound before the dentals. Before the voiceless mutes p, t, and c, the o is properly sounded. These are the only general rules that can be formu- lated. b) In the negro dialect short (o) is sometimes changed into (ae), as (drsep) for drop,, (kraep) for crop, (sseft) for soft. However, most other words similar to these are correctly pro- nounced. c) In (g-et) for got and (hwet) for what, we have (■e) for (o). These two words are pronounced in this way by the illit- erate and by a large number of the educated. Ol (oi). § 14. a) The negroes and illiterate whites give (oi) the sound of (ai) in a large number of words. This pronunciation is probably more common among the negroes than among the illiterate whites : (bail) for boil, (spail) for spoil, (d3aist) for joist, (sail) for soil, (haist) for hoist, (d3ain) for join, (paint) for point, (paizn) for poison; but coin, voice, moist, noise, are correctly pronounced. 12 SOME PECULIARITIES OF U w. § 15. a) This u is pronounced by negroes as (-b) in (h'gf) for hoof, (te) for to. b) (o) takes the place of (u) in (J81i) for surely, (J6) for sure, (inj-oans) for insurance, in the negro dialect. U (m). § 16. a) This sound of u is frequently changed to (v) ; as, (s'Bt) for soot, (t^k) for took, (p^t) for put, (J^k) for shook, in the dialects of the uneducated. U(»). § 17. a) U ('b) has the sound of (o) in (horjri) for hungry, and in (totj") for touch, in the negro dialect. b) Short i is seen in (d|ist) for just, (kiva) for cover, (sitj) for such — all negro dialect. c) Short e appears in (d3es) for just, (herik-n) for hurricane, (setj) for such, (tetj) for touch, (Jet) for shv^. All of these words belong either to the negro or the illiterate white dialect. d) In the negro words (haerik-n) for hurricane, (sup-1) for supple, (se) and (u) appear for {e). V iyu). § 18. This u has the (o) sound in the two negro words (kyo) for cure, and (py8) for pure. Consonants. § 19. I shall first consider the half -vowels w and y. A dis- cussion of these two letters must, however, be necessarily short, as they occur out of their proper places in very few dialect words. Y takes the place of aspirate h in (jv) for here and (yaab) for herb. Y is prefixed in (yef) for earth. W is inserted after g in (gwain) for going, after t in (twel) for till, and is dropped in (uman) for woman. These pronunciations of all of these words belong to the negro dialect. Spikants. § 20. a) H is prefixed to a few words ; as, (hit) for it, (hai spai) for I spy, (h§nt) for ain't — contraction of are not. Haint is possibly a contraction of have not. TheMineducated so confuse SPEECH IN MISSISSIPPI. 13 the auxiliaries be and have that it is impossible to tell, from the use of the word haint, whether it is a contraction of have not or of are not. H is omitted in ('emb-l) for humble, (wai) for why. H is sometimes replaced by y, as noted in the paragraph above. 6) S becomes sh in (likerij) for licorice, (slaij) for slice, and j in (medSe) for measure. 8 is prefixed in (smid3it) for midget, (skweiitj) for quench. The s in squench, the Century Dictionary says, is an intensive prefix, and I suppose the s in smidget has the same force. All of these words belong to the negro and illiterate white dialects. c) Spirant z, c, and ch have no changes not recorded elsewhere. Liquids. § 21. a) L becomes r in (bres) for bless, (brsek) for black, both of which forms occur only in the negro dialect. In no other words that I know, however, does this change take place. L is dropped in (hep) for help, (hop) for holp, and (wongt) for walnut, in the dialects of the uneducated classes. In all other words that I know of, the I is fully sounded. b) ^B is so seldom pronounced in the middle or at the end of ■words, by any class of people, that its pronunciation in either of those positions forms an exception. It is quite a peculiar cir- cumstance that a class of very illiterate whites pronounce r much more distinctly than any other people in Mississippi. This pro- nunciation of r forms, perhaps, the most distinguishing feature- of the real " po white trash " dialect as contrasted with the negro dialect. But it is in order to say that no class pronounces r at all uniformly^ Words in which r is omitted are so numerous that it is impossible to give a complete list of them, so I shall mention only a few: (best) for burst, (cbs) for curse, (f'gm) tor from, (pot) for throat, (fo) for throw, (mo) for more, (caea) for care, (Saea) for there, etc. R, since rarely sounded, is the occasion of more of the vowel-changes of the Mississippi dialect than any other letter. Cf. §§ 2, a; 2, c; 6, 6; 8, a; 8, b; 8, c; 8, d; 18. According to Earle, r is frequently dropped from words in the south of England, and especially by the cockneys. Nasals. § 22. a) M is vocalized in (el-m) for elm and (hel-m) for helm, by negroes. All classes vocalize the m in spasm, chasm. 14 SOME PECULIARITIES OF schism, and in those words ending in -ism. M assimilates v to itself in (gimi) for give me, and t in (lemi) for let me, in the dialects of the uneducated. b) N is added to (autn) for out, (ofn) for off, (lesn) for unless — all of which belong to the dialects of the lower classes. N seems to exercise a curious attraction and at the same time repulsion for dentals. If a word end in n -\- d, the d is nearly always dropped in the dialects of the negroes and the illiterate whites ; but if the word end in n without a following t, t is nearly always added : (graun) for ground, (haen) for hand, (semant) for sermon, (vaamint) for vermin. Labials. § 23. a) P has no very noteworthy changes from its regular use. It is left out in (wos nes) for wasp-mest. In (s'empn) for something, p is an excrescent consonant, as in empty from A.-S. emetig, emtig, in Lat. sumpsi from sumo. b) B, in the negro dialect, frequently replaces v ; as,^ (beri) for very, (hebn) for heaven, (hseb) for have, (nebl) for navel, (ebri) for every, (deb-1) for devil. c) F is dropped or assimilated to t in (ate and aeta) for after, and replaces v in (haef ta) for have to. In the negro dialect a still further change occurs with reference to (haef ta), the / being dropped or assimilated as in (seta), the expression becomes (hset-a). d) V, as noted above, is frequently replaced by b. V is often substituted for final 8 in the negro dialect; as, (smuv) for smooth, (suv) for soothe, (brev) for breathe. V is assimilated to m in (gimi) for give me. Dentals. T. §24. a) Final* is usually unpronounced by the negroes and illit- erate whites, and sometimes by the educated ; as, (bes) for best, (wes) for wo^-st, (ds^es) for just, (kep) for kept, (sep) for except, (spek) for eapect, (swep) for swept. This list of words could be prolonged almost indefinitely, but I give only a few as examples. b) The plural of nouns ending in st is always pronounced by negroes as if formed by adding es ; as, (postez) for posts, (gostez) for ghosts, (hostez) for hosts, (trestez) for trusts, etc. c) A final t is added in (klost) for close, (se-mant) for sermon SPEECH IN MISSISSIPPI. 15 (vaamint) for vermin, (troft) for trough, (twaist) for twice, (wBDst) for once — all, illiterate dialects. d) T replaces d in (biyant) for beyond, (belt and bilt) for held, (bolt) for hold, (tarekli) for directly. Tbese -words are, of course, used mainly by the uneducated. e) In the negro dialect t replaces th in (m'Bnt) for month, and becomes ch in (tjun) for tune and (stintj) for stint. D. , § 25. a) In the negro and illiterate white dialects d is regu- larly dropped after I and 9?; as, (tjikn) for children, (sen) for and, (graun) for ground, (baun) for hound, (raun) for round, (been) for hand, (51) for old, (f61) for fold. For change from d to t, see paragraph above. &) Before the yt sound, negroes regularly pronounce d as j ; as, (d3uti) ior duty, (d3u) for dew, (d3flbas) ioi dubious, (d3urin) for during. D has the _; sound also in (id3it) for idiot. § 26. a) Th ())) initial frequently, but not always, has the sound of t in the negro dialect ; as, (tir)k) for think, (tot) for thought, (tri) for three, etc. However, thresh, thumb, thunder, are correctly pronounced. Th (p) final, and in some cases f/i (l?) initial, has the sound of /; as, (fru) for through, (mauf) for mouth, (u'efin) for nothing, (tuf) for tooth, (bref) for breath, etc. The last list of words, as well as the first, belongs to the negro dialect. 6) Th (S) is nearly always pronounced as d at the beginning of words, by negroes ; as, (dis) for this, (dset) for that, (dem) for them, (den) for then, etc. At the end of words, negroes gen- erally give (6) the v sound ; as (sm6v) for smooth, (briv) for breathe, (suv) for soothe, etc. Sometimes negroes pronounce (6) in the middle of words as d; as (br^da) for brother, (seuBde) for another, (nida) for neither. Gutturals. § 27. a) Mistakes are made in the pronunciation of the gut- turals in only a few classes of words. G is almost always dropped at the end of words ending in -ing. I think that the illiterate never pronounce the g, and the educated very rarely do. Negroes do not pronounce the g before th in such words as strength, length. b) X is pronounced as z in (zsekli) for exactly, by negroes. 16 SOME PECULIARITIES OF LIST OF WOEDS. A. By illiterate whites the letter a is almost always used before the present participle, forming a part of the progressive, or continuous, state of the verb. They say : " He was a going," " He is a living," " He has been a keeping store." This, no doubt, is akin to the a in such expressions as, He goes a fishing, a hunting, etc. This latter construction is, of course, derived from the A.-S. on followed by its appropriate object ; and from confusion with this the former construction has arisen. A. Final a in proper names is always pronounced as y by negroes and illiterate whites. They say : " Miry," for Mira ; " Lu- eindy," for Lucinda ; '' Senatoby," for Senatobia ; " Minne- soty," for Minnesota, etc. Adge (ed3). Negro for edgre. Afeard (gf-iard). This word, marked obsolete or provincial by Webster, is still in very common use by the negroes and uneducated whites in Mississippi. In it we see the preser- vation of an old form in the language of low life : as it is well known that the word afeard was once very commonly used by the best writers, and that it is, in fact, derived from A.-S. cefcered, p.p. of afcBran, to frighten. The form afeard is heard also in Louisiana and Massachusetts. A flutin' and a flyin' (v. fliitin sen b ilain). A phrase used gen- erally by the uneducated. When a man is moving rapidly in grand style, or succeeding remarkably well in any undertak- ing, he is said to be ajlutin' and a flyin'. Afore (afSa) [A.-S. dtforan']. Although marked as obsolete in the dictionaries, it is still in common use among the illit- erate whites of Mississippi. Agin (agin). Negro and illiterate white for against. Ag on (seg on) [A.-S. ecgan]. Negro and illiterate white for egg on, meaning to urge on, to incite. Used also in Louisiana. Ain't (eint). This is used by all classes for am not, are not, is not; and by negroes for has not and have not. Negroes nearly always say, " I ain't got " for I haven't got, and " He ain't seen " for He hasn't seen, etc. Cf. hain't. SPEECH IN MISSISSIPPI. 17 Air (ae^). Negroes and illiterate whites nearly always use this pronunciation for are. Alabam (aelabsem). Negro and illiterate white for Alabama. All (ol). The general use of all in such expressions as, "All the far he can run," " All the fast it can fly," etc., is peculiar. This use of all has, however, been noticed by Dr. Brown in his notes on dialects in Tennessee. All in this construc- tion corresponds almost exactly to the adverbial use of A.-S. eall, entirely ; as, All the far means entirely as far. Allers (olaz). Negro and illiterate white for always. All-to-smash (ol t^ smaej). Bartlett gives this phrase as mean- ing " smashed to pieces." In Mississippi, however, it is used with the meaning that Bartlett gives to " All-to-pieces " ; i.e. excessively ; as, " I beat him running all-to-smash." Am (aem). All persons of the verb to be, in the present tense, indicative, are involved in inextricable confusion by negroes. They say "I is," "You am," "I are," "You is," "We am," etc. Ambeer (aembia). A common name for tobacco spittle, used by all classes. Bartlett says that this name is probably derived from amiber, denoting its color. Anudder (aen-'edG). A negro form for another. Anvil (senv-l). A word once used by a colored friend of mine in the place of annual. He was speaking of an annual Metho- dist conference, and called it an anvil conference. The con- nection between this and the habit that Methodist ministers have of pounding on the pulpit is very striking. Arrove (ser-ov). Used even by educated people for arrived, this past being formed upon the analogy of such words as drive, thrive, etc., a romance verb being thus confused with strong native verbs on account of the similarity of their root syl- lables. Arter (ata). Negro for after. Article (at-ik-1). This word is pronounced by illiterate whites with a strong accent on the second syllable. This pronunci- ation is heard also in Tennessee. Ary (eeri). Used by negroes and illiterate whites for e'er a; as, " I haint seed ary man to-day." This is a very common usage among these classes, being almost invariably employed for any or a single. As (sez). Used after comparatives, in the place of than, by illit- 18 SOME PECULIARITIES OF' erate whites. They say: "This is better as that," "I'd rather have this as that," etc. Ashy (seji). Used by nearly all people here, as in Tennessee, as a synonym for angry. Dr. Brown gives the following excel- lent explanation of this use: "Shakespeare uses the word in the sense of pale, in connection with the word anger, in ' Venus and Adonis ' : — " ' Still is he sullen, still he low'rs and frets, 'Twixt crimson shame and anger, ashy pale.' From being one of the signs of anger this word comes at present to be used for anger itself." Ask a blessing. The methods used by illiterate whites in request- ing one to ask the blessing, or say grace, are numerous and interesting. I give some specimens : " Ask the blessin' " ; "Say grace"; "Grace the table"; "Make a beginnin' " ; " Begin the meal " ; " Open the way " ; " Start off " ; " Look up." At (aet). Used by negroes as equivalent to right (adv.); as, " Come at on " ; i.e. Come right on, come at once. Atter (seta). A pronunciation of after, used by negroes and illit- erate whites. Aunt or Aunty (sent or aenti). An appellation applied by all classes to old colored women, as uncle is applied to old colored men. In addressing an old negress, it is customary to say aunty if her name is not known, and aunt with her name expressed if it is known; as, "Aunt Dinah," "Aunt Sallie," etc. Ax (seks). Negro for ask. This form is now marked as obsolete or vulgar in the dictionaries, but it is as old as the English language itself, being derived from the A.-S. acsian, axian. According to Webster, Bartlett, and Pegge, it is still quite common in some portions of England among the illiterate classes. The form ast, a corruption, or rather mispronuncia- tion, of asked, is very common in Mississippi as well as in Tennessee. B. Bad off (baed of). Used by all classes to mean unwell, sick. It also means anxious for or desirous of; as, " He is had off for a gun"; i.e. he is extremely anxious for a gun. It some- SPEECH IN MISSISSIPPI. 19 times means poorly provided with; as, This coiintry is bad off for horses ; i.e., has very few horses or very inferior ones. Barbeshela (barbajela). A virord borrowed from the Choctaw In- dian language, and used in the southern central portion of the State, by negroes and illiterate whites, to signify a friend. Barl (barl). Illiterate white for barrel. Negroes generally call barrel, bml (bael). Immigrants from North Carolina nearly always say barl. Bar off (ba of). A term used by farmers in the cultivation of cotton. When nearly all of the dirt is ploughed away from the cotton, so that the cotton-plant stands on a narrow ridge of ground, the cotton is said to be barred off. This use of bar is, I suppose, derived from the noun bar, as the slender ridges of dirt on which the cotton-plant stands may well be called a bar. However, it may come from the verb bare, as the roots of the plant are bared by the removal of the dirt. Barrygraph (bserigrsef). A word that a member of the colored race once used, in my hearing, for photograph. He was going to have his barrygraph taken by a travelling photographer then in town. Begun (big-'Bn). Used by educated people for began. This con- fusion of course may spring from the use of the past par- ticiple for the preterite, or it may be a relic of the old plural form of the past tense, begunnon. Berry (beri). Negro pronunciation of very. Bestest (bestes). Double superlative, formed from best. Used by negroes. Beyant (biyant). A common form, used by illiterate whites for beyond. Biern (biarn). Illiterate white for burn. An uneducated white man of North Mississippi once told me that he didn't mind eating pepper ; it couldn't biern him. This pronunciation of burn is tolerably common. Biggity (bigiti) . A word used to some extent by all classes, but principally by negroes or illiterate whites, to mean self-con- ceited. It is probably bigot with the adjectival ending y added. A bigoted man is nearly always biggity. Bile (bail). This word is used by both negroes and illiterate whites for the verb to boil and for the noun boil, a running 20 SOME PECULIARITIES OF sore. It is heard also in Louisiana, and may be said to be common throughout the South. Bimeby (baimbai). Negro for by and by. Bip into (bip intu). Used by illiterate whites to mean to attack with either words or blows. Two speakers are said to bip into each other, when they attack each other in a lively or severe manner ; so also of pugilists. Blackguard (bleegsd). Used by illiterate whites as a verb mean- ing to laugh and talk in a gay, frivolous manner, even though the conversation be perfectly chaste. This class of people speaks of the ordinary small talk of a sociable or reception as blackguarding. Blame from (blgm fr'gm). Largely used instead of blame for hj all classes ; as, " I didn't blame him from crying when that man hit him." Blate (bl§t). Used by all classes for bleat; heard also in Louisi- ana ; and, according to Webster, is provincial in England. Bleedged or Bleedzed (blid3d or blidzd). Negro for obliged. These forms are common in the majority of the Southern States. The pronunciation {dblldzd) was once regarded as a mark of gentility in Virginia, as I am informed. Block and tickle (blok aend tik-1). Almost universally used by workmen for block and tackle. Webster says that tackle is frequently pronounced (tek-1); this, however, is, I think, not heard in Mississippi. Blowed up (blod Bp). Illiterate white for bloated. A man be- comes Mowed up by the constant use of whiskey. Boil (boil). Illiterate white for bile, used also in Kentucky. "He vomited boil." This is the only instance that I can recall in which oi takes the place of i, and I suppose that the confusion in this word is due to the fact that the word boil is generally pronounced bile (bail) by the illiterate, and that, probably recognizing the error of this, they endeavor to atone for it, thus giving us boil, where in reality we should have bile. Bone (b6n) . Bartlett gives this word as meaning to apply one's self closely. But in Mississippi it is largely used by all classes to mean to dun. Bonibus (bonibus). Illiterate white for anonymous. This word is current in Holmes County at least. Borry (bori). Negro for borrow. Also used in Canada. SPEECH IN MISSISSIPPI. 21 Bound (baund). This word is used by negroes (sometimes by white people) to mean to assert positively, or sometimes almost with the sense of to bet or ivager or confidently expect; as " I bound dat nigger sho yelled when dat toof was pulled." Branch (brsentj). Used by all classes for any very small stream, without having the least reference to its being a tributary of any larger stream. Brer (br-e). Negro for brother. Bresh (brej). Negro for brush. Brass (bres). Negro for bless. Brickie and Brickly (brik-1 and brikli) . Used mostly by negroes and illiterate whites, meaning brittle, easily broken. The word seems to be a hybrid between break and brittle. Ac- cording to Bartlett, brickly is used in Georgia. Both are used in Louisiana by settlers of English lineage. Brief (brif). Used by negroes to mean mice, e/egfarii. I once heard a negro tell a young man who had dressed up to go to see his sweet-heart : "Boss, you sho looks brief." De Vere says that brief is used by the lower classes in Virginia to mean peart, lively; as, "The wind is' brief to-day"; i.e. the wind is brisker lively. In New England 6?-ie/' means prevalent; as, "The measles are brief in Boston." Brotheren or Brudderen (br'eSar-n or br'gdar-n) . Negro and illiterate white for brethren. Brung (br'Bri). Negro for brought. This form doubtless owes its origin to analogy with such words as sing, sling, ring. Bruze around (bruz-a-^-raun). A negro phrase meaning to wander around, to go about without any set purpose. Bullis (bulls). A word much used by the negroes of the southern central portion of Mississippi for muscadine. Its plural is bullises. Bull tongue plow (bul t-er) plan). A kind of plough with a very narrow share shaped somewhat like a bull's tongue, hence the name. Bump (b^mp). This word is used principally by school-boys. The process of bumping is as follows : four boys take hold of another, each one seizing a leg or an arm, and swing him so that the rear of his anatomy strikes against a tree with con- siderable force. Buck is the term used for this in Kentucky. Bumptious (b'EmpJ'Bs). Both Webster and Bartlett quote from Halliwell in regard to this word, and he says that it means 22 SOME PECULIARITIES OF " self-conceited, forwwd, pushing." The negroes of Mississippi, however, use this word to mean irascible, easily angered. Bust (b'Bst). This pronunciation of btirst is by no means confined to Mississippi, yet as it is so much used here, I think that it should be mentioned. Bust is used to mean a failure of any kind; but is most frequently used to signify a commercial failure, or in the University, a failure in recitation. At Vanderbilt University, Cornell, and many other colleges also, it has the latter meaning. Bust is sometimes used to denote a ^ree. In all of these meanings, except the last, bust is used both as a noun and as a verb — a man busts oi makes a bust. By sun (bai sun). Negro and illiterate white for before sunset. Among the lower classes of society, it is usual to reckon time by the sun; so "an hour, or two hours, by sun" means an hour or two hours before sunset. C. Cahoot (k§h-ut). According to Bartlett, used in the South and West, to denote a partnership or company. It is certainly much used by all classes in Mississippi in this sense. Two men are said to be in cahoot when they act jointly in any manner. This word differs from snooks, in that it means the partnership itself, whereas snooks refers rather to the results of a partnership. Men go snooks with the proceeds that arise as a result of their being in cahoot. Capen (ksepn). Negro for captain. Carry (kseri). Carry, in the sense of escort, accompany, or lead, ■ is very commonly used by all classes — a young man carries his sweet-heart to church ; a man carries a horse to water, etc. This use is common in Virginia and Maryland. Cat (kset). A certain game of ball. In this sense there are two kinds of cat, — one-eyed cat and two-eyed cat. In the former there is only one batter, in the latter, two. This game is played also in Kentucky and District of Columbia. Cat has got his tongue (ksetz g'et iz t'eq). If a question be ad- dressed to any one, and no answer be given, people say that the cat has got that individual's tongue; in which event it would, of course, be impossible for him to speak. Cavort (ke-vort). This word is given by the Century Dictionary as slang and as probably connected with curvet. It is, how- SPEECH IN MISSISSIPPI. 23 ever, so commonly used in Mississippi by all classes to mean to prance, to rage, to create a disturbance, that I venture to place it in this list of dialect words. Chany (tjgni). Negro for china, used in speaking of chinaware. This word was formerly in good use in England. Chaw tobacco more than once (tjo tabaekg moa Sn wgnst). A very common phrase among negroes and illiterate whites. It means to repeat. A negro says : " I never chaws my ter- backer mo dan wunst," meaning, "I never repeat anything." Here we also see the old form chaw preserved. ; Cheep (tjip). Illiterate white for woi-d of protest or complahit. In the language of the uneducated white people, you never hear a cheep from any one perfectly satisfied. Cheer (tjia). Is commonly used by illiterate whites as an in- transitive verb meaning to become cheerful. The adverb up, which is generally put after cheer when it has this intransitive meaning, is omitted by these people. They say, for instance : "As soon as he saw his mother, he began to cheer" ; i.e. to cheer up. Cheer (tjia). Common negro and illiterate white pronunciation of chair. Heard also in Louisiana. Chillun (tjilan). Negro for children. Chimbly (tjimbli). Negro and illiterate white for chimney. Heard . also in Kentucky, New and Old England, and Louisiana. Chist (tjist). Negro and illiterate white pronunciation of chest. Bartlett says that chist is also common in New England. Chomp (tjomp). This pronunciation of champ is the one always used by negroes in Mississippi ; and, according to Bartlett, it is heard also in New England, the western part of the United States, and even in the north of England. Educated people of Mississippi, however, generally give this word the correct pronunciation. Choog or Chug (t|ug or tj^g). Both used in Tennessee in the same sense as in Mississippi, i.e. to cast into the water or, sometimes, to punch; as, "He chugged me in the ribs." Dr. Brown says that, in the sense of casting into the water, the word has special reference to the sound made by the object in striking the water. Chune (tjun). Negro for tune. c Chunk (tJ'Bnk). Illiterate white for something moderately good or nice; as, "They had a chunk of a wedding"; i.e. a moderately nice wedding. 24 SOME PECULIARITIES OF Cillustrious (sil-Bstri'Bs). Illiterate white for illustrious. I have noticed this usage only in the following line of a hymn: "When that cillustrious day shall rise." Closte (kl5st). Almost always used by negroes and illiterate ■whites for dose. This occurs also in Tennessee and else- where in the United States. Clum (klran). Used by negroes and illiterate whites for dimbed, and is doubtless akin to the old preterite domb. It is used also in Louisiana and New England. CoUards (kolardz). Used by all classes for colewort, a kind of cabbage that does not grow to a head. Bartlett says that it is common in the South. Come (k^m). Quite generally used by all classes for came. Come up to the scratch (k'em -ep tu 8a skrsetj). Used by all classes to mean to do one's duty, to do what is expected of one. It is akin to the expression to come up to the chalk used in other parts of the United States with the same meaning as to come up to the scratch is used in Mississippi. Companion (k'smp-BenytJu). Used to mean wife by a large number of educated people — a very fitting specialization of the generic term, as a man's wife is, for him, tlie companion above all others. Confab (konf-seb). This word, which Webster gives as a contrac- tion of confabulation, is used by negroes both as a verb and as a noun : as a verb, it means to talk with one fam.iliarly ; as a noun, it means familiar conversation. Consarned (kons-arnd). Illiterate white for concei-ned. This is a favorite expletive among the lower classes of whites. They say : " I'll be consarned if it ain't so" ; " Consarn the thing" ; "That consarned old mule like to broke my neck." Coon (kun). This is the ordinary contraction for raccoon, and of late has come to be extensively used to mean also a negro. I think this last usage should rather be classed as slang ; it is common to all of the Southern States, and even extends to our more northern brethren. Coon (kun). Used by all classes to mean to crawl over. If a man cannot walk a log over a creek, he gets down on his hands and knees and coons it ; or if he get astride of the log and pull himself along with his hands, he is then also said to coon it. Coon's age (kunz ed3). A negro term for a long time. The im- SPEECH IN MISSISSIPPI. 25 pression that raccoons are very long-lived seems to prevail, among the colored race. In speaking to an acquaintance that they have not seen for some time, they say : " Whar's you bin, I ain't seed you in a coon's age." Bartlett mentions this as used in Texas and other Southern States. Country jake (kraitri d3ek). A man whose dress and manners proclaim him to be from the backwoods. Used also in Tennessee. Cowcumber (kauk-emba). Negro and illiterate white for cucumber. Used also in Kentucky, and said to have been formerly the correct pronunciation in England. Cracked (kraekt). This word is used by all classes for crack- hraitied, slightly demented. Crank-sided (krsenks-aided). Used by all classes to mean twisted or bent to one side. A man may be eranJcsided physically, mentally, or morally. The word is, of course, also used of inanimate objects. Frequently heard in Tennessee. Crap (krsep). Negro pronunciation of crop. Crep (krep). Used largely by all classes for crept. Crope (kr6p). Negro for crept. The form crape is marked ob- solete by Webster; it is, however, preserved in negro speech, and is much nearer the A.-S. forms creap and crupon (?) than the modern preterite crept is. Curtail (k^rt-Sl). Understood by negroes to mean to cut off the tail. A colored brother, in a moment of religious enthusiasm, once exclaimed in response to the preacher's request for the Lord to curtail the power of the devil : " Yes ! Lawd, cut his tail smack and smoove off." Cuss (kus). Used by all classes for curse. This word is, of course, in nowise confined to Mississippi, but as this pro- nunciation is so common here, I have thought it best to men- tion it. Cuss as a noun, Bartlett says, is an abbreviation of customer, and means a worthless fellow, a scamp. Cute (kyut). Bartlett gives the word as current in New Eng- land, among the uneducated, with the meaning of acute, sharp, keen; and says that it is an abbreviation of acute. In Mississippi this word is used by all classes to mean charming, attractive, and is generally applied to small tilings. We speak of a cuie baby, a cute girl, a cute hat, etc. The word little generally follows cute or is understood after it. It seems that in order to be really cute a thing must in some 26 SOME PECULIARITIES OF way be diminutive. The word has the latter meaning in New York. Cyarn (kyan). Negro for carrion. D. Daddy (daedi). Webster gives the word as used by small children for father. In Mississippi this word is used principally by negroes, and is frequently applied to old negi"oes without any idea of paternity. Daddy Jack would ordinarily mean an older negro than Uncle Jack. Dame (dem). A euphemistic form of damn, used to some extent by illiterate whites. Dar (da). Negro for dare and for there. Dassent (deesnt). Negro for dare wo*. Used also in New England. Dead give way (ded giv w§). All classes use this term to mean a complete exposure; as, "What he said was a dead give way; i.e. completely exposed his character, purpose, intentions, or something of the kind. Dead-line (dedlain). A word used by boys in playing the game of marbles called ring-men. It is a line drawn two or three feet from the ring, between the ring and taws. If a player fail to plump over this line, he is thrown out of the game. The word is used in Kentucky with the same meaning. Debbie (debl). Negro for devil. Deesh (dij). Illiterate white and negro pronunciation of dish. Dientical (dai-entak-l). Very frequently used by negroes and illiterate whites for identical. Differs not (difos not). Sometimes used by illiterate whites for matters not; as, "It differs not whether it be true or not." Dip (dip). Illiterate white for saxice to be used with pudding. Bartlett marks the word as Southwestern. Dip is also used for dip of snuff, the word snuff being generally omitted. Dirt up (dert ■ep). In the cultivation of cotton this phrase is used as the exact opposite of bar off. When the intervening space between the rows is so ploughed as to throw the dirt up to the cotton-plant, the cotton is said to be dirted up. Disremember (disramemba). Webster marks this form as obsolete in England and local in America. It certainly is very largely used in Mississippi, and probably throughout the South, by the lower classes of both colors. Do (do). Negro for though and for door. SPEECH IN MISSISSIPPI. 27 Does (d-Gz). Used by negroes for do; as, "I does; they does." Done (dtni). This, word is very often interposed between the auxiliary have and the past participle, to give additional com- pleteness to the sense ; as, " I have done lost," which seems to mean more than " I have lost." This distinction is not always observed ; done lost is very frequently used when we should expect simple lost, and vice versa. Bartlett says that this use of done is a very common vulgarism throughout the South. Do odds and eens (dii odz aen inz). Illiterate whites use this ex- pression for doing small jobs about the house ; for instance, old women sometimes say : " I've been a dom' odds and eens all mornin'." Educated people sometimes use the phrase with the same meaning, but give it the correct pronunciation. ?^Dove (dov). Commonly used for dived by negroes and illiterate whites, and sometimes even by educated people. It is another instance of the survival of old forms in common speech, when they have become obsolete in elegant discourse. According to Bartlett this form is also used in Canada even by the cultivated classes. It is heard also in Louisiana. Drank (drsenk) . This past tense is confused with the past parti- ciple even by educated people, so that they say : " I drunk " and "I have drank." Drap (drsep). Negro for drop. Commonly used in Louisiana, and rarely heard in New England. Drapped his bait-can (draept iz bet-keen). A negro expression meaning made a mistake. Its origin is evident; one of the most serious mistakes that an angler can make, is to drop his bait-can, especially if it fall into the water. Thus dropped his bait-can has acquired the general meaning of making any serious mistake. If a man says or does anything that after- wards turns out unfortunately for him, he is said to have drapped his bait-can when he said or did it. Dreen (drin). Negro for drain, meaning a ravine or ditch. It is used also in Kentucky, New England, and Louisiana. Drug (dr^g). A form for dragged, still used, even by educated people. This form is more nearly allied to the A.-S. strong verb dragan, drdg, dragen, than the more elegant weak form dragged is ; and, I suppose, should be classed among old forms preserved in common speech. It is used also in Ten- nessee, Ohio, Indiana, find Kentucky. 28 SOME PECULIARITIES OF Druther (dreSe). Preference. This is probably a corruption of had rather. I heard it in the following sentence spoken by an old negro woman : " Everybody has their druthers, and I would rather you would do this than anybody." Druther for would rather is very common, but in its noun use given above, it is rare. Druv (di~Bv). Negro for drove (verb). Driv (driv) is some- times heard for drove. Both driv and druv are common in Louisiana. Due me a compliment (dyu mi a komplimant). A phrase used quite frequently by illiterate whites for owe me an apology; as, " Mr. Smith, you are due me a compliment for the way you acted yesterday." Ounno (duno). Negro and illiterate white for don't know. E. East (ist). The common pronunciation of yeast. Yeast is so pronounced in Tennessee also. Easy (izi). Used by all classes for gently, softly, as, walk or talk easy. It has the same meaning in Louisiana, New England, Ohio, North Carolina, and TennesSfee, Ebry (ebri). Negro for every. Een or Eend (in or ind). Illiterate white for end. Eetchy (itji). Negro corruption of itch, used as a verb. In the secondary meaning of long for or eagerly desire, it is more frequently heard. A negro once told me that on a cold morning he felt more like working, but that he never did eetchy for work. Elected (il-ekted). Illiterate whites use this word to mean to he provided with, to have a sufficient supply of. They say : " I am elected as to corn"; i.e. "I am provided with corn " ; "I have a suificient supply of corn." EUum (el-m). Negro and illiterate white for elm. Used, also in Canada and Tennessee. Enduring (end-yurir)). Negro term for during. This is frequently followed by of; as, enduring of the day. -ent (ent). It is a characteristic of the illiterate white inhabitants of the pine district of Mississippi to give special emphasis to the pronunciation of this syllable when final ; as, president commandment, contentment, -es (ez). The plural form, ending in es, is given to nearly all SPEECH IN MISSISSIPPI. 29 words ending in t, by negroes ; as, pastes, ghostes, hastes, etc., far pasts, gho.its, hosts. Et and Eat (et and it). Both of these forms are employed for ate by both educated and uneducated people to a very large exteut. Et is probably used more than eat. Every and Ever (evri and eva). A strange confusion of these two words exists in the speech of the uneducated; they say: " every since " and " ever man " ; e.g. " She has been here every since I can remember," "He hit ever man in the crowd." F. ? Fashion (fsejn). This word is sometimes used by illiterate whites for habit. An old man once told me that it was always his fashion to shake his head during the preaching if he did not agree with the minister. "^ - ' ' ' - ' Fat (fast). A word used in the game of marbles called ring-men. If a player's taw stops in the ring, it is said to be fat. Used also in District of Columbia. Favor (f§V9). In the sense of to resemble, Webster marks this word as obsolete, but it is still very largely used, with this meaning, by all classes of Mississippians. i' Fee-lark (fi-lark). The common name for meadow-lark, used by all classes in Mississippi. It is a corruption oi field-lark. Feels his oats (filz iz otz). Used by all classes. A horse is said to feel his oats when he frisks and prances around. In Mis- sissippi, as in New England, it is also applied to persons that are frisky and sometimes to those that are self-conceited : in the latter sens6 it is equivalent to feels his importance. This phrase is used also in England and Ireland. A phrase used in Germany with essentially the same meaning is, ihm sticht der Hafer. Feesh (fij). Illiterate white and negro pronunciation oifish. Fisticuff (tistik-'Bf). Illiterate white for fighting with the fists. As a noun the word is common in the United States, but I have never heard of its being used as a verb elsewhere than in Mississippi. Fit (fit). Negro for fought. Fout (faut) is also used for fought by negroes. Fit is also used in West Virginia and Tennessee. Fitten (fitn). This is used by illiterate whites iov fit. They seem to confuse the adjective with an imaginary strong participle of the verb to fit, or it may possibly be the word fitting with the g unpronounced. 30 SOME PECULIARITIES OF Fit to kill (fit tg kil). Used by negroes and illiterate whites to mean excessively ; as, He laughed _^f to kill; i.e. immoderately. Flesh crawl (flej krol). When cold chills run over one, especially if caused by some harsh or grating noise, one's iiesh is said to crawl. In the greater portion of the United States the word creep is used instead of crawl. Flugins (fludi3nz). A word used to some extent by all classes, generally in the following connection : " It is as cold as flugins." I do not know either the origin or the exact mean- ing of the term; it seems to be merely an intensive. I find no record of its use elsewhere. Flummergasted (fli-emarg-aested). Used by illiterate whites for embarrassed, or befuddled. In their parlance a man sometimes becomes flummergasted when he rises to make a speech, and so forgets what he wishes to say. Flustrate (fl^strSt). This word is used, even by educated people, instead of fluster, and has the same meaning. Fly up the creek (flai ■ep Si krik) . This is quite a common term among the illiterate whites for a shallow, silly person. For (f'B). This preposition is still largely used by illiterate whites before an infinitive of purpose. " They say he went for to see " ; " He hit for to kill." As is very well known, this use of for was extremely common in the earlier periods of the language ; and, in fact, has not very long been obsolete, being commonly used in the Bible. For keeps (f'B kipz). A common phrase which boys use in play- ing marbles. In playing for keeps, each player- puts a cer- tain number of marbles in a ring, and each keeps all that he knocks out. Fetch (fotj). Negro for fetch and fetched. Fox-fire (foks faia). Used by all classes tor the phosphorescent glow that decayed wood sometimes emits after a season of rainy weather. Used also in Kentucky. It is probably a corruption of phosphor. Fox-grape (foks-gr§p). Bartlett makes the following note on this word: " {Vitis labrusca). A large grape common on the borders of streams. The surface of the leaf is charac- terized by its foxy pubescence. The Southern fox-grape is vitis vulpina. Its fruit is larger and its taste more agreeable than the former." , The grape, commonly called fox-grape in Mississippi, is SPEECH IN MISSISSIPPI. 31 very small and very sour. It is called also coon-grape and possum-grape. Frail (frel). Used by all classes to mean to whip, to heat. A father says to his son : " If you don't stop that, I will frail you until you can't sit, down." Webster gives frail as a noun, meaning a "rush for weaving baskets," and this noun may have been converted into a verb, especially since the whipping, or frailing, is generally done with a rush or switch. Frazzle (frsezl). Used especially by negroes, and sometimes by white people, to mean to fray, to ravel, or, in fact, to loear out in almost any way. It has two meanings, different, though in some respects allied; for instance, if a switch be worn into shreds on some one, the switch is said to be frazzled, and the person whipped is also said to be frazzled; hence the word also means to whip. With the meaning of to fray it is also used in Kentucky. The word may be related to frizzle. Frez (frez). Negro for froze and frozen. "I nearly frez to to death," "He shivered like he was frez." Froo (fru). A. negro pronunciation of through. Fudge (fBd3). Used by boys in playing marbles. A player is said to fudge when he reaches further toward the marble that he is shooting at than the position of his taw justifies. Used also in Kentucky. Fum (f^m). Negro for from. Fun (fT3n). Used by all classes as a verb, meaning to joke or jest. Used also in New England, Louisiana, North Carolina, and Tennessee. Funny-bone (funibon). A name used in Mississippi by all classes to mean that particular bone in the elbow that is generally called crazy-bone in the other parts of the United States. Fust (fBst). Negro for first. The final t is sometimes unpro- nounced, so as to make fus. G. G. Final g iil present participles, or in any other words end- ing in ing, is nearly always omitted in the pronunciation by all classes. G and C. The pronunciation of c and g, as if followed by a vocalic y just before the letter a, is of frequent occurrence in 32 ^ ---\ SOME PECULIARITIES OF the language of the lower classes of Mississippi, and is some- times heard even in the conversation of cultivated people. I think that this pronunciation came originally from Vir- ginia and South Carolina. Examples of it are : gyarden for garden; cyar for car ; segyar for cigar. This ya sound may, I think, be regarded as the result of the breaking of the a owing to the palatal immediately preceding. Gal (gael). Girl. This word is by no means confined to Mis- sissippi, but it is so generally used by the uneducated classes, both white and black, that I think it worthy of mention. Galluses (gaelssez). The common name among negroes and un- educated whites for suspenders. Bartlett says that this word, spelled gallowses, is also used in England. I suppose that this word is derived from gallows, which, of course, is used for hanging criminals, and that the term has been applied to suspenders because they are used to suspend trousers. Garden-sass (gadn-sses). Used by negroes and illiterate whites for vegetables. It means exactly the same as garden-truck, which is a well-known term. Gass (gses). Used by all classes to mean to talk familiarly, fool- ishly, or in an exaggerated manner. Women gass about their neighbors ; farmers grass about the crops, politics, etc. A man's conversation is disparaged when it is said that he was only gassing. Gater (g§ta). Negro for alligator. Gawd (god). Negro and illiterate white for God. Gee "Whiz! and Gee Whittakerl (d3i hwiz and d3i hwittaker). Exclamation of surprise, used by all classes. Both of ±hese expressions are used in Cincinnati, and the latter in New England also. Their origin is obscure. Professor Hart sug- gests that gee is from Jesus. Gemman (d3em9n). Negro for gentleman. Get off (get of). Used by illiterate whites to mean to acquit one's self well in any undertaking; as, "Mr. Smith did not get off in that speech like he usually does" ; i.e. did'not do himself as much credit as usual. This use of get off is entirely dif- ferent from that meaning to say; as, "He got off the speech well " ; the first being intransitive, the second transitive. Get up and dust (get ■ep sen dust). An expression, used mainly SPEECH IN MISSISSIPPI. 33 by negroes, meaning to leave in a great hurry, to go away swiftly. The past tense is got up arid dusted. This expres- sion occurs also in Kentucky and Tennessee. t Gimme (gimi). Negro for give me. This should, most probably, be written gi' me, showing the contraction of give, which is almost, if not quite, identical with the Scotch abbreviation of the same word. Gin (gin). A negro form for gave. Ginral (d3inral). Negro for general, both noun and adjective. Ginerly (dSinely) is the negro pronunciation of generally. Git (git). Used to a large extent, by all classes, for get. } Gittin place (gitn pigs). The general name for the place where anything has been, or can be, obtained, used by negroes and illiterate whites in the following connection : " Whar did yo' git dem cloze, nigger ? " " Got em at de gittin place." This is meant as a witty retort, and is said in order to crush the questioner and stop further inquiries. Give (giv) . Used even by educated people for gave. Give a fry off of one's liver (giv 9 frai of my wbdz liva). This phrase is used by negroes to indicate a very great desire for something ; as, " She would give a fry off of her liver for that house." Give me a lief (giv mi g lif ) . This expression is used principally by boys ; and, when nothing else is added, it means allow me to throw at you. However, it is very generally employed as equivalent to give me permission, and the thing asked to be permitted, of course, naturally follows. This use of Zi'e/is, I suppose, merely a corruption of leave. Give one scissors (giv wen sizaz). Used by illiterate whites to mean to score one severely, to lash with the tongue. They say when a speaker severely assails some one : " He gave him scissors, didn't he ? " Go a gilpin (go 9 gilpin). Used by all to mean to go fast. Dr. Brown explains this expression in the following words : " To go gilpin is a common expression which I take to be derived from the story of ' John Gilpin's Ride.' " In Mississippi the phrase is never used without the insertion of a between go and gilpin. It may be a corruption of go-a-galloping or go-a- yelping. Go a kitin (go a kaitin). This, as noted by Dr. Brown, means about the same thing as to go a gilpin; i.e. to go fast. 34 SOME PECULIARITIES OF Dr. Brown thiuks that it originally meant to go like a kite. Goody (gu(li). Used by all classes for the edible kernel of any kind of nut. The exclamatory goody, denoting gratification, is also used in Mississippi. Ground-hog case (graun hog kes). This might be classed under the head of slang. It is used by all classes in Mississippi. It means the last resort, the ultimatum; as, "Do you suppose that he will succeed this time ? " " He has to, it is a ground- hog case with him." Growed (grod). Negro for grew. Gruntin (gr'entn). Negro and illiterate white for unweU, but not dangerously sick; as, "Mr. Jones is still gruntin this morn- ing"; i.e. Mr. Jones is still somewhat ill. Complainin' is used with the same meaning. This acquired meaning of these two words can be' easily accounted for, as one who is slightly ill nearly always either grunts or complains or does both. Guv (g'Bv). A negro form for gave. Gwine (gwain). The common negro form for going. Used throughout the South. Gyardeen (gya'din). Illiterate white for g'wardian. Bartlett says that this pronunciation is used also in New England, Penn- sylvania, and Ohio. Gadeen (gadin) is used in Kentucky. Professor M. G. Daniell, of New England, says : " I find the word spelled guardeen in a Suffolk (Mass.) probate document dated April 14, 1761." H. Hade (h§d) . Negro for head. Hain't (h§nt). Used by illiterate whites to mean : is not, are not, am not, has not, and have not. In New England, it means am not. Half and half (haef aen haef). This expression is used in England to mean a mixture of equal parts of two kinds of liquor or of half liquor and half water, but I have never heard of its being used for a mixture of half molasses and half coffee anywhere else than among the illiterate whites of the backwoods dis- tricts of Mississippi. Hand-write (heend rait). For handrwriting. Bartlett notices this as "a common barbarism at the South," and I think it is especially common among the illiterate whites of Mis- SPEECH IN MISSISSIPPI. 35 sissippi, who very rarely indeed use the correct form hand- writing. Hant (hsent). This word is, of course, a corruption of haunt, and is used by the negroes of Mississippi both as a noun and as a verb. As a noun, it means a spectre or ghost; as a verb, it means to frequent as a spectre or ghost. ISTot only places but also persons may be hunted. It is quite a common saying among negroes : "If a man wus tuh kill me, I'd hant him to death." The noun is used in Kentucky, and, in fact, T think that both meanings are known wherever our colored brother has wandered. Happify (haepifai). Used by illiterate whites to mean to make happy. According to Bartlett, it is used also in New England. Har (ha). Negro for hair. Hattuh (heete). Negro for have to, in the sense of being under obligation to do. Haf to (hsef) is used in Cincinnati, New- England, Philadelphia. Hafter, in Kentucky. Have did (hsev did). In trying to be correct, negroes sometimes use this instead of have done. However, the confusion of the past tense and past participle is so common with negroes and illiterate whites that I shall not attempt to make any- thing like an exhaustive enumeration of the instances of it. But I shall try to notice the most common and most striking examples. ' Have it (hsev it). Used by all classes for to fight or quarrel; as, " He and his wife had it up and down all day long " ; " They talked until their patience gave out and then they had it." The phrase up and down is very frequently joined to this ex- pression, and seems to imply that the fight or quarrel was a thorough and complete one. He (hi). The almost universal use of the third person pronoun after names by illiterate whites of Mississippi should be noted. They very rarely say that John or Susan did it, but nearly always " John he " or " Susan she " did it. I know that this error is very common in other places, but it is so largely used here, that I have thought it best to mention it. Head over heels (hed ova hilz). The phrase heels over head is changed to head over heels; the first is rarely or never heard in Mississippi. There seems to be an exact parallel for this in Germany ; in northeastern Germany the phrase Hals iiber Kopf, neck over head, is altered to Kopf iiber Hals, head over 36 SOME PECULIARITIES OF neck, these phrases meaning the same thing as heels over head or head over heels. Heap (hip). Used by all classes to mean, a large amount, a great deal, to a great degree : " I saw a heap of men " ; " There was a heap of fun " ; "I like him a heap." Bartlett notices this word with these meanings, but as it is so very common in Mississippi, I have ventured to embody it in this thesis. He also says that this use of heap, except as an adverb, is heard in England, and is regarded there as a vulgarism. Hearn (hern). Illiterate white for Aeard. Bartlett says that it is common in the United States. Heben (hebii). Negro for heaven. Hed (hed) . Frequently used by negroes for had. Heeyrd (hyiad). Negro and illiterate white for heard. Hellion (helyen). Used by all classes to mean a wild, reckless, daredevil person, and is of course derived from hell. At first it probably meant inhabitant of hell. It is also used in Massachusetts, and is thus explained in "Dialect Notes." Help-meat (help-mit). Illiterate white for help-meet. The igno- rant classes seem to think that this term is a compound word, and that it is applied to husband or wife, because it is the duty of each to help the other obtain meat, i.e. sustenance, for the family. As is well known the words mean help suitable or proper. Hender (henda). This is always used by negroes for hinder. It is heard also in Louisiana and New England. Hep (hep). This pronunciation of help is quite frequently used by people of all classes. This is heard also in Tennessee. Sef, as a contraction for self, likewise- occurs in both states. Hilt (hilt). Negroes and illiterate whites frequently use this word for held. They also say helt. Hime (haim). This pronunciation of hymn is frequently used in Mississippi by the illiterate whites. It was formerly used also in Kentucky, but is now becoming rare there. Hit (hit). Very frequently used by negroes and illiterate whites for it. I cannot say whether it is the A.-S. word retained or not ; however, it is identical in form with A.-S. hit, meaning it. I think it is rather to be attributed to cockney influence. Hitch (hitj). Used by negroes and illiterate whites to mean to come together in a fight. They say: "If you don't stop your projickin, me and you will hitch." SPEECH IN MISSISSIPPI. 37 Ho (h5). Sometimes used by clerks in dry-goods stores to mean one of a pair of hose, one stocking. This usage is, however, not very general. Hoe (ho). A name for a culinary utensil, a kind of skillet with- out sides. In this are baked hoe-cakes. Bartlett says that these cakes are so called because they are baked on hoes, the agricultural implements, in some of the interior parts of the country where cooking-vessels are scarce. If this be true, I suppose that hoe, the skillet, is derived through hoe-cake from hoe, the agricultural tool, as the cakes baked on the cooking- vessels are of the same kind as those that Bartlett says are baked on the tools. Holt (holt). This pronunciation of the noun hold is heard among all classes. Used also in Tennessee and Canada. Hone (hon). Used by negroes and illiterate whites to mean to desire strongly, to yearn for. This word is marked obsolete in Webster, but is very frequently heard among the lower classes of Mississippi, and even educated people sometimes use it. An old preacher of Copiah County, a rather intelligent man, was once heard to say in a sermon : " If a penitent gets religion, he must hone for it." A state senator from the same county was heard to use the same word. Hongry (hogri). Negro for hungry. Hooey (hu-i). The sound used to drive cows out of one's way. It is probably a corruption of hurry. The Southern pronun- ciation of r is not at all distinct ; and if this be taken into account, we have the two sounds (liu-i) and (ho-i) almost the same. And as a matter of fact {hv^i) is very frequently pronounced almost exactly {hn-i). Hoop-hooee (hup-hui). This represents, as nearly as I can re- present it, the sound made by farmers in calling hogs. The accent is equally emphatic on each syllable of the word. Hope (h6p). Negroes use this pronunciation of holp, which they employ for help and helped; sometimes, however, they form a past tense holped (hoped) from the present holp. In this word the negroes preserve the vowel o of the past tense of the A.-S. strong verb helpan, but on this strong stem they sometimes form a weak past and past participle, as mentioned above. Holp is used also in Louisiana. Bartlett says the word holp is heard in Virginia and New England, and in Virginia holped also is used. 38 SOME PECULIARITIES OF Horse for (hos f^). Used by the lower orders of society to mean to long for, to earnestly desire. It is evidently derived from a mare's desiring the stallion, as she is then said to be horsing. Having sprung from this origin, the expression to horse for now has as wide application as the word desire ; in the parlance of negroes and illiterate whites, a man, woman, or child may horse for anything. Hospittle (hosp-itl). Negroes and illiterate whites always accent hospital on the second syllable, so as to make it sound as if spelled hospittle. Hoss (hos). Illiterate white for horse. This pronunciation is common in many parts of the United States. Huff (hTjf). Negro and illiterate white for hoof. Hum (h'em). Used by all classes to mean to succeed, to prosper; as, " He made the business hum." This meaning is doubtless derived from the idea of putting in rapid motion, as any object moving rapidly generally makes a humming noise, and as rapid progress is nearly al- ways a fundamental element of success. Human (hyiiman). Illiterate white for human being. This class goes so far as to give the word a plural' — humans. Bartlett says that this word is used in this sense also ihthe West, and sometimes even in the East. Hummer (h'ema). Used by all classes to mean something that possesses a great degree of excellence ; as, " That horse is a hummer" ; i.e. an extremely good one. Hurrah (h-er-o). I once knew an old negro cook who always said hurrah for hurry or hurry up. She would tell her assistant to " hurrah now and less git thoo." I have since found out that this word is quite common both with negroes and illit- erate whites. Hurrus (h'er'Bs). Illiterate white for hearse. Hurted (herted). Used by illiterate whites for the past tense of to hurt; as, "I hurted myself." I think this form is found also in other states. Hurth (herf>). Illiterate white pronunciation of hearth. I. The letter i in the middle of such words as testify and am- plify is pronounced by all classes as (3) ; as, (cempldfai), etc. I and E. The sounds of these letters are confused by all classes SPEECH IN MISSISSIPPI. 39 to a considerable extent, but, of course, to a larger degree by the uneducated ; as, pen for pin, or vice versa; trimble for tremble; set for sit, or vice versa; etc. Idea (-aidia). This word has two or three different pronuncia- tions among the various classes of people. The educated people generally pronounce it with the accent on the first syllable. Negroes and illiterate whites say idy and idee (■aidi and aidi). Ijit (idjit). Negro for idiot. He (ail). Negro for oil. Infair (infgr). Used by the illiterate whites of South Missis- sippi to mean a party or dance somewhat more elaborate than a shitidig. It is not at all restricted to the meaning that Bartlett gives, although it does have that meaning. Injine (ind3-ain). This pronunciation of engine, although heard in other parts of the United States, is almost universal among negroes and illiterate whites of Mississippi. It is especially common also in Kentucky. r Inquiry (-inkwiri). Used by educated people for (inkwairi). Nearly everybody accents the word on the first syllable. Inshoance (in Joans). A corruption of mswrcimce. Used by negroes and illiterate whites to mean assurance in the sense of bold- ness, impudence. They would say : " He had the inshoance to ask me to give him my last dollar." Instid (inst-id). Negro and illiterate white for instead. I Insult (ins-elt). The word is pronounced with a very strong ac- cent on the second syllable, and is used quite frequently by negroes for consult; as, " I insulted him, and took his ad- vice." Intrust (intr'Bs). Negro for interest. Dr. Brown says that, in Tennessee, this word is used for interest in the commercial sense, but that he does not know whether or not it is used in any other. I can say that, in Mississippi, it is used in every sense of interest. Negroes say : " When I makes a bargain, I always looks atter my own intrusts." Is (iz) . The verb to be is largely used, by negroes, in the place of the auxiliary to have; as, "He is got a store" ; "I is had it." Is is muck more frequently used in this sense than any other form of the verb to be, and generally takes the place of has. Even when the subject is in the first person, the verb is generally put in the third. Ain't is likewise used in the place of have not oihas not. 40 SOME PECULIARITIES OF J. Jack (dSsek). The word employed by the students of the Uni- versity of Mississippi for a translation of classical authors. This word is used to mean exactly what pony does at most other colleges. I know not why the pony has been changed to jack at this university, unless it may be that the beast, having been ridden so long and so constantly, has come to be unworthy of any name other than that of the patient, long-suffering donkey. From this word has been formed the verb to jack, used both transitively and intransitively. One boy is said to jack an- other in recitation or examination when he tells him the answer to any question. A student is said to jack when he looks on his book or copies from another student's work during recitation or examination. The noun jack is extended to mean illegal help of any kind on recitation or examination; e.g. an answer or solution to any kind of question is called a jack, if that answer be writ- ten down. Jell (d3el). A verb used by all classes to mean to become jellied. It is used also in South Carolina, Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and Tennessee. The meaning of this word can be readily under- stood from the following examples : " Apples jell readily " ; " I have put the fruit on the fire, but it has not jelled yet." Jenny (d3eni). Used by all classes ioi jennet. I don't think I ever heard a dozen people say jennet. It is almost without exception Jewny, or, if not thut, jinny (d3ini). Jew (d3yu). Negro for dew. Jew is also used as a verb, and then means to make one lower the price of anything. The adverb down is nearly always put directly after jew when it is thus used. Examples of this use are : " I jewed him down from a dollar to fifty cents " ; " He tried ever so long, but he couldn't jew me down a cent." This verb is probably derived from Jew, meaning an Israelite, and has acquired its meaning from the well-known shrewdness of that nation in trading. This explanation coincides with that of *he Century Diction- ary. Jew is also used for due by negroes. Jew-Larky (d3yu l-arki). Sometimes used by negroes and illit- erate whites for sweet-heart. This word is generally applied SPEECH IN MISSISSIPPI. 41 to the female sex, but it sometimes has reference also to the male. The word is used also in Kentucky. Jim-jams (d3im-d3-8emz). Bartlett says that this word is used for delirium tremens in Kentucky. It is the common name for that disease in Mississippi. Jim-swinger (d3im sw^qg) . The common negro name for a Prince Albert coat. Jine (d3ain). Negro and illiterate white for join. Common throughout the South. Jinerwary (d3inaweri). Negro for January. Jodarter (d3od-ata). Negroes and illiterate whites frequently use this word to express something unsurpassed in its way ; as, "That man is a jodarter" ; i.e. in some way he is unsurpass- able. A negro, speaking to me of a chill that he had, said, " It sho was a jodarter," meaning that it was one of the very worst kind. Joog (d3iig). Used by negroes and illiterate whites to mean to punch or poke ; as, " I jooged the hornet-nest with a pole." June (d3un). A word used by all classes to mean to get along, to progress; as, "He made that horse ^wme." It also means to make a humming noise, as is made by a body moving or revolving swiftly ; and I am inclined to think that the mean- ing first mentioned is derived from this : a nail, when thrown through the air, is said to June. There is a certain kind of bugs called june-bugs, because they make a peculiar humming noise with their wings when they are tied with a string. These bugs form one of the favorite playthings of Mississippi children. Just (d3'Bst). The forms for this word (adv.) are so various that I have ventured to put the correct word first, and classify its mutilations under it. Jist, jest, des, jis, and jes (d3ist, d3est, des, d3is, d3es), are all used by negroes and illiterate whites for just. Des is used almost exclusively by negroes, while jes is sometimes heard in the conversation of educated peo- ple. The final t of just is very frequently omitted by all classes, so as to leave jus'. K. Kaze (k§z). Negro for because. Keer (kia) . Illiterate white and negro for care. Kep (kep) . Used to a large extent by all classes for kept. 42 SOME PECULIARITIES OF Kerflummux (kafl-uiEfeks). Used by negroes and illiterate whites to mean to collapse, to be entirely overcome; as, "I sho was kerflummuxed when dat aig struck me," a colored speaker who has been rotten-egged, might say. This word, however, is not in very general use in Mississippi. Kerflummux is used in some parts of New England as an adverb ; as, to fall kerflummux. Baftlett gives the word flummux, which means "to give in, to give up, to die." Kerrige (kerid3). Negro for carnage. Kilt (kilt). Negro for killed, the negroes in this instance using a pronunciation identical with the Irish. Kin (kin). Negro and illiterate white for can, used as a verb. Kinfolks (kinfoks). Webster notes kinsfolk as obsolete, but neither he nor Bartlett gives kinfolks at all. Kinfolks is the common terra for kindred (noun) used by all classes in Mississippi. Kinnery (kineri). Used by negroes and illiterate whites for the whole number of one's kindred or relations ; as, " I hates my kinnery, dey is all low down trash." Kinry is used in Lou- isiana with the same meaning. Kiver (kivg). Negro for cover. Used also in Tennessee. ' Knock down with a feather. An expression used by all classes with reference to a person completely overcome with sur- prise ; as, " When Jim came walking up there, you could have knocked me down with a feather, because I thought he had been dead for years." This expression, of course, refers to one's weakened physical condition when so surprised. Knowed (nod). Negro and illiterate white for knew. Knows on (n8z on). Illiterate white and negro for know of. They say : " Not as I knows on." Ketch (kotj). Negro for caught. Used over almost the whole South. Kritter (krita). Negro and illiterate white for creature, applied to four-footed animals of all kinds, but especially to horses. This word is used with the same meaning in many portions of the United States. Kunjerism (ki3nd3arism) . Negro for conjiiration, meaning enchant- ment. Kyore (kyoa). Negro and illiterate white for cure. SPEECH IN MISSISSIPPI. 43 Larn (larn). Negro and illiterate white for learn. Lasses (Iseses). Negro and illiterate white for molasses. Lawd (lod). Negro and illiterate white for lord. Lay off (1§ of). Means to intend; used by all classes; as, "I lay off to go away to-morrow." Bartlett gives lay out this mean- ing, but it is not so used in Mississippi, at least to any great extent. Lay off is used in Tennessee. Learn (lern). Largely used by all classes for teach. The word is given in Webster, but is marked "improper and inelegant." Lebenty-lebem (lebnti-lebm ) . Negro pronunciation for eleventy- eleven, an expression for an indefinitely great number. Led (led). Negro for lid. Used also in Massachusetts. Let the old cat die. An expression used by all classes, meaning to let a swing come to rest of its own accord. Heard also in Massachusetts and in various other parts of the United States. Liberty (laiberi). Negro for library. Lickerish (likerij). Negro and illiterate white for licorice. Used also in New England. Lickskillet (likskilit). Used by illiterate whites to mean a con- temptible or detestable person. Lie (lai) . Very frequently confused with its causative lay by all classes of people. Light'ud (laitud). Used for light-wood by the negroes and illit- erate whites of the pine districts of Mississippi. Like to have done it. Used by educated classes to mean to have come very near doing it. Uneducated people say, " Like to done it." By, these examples I mean to show that some of our best people use the perfect infinitive after like, and that the ignorant use the past participle. Any verb may be used as do is in the examples. Long-sweetening (loq-switnii)). Bartlett says that this word for- merly meant molasses in New England. It is still used by the illiterate whites of Mississippi in this sense. To this day that class of people in this State ask their guest -whether he will have long-sweetening or short-sweetening in his coffee ; i.e. will he take molasses or sugar. Long ways (lor| we3). Long ways and short ways are used by all classes for long way and short way; for instance, they say : "Europe is a long ways from here." This use of ways is 44 SOME PECULIARITIES OF probably derived from the adverbial use of the A.-S. weges, the genitive case of weg. Bartlett gives this expression as a very common vulgarism in the United States, but does not attempt to account for its origin. Somewheres and nowheres are like examples of the adverbial use of the A.-S. genitive. Lot (lot). This word is used to a considerable extent by all classes to mean stable-yard or horse-lot. If one is told that anything is4n the lot, he is to understand that it is in the same enclosure as the stables. Lots (lotz). This word is used by all classes to mean a large number, a large quantity, greatly. Bartlett gives the word, but mentions only a large number as its meaning. In Missis- sippi we say : " Lots of men " ; " Lots of paper " ; and " I love him lots." Low (lau). For allow; used by negroes to mean say, think, or expect; as in "Dat's what I lowed"; i.e. "That is what I thought, said, or expected." This word is used also in Ken- tucky. M. Make one's self skase (skes). A negro form of the phrase, make one's self scarce, given by Bartlett. It means to depart, to decamp, to get away. Mammy (msemi). A word used by negro children for mother. It is, of course, a corruption of mamma. Mammy is also used by white children when speaking of their old black nurses. Ma (ma) and maw (ma) are also frequently used for mother, the first generally by educated, the second by uneducated, people. Mar (ma). Negro and illiterate white for mare. Mare (msea). Negro for mayor. This is pronounced exactly as the correct pronunciation of mare, a female horse. Mann (marm). Illiterate white tor madam,; as, "Yes, marm, I think so, marm." Mars (m§,s). Negro form for master. Marster (mSsta) is also used with the same meaning. Massasip (maesasip). Sometimes used by negroes and illiterate whites for Mississippi. Mejure (med3a). Negro for measure. Melt (melt). The milt of hogs is always thus pronounced by all classes. Bartlett says that by the melt of a hog the mesen- tery is meant. SPEECH IN MISSISSIPPI. 46 Menses (meuzez). Sometimes used by illiterate whites for men. An uneducated old white woman once invited a party of my friends to dinner by saying : « Menses, take a seat and have some of the fry." Meracle (merik-1). Negro and illiterate white for miracle. This pronunciation is also heard in Louisiana among settlers of English descent. Marade (mgark-l) is also sometimes used by the lower classes of Mississippi. Middle of next week. This expression is used to some extent by all classes in such connection as the following: "If you don't let me alone, I'll knock you into the middle of next week." Middling (midlii)). In moderately good health, used mostly by negroes and illiterate whites. ToUible has about the same meaning and is a corruption of tolerable. The following dialogue may well be supposed to take place between two negroes inquiring about each other's health : " How is yo', Brer Jeems ? " — " Jist middlin', Brer Bill. How is you ? " — " I is tollible, tank God, but my ole omari is poly." Bartlett says that middling, in this sense, is very common in the United States, and according to Brockett it is used also in the north of England. .Middling meat (midlii) mit). Bartlett says that this expression is common in the West for pork, and means the portion of the animal between its hams and shoulders. This is exactly the use of middling or middling meat in Mississippi. The meat is sometimes written after middling, sometimes not. ; Midget (mid3it). According to Bartlett this word is used in Canada to mean the sand-fly. In Mississippi it means any- thing very small, and is, probably, merely an extension of the Canada meaning. In this State all classes speak of a small man, woman, horse, dog, or anything as being a perfect midget, or nothing but a midget. Mighty (maiti). Very, exceedingly. This word is given by both Webster and Bartlett as colloquial in the United States. I mention it here because its use in this sense is so very common among all classes of Mississippians. Millineer (milinia). Illiterate white pronunciation of milUonnaire. Million (milyun). Negro for melon. Mind (maind). This word is used by all classes to mean to object to; as, "I don't mind that"; i.e. "I have no objection to 46 SOME PECULIARITIES OF that." This meaning of mind probably springs from its regular meaning to notice, as there is not a very broad gap between "I don't object to that" and "I don't notice that"; for a man certainly cannot object very strongly to anything that he thinks unworthy of his notice. Mirate (mairSt). This word is used by negroes to mean to wonder, and I suppose, is connected with admire, as it can very easily be derived from the same Latin primitive mirari. From this is derived the noun miration, which means wonderment, bustle, stir, commotion; as, "Dem niggers sho made a great miration 'bout dat rock dat drapped out de sky." Misery (mizri). Negro for .a pain or ache of any kind in any part of the body. Negroes say : "I've got a misery in my head, foot, tooth," etc. When, however, the word misery is used not followed by the naine of any portion of the body, it refers to stomach-ache. When suffering from this ailment, negroes commonly say : " I've got a misery," or by a strange transpo- sition, " I've got a pain across my misery," where misery means stomach. Miss (mis). Negro for mistress. They say "ole Miss" for "old mistress," " Miss Smith " for Mrs. Smith. Molly Har (moli ha). A liare. The word occurs in the following stanza of a well-known negro song : — " Ole Molly Har, what you doin' dar, Er rippin' thoo de cotton fiel' as hard as you kin tar? " Mouf (mauf). Negro for mouth. Mought (maut). Negro for might (verb). Used also in Louisiana and Kentucky. Moughty (mauti). Illiterate white and negro for mighty, meaning very, excessively, exceedingly. Muel (myuel). Frequently used by negroes for mule. Muffles (niBf-lz). I have heard this word used only once, or, at least, by but one person. I knew a negro cook who used to call waffles, mitres. She seemed to have confused the words Waffles and muffins, and in this way produced a hybrid muffles. - Muscumdime (muskemdaim). Negro for muscadine. Musmelon or Mushmelon (m^smel-n or mejmel-n). The common names for the musk-melon. Mushmelon is used mostly by uneducated people. These pronunciations are heard in New York, New Jersey, and New England. SPEECH IN MISSISSIPPI. 47 Mussy (ni'Bsi). Negro for mercy. Lawdy-mussy is a favorite ex- clamation among the negroes, and even to some extent among the whites. It, of course, means " Lord, have mercy ! " N. Nable (ngb-1). Negro and illiterate white for navel. Heard also in Massachusetts. Nary (nseri). Used by negroes and illiterate whites for ne'er a; as, " I ain't seen nary man dis year," i.e. " I have seen ne'er a man." Nary is nearly always used by these classes of people instead of not a single, not any. Just as ary, nary always follows a negative ; but, of course, the employment of a double negative is not unusual among the uneducated. Natcherly, (naetjeli). Negro for naturally. Navigate (naiviggt). This word is used by negroes to mean to loiter, to linger around, to hang about ; as, " Dey was uavigatin' about hyar all summer." In this use of the word there is no reference whatever either to the sea or to ships. Needer (nida). Negro tov" neither. Nuther (u'eSq) is another form very largely used by negroes for neither. Nuther is generally employed at the end of sentences in constructions like the following : " No, I didn't do it nuther " ; " An' I ain't goin' nuther " ; etc. Nigger (niga). The common pronunciation of negro by all classes of people. Nigro is sometimes used by educated people. Nigh (nai). This word, although almost archaic in modern book- English, is still in very general use among the lower classes of Mississippi. Nigh onto death. Illiterate white for very near to death; as, "Nancy had the colic nigh onto death last week.'' ' Noggin (nogin). Very frequently used by illiterate whites for head; i.e. the head of an animal. English settlers in Louisiana use it as a semi-slang term. Norate (noret). To make widely known, to spread abroad, as of a rumor or report. In this sense it is used by educated people as well as by illiterate. Not much shakes (Jekz). Used by illiterate whites to mean o/no great worth or value. When wishing to disparage any man, they say : " He ain't much shakes nohow." Bartlett gives a parallel expression, no great shakes, which he says is common in England as well as in the United States. Nuffln (n'Gfn). Negro for nothing. 48 SOME PECULIARITIES OF O. (o). The pronunciation of this letter, short o, as aw, is very common in a large number of words, and is used by all classes. Coffee is pronounced (coii); office, (ofis)j log, (log); dog, (dog); etc. Of ('Bv). Illiterate whites almost always use this preposition before the past participle when forming a part of the com- plete past of a verb, in the antecedent clause of a conditional sentence. They say : " Ef I had of known " ; " Ef he had of died"; "Ef they had of thought." This o/ sound is not a contraction of the well-known barbarism had have died, thought, known, etc. ; for in three written exercises handed in to me by students of the University of Mississippi, at one time, the 0/ occurs spelled out, as given above. Ofien (ofn). Negro aud illiterate white for off of, exactly analo- gous to outen for out of. Offen is used also in Vermont. Oi. This diphthong is pronounced by negroes as long i (ai), in (jaist) for joist, (haist) for hoist, (spail) for spoil, (bail) for boil. However, in voice and moist and some other words, it is given the correct pronunciation. Ole 'oman (61 um-n). A common name for wife, among illiterate whites and negroes. Onery (ongri). Used to some extent by all classes to mean ea>- tremely ordinary, poor, mean. Used also in Kentucky, Middle States, and New England. Onliest (Snliest). Superlative of only, used mostly by negroes. Heard also among the ignorant classes in Louisiana. Only (onli). Some well-educated people make a point of pro- nouncing this word with short (onli). Ort (ort). Illiterate white for ought. Ouch (autj). An exclamation denoting pain, used by all classes. Heard also in New England. Outen (autn). Negro and illiterate white for out of. Overhet (Svehiet). Negro for overheated; as, "De sun was so hot yistiddy dat I got overhet." This word is common in the Northern and Eastern States and in Louisiana. Owdacious (audSJes). Negro and illiterate white pronunciation of audacious. Oxen (oksn). This form is largely used, even by educated peo- ple, for ox; i.e. a single one. SPEECH IN MISSISSIPPI. 49 P. Pack (peek). Used to some extent by all classes to mean to carry. Heard also in Kentucky, Louisiana, Idaho, Montana, and Washington State. Pant (psent). An abbreviation of pantaloons, used by clerks in dry -goods stores. They say : " I have a pant that I can sell you," etc. Of course, pants is a well-known abbreviation, but I think pant is rather a new word. Pappy (paepi). A term used by negro children for father. It is, of course, a corruption of papa. Pason (psesn). Used to some extent by illiterate whites for parson. Passle (psesl). Used to some extent by all classes, but princi- pally by the uneducated, to mean a parcel, not in the sense of a small bundle or a small quantity, but in that of a consid- erable number ; as, " There was a whole passle of hogs in the yard " ; i.e. there were a good many. The word has, per- haps, a somewhat larger meaning than a good many, but denotes less than a multitude. This word is used in Ken- tucky, but is becoming rare there. Pastur (pasta). Illiterate white for pasture. Patridge (paetridS). A pronunciation of partridge common among negroes and illiterate whites. Dr. Brown notices paturge with metathesis. I think the pronunciation in Mississippi is rather as given above. Patter-rollers (psete-rolaz). Negro tor patrols. Peckerwood. Woodpecker. Bartlett says that this word is West- ern. It is also heard very frequently in Mississippi, as in Tennessee. \ Peerch (pert J). Negro and illiterate white for perch, meaning a certain kind of fish. This forms an exact parallel to the use of peert for pert, which is common in almost all parts of the United States. Per. The syllable pro, when the first in a word, is generally pro- nounced by negroes and illiterate whites as per (pe) ; e.g. perfess, perfessor, perduce, perpose, pernounce. Perrairies (par-griz). Illiterate white ior prairies. Peruse (par-uz). Used by negi'oes to mean to wander about; as, " Yistiddy I was perusin' around in de woods." Peruse and bruze seem to mean about the same thing. I can't find any difference in their use. 50 SOME PECULIARITIES OF Peter out (pita aut). To fail, to give out; used by all classes. Bartlett says that it is common in the Northern States as well. Piddle (pidl). This word is marked in Webster as obsolete, and is said to be a different spelling of peddle, or from the same source, and to mean to trifle, or deal in trifles. It is still largely used in this sense by negroes and illiterate whites in Mississippi. Pinder (pinda). The common name for peanut in the southern and central portions of the State. The Century Dictionary says that pinder is of African origin. Pint (paint). Negro and illiterate white tov point. Pizin (paizn). Negro for poison. This word is heard also in New England and Kentucky, but is becoming rare in those places. In the negro dialect of Mississippi it still holds un- disputed sway. Pleg (pleg). Common pronunciation of plague, especially in the expression, " Pleg take it ! " a euphemistic form of swearing. The same pronunciation is used in Tennessee. Po' (p6). Negro for poor. c) Poke (pok). This word is used by all classes to mean a slow person, and has its corresponding adjective poky. It is prob- ably derived from the verb to poke, as meaning to feel or push one's way slowly. One who moves in this way is con- sequently called a poke or a slow-poke. Poky and slow-poke are heard in New England. Poly (poll). Negro for poorly, used to mean in a bad state of health. A negro, when asked about his health, if not well, will answer, " Poly, poly, bress God ! " Pone (pon). Used by all classes tor a certain kind of corn-bread made with only water, meal, and salt. The word pone fre- quently has a more extended meaning than this, and is' used for a loaf of any kind of bread. Pooty (puti). Negro and illiterate white iov pretty. Pore (pSa). Illiterate white for poor. This pronunciation, how- ever, is used over almost the entire United States. , Po' skuse for (po skyus f^). A negro phrase meaning a poor sm6- stitute for or example of; as, " He is a mighty po' skuse for a man " ; i.e. as a man, he is almost worthless. 'Possum (pos-m). A common contraction of opossum, used by all classes. This word is also used as a verb to signify to feign SPEECH IN MISSISSIPPI. 51 or counterfeit, probably from the opossum's habit of feigning death when any danger appears. Bartlett gives substantially this explanation. Powerful (pauaful) . The use of this word as an adverb meaning very, exceedingly, is pronounced vulgar by Webster ; never- theless it is used in Mississippi, with this sense, by a large number of well-educated people, I think, principally, by im- migrants from South Carolina. Po' white trash. The common name given by the negro to poor white people, whom he holds in utter scorn and detestation. Members of the colored race have frequently said to me : " Dem po' white trash don't know how to treat we niggers, and we all hates 'em like snakes." Prar (prae). Illiterate white and negro pronunciation of prayer. Presenty (presnti). Common negro word tov presently. Projicking (prod3ikin). A word used by negroes and illiterate whites to mea.n fooling, trifling; as, "If you don't stop your projickin' with me, I'll lick you." [ Purchase (pertjis). This word, in the sense of mechanical hold or power, is used somewhat peculiarly by the illiterate whites of Mississippi ; for instance, if any one be paralyzed so as not to manage himself with ease, they say, " He hasn't got the proper purchase of himself." Pursly or Pussly (persli or p'BSli). The common names for purs- lane. The Century Dictionary gives both of these words as vulgar, and as used in various parts of the Union. Put down (put daun). Used by all classes to mean to consider; as, " I put him down for [or as] a fool." Q Quare (kweer). Illiterate white for queer. This is exactly the same pronunciation as is used by the Irish. Quarter (kwata). This word, when used by itself, is generally understood, throughout the United States, to refer to a quar- ter of a dollar. The illiterate whites of Mississippi, how- ever, use it to mean a quarter of a mile. They very rarely, indeed, say a quarter of a mile, but nearly always simply a quarter. They seem to think it necessary to say half of a mile, eighth of a mile, etc., but rarely ever quarter of a mile. rQuicked up (kwikt ep). I once heard an illiterate white inhabi- 52 SOME PECULIARITIES OF tant of Lafayette County use this expression for sudden, has- tened. He said, "You know his leaving was a quicked-up thing." Quirl (kwerl). This word is largely used by negroes, and to some extent by white people, for curl. It is also thus used in New England. In Mississippi a snake is nearly always said to be qiiirled or quoiled up, instead of curled or coiled up. Quiled (kwaild) up is sometimes used by negroes. R. R. The pronunciation of the letter r is almost totally omitted in the middle of the word by all classes in Mississippi ; e.g. (monir)) for morning; (oda) for order; (mon) for mourn. Final r is also frequently unpronounced ; as, (do) for door; (fl5) for floor; (mo) for more. Illiterate whites pronounce the r more distinctly than any other class, and negroes less distinctly. Rap-jacket (raep-dSaekit). A term used by all classes to mean a game of whipping, in which two boys are given switclies, and whip each other with all of their might until one says "enough." They both thus have their jackets thoroughly rapped, if they happen to have on those garments. Two boys who have been fighting at school are very frequently punished by the teacher's making them play rap-jacket until he tells them to stop. Rassle (raesl). Negro and illiterate white for wrestle. This pro- nunciation of wrestle is, of course, a relic of wrastle, common in the fourteenth century. This is heard in New England, Canada, North Ireland, and Tennessee. Razee (raeS-i). This word, in Mississippi, used occasionally by all classes, means to " Jew down " in a trade. A man is said to razee a merchant when he makes him lower his price by higgling. Razoo (r8e3-u). This word is common among negroes, and means to totally disable; but its origin is uncertain. By many negroes a razor is called a razoo, and this forms the favorite weapon of the colored man, so that this verb may have originally meant to cut with a razor ; or, on the other hand, it may be connected with the well-known word razee. Real down (ril daun). Used by cultivated whites to mean exceed- ingly or extremely. A thing that is extremely nice is said to be real down nice. SPEECH IN MISSISSIPPI. 53 Reckon (rekn). This word is almost always used in the ordi- nary conversation of our best educated people for think or suppose, and corresponds to a like use of guess in the Northern States. Reddish (redij). This pronunciation of radish is practically uni- versal among the uneducated classes, and is frequently heard in the conversation of the more cultivated. Red-neck (red-nek). A name applied by the better class of people to the poorer inhabitants of the rural districts. The word explains itself : men who work in the field, as a matter of course, generally have their skin burned red by the sun, and especially is this true of the back of their necks. Rickolliction (rikal-ikj-n). Illiterate white for recollection, used to mean memory. An old backwoodsman once said to me of a certain public man: "He -has the most wonderful rickollic- tion for remembering names that I ever hearn tell of." Rid (rid). Negro for rode. This form has not very long been obsolete, and is derived from the old plural form of the past, or from the past participle. Right (rait). Webster gives this word as meaning actually, really, truly; but in such expressions as right good, right large, it is used by Mississippians to mean moderately. This use is very frequent in the conversation of all classes of society. Right smart (rait smat). Bartlett notices this as common in the South with the meaning of a good deal, a considerable quan- tity or number. In Mississippi it also means worthy of con- sideration; as, "He is right smart of a man" ; i.e. a man who possesses considerable excellence in some line. The expres- sion frequently occurs in right smart chance, right smart sprinkle, as noted by Bartlett. Rip and rare (rip sen raer). This term is used by all classes of Mississippians as meaning to create a violent disturbance, especially by swearing and cursing. Bar (rag) is sometimes heard for rare among the negroes. Riz (riz) . Negro for rose, the past tense of rise. The form riz seems to be derived from the past participle risen, or the old past plural risen, most probably from the former. Used also in New England and Louisiana. Rookus (rukas). A word signifying a quarrel or row. Used principally by negroes and illiterate whites, and occurring 54 SOME PECULIARITIES OF most frequently in the southern central part of the State. Also heard in Kentucky. Rozzum (roz-m or raz-m). Negro for rosin. Used also in Ten- nessee. Rue back (ru bsek). Used by all classes to mean to back out of a trade, to trade back. When a man is not satisfied with a purchase, but returns it and gets his money back, he is said to rue back. Rue back applies also to a swap or any kind of a trade. Used also in Tennessee. Rumatiz (rumatiz). Negro and illiterate white for rheumatism. T think that this word is largely used outside of Mississippi. i' Sability (s§b-ilitiy). Used by negroes to mean character, standing; as, " I didn't think a gemman- of your sability would do dat." Saddy (sseddi). Illiterate white and negro for Saturday. Sagashuate (sSg-seJyuSt). This word is used by negroes in the sentence : " How does your corporosity seem to sagashuate ? " and is a common way of inquiring after anybody's health. Corporosity seems to refer to bodily condition, and I suppose is connected with the Latin corpus. Sagashuate, as far as I know, is not used outside of this or similar expressions, and here it would seem to mean to thrive or prosper. I Sager (sedSe). Illiterate white for backwoodsman, rustic. It is probably derived from sedge (pronounced s^d3), and refers to one coming from a sedge-grass region, i.e. from the country. Its use is confined almost exclusively to South Mississippi. Sah (sa). Negro for sir. Sarch (saatj). Negro and illiterate white for search. Sarmint (saamint). Illiterate white for sermon. Negroes gener- ally say sarmun (sarm-n). Sartin (saatn). Negro for certain. This pronunciation is also used to some extent by the illiterate whites of Mississippi, as by those of almost every other part of the United States. Sarvant (saavnt). Negro for servant. Sarve (saav). Negro for sei-ve. Sass (sees). Negro and illiterate white for sauce, meaning im- pertinence, impudence; and sauce itself Halliw^ell marks as low and vulgar. It comes, I presume, from saucy. Sassy (ssesi). Negro and illiterate white for saucy. ' Scaly-bark (skgli-bark). A name applied by all classes to a SPEECH IN MISSISSIPPI. 55 species of hickory tree, as well as to the nuts that grow thereon. In other parts of the United States the terms shell- bark or shag-bark are used. Scare (skea). This pronunciation of scare is used by negroes and illiterate whites, and even by educated people sometimes. Skered is the ordinary past tense of this word, but negroes sometimes say sked. Scasely (sk§sli) . Negro for scarcely. In " Dialect Notes," Pro- fessor Hart sayp of this : " Usually regarded as an American- ism. But of. 'they themselves could skaselye enter with- out iepardie,' More's ' Utopia,' translated by Ralph Robin- son, p. 73, Arber's Reprint." School-butter (skul-b^tg). This word, when yelled out by one school-boy to another, is regarded as the direst insult and as calling for immediate tight. Used also in Kentticky. Scussion (sk^J-n). Negro for excursion. Sech (setj). Negro for such. Precisely the same pronunciation is sometimes used by negroes for search. Seed (sid). Negro and illiterate white for saw. 'Seeker (sika). This word is used without modifiers of any sort to mean a penitent, one who is sorry for sin and desires to become religious. This specific meaning is, of course, easily traceable from the general meaning of the word, as a penitent is indeed a seeker, and has the right to be called pre-eminently the seeker ; for he seeks after the most important of all things. Seen (sin). Used for saw by negroes and illiterate whites, form- ing another instance of the confusion of the past tense and past participle. The verb see is strangely distorted by the uneducated of Mississippi ; they use seen and seed for saw ; seed for seen; sato for seen; and, sometimes, see for saw. Seppin (sepn). Negro for except. This word occurs often in the phrase, seppin I slip, which means unless I fail or make a mistake. A negro would say : " I'll git my cotton hoed over by Saddy, seppin I slip." Of course, this may be a form of excepting. Shank of the evening. Used principally by negroes, meaning near the end of the evening. The Century Dictionary quotes this expression from "Uncle Remus's" stories, and says that shank means the end or close of anything. I Sheep-sorrel. This plant has many names in Mississippi, all of which are very common. It is called sheep-shaw (Jip-Jo), 56 SOME PECULIARITIES OF sheep-shire (Jip-Jaie), sheep-sheer (Jip-Jia), sheep-shy (Jip-Jai) ; but the correct name, sheep-sorrel, is rarely heard. Shet (Jet). Negro for shut. Shindig (Jindig). This word is used by illiterate whites, and means a country dance or party. Bartlett says that iu the South it means " a blow on the shins," and in the West, " a dance of any kind." I have never heard it used in Missis- sippi to mean a blow on the shins, and that is certainly not the common meaning here. This name for a dance could easily be derived from the motion of the legs in performing some dances ; the dancers seem to be literally digging into the floor with their shins. This, however, is merely conjectural. Sho (Jo). The common negro pronunciation for sure. Sholy is likewise used for surely. Sho is sometimes used for surely. Shore for sure is also common here, as in Louisiana. Sho as a cow. An expression used by illiterate whites to mean perfectly certain, absolutely sure. I cannot account for this phrase, as I know of no impression prevalent that a cow is any more sure than any other animal. Sho as you are born, Sho as you are an inch [or foot^ high, Sho' as I am alive, are expressions with substantially the same meaning. Sho nuff (Jo UTif). Negro for sure enough, meaning real; as, "Dat was sutenly a sho nuff ghos' I seed last night." Shoot craps (Jflt krseps). The term used by negroes for the play- ing of a certain game of dice. This craps, however, I think has no connection with the negro word crap for crop. Shucks (J'eks). An exclamation indicative of scorn or contempt. As the husks of corn are the most worthless part, the saying arose, " That is not worth shucks " ; i.e. not worth anything. The single word shucks has now come to mean that the speaker's opinion of what has been said is that it is worthless or improbable. This word is used by all classes. ShuJcins (J^kins) is a form of this word frequently met with. Shuk (J'ek). Negro for shook. Shuw (J-b). An exclamation commonly used for pshaw by all classes. Sistern (sistar-n). Negro for sisters (in a church), formed upon analogy with brethren. Sit (sit). Often confounded with its causative, set, by even the SPEECH IN MISSISSIPPI. 57 best educated people. Sit is also very frequently used for sat by all classes ; set is also used for sat. : Skeet (skit). Illiterate whites use this word to mean to move swiftly, to flee, to run, and also to skate ; and from this last it is probably derived. Skeet is probably merely another form for skite, given by Bartlett as meaning to go about; however, I have never heard shite used in Mississippi. /Tskeeter (skite). ISTegro for mosquito. Sketch over (sketj Sva). Illiterate white for glance over. They sketch over a newspaper before reading it closely. 'J Skuze (skyuz). ]S"egro for excuse and accuse; as, " Skuse me for hittin' you, but you skused me of lyin'." Skwel (skwel). Negro pronunciation of squirrel. I have known one or two very well educated immigrants from Virginia who used exactly this pronunciation. Slab-sided (slgeb-saided). Bartlett gives this word as meaning having perpendicular sides, wall-sided; but in Mississippi it is used by all classes to mean crooked, cranky. He is a slab- sided man, means that mentally, morally, or physically he is not as he should be, he is deficient in some way — he is not straight. This meaning may have come to this word from its having been confused with crank-sided. Slick (slik) . Used by all classes for sleek, and identical with the Old English slick.- It is used by English settlers in Louis- iana, and is heard also in New England. ^ Slicker (slike) . The common name for a certain kind of water- proof garment. It is also frequently used in the Eocky Mountain country. Sling-shot (slir)-Jot). A name in general use for an apparatus, generally called catapult, made of a wooden or iron staff, two bands of India-rubber, and a piece of leather, so connected as to be able to throw shot or pebbles to a considerable dis- tance. Other names for this contrivance are nigger-shooter and peorshooter : the first referring to the object shot at, and the second to the object hurled from the sling. .Slish (slaij). Quite a common pronunciation of slice by negroes and illiterate whites. Smack (smaek). Used by all classes to mean entirely, exactly, or precisely; e.g. " He knocked him smack down," " He hit me smack in the face," " I ran smack up against it." Smidget (smid3it). Used by negroes to mean a small part or 58 SOME PECULIARITIES OF portion of anything ; as, " I just got a smidget of supper " ; "I want a smidget of corn." This is probably allied to midget. Smoove (smiiv). Negro for smoothe. Sjm-D.H- Snake-doctor. The ordinary Mississippi name for the dragon- fly. Bartlett gives this as the common Southwestern name for dragon-fly. The two bumps sometimes seen on the snake-doctor, just behind his wings, are called his saddle- bags, and in them he is reputed to carry medicine for the snakes. Snooks (snuks). This word is used by all classes to mean equal shares. Men go snooks with a certain amount of valuables when they divide them equally. Bartlett gives this word, spelled snucks, but meaning the same thing. He does not say how the word is pronounced, but the logical inference is that the u is pronounced as in shucks; whereas the oo in snooks is pronounced as oo in took. This doubtless originated from snacks, meaning equal shares, as to go snacks, in the time of Pope, meant exactly what to go snooks means now. In Pope's poem about the bores that trouble him at Twickenham, occurs the following line : — "At last he whispers, 'Do,' and we go snacks." Snoot (snut). Negro and illiterate white for snout. This occurs also in New York City and Philadelphia, and very fre- quently is used to mean nose. The Germans of Pennsylvania use this word to mean not only nose, but even face, sometimes calling a barber a snoot- scraper. So long (sol-oij) . Used by all classes as a form of leave-taking. Century Dictionary says that it is probably a sailor's corrup-. tion of salaam.^ Sont (sont). Negro for sent. Sooey (su-i). The sound used to drive hogs out of one's way. Probably from sowey (sau-i), after the analogy of scat (skset), the well-known word used to drivccats away. Soople (sup-1). Used for supple, principally by negroes and illit- erate whites, but sometimes by educated people. It is used also in Louisiana and New England, and by uneducated people in the North of Ireland. SPEECH IN MISSISSIPPI. 59 Sop (sop). Illiterate white for molasses, gravy, or anything in which bread is sopped. This class of people in Mississippi have changed the meaning of sop from the piece of bread to that in which the bread is dipped. ' Sorter (sota). Largely used by all classes. It is a corruption of sort of, and means to some extent, moderately; as, sorter good, sorter bad — moderately good or bad. Kinder (kaindg), for kind of, has about the same meaning, but is not so commonly used. Sorter and kinder are used in many other parts of the United States. Sot (sot). Negro for set or sat. According to Bartlett, this pro- nunciation is common among the illiterate of other States also. Sozdologer (soksdolgdSa) . A friend of mine, who is a minister, informs me that he has heard illiterate whites use this word for doxology. "" Sparking (sparking). Courting. Bartlett says that this word is very common in the Northern States. And it is possible that the Mississippians may have taken it from Northern immigrants. Sparrow-grass (spsera-graes). Negro for asparagus. According to Bartlett, used both in England and America. Speck (spec). Used by negroes for both expect and suspect. iSpeerit (spirit). Illiterate white for spirit. They say also speeritual for spiritual. Spell (spel). By negroes and some white people this word is used to mean to signify, to amount to; as in "What does that spell?" by which they mean, "What does that amount to?" Sperrit (sperit). Negro for spirit. Negroes rarely ever say speerit, although illiterate whites use both spen-it and speerit. Sperrit is heard also in Louisiana and New England. Speunce (spiuns). Negro for experience, both the noun and the verb. The past tense of the verb is speunced. Sprankle (sprserjkl) . I once heard an uneducated white man use this for sprinkle. Spurrer (spure). Illiterate white for spurt. They say, "Cotton has taken a spurrer in price " ; i.e. a stidden rise. Squinch-owl (skwintj-aul). Negro for screech-owl. Stairs (steegz). Illiterate whites frequently thus pronounce stars. Stakes (st§ks). In playing ring-men, a player is said to have 60 SOME PECULIARITIES OF stakes when he has knocked three marbles out of the ring. Step off (step of). Used by all classes for marry; as, "T think he will step off next fall." This may probably come under the head of slang. Stob (stob). Negro pronunciation of the verb stab. As a noun, identically the same word is used, both in Tennessee and Mississippi, to mean a stake driven in the ground or the tall stump of a tree. Stocky (stoki). Used by all classes, to some extent, to mean firm or stotit. A low, chunky man is said to be stocky. Stomp (stomp). Bartlett says that this pronunciation is almost- universal in the United States : it certainly is in Mississippi, even among the best-educated people. Used also very fre- quently in Louisiana. 'Stracted (streekted). A contraction for distracted, much used by the negroes to mean crazy; as, " Dis hade-ache is mos' run me 'stracted." Straight-up-and-dicular. Sometimes used by negroes and illiterate whites to mean perpendicular. Straightway. Used by illiterate whites as equivalent to in a straight line. It plays a large part in back-country argu- ments on baptism, on account of its use in the Bible in the following sentence : " And came up straightway from the water." These uneducated people construe the sentence as meaning that the biblical characters were down in the water and came up out of it in a straight line. Stumps (stamps). The phrase in a bad row of [or for'] stumps, meaning in an unfortunate plight, is used by all classes. It is probably derived from ploughing in new ground, where stumps are sometimes very troublesome. Used also in Ken- tucky. 'Sturb (steb). Negro for disturb. This is an example of a large number of verbs that have the first syllable left off by the negroes of Mississippi. Such of a thing. This expression is used by all classes nearly always in the sentence: "It is no such of a thing"; i.e. it is not true. As such means of that kind, the of between such and thing may be introduced from the idea expressed in say- ing, it is not that kind of [a] thing, or not a thing of that kind. SPEECH IN MISSISSIPPI. 61 ) has the sharp or whispered sound, it is quite frequently pronounced as t; as, tought for thought; tink for think; tousand for thousand; troo for through. This th (\>), however, is not by any means always pronounced as t ; as the negroes pronounce it correctly in thrash, thrush, thumb, thunder, and in a. large number of other words. When th {]>) is final, it is generally given the sound of /; as, too/ for tooth; breftor breath; trufior truth. When th (tS) is final, it has the sound of v; as, breave for breathe; smoove for smooth. () That's accordin'. Used by negroes and illiterate whites to mean that depends, and is probably an abbreviation of " that is ac- cording to how you look at it " ; as, " Is that a good horse ? " — " Well, that^s accordin' " ; i.e. that depends upon what you mean by a good horse. The phrase would imply that the SPEECH IN MISSISSIPPI. 63 horse is not good in every respect; from some standpoints he is good, while from others he is not. Theologer (fiologe). Illiterate white for theologian. There (6er). Thar, dar, and dere are used for there. Tliar is used mostly by illiterate whites ; dar and dere, by negroes. Thing-em-a-doodle (ij-erj-a-me-d-udl). Used by all classes for the name of anything that cannot be readily recalled. In Ken- tucky are used thing-um-a-bob, thing-eini-a-dudgeon, tJung-doodle. In New England, thingembob, thingamy, ihingemajig, and in Massachusetts also thigamy, occur. Thingemajig anAjJiinge- madoo are sometimes heard in Mississippi. This er way and That er way (Sis 9 wg and Sset g w@). The phrases in this form are used by a large number of well-educated people. They are, of course, shortened forms of this here way and that there way. The here and there are added, I suppose, for emphasis. The forms of these two phrases are various among the other classes of society ; illiterate whites say, "this ere way," "this air way," "that ere way," "that air way." Negroes say " dis ar way," " dat ar way." Negroes and illiterate whites use almost any substantive after these corruptions of hei-e and there with this and iJiat; while the educated classes rarely use any word except way in this con- nection. Bartlett says that this here and that there is a common vulgarism in the United States and that this yere is the ordinary pronunciation in the South. The pronunciation this yere is heard frequently in Mississippi. Thoo (pu). N egTo toi throiogh. f " • Thote (fot). Negro for throat. Thout (Saut). Negro iov without. Thow (fo). Negro for throw. The past tenSe of this verb in negro parlance is thowed (|od). These words are used also in Kentucky. Thrash (j^rsej). This pronunciation is used by all classes both when speaking of threshing grain and of whipping anything. It is also thus used in western New York. In England and New England, thrash means to whip ; thresh, to thresh grain. Thunk (f'Brik). Negro for thought. This past is formed upon analogy with such words as sink, slink, etc. Thurst (perst). Used by some illiterate whites for thrust. Tief (tif). Negro for thief. 64 SOME PECULIARITIES OF Til (til). Negro for to, used with reference to place. In this we may have the survival of Old English til. Til or till has another peculiar use in the negro dialect in sentences like the following, where it is used in the place of that: " It hurt me so till I cried." I think that this use of till has sprung from the confusion of two constructions : " It hurt me so that I cried," and " It hurt me until [or till] I cried," where till or until is employed to denote consequence or result. Time to hang up. Used by all classes for time to quit work. Its origin seems somewhat doubtful. Bartlett gives the phrase, "to hang up one's fiddle," and quotes from "The Sayings of Sam Slick": "When a man loses his temper and ain't cool, he might as well hang up his fiddle." Time to hang up may, of cour.se, be connected with what has just been quoted, or it may be derived from the custom of hanging up one's tools when work is stopped. Tiptoe-heading (tiptS-hedir)). Used by the negroes of the Missis- sippi bottom to mean, in an over-bearing way; as, "Don't you come a tiptoe-heading towards me." Toch (totj). Negro for touch. Tech (tetj) is also used for touch by negroes. Toch sometimes forms a regular past tense, toched, and sometimes is itself used as past. To death. This phrase is largely used by all classes to mean excessively, exceedingly; as, "I am tired to death " ; "I nearly laughed myself to death." Tominated (tomineted). Illiterate white for contaminated. I once heard an old rustic say that he was formerly tominated with sin, but had afterwards become sanctified. Tote (tot). The common negro word for carry. Tote the mail. A negro expression for run swiftly; as, " When 1 seed dat ghos', I farly toted de mail." This may be regarded as an indirect compliment to Uncle Sam, since his method of carrying the mail has become the synonym for swiftness. Tother (t'eSa). Negro and illiterate white for the other. Towser (tausa). This word is used in South Mississippi to mean a hail fellow well met, and is always put beforie a proper name; . as, Towser Jim, etc. Trawft (troft) . Negro and illiterate white for trough. Tromp (tromp). Common pronunciation of tramp (verb). Used also in Louisiana and Tennessee. Trussle (tresl) . Largely used by all classes for trestle. SPEECH IN MISSISSIPPI. 65 Tuck (tek). Negro for took. Tuh (t'B). There is no sound of r in the negro pronunciation of to, and it should not be written ter, as it generally is by dia- lect writers. Turkle (terkl). Negro for turtle. Turkle-dove is the common name given by negroes to the turtle-dove. ^ Turn (tern). This word is used by all classes to mean that por- tion of anything which constitutes a load for a man ; e.g. as much corn as a man can carry is a turn of corn. We speak likewise of a turn of wood or a turn of brick, or of almost anything that can be carried by a man. Turn-row (tern-ro). A word employed by farmers to mean the row in the middle of the field, where the dirt is begun to be thrown in a direction opposite to that in which it had been thrown before, so as to form a deep furrow or trench. Turrible (t'erib-l). A pronunciation of terrible very common among the illiterate, and sometimes heard in the conversa- tion of the educated. Twel (twel) . Negro for till. Twiste (t waist). Negro and illiterate white for twice. This vul- garism is, I think, very common in many parts of the United States. U. Uh (v,). The common negro form for the indefinite article a. This is generally written er by dialect writers, but no sound of r is ever apparent in the negro pronunciation. Umberel ('gmbarel). Negro and illiterate white for umbrella. % 'Umble ('Bmb-1). Used for humble by all classes. Not one man in a thousand, in Mississippi, pronounces humble correctly, but nearly all make the ti silent. ! Underskirt. The common name for petticoat, corresponding to the under-coat of North Carolina. ' Under the weather. A phrase used by all classes to mean unwell, not in good health. One not in good health is naturally more under, or subject to, the weather than one perfectly well. i Uv ('Bv). Negro and illiterate white pronunciation of of. V. V. A final V is generally pronounced as b by negroes; as, Zm6 (I'eb) for love; gib (gib) for give; sabe (sgb) for save, etc. This, however, is not always the case, and it seems impos- sible to give any rule that is followed. 66 SOME PECULIARITIES OF Vamoose (vam-us). Bartlett gives vamose as colloquial in the United States, and as heard especially frequently in the Southwest. However, the common form of this word in Mississippi is vamoose, having exactly the same meaning as vamose, and being used by all classes. Varus (vgras). Illiterate white for at variance with; used in the eastern central portion of the State. When two men do not agree, they are then said to be varus with each other. V Venture. In a game of marbles this word means to forbid; as, " venture roundauce " ; " venture dubs " ; etc. In Cincin- nati fen is used with this meaning, and may possibly be derived from venture. Venture itself is most probably {pre)vent you, the first syllable of prevent being left off. Verse. All classes of people sometimes use verse of poetry for stanza. This, however, is an error by no means confined to Mississippi. Very. The generally accepted meaning of very is exceedingly, to a great degree; but Mississippians frequently use it in exactly the opposite sense. In spoken discourse the mean- ing of very depends entirely upon the tone in which it is uttered. If the very is pronounced quickly without any special stress, it means to a small extent, to a very moderate degree. Thus, sometimes, when a thing is said to be very good, it is meant that the thing is moderately good, or not so good after all; e.g. if some one were asked whether a dog is a good one or not, and should reply, " Well, he is very good," it would in all probability be meant that the dog was not entirely good, but that he had some good qualities. When the necessity arises for using very in its emphasiz- ing or intensifying sense, Mississippians nearly always em- ploy some other term, a few of which I shall give : rial, real down, mighty, quite, tarnation, awful, uncommon, monstrous, rattling; all of which are used as adverbs when taking the place of very. Of course all of these expressions are not peculiar to Mississippi, but all of them are extensively used here. W. Wade into. One man is said to wade into another when he attacks him very vigorously with either fist or tongue. This phrase is used by all classes. SPEECH IN MISSISSIPPI. 67 Want (wont). Negro and illiterate white for was not or were not. Wa nut (wonat). Negro for walnut. Used also in Kentucky and New England. Wast (wost). Negro for wasp. Wat (wtit). Sometimes used by negroes for what. We all's. A possessive form of we all used by negroes and illit- erate whites. You all's also is heard. " That house is we all's " means that the house belongs to all of us. Weepons (wipanz) . Negro and illiterate white for weapons. Used also in Kentucky. Well. Bartlett gives a lengthy note on this word, but I do not think he brings out a peculiar way in which it is used in Mississippi. I refer to that use of well which denotes that the one who says well is not satisfied with what has been spoken, but that he expects something more, or that granting what has been said, to be true, he desires to know what fol- lows as a logical inference — a meaning that may be made clear by the following dialogue : — Mr. Jones. — " The weather is bad, cotton is low, my wife is sick." Mr. Smith. " Well ? " Here Mr. Smith desires to know what Mr. Jones is going to do under the circumstances ; he wants to know what is going to follow ; he expects Mr. Jones to make some additional statement. Wen (wen). Sometimes used by illiterate whites and negroes for when. We uns (wi anz). Illiterate white for we. You ims is also used for you. Bartlett says that these were developed during the late war. Their use extends over almost the whole Union. I suppose these were originally we ones and you ones. Whar (hwar). Is used by illiterate whites to mean both where and whether. They say : " I don't know whar he went or whar he has come back or not." What may be your entitlements ? Frequently used by illiterate whites for " what is your name ?" Wheel-borrow (hwil-bore). Illiterate white and negro for wheel- barrow. Which from tother (hwitj frum tetSa). Illiterate white for one from another. It is frequently said of twins that one can't tell " which from tother." 68 SOME PECULIARITIES OF Whing (hwSrj). Used by illiterate white immigrants from North Carolina for wing. Who laid the rails. An expression used by negroes without any very definite meaning. It generally occurs in such construc- tions as the following: "Dat man kin speak fum who laid the rails " ; " He gimme a beatin' fum who laid the rails." As can be seen from these examples the expression generally implies some degree of excellence or completeness. Whup (hwup). Negro for whip. Used also in Kentucky. Widow-woman. Negroes and illiterate whites almost never say simply widow, but in nearly every instance add either woman or lady to this word. Cultivated white peoiile very frequently use this redundancy also. Wirsted (wirsted). Used by some illiterate whites for worsted, meaning a kind of cloth. Wouldn't be surprised if it didn't. This expression is frequently used by all classes in the place of wouldn't be surprised if it did; as in speaking of the weather, one says: "I wouldn't be surprised if it didn't rain," meaning that he thinks it is going to rain. Wrench (rent J). This word is used by illiterate whites of some sections to mean a wash or bath. As a verb it is used by all classes for 7-inse. In the latter sense it is used in the neigh- borhood of Philadelphia. The New England form is rense. Writ (rit). Used by negroes for wrote. This is a preservation of a form in the best usage as late as a century or two ago, and is derived from the old past plural writon. Wunst (wenst). Negro and illiterate white for once. Wush (wuj). Negroes and illiterate whites use both this form and wusht for wish; for wished they nearly always say wusht. Even educated people frequently say wisht for wish. Wusser (wesa). A double comparative form used by negroes for worser, which is itself, of course, formed from worse. Wuss is also used to mean the same thing, but sometimes it indi- cates a less degree than wusser; as, "John is wuss than Jim, but Bill is wusser still." The superlative form is wust. Y. Yaas (yses). The almost universal pronunciation of yes. Yep (yep) and yea (ye-a) are also very commonly used for yes. Yarb (yarb) . Negro for herb. Bartlett gives yerb as the common SPEECH IN MISSISSIPPI. 69 pronunciation of herb in the South, but yarb is certainly more frequently heard among the negroes of Mississippi. By tol- erably well-educated people herb is frequently pronounced as if the h were silent. Year (ye-a). The common pronunciation of ear among the un- educated ; also used to some extent by educated people. Yearth (yer|)). Negro and illiterate white for earth. Bartlett gives the word yeath as the form used in the South in gen- eral ; but, however that may be, yearth is certainly more common in Mississippi, although the other pronunciation is sometimes heard. Yistiddy (yist-idi) . Negro and illiterate white for yesterday. Yo (yo) . Negro and illiterate white for ewe. Used also in Lou- isiana. Yore (yo-a). The almost universal pronunciation of your. You-ker-bet-you (yukeb-etju) . Negro for you may bet; for sure. I do not know the origin of the expression. f < ■" • Yourn (yorn). Yourn, ourn, hisn, hern, theirn, are all used by negroes and illiterate whites for the regular possessive forms yours, ours, etc. Tourn, ourn, etc., seem to be contractions for your own, our own, etc. Yur (ye-a) . A. pronunciation of here sometimes used by negroes. Z. Zackly (zaekli). Negro for exactly. Zune (ziin). This is an onomatopoetic word much used by negroes and illiterate whites, and sometimes by educated people. A bee is said to go zuning through the air ; a fly is said to zune against the window-pane ; and, as rapid mo- tion is necessary to zuning, a man, horse, locomotive, or almost anything that goes along swiftly, is said to zune, even though that peculiar zuning sound is not made by the object in its motion. One negro asks another if the train ran fast, and the sec- ond answers, " She farly zuned." The word is thus some- times used in exactly the same sense as June, and I think is allied to it ; in fact, the two may be but different ways of representing the same sound. 70 SOME PECULIABITIES OF SUPPLEMENT. All-overs (ol ovaz). A term employed by all classes to mean a feeling of extreme annoyance or vexation; as, "That man is so trifling it gives me the all-overs to look at him." I think that this expression is derived from some such sentence as this : " It annoys [or vexes] me all over [i.e. completely] to look at him." Aught (ot) . Very commonly used for naught. Backside of next week. I heard an emigrant from England use this phrase in referring to the latter part of next week. Beatenest. This word is used in Mississippi with exactly the same sense as in Kentucky; i.e. not to be beaten, not to be surpassed. Been had. Very commonly used by negroes for have had. The expression ain't been had is probably more common than the affirmative form ; as, " I ain't been had a chill sence I wuz a chile." Bit. To get bit is used also in Mississippi to mean to be cheated. Bit. In the sense of 12-J- cents this is very commonly used in Mississippi. A quarter of a dollar is nearly always called two bits; and a half of a dollar quite often, four bits; and seventy-five cents, six bits. The last is probably the most common of all. Booger (buge). This word is used in Mississippi to mean a bug- bear, dried mucus in the nose, and a louse. In all three senses it is a child's word. It is the unfortunate destiny of a large number of the negro nurses to have lice in their heads, and these are called boogers by the children. The word is used also, by illiterate whites, as a verb, meaning to shy, to get slightly frightened, and is said of a horse. SPEECH IN MISSISSIPPI. 71 Bud or Bub (b'Bd, b'eb). The word used in addressing an unknown small boy. Cedm. This word is often pronounced kcem even by well-edu- cated people. Cinch (sintj) . " To get a cinch on " is very common in Missis- sippi for " To get a hold on," " To secure fast and tight." Crazy as a bed-bug. This expression is often used for extreme lunacy or eccentricity. When a man's actions cannot be ac- counted for on any rational basis, it is said that he is "as crazy as a bed-bijg." I do not know the origin of the phrase. In Germany they say, " As impudent as a bed-bug." Cupola. Very commonly pronounced (kyupalo) by the illiterate. Bartlett's note on this, however, is very full. Dare. In Mississippi dare and double dog dare are used by chil- dren in quarrelling. Dog dare and double black dog dare I have never heard. Doodle-bugs. This word is in very common use in Mississippi as well as in Louisiana and Kentucky. Doozer (duza). The hole made in a top by the spindle of another top. In the game of " pecking tops," it is the ambition of every boy to put the biggest doozers in the tops of his fel- lows. Dry grins. This is used in Mississippi, as in Kentucky, to mean the " smiles of one teased." Dubs (d-ebz). In playing marbles, the player who knocks out two marbles at one time cries dubs, in order to have the right of keeping both marbles out of the ring. The Century Dictionary says that dubs is a contraction of doublets. Frog-sticker. This is used in Kentucky for "a blunt-pointed Barlow pocket-knife " ; but in Mississippi it is used as a disparaging name for any kind of pocket-knife. If one boy desires to insinuate that another's knife is not a good one, he refers to it as a frog-sticker. Grease, greasy. In grease, used as a' verb, the s is given the sound of z; in the adjective greasy the same rule holds good. In the noun grease, however, s has its proper sound. Gump (g'emp). The Century Dictionary gives this word in the 72 SOME PECULIARITIES OF sense in whicli it occurs in Mississippi as well as in Mis- souri — an idiot, a senseless person. Bartlett gives gump- tious as meaning smart, clever. I have never heard the word gumptious used. In Mississippi gumpy is sometimes heard for gump. Heeled. This word is used in Mississippi with the same mean- ing as in Kentucky — well-prepared or " well-fixed." Well- heeled is the Massachusetts phrase. The word heel is also sometimes used in Mississippi to mean specially to arm- oneself; as, " When he heard of the difficulty he went to heel himself." Hiding the switch (haidin switj). This game is played in Missis- sippi as well as in Kentucky. Hi-spy (hai-spai). In Mississippi this name is applied to both out-door and in-door hide-and-go-seek. / spy is also used. Horsier (hoslg). In the game of ring-men, as it is played in Mississippi, it is the duty of the last man " killed " to put the marbles in the ring for the next game, and this person is called the horsier. This name is, I suppose, from hostler. Howdy (haudy). This word is extensively used by the illiterate classes of Mississippi as a regular verb ; as, " We just met and howdied, and then passed on." Hurricane. This word is pronounced by negroes and illiterate whites both (hseriken) and (heriken). If nothing happens (ef n^epn hsepns) . This phrase is put by the negro after almost every expression of any future intention ; as, "I'll git froo plowin', Saddy, ef nothin' happens." Of course the meaning is " if nothing happens to prevent." Janders (dSsendaz). A form of the woid. jaundice. The Century Dictionary gives jaunders as a dialectical form. This also is heard in Mississippi. Jimmy-jawed (d3imid3od). This expression is very common, and means having the lower jaw protruding beyond the upper. King's ex. or King's excuse. Used in Mississippi as in Missouri for the purpose of stopping children's games — as tag or base. SPEECH IN MISSISSIPPI. 73 Knee high to a duck. This expression, used in Kentucky for "very short," is extremely common in Mississippi; biit the similar expressions given by Bartlett are very rarely heard. Knucks (n'eks). A game of marbles in which the defeated player must allow the other players to have one " plump " apiece at his knuckles from a distance of eight or ten feet. The word kriucks is also cried out in a game of marbles in order to make the player who is shooting, keep his hand on the ground. Leg or Lag (leg or Iseg). The word is pronounced in both ways indicated, and is used as an intransitive verb. It belongs to the vernacular of marble-players. In legging or lagging each player endeavors to so roll a marble as to make it stop on a horizontal line drawn about five or six feet from the players. This is the method generally adopted of determining who shall have the "first go" — the player whose "taw" stops nearest the line being entitled to that privilege. The word may be, and probably is, connected with the verb to lag, meaning to fall behind, as the order in which the players shall shoot is determined by the distance that they fall behind one another. Lessen (lesn). A word used by negroes and illiterate whites for unless. It may have originated from analogy with seppen for except, offen for off, outen for out. Long sight. This expression always occurs in the phrase " by a long sight," which means "by a great deal"; as, "He is not a good man by a long sight." Make-up. This in Mississippi, as in Kentucky, means planned or prepared beforehand, and occurs very frequently with the word job; as, "That was a made-up job"; i.e. something that had been thought about and planned before. Mostest (mostes). A double superlative form in very common use by the negroes. Analogous words are goodest, bestest, worstest, in none of which is the final t sounded. Much up. This expression is used by illiterate whites to mean to pet, to make much of. The Century Dictionary gives much used in this sense without the adverb, and quotes Halliwell as saying that much is provincial in England and the United 74 SOME PECULIARITIES OF States. I have never heard much used in this sense unless followed by up. Mud-dauber (m'ed-doba). A species of wasp. The Century Dic- tionary gives the word, but not the pronunciation indicated. It is somewhat peculiar that Mississippians should pro- nounce au as short o in this word, as they nearly always pronounce short o itself as au. Muley cow (myuli) . The word is used with the same meaning noted in the Century Dictionary and Bartlett. The pronun- ciation in Mississippi is as indicated. Naked (nekid). In Mississippi, as in Kansas City, this word is very generally pronounced (nekid). If ape (nsep). In Mississippi, as in Kansas City, very generally pronounced (nsep). Organ. This word is used by the illiterate whites of Mississippi as a regular verb, meaning to play on the organ. Plug (pl'Bg) . The Century Dictionary says that plug is used to refer to anything old or worn out so as to have become undesir- able or unsalable. In this sense of valueless or ordinary, I have never heard the word in Mississippi applied to any- thing else than to a horse of ordinary breed. However, in this use it is very common both as a noun and as an adjec- tive. Psalm (saem). This pronunciation is very common in Missis- sippi, even among educated people. Purgatory. A name given to a game of marbles, which is played by rolling a marble in a series of holes, the last one in the series being called purgatory, or purg. Raise sand. This expression is very common, meaning to create a disturbance, to raise a row. The Century Dictionary does not give to raise sand, but mentions the kindred expressions, to raise the dust and to raise the land. Both of these mean the same thing as to raise sand; but neither of them is used very extensively in Mississippi ; in fact, I have never heard them at all. Reesins (riznz). The common pronunciation of raisins by negroes and illiterate whites. SPEECH IN MlSaiSSIPPI. 75 Roundance. A term used in playing marbles. By crying out roundance the player obtains the right to move around to a more favorable position for shooting. I think that the word is merely an abstract noun formed from the adjective round. Scrofulo (skrofyulo). Scrofula is very frequently so called by the uneducated. Shoot and venture. A phrase used in playing marbles. One player tells another " to shoot and venture," when the second must shoot without making any change either in the posi- tion of his taw or of his opponent's ; he is thus deprived of the rights of roundance, clearance, etc. Sight unseen. This is a very common expression, and is always used in connection with buying or swapping. Two boys agree to trade knives sight unseen, meaning without either having seen the knife of the other. Sis (sis). The word used in addressing an unknown small girl. Skoot (skiit). This word is used by all classes as a semi-slang expression, and means to move away rapidly, to leave in a hurry. It may possibly be akin to skeet. Slacked (slaekt). All classes use this pronunciation of slaked. Smack-dab (smaek-deeb). A term used by all classes, but more especially by the uneducated, to mean exactly, precisely J as, " T hit him smack-dab in the face." Smack is sometimes used with the same meaning as the Century Dictionary notes. Spit and image (spit aeli imedj). A negro expression for an exact likeness; as, "He is the spit and image of his father." The expression sometimes appears as the spit image. The Cen- tury Dictionary gives spit as equivalent to image, but says nothing of the derivation of spit. It seems to me that spit is very probably derived from spirit, since the negro pronuncia- tion of r is very indistinct ; so the phrase must have origi- nally been spirit and image. Split the difference. This is a phrase in very common use by all classes, and has reference to buying and selling. If a buyer wishes to pay a certain amount for an article and the seller asks more, they are said to split the difference when the difference between the two prices is divided by two. 76 SOME PECULIARITIES OF Squench (skwentj). A negro word for quench. The Century Dictionary says that here s is an intensive prefix. The word is sometimes pronounced (skwintj), which form is also used by negroes for squint. Steeple (stip-1). Staple, the bent wire for holding in place the barbed wire on fences, is so pronounced by the illiterate. Stinch (stintj). Negro for stint. Stinger (stid3a). The common negro and illiterate white pronun- ciation of stingy. Stud'in' yu (st^din' ye). A very common negro phrase for think- ing about you; as, "G'way fum hya, chile; I ain't stud'in' yu." The expression is of course a corruption of studying you. Suke (suk). The commonly used word for calling cows. The word cow is sometimes added to it, so as to make sukow (sukau), the u being long drawn out in the pronunciation. Summage (s'emeds). Very often used by negroes for summon. Sutenly (s'Btnli). Negro for certainly. Surup (s^rap). Syrup is commonly so pronounced by all classes. Taws (to3)- The place from which the players shoot in the game of marbles called ring-men. Tit (tit). The almost universal pronunciation of teat in Missis- sippi. Webster says that this is a common pronunciation, and that teat is sometimes written tit. In Mississippi, the diminutive tittie (titi) is more frequently heard than tit. Togaether (tagseSa). Illiterate whites very frequently so pro- nounce together. In a number of exercises handed to me by my freshman English class, I have seen the word spelled togather. Varmint (vaamint). This word is a corruption of vermin, and is used by negroes and illiterate whites to mean a predatory beast of any kind. The Century Dictionary gives the word as dialectical. Wax (weeks). A word used to some extent by all classes to mean to beat, to thresh. The Century Dictionary gives the word with this meaning under its remarks on the noun wax, meaning a rage or passion. Wear out (waeaaut). A word used by all classes as synonymous SPEECH IN MISSISSIPPI. 77 * with whip thoroughly. The Century Dictionary gives as a meaning of to wear out, " to, waste or consume the strength of," but it does not call attention to this specific way of consuming the strength of any one. Whack up (hwsek ■ep). An expression employed by all classes, probably as semi-slang, to mean to divide, to share. Cornell University Library arW9908 Some pecularltles of speech in MIssissip 3 1924 031 439 015 olln,anx