Unusual Sayings That People Will Only Hear In The South

We could all probably use a little more Southern Charm in our lives — that feeling of kindness and warmth that's somehow scooped on to a plate of piping-hot, carbohydrate-heavy comfort foods and scarfed down in a cozy kitchen. And with all that chicken, dumplings, and cornbread, we can expect a healthy helping of sayings you won't hear often north of the Mason-Dixon Line. While some of these phrases have made their way into many North American dialects, these Southern-inspired idioms certainly stand out in every conversation... and they don't always mean what you might think!

Bless Your Heart

The way a Southerner delivers this phrase determines the meaning. If said with a tone that's the verbal equivalent to a gentle pat on the head, the saying is a passive-aggressive and patronizing way to say "that's so wrong." Additionally, bless your heart can be said empathetically or as an exclamation.

What in the Sam Hill?

A slang word meaning "hell" or "the devil," Sam Hill can be plugged in for just about any curse word a Southerner might need. A fun, less-plausible origin story suggests Sam Hill was a man that swore so much, his name simply became a one-size-fits-all swear.

It Doesn't Amount To A Hill Of Beans

What is a hill of beans worth to you? Very little? Well, that's what the phrase means, too. The idiom was famously uttered by Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca. "Ilsa," he said, "I'm no good at being noble, but it doesn't take much to see that the problems of three little people don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world."

Cattywampus

First recorded in the 1830s, catawampus means askew, crooked, or out of sorts. "The bank robbery went catawampus." A Southerner might also use the phrase to specify "diagonally." Like, "we walked catawampus through the backyard."