Southern Euphemisms: Origins, Humor, and History

Introduction

Euphemisms lend languages a colorful and meaningful quality that is not easily achievable otherwise, and all languages share this common linguistic feature to some extent. Although euphemisms provide a useful linguistic shortcut and add flavor to conversations and writing, they are one of the more challenging aspects of learning another language because of their esoteric qualities and subtleties of meaning that defy ready analysis by outsiders. In the case of the American South, the euphemisms that have emerged over the years may likewise appear to be almost from another country to Americans living in California or New York, for example, because of these same esoteric qualities. In order to avoid being labeled a "dirty ol' suck-egg mule" in this regard, this paper provides a review of the relevant literature to identify traditional and modern euphemisms used in the American South and, to the extent possible, their origins, followed by a summary of the research in the conclusion.

Euphemisms are simply the substitution of an agreeable word or expression for other words or expressions that may be considered unduly offensive or harsh in the context in which they are used (Webster's 3rd New International Dictionary, 1991). For the purposes of this discussion, the American South will include the Confederate States of the Civil War, as well as some peripheral states where Southern influences can be discerned. This classification means that a great deal of the United States can be regarded as the "South," and therefore some of the euphemisms used throughout the South can be found elsewhere in America as well.

What Are Euphemisms? Scope and Definition

For example, a recent essay by Wurth (2010) recounts the author's experiences as a young child in the rural South, equating the location to "Mayberry RFD." With regard to swearing, Wurth reports that there were several colorful euphemisms commonly heard in her home when she was a child: "My parents' generation was particularly creative in that department. Some memorable euphemisms at our house: 'Good night nurse,' 'Heavens to Murgatroyd,' and my personal favorite, 'God bless America and all the ships at sea!' (We all ran when my mom said that one.)" (p. 1).

Other modern Southern euphemisms give their speakers a folksy quality that people from other parts of the country often notice. This aspect of Southern euphemism — as in the phrase "In plain Texas talk, it's 'do the right thing'" — was used to good effect by former presidential candidate Ross Perot (Crabtree, 1996, p. 15). While these types of euphemisms might be readily understood in other regions in the context of an exclamation used in place of a swear word, other Southern euphemisms do not transfer as easily in terms of meaning. For example, the title of a play by Paula Coco, Nipples to the Wind, is based on "an old Southern euphemism that Coco first heard growing up in Texas. She says it's a more colorful way of saying, 'Head up, chin out!'" (quoted in Munro, 2007, p. 3).

Due in large part to the hot weather that characterizes life in the South, it is not surprising that many euphemisms have emerged to describe this condition. According to Anders, some colorful euphemisms used in Louisiana to describe individual responses to excessive heat include the saying: "When I was a young girl growing up in Shreveport, I was told, 'Horses sweat, gentlemen perspire, and Southern ladies feel the heat'" (2006, p. 1). Other modern hot-weather-related euphemisms from the South include the following:

Modern Southern Euphemisms: Heat, Animals, and Folksy Expression

1. It's so dry the trees are whistling for the dogs.
2. So dry the catfish are carrying canteens.
3. So dry I'm spitting cotton.
4. Hot as a two-dollar whore on the 4th of July.
5. So hot the hens are laying hard-boiled eggs.
6. So dusty the rabbits are digging holes six feet in the air.
7. Hotter than a Laredo parking lot in the summertime.
8. It's hot enough to peel house paint.
9. It was so hot you could pull a baked potato right out of the ground (Hampton, 2008).

Comparably colorful animal-related Southern euphemisms are also in abundant supply. The following represents a cross-sampling of those found on the Internet (Hampton, 2008, et al.), all with a distinctly Southern flavor:

1. Well, don't you look prettier than a glob of butter melting on a stack of wheat cakes!
2. I won't say it's far, but I had to grease the wagon twice before I hit the main road.
3. (Pregnant before marriage): They ate supper before they said grace.
4. Safe as a tick on a dog with a stiff neck.
5. Meaner than a skilletful of rattlesnakes.
6. If dumb was dirt, he'd cover about half an acre.

Likewise, humorist Lewis Grizzard (emphasis on the second syllable) reports that "Southerners are taken to referring to animals to explain the current state of our emotions. 'I'll be a suck-egg mule,' was a way of saying 'Blow me down and call me shorty,' or 'I'm not believing this, sports fans'" (p. 60). After hearing a radio sportscaster use the phrase "Well, I'll be a suck-egg mule!" following a well-executed touchdown play at a hotly contested football game in Athens, Georgia, Grizzard researched the origins of this colorful expression. He reports: "I suppose I should also explain the term 'suck-egg mule.' Certain animals are taken to performing the dastardly act of getting into the henhouse and partaking of the eggs. Dogs are particularly bad to do such a thing, thus the phrases, 'You dirty ol' egg-suckin' dog' and 'Lassie suck eggs,' which I saw written on a restroom wall once in Tupelo, Mississippi" (p. 61).

Clearly, the sportscaster's use of the "egg-suckin'" euphemism could be viewed in the context of his being overwhelmed and excited at a game-winning touchdown, but calling anyone a "dirty ol' egg-suckin' dog" would likely be viewed as fighting words. The difference in meaning is important. According to Black's Law Dictionary, "fighting words" are "certain utterances that [are not protected by the 1st Amendment] if they are inherently likely to provoke a violent response" (p. 627). This legal distinction is especially relevant when differentiating true euphemisms — more agreeable terms substituted for harsher or taboo ones — from outright insults. Some traditional Southern euphemisms that have fallen into disfavor, and which communicate sufficiently insulting qualities to potentially qualify as fighting words, include the now-politically incorrect term "hillbilly," which has been replaced by the more acceptable "Ozark-American" (Greenberg, 2007).

By sharp contrast, many so-called "rednecks" still embrace and celebrate that designation (Greenberg, 2007). According to Greenberg, "You gotta hand it to rednecks; they don't care who calls 'em rednecks. Indeed, the true redneck takes pride in the name, and it does beat all heck out of the more scholastic classification, Southern Yeomanry" (2007, p. 27). In reality, from the popular perspective adopted by the rest of the country, most rednecks would probably bristle at being called a "Southern Yeoman," especially by a Yankee, even if they did not know what it meant.

Conclusion

The research showed that euphemisms are simply more agreeable and acceptable terms used as substitutes for more offensive ones, while still retaining the original meaning. The research also showed, however, that depending on the context in which they are used, euphemisms can lose this "more agreeable and acceptable" quality and become outright insults or even fighting words that can reasonably be expected to provoke a violent response. This legal distinction aside, the research was consistent in showing that euphemisms abound in the English language, and nowhere are these linguistic tools used with such relish and poignancy as in the American South. The references to hot weather and animal-related euphemisms in particular were shown to be colorful and humorous additions to the language, and humorists such as Lewis Grizzard have carved out a solid niche in American popular literature using these effective but sometimes elusive literary devices. Although new euphemisms continue to be introduced as the language changes over time, it is reasonable to conclude that Americans in the twenty-second century would be amused and startled by references to a "dirty ol' suck-egg mule," but would likely readily understand what was meant depending on the context in which it was used.