If I’m fixin’ to do something, I’m about to do it. However, time (and numbers) are a little fuzzy in the south, especially if you’re down the road a ways (see below) from that big-city livin’ we call Montgomery or Birmingham. So maybe I’ll do it right now. Maybe I’ll do it in a few hours. But either way, I’m fixin’ to do it. Probably.
Synonyms: about to, getting ready to, thinking about maybe doing
If it’s been a hot minute since I saw you, you’ve probably been gone a while. Again, time is weird in the south. Maybe we haven’t seen each other in a month or two. Maybe it’s only been a week. Either way, if it’s been a hot minute, I definitely remember interacting with you at some point, somewhere, in the mostly-recent past. Unless I thought about it wrong.
Synonyms: it’s been a little while
Similar to horses, water, and making them drink, if a dog won’t hunt, it won’t hunt. You can’t magically give a dog a hunting instinct if it doesn’t have one. This is typically used by way of ideas, job prospects, or future-planning. If a relationship won’t work out, or if you’re looking for a good idea, it’s great to know what dogs hunt (what works) and which ones don’t.
Synonyms: predicting failure, bad idea
A classic southern phrase used in the service industry. Your waiter/waitress will often say this before they trounce off to service other customers. All they’re saying, politely, is, “if you need something, just ask”. They don’t actually want you to holler. Nobody does. So, don’t. Just flag your server down like you would in any other part of the world and ask for help.
Synonyms: ask if you need anything, I’m here to help!
Mud is the southern equivalent of snow. Muddin’ is an activity usually involving a large pickup truck or a four-wheeler (ATV), mud, high velocity, and an alarming lack of safety gear. It’s on the list because, while it’s not a phrase, it’s something people regularly do. If we’ve just had a heavy rainfall, and someone you know has a huge pickup truck or a four-wheeler, don’t be surprised if they head off to play in the mud.
Synonyms: literally going to drive around like maniacs in the mud and then not wash our trucks for four weeks to show it off
Like time, distance gets a little fuzzy in the south. If you’re asking for directions and you’re told that it’s “up the road a ways”, that’s anywhere from ten minutes to two hours in the vague direction indicated. Seek additional clarification.
Also, if someone is coming to meet you and they’re “up the road a ways”, that’s the equivalent to, “I’m that asshole who says I’m going to be five minutes late but I mean thirty. You should start whatever you’re doing without me.”
Synonyms: vaguely distant (within a very wide margin)
In other parts of the world, if someone requests a “couple” of something, they mean “two”. You know, a literal couple. If you bring back two of anything in the South when someone’s asked for a couple, you’re going to get confused looks about why you’re being so stingy with the goods. If you’re asked for a couple of beers from the store, bring back two or three six-packs just to cover your bases.
Synonyms: get me some of those, bring me a handful of snacks, quantifiably greater than two
Usually, this is in relation to a child, a dog, or a sibling and intended for use as a (loving) form of correction. But sometimes, those assholes don’t listen, and the only way you’re going to get your point across is to smack them upside the head so that they sit still for a second and hear what you’re trying to say. This is used as a last resort when other reasoning and/or bargaining has failed. Also used as a threat (e.g. “Boy, you listen here, or I’m gonna smack you upside the head.”).
Synonyms: pay attention (or else!)
Only in the south (where weeds roam free like cattle), is the weed used as a unit of measurement. If you know anything about weeds, you know that they spring up overnight in your garden. So do children (they only avoid the garden if you’re lucky), and other small things with an aim to get bigger. A notable increase in size will often earn this comment.
Synonyms: growing quickly, getting taller (since the last time I saw you), growth spurts
This is said in direct reference to sunshowers — when it’s sunny outside but raining. It doesn’t have any contextual meaning for anybody, but it’s what you’ll hear.
Synonyms: It’s sunny, but raining, and that is very strange. 