In the interest of equality, here's some help in understanding us down here (south of I-40):
(to) be too big for one’s britches – to think too highly of oneself britches – pants
can’t carry a tune in a bucket – to be unable to sing at all
clod-hopper – large, heavy shoes like those worn by farmers
(gosh) dang/darn/dern – a cleaner version of a well-known, blasphemous expletive
dang/darn/dern tootin’ – an expression of agreement, as in, “Louella, you make the finest biscuits this side of the Mississippi.” “Dern tootin’.”
fell out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down – if someone is unbelievably unattractive, looking as though they’ve been hit with several ugly sticks, this is the proper way to express that ugliness
fixin’ to – getting ready/preparing to, as in, “I’m fixin’ to go to the Wal-Mart. Do y’all need anything?”
get up with – to contact or get together with
granny-slappin’ good (so good, it makes you want to slap your granny) – very good, usually delicious
gussied up – cleaned up and dressed very nicely (perhaps formally)
a hankerin’ for – a desire/craving for
high cotton – wealthy; successful (and maybe snobby)
hit with the ugly stick – if someone is quite unattractive, you can say they look like they’ve been hit with the ugly stick
honky-tonk – a bar, perhaps where country music is played live for folks to dance
hotter than a goat’s butt in a pepper patch – very hot
how-do – shortened form of “How do you do?”
If I had my druthers – if I had my way/my preference
kin/kinfolk – family, especially extended family
knee-high to a grasshopper – very young and small, as in, “The last time I saw you, you were knee-high to a grasshopper, and look how grown-up you are now!”
lick – (noun) any amount at all, usually used in negative sentences such as, “I didn’t get a lick of work done today because my boss kept calling me in for meetings.” (verb) To beat up, as in, “I licked him good that time.”
like herding cats – anything that is difficult to do, but especially anything that requires organizing difficult people (like small children)
mash – to press or push, as in, “Mash that green button and turn on the computer.”
(to) need something like one needs a hole in the head – Obviously you do not need a hole in your head; it’s even bad for you. Thus anything you definitely don’t need, and that might be detrimental to you in some way is described by this phrase.
ornery – difficult to deal with; stubborn; finicky
piddly/piddlin’ – a small amount (negative connotation)
poop or get off the pot – make a decision and take action
reckon – suppose, guess, as in, “I reckon we’ll see you at the reunion.”
right – very (often surprisingly); an adverb usually used to modify adjectives, as in, “You wouldn’t know it to look at him, but he’s a right good ball player.”
rough talk – to speak harshly
rubber-neck – to drive slowly so as to get a good look at a wreck or disabled vehicle on the side of the road. Those who rubber-neck are rubber-neckers.
skedaddle – to leave hurriedly
snug as a bug (in a rug) – very comfortable
sugar – affection, as in, “Come here and give me some sugar.”
sweet talk – to speak nicely, usually in order to get something you want
tater – potato
tore up – broken/destroyed, as in, “I came home to find the curtains all tore up,” or, “My knee has been tore up since that skiing accident back in ’93.”
uppity – snobby
used to could – used to be able to, as in, “I can’t do a cartwheel any more, but I used to could.”
varmint – an animal (usually wild)
Well, I’ll be a monkey’s uncle. – an expression of surprise, shock and/or disbelief
y’all – a contraction of you + all. The plural form of y'all is "all y'all"
yankee – a person from the North
yapper – mouth
younguns – young people
you’uns – y’all
One that I can think of:
Pig - a Piggly Wiggly grocery store. "I'm going to the Pig, you need anything?"
