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Jul 21 2008, 5:43 PM EDT (current) abulhossain 725 words deleted
Jul 15 2006, 6:32 PM EDT SouthernBelle 175 words added

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Friends with GunsWe ain’t above whipping somebody’s ass if they really need it, but all in all you will find that Southerners are a pretty friendly bunch. We ain’t met a whole lot of people we didn’t really like, other than maybe that William Tecumseh Sherman fellow, but he just had him a bad attitude. First time visitors to the Southland are often astounded when a total stranger walks up and asks “How’s your Mama and them?” and then actually waits for an answer. People who originated from big Northern cities have a hard time adjusting. We look at standing in line as an opportunity: We talk to everybody, and everybody is our friend. You will often hear them complain, “I’m tired of smiling and being nice to everybody.” "Hoddy" "Hey, how you?" It’s fun to drive down a country road with someone not from the area. “Why are you waving at them people? Do you know them?” “No, I don’t know them. I just do it to be nice….and so they won’t shoot me.” That’s usually good for a few interesting reactions. We do have a few peculiarities that folks from outside the region might not be familiar with. Most of us don’t lock our doors. Everybody owns guns here. However, knowing that everybody else has a gun seems to keep the gun-related violence down to a dull roar. The “He needed killin” excuse is a viable defense strategy around here. One of our favorite southern sayings has to be “Bless his heart.” In the South you can trash-talk somebody all you want and as long as you finish it up with “Bless his heart.” You are then absolved of all wrongs. For example: “He’s been seeing that divorced cocktail waitress from down at the Beer Joint, and I hear that when he gets really drunk at night, he’s been known to slip off into the barn at night and there is no telling what he’s doing in there with them critters, that Billy is pure white trash. Bless his heart.” Looks are deceiving down hereIf you run your car into a ditch, don’t panic. Three big hairy tattooed men in a four-wheel drive pickup truck with a tow chain will be along shortly. Don’t try to help them, just stay out of their way. This is what they live for. They might look a little scary, but one of them trashy-looking good ole boys will stop and change that elderly black woman’s tire in the pouring rain every single time. There ain’t much racism amongst poor people. Contrary to popular belief, we judge a man on his actions, not his skin color. One other thing: You can tell how close of friends two good ole boys are by the way they treat each other. If they are nice and polite and respectful to each other then they are probably mortal enemies. However, if they are abusive, disrespectful, and insulting to one another then odds are they are best friends. If you can’t insult your friends, then what good are they? The Definition of the word " fixing " (pronounced "fix - un")"Fixing" has its standard definitions but Southerners use "fixing" very often with a different meaning. You will usually hear the word "fixing" in the South used with the following definition: an announcement of their intentions for doing something in the near future. An example would be: "I'm fixing to run to Wal-Mart to buy some dog food." Another example is: "I'm fixing to cook supper." Another usage of the word "fixing" has to do with mealtime. The plural "fixings", pronounced "fixin's", is used when describing what foods will be served. An example would be: "We're having hamburger and fries with all the fixin's." "Fixin's" does not describe one type of food. The above example it is used to describe condiments for the hamburgers. Instead of listing out lettuce, onions, and tomatoes, in the South you can just use the word "fixin's." Everybody knows exactly what you are talking about. In this definition, "fixin's" has the same meaning as the more mainstream word "trimmings."Wanna learn how to really talk Southern? Check these out: Strickly Southern Lewis GrizzardAre you a Rebel or a Yank? Take this quiz by Dr. Goodward Post your own! Click EasyEdit to add it here.