Appalachian Vocabulary Test 46

It's time for this month's Appalachian Vocabulary Test, take it and see how you do.

1. Addle
2. A-hold
3. Airish
4. Almighty
5. Angling

1. Addle: to daze; to become confused; dizzy. "Robert was working on the drive shaft of his truck and dropped a wrench on his face. He said it addled him good and left a big pump knot right in the center of his forehead too."
2. A-hold: hold. "If I ever get a-hold of that little rat I'm going to pinch his head off."
3. Airish: cool weather; windy cool weather. "The last few mornings have been a bit airish, you can tell fall of the year is on the way.
4. Almighty: extremely; of great importance. "If she wasn't so worried about the almighty dollar she'd take better care of her own family!"
5. Angling: at an angle. "Herbert said he saw that bear come angling down the ridge just before full daylight this morning."

So how did you do? I hear and use all of this month's words on a regular basis.

Tipper

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Comments

[John]

You are correct. "How are you today?" "Just 'toblee.'" My dad told me what it meant 40 years ago. I doubt most of the older people using the word really knew what it meant, they had just heard it and used it themselves.

[Tipper]

John-I'm just taking a wild guess but is it a form of tolerable? As in I'm feeling tolerable well today-thats what Pap would say : ) If I'm wrong please let me know what it is!

Blind Pig The Acorn
Celebrating and Preserving the
Culture of Appalachia
www.blindpigandtheacorn.com

[John]

Have you heard the word "toblee"? Accent is on the first syllable. It is a corruption of a slightly longer word.

[Tipper]

Wanda-thank you for the comment! Yes I have heard antigogglin and even sigoglin. I have never heard shaller go neckids! But I like it : )

Blind Pig The Acorn
Celebrating and Preserving the
Culture of Appalachia
www.blindpigandtheacorn.com

[brenda s 'okie in colorado']

Tipper, this doesn't have anything to do with the vocabulary test. I just looked at a very small wine glass I brought back from Germany 41 years ago. It is not a typical wine goblet, it is a wine tasting glass I got at a winery there. It has the little line groove like the glass you showed the other day. It has a very faint green color to it. It is smaller than the smallest juice glass I've seen. On the bottom was the H^A emblem. So, I'm thinking what you have was made in Germany.I'll keep searching for a name.

[Suzi Phillips]

We use them all!

[Theresa]

I got all but angling. LOL

[Janet Smart]

All of them except 'airish.'

[susie swanson]

I passed..lol. I've heard them all..

[Luann]

Hear 'em and use 'em all in Oklahoma.

[Ed Ammons]

Tipper-Don't tell 'em yet. Make 'em sweat! Make 'em beg! Let it build. Let it mature. Tell 'em you already posted it. That they must have missed it. Tell them they will have to catch the reruns. Then drop it on 'em when they least expect it. I would like to know too but right now I'm enjoying watching 'em squirm. Am I something of a sadist? Yep!

[S. McMahan]

Well they told me it was a Corvette truck when I bought it. It had an emblem that said Corvette. Maybe I read it wrong. Maybe it said Chevette. Or Chevelle. I know it would get right along with four cords of pup wood on it. I sold it a few years back. It got to where it would jump out of fourth gear and it was getting hard to keep in the road when it was loaded. It was hard to keep in the road when I was loaded too, but that's a whole nuther story. Like this whole dad blamed thang has been.
Sorry Paul, I get carried away sometimes. Like right now. I think they're coming to get me.

[Bradley]

Knew them all except anglin. Ever heard Cattywhampus? That building ain't level or squared see how it looks all cattywhampus.

[Mike McLain]

I was guessing on "airish" as being snobbish or putting on airs - got that wrong.

I also had a different answer for angling, meaning maneuvering. "He was angling for that job, but he didn't get it."

[dolores barton]

Ah ha! I managed to get one right; I guess that wasn't very good. Maybe I need to get myself a special Appalachian dictionary. I plan to be in a book store tomorrow; I need to check out the dictionary section.
Thanks for another good lesson.
I think I need an addling thing to thumb my brain.

[Bob Aufdemberge]

Like several others, all but airish are common out here on the edge of the plains.

[Ken]

Tipper,
This time I knew and use them all.
...Ken

[Wanda]

Know all but "angling". Have you ever heard "antigoggling" or "annigogglin"? Daddy used to say it to mean something was at an angle to something else (as well as I can remember).

Mama would fuss at us for going out too soon in summer clothes--called it being in our "shaller go neckids". Don't think I've ever heard it anywhere else. Have you heard this?

[Paul Certo]

The most curious here is "of the year." We hear "the spring of the year", or "the fall of the year", but never summer or winter, at least in my experience. Why is that? Airish is new to me, the rest are common. Not aware of a Corvette truck, though, they are small sports cars with no room for a tote sack of groceries!

[Teresa]

I use all but airish myself --- but I do love the cooler fall weather and am happy that is it a bit airish today.

Love.

[Tom]

Tipper,

Like you, I use all of these words all of the time. Just wanted to let you know that my family had a "Blind Pig" supper over the weekend. It was sunny and cool all weekend, so we had to make Granny's homemade vegetable soup, Miss Cindy's homemade bread and pimento cheese spread, and your pumpkin roll. They were all delicious as usual, thanks for sharing these recipes!After we said grace, my daughter reminded us that we had to have Blind Pig music playing during our special supper. So out came the CD of BP music I won last year and our special supper was complete. A great weekend was had by all!

[Bill Burnett]

All are familar and I use them regularly, espically on these airish mornings. Had I majored in Applachain English I would have graduaded Summa Cum Lawsey Mercy.

[Ron Banks]

I commented earlier from my phone but I guess it did not send it so I hope this is not a repeat.
I know all of the terms mentioned but A-holt was used a lot in my part of the hills.

My family and I passed through your neck of the woods last week while I took some time off from work. I thought of you and the Blind Pig Gang when we passed by Clay's Corner and the Campbell Folk School. I had not been through there in years and had forgotten how beautiful the area is.

[Charlotte]

Knew them all this time! Fun!!

[Ed Ammons]

I knew them all! Use them all. Airish means its a mite chilly and a little bit breezy. The uninitiated might call it Brisk or Fresh.
I have been described as addled, addle-pated or addle-brained.

[Lewis]

Have heard them all. Have seen ahold spelled "aholt" and most of the time it's pronounced with a "t" sound. I heard another familiar phrase yesterday -- "My old hound up and died on me." I immediately thought of your Appalachian vocabulary posts.

[Tim Hassell]

I slept so hard last night 'til I was kindly addled when I first got up. But after some coffee I got aholt of myself and went down after the paper, it was a little airish out but it felt good. On the way back to the house I seen three big ole does come anglin' acrosst the pasture. They are so almighty skittish, when they seen me they snorted and took off for the brush.

Ya'll all have a good day.

[Howland]

Yep, ever' one of 'em! "Addled" is usually reserved for our local politicians, though.

[Sallie Covolo]

Tipper Thanks for posting . I remember most of them. Funny, but since I left our beautiful mountains, I kept much of my Appalachian dialect , even to this very day, and I am well into my 70's. I have to admit though that I thought "airish" might be another pronunciation of Irish, and I thought angling might be the term referring to fishing. You and your family are wonderful! It is nice to know that there are still people like you in this world.

[quinn]

All but "airish" are very familiar to me, and I like that one a lot!

[Charline]

Knew them all! On #3: That is exactly how my Meemaw would have said the whole statement!

[Elaine King]

We said addle pated when I was a child, which meant not quite right in the head. And anglin was used to mean that you were trin' to get somethin'. As in "he's anglin' for a good hidin!" i never did hear airish before. Must be because I'm more of a flat lander. ;-)

[Shirla]

Pinch his head off! LOL! Used to laugh at mom for saying that. We never said airish, right cool is the way we describe the morning air. I wonder if angling and sidling mean the same thing.

[Belva]

I hear and use all of these on a regular basis except for #5. It has been so hot here lately that I am looking forward to it getting a little airish!

[B. ruth]

Tipper,
Here it is September the 11th again..and until the "Great Almighty" comes again, I don't reckon there will be any peace...
Bless those that have gone on and those that still protect us...

Yes, I use and have used all those words..."Airish" being one of my favorites...I was beginning to think after this summer heat took "ahold" we would never feel the goodness of a "airish" morning! Hit "angled" right in here this morning and "addled" me just a minute or two when I went to check the chickens...
Always love your posts,Tipper and
I'm a tryin' to wait patiently on the subject of the "green monster" on the side of your house..."Worse than a kid about secrets!"