G.r.i.t.s

[tracyb]

G.R.I.T.S - Girls Raised in the South


Someone once noted that a Southerner can get away with the most awful kind of insult just as long as it's prefaced with the words, "Bless her heart" or "Bless his heart." As in, "Bless his heart, if they put his brain on the head of a pin, it'd roll around like a BB on a 6-lane highway."

I was thinking about this the other day when a friend was telling about her new transplanted northern friend who was upset because her toddler is just beginning to talk and he has a southern accent. My friend, who is very kind and, bless her heart, cannot do a thing about those thighs of hers, was justifiably miffed about this. After all, this woman had CHOSEN to move to the South a couple of years ago. Can you believe it?" said her friend, "A child of mine is going to be "taaaallllkkin liiiike thiiiissss."

Now, don't get me wrong. Some of my dearest friends are from the North, bless their hearts. I welcome their perspective, their friendships, and their recipes for authentic Northern Italian food. I've even gotten past their endless complaints that you can't find good bread down here. And the heathens, bless their hearts, don't like cornbread!

We've already lost too much. I was raised to say "swayya," not swear, but you hardly ever hear anyone say that anymore, I swayya you don't. And I've caught myself thinking twice before saying something is "right much," "right close," or "right good" because non-natives think this is right funny indeed.

I have a friend from Bawston, bless her heart, who thinks it's hilarious when I say I've got to "carry" my daughter to the doctor or "cut off" the light. She also gets a giggle every time I am "fixin'" to do something. And, bless their hearts, they don't even know where "over yonder" is, or what "I reckon" means!

My personal favorite was my aunt, saying, "Bless her heart, she can't help being ugly, but she could've stayed home."

Southern girls know bad manners when they see them:
1. Drinking straight out of a can.
2. Not sending thank you notes.
3. Velvet after February.
4. White shoes before Memorial Day or after Labor Day

Southern girls always say:
1. "Yes, ma'am."
2. "Yes, sir."

Southern girls have a distinct way with fond expressions:
1. "Y'all come back now, ya heaah."
2. "Well, bless your heart."
3. "Drop by when you can."
4. "How's your mama?"
5. "Love your hair."

Southern girls know their three R's:
1. Rich
2. Richer
3. Richest

Southern girls know everybody's first name:
1. Honey
2. Darlin'
3. Shugah

Southern girls know the movies that speak to their hearts:
1. "Gone With the Wind"
2. "Fried Green Tomatoes"
3. "Driving Miss Daisy"
4. "Steel Magnolias"

Southern girls know their cities dripping with Southern charm:
1. Hotlanta or Adlanna (Atlanta as outsiders say)
2. Richmon
3. Challston
4. S'vannah
5. Birminham
6. Nawlins'
7. Oh! and that city in Alabama ? It's pronounced MUNTGUMRY!

Southern girls know the three deadly sins:
1. Bad hair
2. Bad manners
3. Bad blind dates

G.R.I.T.S. = Girls Raised in The South!

[schsa]

And you can get your GRITS caps and t-shirts right here, ya'll.

[Tasha405]

Well bless your heart. If that ain't the funniest thing I've seen in years. LOL

Here are the ones that apply to me.....

Southern girls always say:
1. "Yes, ma'am."
2. "Yes, sir."


Southern girls have a distinct way with fond expressions:
2. "Well, bless your heart."
3. "Drop by when you can."
4. "How's your mama?"
5. "Love your hair."


Southern girls know everybody's first name:
1. Honey


Southern girls know the movies that speak to their hearts:
1. "Gone With the Wind"
2. "Fried Green Tomatoes"
3. "Driving Miss Daisy"
4. "Steel Magnolias"
(This one is so very true to me!!)

I say some of the cities like it has listed too. But these listed above are so me. LOL

I was born and raised in southern West Virginia and moved to TN when I was 17. Lived in TN for about 8 or 9 years and then moved to Ohio. I stick out like a sore thumb up here. LOL Everytime I talk to someone they always say.... you're not from around here are ya? and when I said "No Sir or Ma'am", they always say.... Yeah, couldn't tell a bit by your accent. hehe :D

[tracyb]

hehehe!!!!! Iam from Ohio moved to KY '85 and I am still here.....lol....I cant tell I have the DRAW till I hear myself on tape or answer machine....lol....good lord I should like a hillbilly.....hehehehehehehe....I try to make my girls not draw there words out so much but Iguess they will be all hilbilly.....lol...

[Eyore]

I was born in the south in GA and lived in Al. I got married and moved, hubby was in the service. I haven't lived in the south for 20 years and I still have a accent. But I like it I don't sound like the other people around me.
Some of those I can relate to. Especially the yes mam/sir and no ma'am/sir

[Army-Mom]

i was born, raised, and still live in the south and if we didnt say yes ma'am and yes sir, well, mama would slap our face off and then make us pick it up..lol... :D

[Tasha405]

hehehe!!!!! Iam from Ohio moved to KY '85 and I am still here.....lol....I cant tell I have the DRAW till I hear myself on tape or answer machine....lol....good lord I should like a hillbilly.....hehehehehehehe....I try to make my girls not draw there words out so much but Iguess they will be all hilbilly.....lol...
I am the same way. To me, I sound like everyone else until I hear myself talking. LOL

[adorkablex]

:D this was great.

I don't think I have an accent until I talk to someone from a different region on the phone and they always mention it. One good thing about being a southern girl, most guys can't resist a girl with a southern drawl ;D

[Cowgirlie_in_Tennessee]

Good Lord, you know Miss Tittle... and Miss Judith and Miss Lola! :eek: These are 3 women that I work with and this posting describes them all to a tee, especially Miss Tittle. I have heard her say these things, down to the letter. Lola is my favorite though, a very Southern African American woman with tons and tons (and tons) of attitude. Miss Judith always says "Now...Honey..."
My Mother in Law is a die-hard G.R.I.T.S. and even DH can't understand her accent 1/2 the time. :eek: Some of the things that stand out with her is some event is "of the mornin'" or "of the night", she's "fixin'" to do something, and so and so will be here/there "directly". Oh and if we're not careful we'll end up "under the jail". And if I'm not paying attention to her she'll YELL "SAY!!!!" and almost immediately Hubby snaps to attention and asks her to repeat it. She has a beautiful accent though. ;)
I grew up in down state Illinois, near the Indiana/Illinois line near the Wabash River, so I had an accent and "southern way" about me before I moved here and so people pretty much understand me here. But Hubby says I'm definitely a Yankee... :rolleyes: and that's only because when I'm mad 95% of his family can't understand my accent, I go back to the Chicago attitude/accent. I pronounce it: Shhh-Caw-Go and say a whole lot of "northern" words when I'm talking to my Mom too... people here look at us like we're from another planet and we supposedly talk sooooo fast :D But I dig a southern accent... I have a friend Nick who is like the ultimate in Southern men and I make him say certain words, I LOVE the twang he has. And my friend Bobby is like Larry the Cable guy to the very end, same personality, sense of humor, only he's not kidding around..he really is that way. :rolleyes: :D ;) :p

[Taterbo]

This was cute..Check out my "Tag Line".. Like I always say..'American By Birth..Southern By The Grace Of God"... :D :)

[tracyb]

lol...I used totalk fast to when I first moved here to KY....but not anymore...I have really slowed it down because everybody always asked me "huh" when i was talking....lol

[tracey74]

think thats bad I moved from ct in 88 to wv and im still in wv where m daddy went to kroger and asked if they sold grinders(like subs) they said what coffee grinders? he said no then they said grinders as in tools he said no then he told him what he wanted(a meatball sub) and they said they never heard of it being called that.then my mom went to make lasagna and went to our nearest foodland and asked for ricotta cheese they didnt know what that was.(LORD) I couldnt understand why everyone waved at you even if they had no clue of who you were. directions consist of...you go down to the old pond where there are fish not the empty pond but the one with fish,then you go past the white church(theres a bunch of white churches).then you go over such and such mountain,blah blah blah.how the heck are you suppose to know what mnt is called what if youre not from around there.lol. you change the "earl" in your car (or oral lmao) you go to skoo(school) if someone doesnt understand your question you get a heh? or a huh? like theyre deaf. it really is funny but frustrating at times.I NEVER had an accent til I moved here now I have a northerner/southerner accent. then get used to saying pop(soda) and go back to ct and ask for a pop lol. best one yet was my sister worked at a restaurant and a man asked her for a poke.she thought he wasnt asking her for something obscene.til she asked her boss and she told my sister a poke was another word for a paper bag or sack. :D . but hey I like it here think I'll stay lol

[Kyla Kym]

(LORD) I couldnt understand why everyone waved at you even if they had no clue of who you were.

best one yet was my sister worked at a restaurant and a man asked her for a poke.she thought he wasnt asking her for something obscene.til she asked her boss and she told my sister a poke was another word for a paper bag or sack. :D . but hey I like it here think I'll stay lol


The small town I grew up in, the only thing the teenagers had to do was drag main. That consisted of driving from one end of town to the other back and forth. It was maybe a mile long drive. And we waved at each car that we meet. Imagine about 100 cars going back and forth waving at each other constantly. This went on before school, during lunch, after school until about 10 at night. LOL :p Oh and we also had to wave at people on the street or out in their yards or we would be called a snob. :rolleyes: I'll never forget one day I was going to school from my house and at a stop sign I glanced over and waved at a dog. When I realized what I had done, I was so proud that no one was around to see that. But that's how much we waved, it was just a reflex when you seen movement. LOL ;)

I remember the first time I heard the term Poke, It was a really old woman from the hills where I live at now. She started getting aggravated at me because I wouldn't give her a poke! But I just wasn't sure what she meant. LOL :p

I still say ma'am & sir, and a bunch of other southern sayings. The other day though I had one backfire on me! :p Seems there are allot of northerners moving into our area, and one young man was in there visiting with me the other day at the store. He was even nice enough to check out a XBox system I had gotten in on a load. Well anyway when he started to leave I said "whats ya hurry" he said something like well I got to get home. I think I said something like well don't hurry off" which is just a polite southern expression. But to my surprise he turned around and said "ok" and that was just the funniest feeling...LOL... :p ....because I was just trying to be polite, and I have a feeling this VERY young gentleman thought I was coming on to him. LOL :p

[tracyb]

lol that was cute Kyla....lol....I know about the poke one.....my moms boyfriends dad....shewww get that one did you....lol asked me get him a poke ...i said what.....he said get me a bag....lol

[Mini]

LOL! That was great and sooo true. I've been real good friends with this guy for like..3 years? When he lived in North Carolina he asked if he could call me so I said sure but I warned him bout my accent an he said it was fine so he called an we talked for not even 5 mins an he hung up on me so I messaged him on yahoo an asked what happened an he said he hung up cause he couldnt understand me. Not my fault I warned him! When we were talkin I asked him what he was doin an he said nothin so I said oh thats nice an he said he thought I said noss I had to repeat myself a billion times I think maybe thats why he hung up.. :D

[purplerose23]

"Yes'er, Mah Frends........ I am a gud ole suthan gal tooo.....! An' If I don't sah Yes mam and Sir.....Mah granma wuld've tossed the ole shoe!" I love my southern life...........lol! (hope you guys can translate.... :rolleyes: ) And my grandma is a doll and would not trade her for anything! She actually inspired the hover craft invention...lol, her wheels do not touch the ground! ha ha! One of my best southern movies to watch is "Forrest Gump" Anyone else?????????? And thank you, I do own a G.R.I.T.S T-shirt, hat and tag for car! ;) Love the post by the way!

[1tiredmom]

hey I'm darn proud to be a grits & i am so glad that they decided to show the trial in mississippi with real live southern people speaking

my dd always get asked what is boocoo means & some want to know why she asked one person how was their mama--one day i told her she could go off after she passed the vaccuum cleaner in her room and her friend wanted to know why i wanted her to walk aaround it ---ther is others but excuse ladies I have to go make groceries so i can fix dinner tonite!!


see ya'll later & tell your mama & 'em I said hi!