Appalachian Vocabulary Test 3

 

Time for another Appalachian Vocabulary Test.

1. Blackberry winter
2. Blow
3. Blue john
4. Boot
5. Brought on
6. Budget
7. Bumfuzzle
8. Buss
9. Bust a gut
10. Branch

 

1. Blackberry winter-the last cold spell in the spring "I was all ready to go barefoot for the summer and then blackberry winter showed up."
2. Blow-to brag or one who brags "Everybody knows he's the biggest blow in the county."
3. Blue john-milk (skim) "Hope Ole Bessie get's healed up for I need some blue john."
4. Boot-extra item given when making a trade "When I traded Ole Bessie to Uncle Ronnie I made him give me his 4-10 as boot."
5. Brought on-caused, self inflicted "She brought on all that trouble by marrying that sorry man!"
6. Budget-luggage "Put my budget in the back room."
7. Bumfuzzle-confused or puzzled "Politicians bumfuzzle me to no end."
8. Buss-kiss "Come over here and buss your Granny."
9. Bust a gut-laugh, eat to much, work extremely hard "Every time I sit down to Sunday dinner I bust a gut." (Pap uses this one all the time)
10. Branch-small creek "Yellow root grows down by the branch."

There are three words in this set I've never heard-blue john, budget, and buss. I wonder if the words are common in a different part of Appalachia or maybe the words were used farther back in time? All the rest I hear on a regular basis.

Hope you'll leave me a comment and let me know if you knew any of this month's words.

Tipper

Comments

[Vera]

I don't remember hearing Blackberry winter, buss or budget. Blue john is milk that all the cream has been taken from, if you have ever milked a cow and let the milk set for a while all the cream will raise to the top and can be taken off, what is left is blue john. You need lots of cream to churn butter.

[Amy @ parkcitygirl]

The only one I knew was "bust a gut" Thanks for the lesson!

[Denese]

I asked my husband about blue-john.
He says it refers to snow, around here. "Blue-john snow" is a skiff of snow, but I don't think too many folks use that term anymore.
I'll have to search your archives for the other lessons!
Thank you. :)

[Denese]

I've heard all of them, sometimes daily, but blue john, budget and buss. Bumfuzzled and bust a gut are favorites of my husband.
Do ya'll have dogwood, whippoorwill and huckleberry winter, too?

[trisha too]

Well, I failed this one miserably!

Only "bust a gut."

:)

[Apple]

I've never heard half of these. I was very surprised you hadn't heard buss as that was quite common here when I was growing up but I haven't heard it in awhile. We would say "I had to throw in the kitchen sink to boot!" Brought on and bust a gut I think are universal. Fun quiz!

[Miss Cindy]

Never heard budget that I can recall and rarely heard buzz.
I love these quizzes, makes me reach back to remember.
Thanks to Nancy for sharing the lovely May poem.

[Shirley]

Buzz and budget were the ones I hadn't heard. I drank blue john when we had a cow on the farm here in NE Arkansas.

[Brenda Kay Ledford]

Tipper,

Great test. Even though I'm a native of this region, I had some problems with the quiz.

Brenda Kay Ledford

[Dee from Tennessee]

Off topic here, Tipper, but sending special greetings to you today on "Old Christmas."

My grandfather always, always mentioned it and I'm the only one in the family who mentions it now. (My sweet hubby just smiles when I mention it. He got to know and to love my grandfather also so it does make January 6 a wee bit special for us both.)

[Carolyn A.]

I knew only 4, buss, brought on, bust a gut and branch. Guess I've been away from the hills too long. :)

Thanks for the great picture of the oil tank. We used to have one in the back yard on Fulton Avenue and as children would pretend it was a horse. Summer sun made it too hot to ride though. Miss that old house. xxoo

[noble pig]

Love, love bumfuzzle...it's beyond perfect.

[SandyCarlson]

That was fun. I feel like packing my budget and moving down your way. God bless!

[Applie]

LOL I love these. I was able to guess two of the words. :) Most of them just bumfuzzled me.

[Dejoni]

I love bumfuzzled...it's one of my favorite and most used words.

[Becky]

I've only heard half of those. But with this weather we're having this year, we may possibly call it a blackberry winter.

[Terry]

Hi Tipper, did not know buss or budget. All the others I have heard and used. My "folk", as my granny used to call them, are orginally from Georgia. She would be all in a tizzy, cleaning and baking, saying, "the Georgia folk are coming soon." I wish I were older back then so I could remember the stories that were told. "Youth is wasted on the young". Mark Twain? P.S, Granny Sue, I loved the story. Anyone read Marjorie Rawlings books on the people of Florida in the early 1900's. The Yearling comes to mind. Great read.

[Mary]

Tipper,

This is very interesting. I did know what buss meant but had never heard of blackberry winter, budget, blue-john or boot. Grandpa had a "branch" on his property. Thanks for the interesting read.

Blessings,
Mary

[Lisa]

I had not heard blue john, buss or budget either. Brought on and bust a gut are everyday utterances from me though!

[David Templeton]

Tipper, can you tell me where you may have heard or seen "budget" used as it is here? Do you know of a region or family line that still uses the word?

The other words I know and have used, well ... I only use "blue-john" teasingly with my mother-in-law. Up to now, she's the only one I ever heard use the word regularly. She's Irish, 2nd generation but I'm not suggesting they brought the word here.

Anyway, "budget", as used here, seems a rare expression ... coming from an old, old, European derivitive. I sure would like to know if you know of a particular clan or region that still uses the word.

I really enjoy the study of words.

Good fun! Thank you, again.

[Leslie]

Blow, budget and buss....never heard these at all. But will be adding them to my vocabulary.

[Kim Campbell]

Bust a gut, blow, brought on, and a variation of bumfuzzled...

[The Texican]

I think I have heard, used and heard variations on all of your list except "Buss". Instead of "budget" I've heard people say "matched Greyhound luggage" meaning two brown grocery sacks tied up with twine. By the way, was that an old "Still Pot" in the first picture? "Vincent Black Lighting 52" is one of my favorite Bluegrass numbers. Thanks for the verbal trips back to the roots of our language. Pappy

[Jennifer in OR]

Oh my goodness, Granny Sue is a hoot!! Thanks for the fun vocab lesson, Tipper. :-)
Blessings, Jen

[Debbie]

I'm bustin'-a-gut reading these! I love when you put up new words!

[nancy Simpson]

Hi Tipper, I had fun but missed two, blue john and budget. I love the words blackberry winter. Blackberry hits here in western NC when the blackberries bloom, May. I wrote a poem that was published in Davidson Miscellany and Night Student:

WHITE LIE

End of May, and we have nothing
better to do that walk on the mountain,
our cardigans closed against the cold.
You cannot take back one lie,
not even white ones, subtle

as berry blossoms beside the path.
I kick a stone and tell you I believe
we will pull free from brambles.
Old timers call this Blackberry Winter,
a temporary cold spell, quick to pass.

www.nancysimpson@blogspot.com

[Farmchick]

Hmmm... I know/use all of those words except: budget, boot, and blow. Not too shabby for the city transplant.

[Dee from Tennessee]

No for "Blue John" or "budget." Knew what "buss" meant, but more than likely, probably have read it, rather than heard it being actually used in that context.

Not only do we have blackberry winter, we also have dogwood winter too.

[Lanny]

Well now on the coast, in modern times, if you were a business man a "blackberry winter" might be the time that you are without your blackberry cuz you dropped in the toilet. That really just blows. If you just hadn't used that stupid blue john in the park, you wouldn't have had to waste your time to re-boot all your stuff on a new blackberry.

But now I'm stymied, cuz I don't know what to do with "brought it" so I won't be "bringin' it" any more.

Have a great day,
PS I'm starting to think I have some relations from back there 'cause I recognize several of these words and their correct meaning as you state in your post!

[Janet]

Hi Tipper, I had not heard of blue john or budget. There is a certain day in early June that if it rains it predicts if there will be a lot of blackberries that year or not, don't know if that has anything to do with the term Blackberry winter or not, tho.

[Patty Hall]

Granny Sue-lol! that was good.

I have heard of all but those 3 as well. Although seems I have heard that luggage was called a budget. I've heard of a fuss-budget.
thanks for the lesson today

[solsticedreamer]

i have heard a few of them in books i have read. this is making me think of regional words we have here...

[twosquaremeals]

Once again, I knew the same words you did and had never heard the three you hadn't. We must have grown up in similar parts of Appalachia. Or maybe it is a generational thing...I should ask my grandma which she knows.

[Helen G.]

I knew buss, but blue-john got me. And I'd never heard budget for luggage. I'd heard of blackberry winter, but if you'd have asked I wouldn't have been able to define it for you. I just assumed when my aunts spoke of it back in Tennessee it meant it was a good year for blackberries.

Helen

[Just Jackie]

I knew all but two, blue john and budget. I didn't learn Blackberry Winter until I moved to NC. My favorite "country" word is fixin. Drives my city kids nuts when I say I'm fixin to do something. LOL