I was 36 years old the day I found out people thought I was crazy. I mean, I always knew I was four cents short of a nickel but hey, at least there’s never a dull moment when I’m around. I am married to a man that is as southern as they come. And since I’m from Fayetteville, he loves to call me his little Yankee so I joke that our relationship is like the Civil War. When one moves from the big city to a small-town way of life, it can be a shock to the system. For me though, fitting in was never a problem because I can pretty much get along with anyone. Shoot, my 5th-grade teacher told my parents during a parent-teacher conference that I would talk to a rock if I was sitting next to it.
But from day one of living in a small town, any time I would open my mouth to talk, someone would say “Your not from around here are you?” Honestly, I always took it as a compliment. Little did I know, that question was being asked because of the things that were coming out of my mouth. Let me give you a few of my “Yankee” examples. I pronounce the word crayon as “crown” while my husband gives it a two-syllable “cray-ahn.” I say the word “pen” (as in what you write with) while my husband says “pin.” I use the word “soda” in reference to a carbonated beverage as opposed to my husband saying “coke.” I drink unsweet tea as opposed to the coveted holy drink of the south, sweet tea. I almost threw up when my husband handed me biscuits and chocolate gravy one morning for breakfast and he said I was trying to kill him when I introduced him to sushi.
I’ve lived in a small town since I was 21. But the reason I say I was 36 when I found out that people thought I was crazy is because of one simple saying. Recently while around a group of friends enjoying some delicious treats at a get-together, I asked if anyone wanted any more to eat. After everyone declined I said, “Well, less camels more hay!” You would have thought I had just grown a tail and a third eye by the looks I was getting. NO ONE HAD EVER HEARD THAT PHRASE BEFORE!! Are you kidding me? What do you mean you have never heard that phrase before? My entire life, that very phrase was uttered by either my parents, my sister, or myself at least once a week.
So I decided to do some investigating because surely this was just another example of my big city twang. I first asked my father where that saying had come from. He said he heard it from my mother. So I asked my mother where the saying had come from. She said she had heard it from my father. Seriously? Thanks for the help guys! So with both of my parents along with myself now stumped on the origin of this phrase, I turned to the one thing that has always had my back. Google. Well, guess what? Google didn’t even know what I was talking about and I’m pretty sure I heard him chuckle a few times during the search process. It’s ok, the ATM lady voice does the same thing when I request my balance.
So what about you and your family? Are there any sayings that get thrown around a lot? Or maybe you’re like me and people just don’t understand the words that are coming out of your mouth!
