The Dixie Dictionary: An Introduction to the Southern Language

By: Thomas W. Howard

Book Overview

Hundreds of linguistic delights like abode (a wooden board), acknowledge the corn (to confess), and pully bone (wishbone) are in this book for all who enjoy speaking Southern, or wish they could. Over... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1575872005
• ISBN13: 9781575872001
• Release Date: January 2002
• Publisher: Crane Hill Publishers
• Length: 144 Pages
• Weight: 0.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 5.6" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

The Dixie Dictionary

Dixie Dictionary I found the book very useful to refresh my vocabulary for Southern speech. Being born in the south I should understand most of what is being said, however, I've worked in California for over twenty-five years and just returned home to find that I haven't a clue as to what people are telling me. I'm a shamed face southern boy who has to learn to talk Southern all over again. Now it's easy thanks to The Dixie Dictionary. It really is a funny informative book also a great tool for writers who need Southern speech in their stories.

hand reference

It's smaller in trim size than I thought it would be but handy and useful none the less. It's formatted like a dicitonary but it doesn't give background origins of the words/sayings. Almost as if you are a foreigner heading to the South and need a quick translation guide. For deeper meanings of the words you would need to go the internet.

For writers looking to pen southern-style dialogue

Compiled and edited by southern journalist Thomas W. Howard, The Dixie Dictionary: An Introduction To The Southern Language is a fun, enjoyable, and useful glossary of terms unique to American Southern English dialects. From "all vine and no 'taters" (a phrase to describe someone who is all talk and no action) to "whistle-pig" (groundhog), The Dixie Dictionary is packed from cover to cover with wry, flavorful phrases that most northerners have likely never heard of. Highly recommended for writers looking to pen southern-style dialogue, as well as anyone planning to visit or move to the South, or who just wants to have a good time paging through some truly unique and eyebrow-raising expressions, The Dixie Dictionary is a welcome contribution to personal and academic Language Studies reference collections.