Redneck slang, the D words
62 redneck slang words that start with D. Open one for the pronunciation, the meaning, and a short origin.
dab
A little bit of something, often food or salve.
dadblame
A polite near-cuss for dang or blasted.
dadblasted
A polite damn — for something annoying or stubborn.
dadburn
A mild cuss for when you're mad but still at church supper.
dadburn it!
A mild cuss for when something goes sideways.
dadgum
A mild Southern cuss word standing in for damn or goddamn.
dadgummit
A mild cuss for frustration, surprise, or emphasis.
dag nab it!
A mild cuss when something goes wrong.
daggone
A mild damn — annoyance or surprise without the hard cuss.
daggone it!
Mild steam for annoyance, cousin to doggone it.
daggum
A soft stand-in for goddamn, used for fuss or emphasis.
dance with the one that brung you
Stick with the people or plan that got you this far.
dang
Mild damn — surprise, frustration, or emphasis.
dang it!
Mild cuss when plans or tools go wrong.
darn
A mild stand-in for damn.
darn tootin'
Absolutely; you bet; you're right.
dawdling
Dragging your feet and wasting daylight.
deader than a doornail
Completely dead, no argument about it.
dern
A soft damn for when you need to fuss polite.
devil
A troublesome person, critter, or contraption.
devil horse
Folk name for a praying mantis, and sometimes other big insects.
devil's darning needle
A dragonfly, plus the old scare story about sewing kids' mouths shut.
devil's walking stick
A tall spiny shrub or small tree with thorns up the stem.
diddly squat
Nothing, or so little it might as well be nothing.
didn't have two nickels to rub together
Broke flat. Barely a coin to your name.
dinner
The midday meal, traditionally the big one of the day.
dip dog
A battered hot dog on a stick, the Appalachian cousin of a corn dog.
directly
Soon; in a little while, not always right this second.
dirt dauber
A skinny mud wasp that builds clay nests under the eaves.
dittun
That one, mashed into a quick mountain word.
doctor up
Fix, tweak, or dress something up so it works better or tastes better.
dog if I know
I have no idea, said with a shrug and a little spice.
dogging it
Slacking off or moving half-speed when you ought to be working.
dogwood winter
A late-spring cold snap that hits when the dogwoods bloom.
don't borrow trouble
Don't fret over problems that haven't shown up yet.
don't get above your raising
Don't act like you're better than the folks and ways that raised you.
don't get the big head
Stay humble. Don't let praise or a win turn you cocky.
don't get your britches in a bunch
Calm down. Don't get all worked up over nothing.
don't let your mouth write a check your tail can't cash
Don't mouth off threats or boasts you can't back up.
don't pay it no mind
Ignore it, or don't let it bother you.
don't that just beat all?
Well I'll be. That sure is something.
don't worry about the mule going blind
Quit fretting about what might go wrong and finish the job.
done
Already finished or completely so — the Southern tag that lands before the verb.
done gone
Already left, finished, or ended up that way.
done me like that
Treated me badly, unfairly, or in a way that stings.
doodle
Fool around or putter instead of getting the real job done.
doodlebug
The antlion larva that digs a sand pit; also an old oil-finding gizmo.
dope
A soft drink, often a Coke — old Southern and mountain store talk.
double run
Moonshine that went through the still a second time.
down to the short rows
Almost finished with a hard job.
down yonder
Down that way, or farther off in that general direction.
drawers
Underwear. Plain as that.
dregs
The last scraps left at the bottom, or the worst of a batch.
drop biscuits
Biscuits made from wet dough spooned straight onto the pan.
drop the edge of yonder
The brink of death. About as far gone as a body can get.
drug
Past tense of drag: pulled something along.
drug down
Dragged down — the Southern past tense of drag with down stuck on.
drunk as Cooter Brown
Wasted out of your mind, as drunk as they come.
dry land fish
Morel mushrooms, usually split, battered, and fried like fish.
duck fit
A loud tantrum or over-the-top fuss.
dude
A fancy or citified feller, or just a guy depending on the decade.
duttin
Doesn't, said fast and rural.