Sweet Pea to Reckon: What Do They Mean?

The third food distinction of the South is that we like our vegetables cooked and then cooked some more.  When I bite on a string bean or maybe even some asparagus, I don’t want to hear my food crunch.

Pronunciation is key to distinguishing a Southerner from a non-Southerner.  For example, many words that have one syllable, according to Mr. Webster, are given a second syllable just for crossing the Mason -Dixon line. I first noticed this with my daughter when she was a little thing.  “Yes” for her took a lot longer to say.  It sounded more like (yeah yas).  Another Southern distinction is that we all have lazy tongues.  If you want to hear a strong “g” after an “in”, you had better go somewhere else.  For us, the pronunciation is always like this:  walkin’, talkin’, and swingin’.

Lastly, we must address the pronunciation of that little nut, the pecan.  For years, I heard that

“pa  khan’ ” or “pa can’ ” were acceptable, but never  “pee’can”; although, that is how most Southerners say the word unless you’re talking about the ice cream, and then it is pronounced butter “pa  khan’”.  ”Pee’ can”, during the days before indoor plumbing,   was also what your grandmother put under the bed because walking to the outhouse in the middle of the night was out of the question. Distinguishing between the two meanings was generally quite easy using context clues and all. Now, we Southerners have apparently arrived.  According to Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary, all three pronunciations are now acceptable.

The fourth distinction of a Southerner is particular word usage.  The three words to which I am referring are “fixing”, “reckon”, and “ya’ll”.  If a Southerner tells you that he is fixing to do something, he does not mean that he is about to repair it.  He is simply “about” to do something. Also, if a Southerner tells you that he reckons he can fix your car.   The meaning is that he thinks he can.  Finally, a true mark of a Southerner is the word ya’ll.

In Standard English the personal pronoun “you” can refer to one or to many people.  There is no distinction for a change in number. The distinction is made with the verb choice.  In the South, we simply like to clarify.  “You” refers to one person.  “Ya’ll” refers to more than one person-simpler, we think. 

Despite all the differences that exist between us all, whether they may be in pronunciation, food, entertainment, or whatever, we are all pretty much the same.  Don’t you reckon?

Ya’ll come see us, Sugar.