Redneck slang, the G words
61 redneck slang words that start with G. Open one for the pronunciation, the meaning, and a short origin.
gag a maggot
So disgusting even a maggot would choke.
gah dog!
Mild surprise or emphasis — a cleaned-up porch oath.
gallivanting
Running around town for fun instead of staying put or working.
gaum
To smear or sticky-mess something up.
geetar
A guitar, said the country way.
get ahold of
Grab it, reach somebody, or finally get something.
get glad in the same britches you got mad in
Quit sulking. Change your attitude without changing clothes.
get gone
Leave, or disappear if you aren't careful.
get lit up
Get drunk — lit up on beer, whiskey, or shine.
get shed of
Get rid of somebody or something.
get your mind right
Straighten up your attitude and start thinking straight.
get your tail in gear
Hurry up and get moving.
getting above your raising
Acting too fancy or high-minded for how you were brought up.
gimme some sugar
Give me a kiss or a hug, usually from family.
git
Get, said the mountain way; also a sharp 'go away.'
give me down the road
Chew somebody out; give them a long, hard talking-to.
give out
Wear out or quit on you. Also, to announce something.
go over like a hair in a biscuit
Land badly. Nobody wanted that news.
go to the house
Go home. Head back to the homeplace.
gob
Your mouth, especially when somebody wants it shut.
goes to bed with the chickens
Hits the pillow real early, around dark.
going to town
Heading into town — or tearing into a job with real gusto.
golly bum!
A mild country "oh man" for surprise or frustration.
golly!
A soft surprise word. Clean enough for church porch talk.
gommed up
Smeared, sticky-messed, or otherwise ruined.
goober
A peanut, Southern style.
goobers
Peanuts. Southern talk for the boiled or roasted kind.
good Lord willing
If God allows it; if nothing wrecks the plan.
good night a-living!
Old Southern surprise yell — like good grief with extra porch color.
good on you
Well done. A warm pat on the back.
good-fer-nothin'
A lazy, no-account person who won't pull their weight.
good'un
A good one. Fine person, joke, catch, or specimen.
gooder than snuff
Mighty fine; better than something already pretty good.
goodles
A whole lot. Plenty of something.
goozle
The throat, gullet, or Adam's apple.
got a mouth on him/her
Talks too much, talks back, or talks rough.
got me a...
Got myself a... Personal ownership with Southern grammar.
got on to me
Fussed at me or called me out for something.
got tickled
Got the giggles. Cracked up laughing.
got your ears lowered
Got a haircut, said with a grin.
grab a root and growl
Sit down and eat. Dig in. Sometimes: buckle down and work.
Grainger County tomatoes
East Tennessee's pride crop: vine-ripe tomatoes folks swear beat anything else.
granddaddy long legs
A harvestman: that little oval body on stilts you find in the barn or yard.
Granny
Your grandmother, or a respectful name for an older woman.
Granny Fee
Payoff money a moonshiner slipped to the law so the still stayed standing.
Granny Magic
Old-time Appalachian folk healing: herbs, prayer charms, and grandma know-how.
Granny Woman
An older mountain midwife who helped bring babies into the world.
gravel
The loose rock on a country road or driveway, and often the road itself.
greasy
Slippery to the touch, or shady in a slick way.
great day in the morning!
A mild Southern whoa for surprise, delight, or fuss.
grill
Cook outdoors over direct heat, or the cooker you do it on.
grilling out
Cooking burgers, dogs, or steaks outdoors over direct heat.
grinning like a possum eating a sweet tater
Smiling real wide, like you just won the raffle or got away with something.
grits
Cooked ground corn, the South's everyday breakfast bowl.
growed
Grew or grown. The past tense of grow in country talk.
gully
A washed-out ditch cut through dirt by runoff.
gully washer
A hard rain that fills ditches and washes out the road.
gullywashed out
Cut up or ruined by a hard rain, like a dirt road after a gullywasher.
gussied
Dressed up fancy, usually more than the everyday jeans.
gussied up
Dressed fancy, hair done, ready for church, a dance, or company.
gut wagon
A food truck or lunch wagon that rolls up to feed working folks.