Like residents of any other state, we Mississippians use a whole slew of words and phrases that’ll make outsiders swear we have our own language. And while our way of talkin’ makes sense to us, have you ever stopped to think about how confusing it can be for others? When you think about it, there are several words that mean something completely different in Mississippi; here are 9 perfect examples.
- Buggy
Travis Wise/Flickr In the North, “buggy” is the word used when referring to a horse drawn carriage. In the South, it’s used to refer to a much more modern device – the shopping cart.
- Coke
Mike Mozart/Flickr In most other places, “Coke” is an abbreviation for Coca Cola. Here in Mississippi and many other southern states, it’s used to refer to ALL carbonated drinks, including Coca Cola.
- Ugly
Chirag Rathod/Flickr While the rest of the country uses this word to describe a person’s looks, Mississippians use it to describe a person’s bad attitude or behavior.
- Carry
Andi Jetaime/Flickr This one seems pretty simple; however things aren’t always as they seem. To others, “carry” means to take objects in your arms and move them from one place to another. We Mississippians, though, use it when referring to transporting people/things via a vehicle, as in, “I had to carry Mama to the doctor.”
- Cut
Derek Gavey/Flickr The official definition of cut is “make an opening, incision, or wound in something with a sharp-edged tool or object.” But if you live in Mississippi, the word has an additional meaning, and that’s to turn something off, such as, “Cut off the lights.”
- Mash
Alexander Boden/Flickr Another one that seems simple yet isn’t. “Mash” is defined as “reducing a food or other substance to a uniform mass by crushing it.” However, here in the Magnolia State, it means to press a button, for example, “Please mash the elevator button.”
- Fixing
Mark Ittleman/Flickr To most, this means “to mend or repair.” We Mississippians, however, use it to describe something we’re about to do, such as “I’m fixin’ to go to Wal Mart.”
- Spell
Travis Bear/Flickr In addition to the obvious meaning of putting letters together to form words, this one can also be used to represent a measure of time. If you’ve lived in Mississippi for any period of time, you’ve undoubtedly been invited to “come sit a spell.”
- Barbecue
Pig and Pint/TripAdvisor When used in other places, this word simply means to grill in the backyard. When used in the Magnolia State, you can pretty much guarantee a delicious, slow cooked meat and equally as tasty sides are involved.
What other words would you add to this list? Tell us in the comments section!
Travis Wise/Flickr
In the North, “buggy” is the word used when referring to a horse drawn carriage. In the South, it’s used to refer to a much more modern device – the shopping cart.
Mike Mozart/Flickr
In most other places, “Coke” is an abbreviation for Coca Cola. Here in Mississippi and many other southern states, it’s used to refer to ALL carbonated drinks, including Coca Cola.
Chirag Rathod/Flickr
While the rest of the country uses this word to describe a person’s looks, Mississippians use it to describe a person’s bad attitude or behavior.
Andi Jetaime/Flickr
This one seems pretty simple; however things aren’t always as they seem. To others, “carry” means to take objects in your arms and move them from one place to another. We Mississippians, though, use it when referring to transporting people/things via a vehicle, as in, “I had to carry Mama to the doctor.”
Derek Gavey/Flickr
The official definition of cut is “make an opening, incision, or wound in something with a sharp-edged tool or object.” But if you live in Mississippi, the word has an additional meaning, and that’s to turn something off, such as, “Cut off the lights.”
Alexander Boden/Flickr
Another one that seems simple yet isn’t. “Mash” is defined as “reducing a food or other substance to a uniform mass by crushing it.” However, here in the Magnolia State, it means to press a button, for example, “Please mash the elevator button.”
Mark Ittleman/Flickr
To most, this means “to mend or repair.” We Mississippians, however, use it to describe something we’re about to do, such as “I’m fixin’ to go to Wal Mart.”
Travis Bear/Flickr
In addition to the obvious meaning of putting letters together to form words, this one can also be used to represent a measure of time. If you’ve lived in Mississippi for any period of time, you’ve undoubtedly been invited to “come sit a spell.”
Pig and Pint/TripAdvisor
When used in other places, this word simply means to grill in the backyard. When used in the Magnolia State, you can pretty much guarantee a delicious, slow cooked meat and equally as tasty sides are involved.
If you enjoyed this, be sure to check out “13 Things Every Mississippian Has Said At Least Once.“
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