What Southerners Know...
Only a true Southerner knows the difference between a hissie fit and a
conniption and that you don't "have" them, but "pitch" them.
Nobody but a true Southerner knows how many fish, collard greens, turnip
greens, peas, beans, etc. make up a mess.
A true Southerner can show or point out to you the general direction of
"yonder."
A true Southerner knows exactly how long "directly" is - as in "Going to
town, be back directly."
Even true Southern babies know that "Gimme some sugar" is not a request
for the white, granular sweet substance that sits in a pretty little bowl
in the middle of the table.
All true Southerners know exactly when "by and by" is. They might not use
the term, but they know the concept well.
True Southerners know instinctively that the best gesture of solace for a
neighbor who's got trouble is a plate of hot fried chicken and a big bowl
of cold potato salad. (If the trouble is a real crisis, they also know to
add a large banana puddin').
True Southerners grow up knowing the difference between "right near"
and "a right far piece." They know that "just down the road" can be 1 mile
or 20.
True Southerners both know and understand the differences between a
redneck, a good ol' boy, and po' white trash.
No true Southerner would ever assume that the car with the flashing turn
signal is actually going to make a turn.
True Southerners know that "fixin" can be used both as a noun, verb and
adverb.
A true Southerner knows how to understand Southern: a booger can be a
resident of the nose, a descriptive ("That ol' booger!") or something that
jumps out at you in the dark and scares you to death.
True Southerners make friends standing in lines. We don't do "queues,"
we do "lines." And when we're in line, we talk to everybody.
Put 100 Southerners in a room and half of them will discover they're
related, if only by marriage.
True Southerners never refer to one person as "ya'll."
True Southerners know grits come from corn and how to eat them.
Every true Southerner knows tomatoes with eggs, bacon, grits and coffee
are perfectly wonderful; that redeye gravy is also a breakfast food; that
fried green tomatoes are not breakfast food.
When you ask someone how they're doing and they reply, "Fair to
middlin", you know you're in the presence of a genuine Southerner.
Southerners say "sweet tea" and "sweet milk." Sweet tea indicates the need
for sugar and lots of it - we do not like our tea unsweetened, "sweet
milk" means you don't want buttermilk.
And a true Southerner knows you don't scream obscenities at little old
ladies who drive 30 on the freeway - you say, "Bless her heart" and go
your way.
