Redneck slang, the C words
93 redneck slang words that start with C. Open one for the pronunciation, the meaning, and a short origin.
cackle
To laugh loud and sharp, like a hen going off.
caint
Can't — said with a long A, like it rhymes with paint.
call the law
Call the police, sheriff, or whoever wears the badge.
can't do a thing with you
You're stubborn, wild, or past talking sense to.
can't hardly
Can barely; almost cannot.
can't never could
If you say you can't, you won't get it done.
candy stew
An old-time get-together where folks boil molasses or sugar and pull candy.
canning
Preserving garden food in sealed jars for later.
carry
To take or drive somebody somewhere, not hoist them on your back.
carryin' on
Acting loud, foolish, or raising a ruckus.
case knife
A plain table knife or butter knife, not a pocketknife.
catch
To hear or understand what somebody said.
catched
Dialect past tense of catch; same job as caught.
catching
Contagious — something you can catch from somebody else.
cathead biscuits
Big fluffy biscuits about the size of a cat's head.
cattycorner
Diagonally across, like the store on the far corner of the square.
cattywampus
Crooked, sideways, or all out of whack.
chamber pot
A pot kept indoors for nighttime bathroom use.
chap
In Southern talk, a baby or young child; elsewhere, a fellow.
chaw
A wad of chewing tobacco in the mouth.
chaw tobacco
Chewing tobacco, or a wad of it in your jaw.
cheer
A chair, said the mountain way.
chess pie
A sweet Southern custard pie made from pantry staples.
chicken mushroom
A bright orange wild mushroom that cooks up tasting like chicken.
chill bumps
Goosebumps — from cold, a scare, or a song that hits you.
chimbly
Dialect way of saying chimney, with an extra b or a softer middle.
chinning
Talking, chatting, or running your mouth.
chow chow
Tangy pickled vegetable relish for beans and more.
chughole
A deep pothole that jolts the truck hard.
city ham
Store-bought wet-cured ham — milder than country ham.
clabber
Milk left to sour and thicken into soft curds.
clean off
Completely off; all the way removed.
clean out
Empty something completely; take every last bit.
clean through
All the way through, with nothing left half-done.
clodhoppers
Heavy work shoes; sometimes a jab at country folks.
clomp
To walk heavy and loud, usually in boots.
close akin
Closely related by blood, or mighty similar.
clost
Dialect form of close, meaning near or nearby.
clumb
Climbed; the old past tense of climb.
co-cola
Coca-Cola said the Southern way, and sometimes any cold soda.
Coke
Any soft drink, not just Coca-Cola.
cold as cornbread
Real cold, like leftover cornbread on the counter.
cold drink
A soft drink — soda, not coffee or water.
come a gullywasher
A hard, sudden rainstorm is on the way or already dumping.
come a storm
A storm is blowing in, or one already did.
come morning
When morning gets here; by daylight tomorrow.
come nightfall
When dark gets here; by the time night settles.
come up missing
Turn up gone; disappear or get lost.
commode
The toilet; the porcelain seat in the bathroom.
company
Visitors or guests at the house.
condenser
The cooling gear on a moonshine still that turns vapor back into liquor.
conjure
Work folk magic, charms, or faith healing the old mountain way.
cooking out
Grilling food outdoors over direct heat.
coon
A raccoon, especially in hunting talk.
coon dog
A hound trained to track and tree raccoons.
copper pot
A copper pot still used for cooking off moonshine.
corn crib
A slatted shed for drying and storing ears of corn.
corn liquor
Homemade whiskey distilled from corn mash; classic mountain moonshine.
corn pone
Plain cornbread, often baked in skillet cakes or loaves.
corn pudding
Creamy baked corn casserole for the supper table.
corn silk
The fine threads on an ear of corn.
cornbread
Skillet bread from cornmeal that belongs beside beans and greens.
cornbread and buttermilk
Leftover cornbread crumbled in a glass and drowned in buttermilk.
cornpone
Plain cornmeal bread, baked or fried.
coughing spell
A stretch of coughing that comes on hard, then eases off.
couldn't hit the broad side of a barn
Aim so bad you'd miss a barn standing sideways.
couldn't pour water out of a boot
Hopelessly bad at even the simplest job.
country ham
Dry-cured, aged ham — salty, firm, and strong-flavored.
couple three
About two or three; a small vague handful.
course
The way you're headed, or the path you take.
courting
Dating someone, often with serious intent.
courting man
A suitor — or a fellow known for chasing girls.
cow pie
A flat round pile of cow dung in the pasture.
cracklins
Crispy pork bits left after rendering lard.
crawdad
A crayfish; the little creek lobster.
crawdaddy
A crayfish, the little freshwater lobster under a creek rock.
crick
A creek; a small stream.
critter
An animal — or a person, said with a grin.
cull
An animal pulled from the herd for being old, weak, or not worth keeping.
culled through
Sorted through something, keeping the keepers.
cuss
To swear; also a swear word itself.
cuss someone like a dog
Tear into somebody with a hard, loud scolding.
cuss word
A swear word, said the country way.
cussing
Swearing; using foul or strong language.
cut a trail
To leave or head out somewhere.
cut it off
Turn something off, especially lights, water, or power.
cut it on
Turn something on, Southern style.
cut-through
A shortcut road or path locals know.
cute as a bug's ear
Tiny, sweet, and about as adorable as it gets.
cutting a shine
Dancing hard, celebrating, or making a lively show.
cutting didos
Acting up, clowning, or raising mischief.
cutting up
Clowning around, joking, or acting up when you ought to settle down.
cyarn
Carrion; rotting dead flesh, or anything that foul.