Redneck slang, the S words
75 redneck slang words that start with S. Open one for the pronunciation, the meaning, and a short origin.
salt pork
Heavily salted pork belly or side meat used to season a pot.
sammich
A sandwich, said the easy way.
sang
Ginseng; the root mountain folks dig and sell.
sassafras tea
Root tea mountain folks drank as a spring tonic.
sassing
Talking back; giving lip to somebody older.
sausage gravy
Peppery white gravy cooked with breakfast sausage, meant for biscuits.
scallywag
A rascal, often said with a grin more than a growl.
scoot
Move over quick, or take off in a hurry.
scrooch
To crouch, huddle, or squeeze into a tight spot.
seeing as how
Because; considering that; since that's the case.
set afar
Set something on fire; light it up.
set out
To leave or get started, usually with a place or a job in mind.
shaller
Not deep — how rural Southern folks say shallow.
shine
Homemade whiskey — moonshine, usually clear and strong.
shoddy
Cheap, poorly made, or done without any pride in the work.
side meat
Bacon or salt pork cut from the side of a hog.
sight
A whole lot; a big amount of something.
sigogglin
Crooked, leaning, or out of plumb.
skeered / skeert
Scared. Plain rural Southern way to say you're afraid.
skeeter
A mosquito, the kind that finds you on the porch at dusk.
skift of snow
A light dusting of snow, just enough to whiten the ground.
skin up
Climb something fast, or scrape the hide off it.
slap
Completely, directly, or smack in the middle of something.
sleep
The crusty bits that gather in the corners of your eyes overnight.
slick
Smooth to the touch, or clever in a way that might be a little too smooth.
slickety
Slippery underfoot, usually one bad patch of mud, ice, or wet boards.
slop jar
A chamber pot kept under the bed when the outhouse was too far.
smelt
Past tense of smell, the way a lot of rural Southern folks still say it.
smokehouse
Small outbuilding where meat gets cured and smoked.
snake doctor
A dragonfly — the old Southern and mountain name for one.
snake feeder
A dragonfly, the one buzzing the pond and creek.
snicker
To laugh quiet, often playful, sometimes a little sneaky.
snipe
A real marsh bird, or the fake critter they send greenhorns to catch in the dark.
sodie pop
A soft drink; soda said the mountain way.
something or other
A thing you cannot name, or do not bother to name.
somewheres
Somewhere — with that extra Southern -s stuck on the end.
sooey
A loud farm call to bring the pigs in.
sop
Soak up gravy or pot likker with a biscuit.
sopping wet
Soaked clean through. Dripping wet.
sorghum
Sweet cane syrup (and the crop it comes from) poured on biscuits.
sorry
No-good, pitiful, or low-quality — not an apology.
soup beans
Dried pinto beans simmered with pork until creamy, not a thin soup.
souse meat
Pickled hog's-head meat chilled into a loaf you slice cold.
sparking
Courting, the old-fashioned porch-and-church kind.
speckledy
Spotted or flecked with little dots of color.
spell
A stretch of time — a while, not a clock reading.
spoilt
Spoiled: food gone bad, or a kid (or dog) spoiled rotten.
sprankle
Dialect way of saying sprinkle: dust a little on.
squall
To cry or fuss loud, especially a baby or a grown person throwing a fit.
squinch
To squint or scrunch up your eyes or face.
squoosh
To squeeze, mash, or crush something soft.
sticker
A thorn, prickle, or sharp plant spine that pokes you.
sticker burr
A prickly seed head that latches onto socks, jeans, and dog fur.
sticker bush
Any thorny plant that will snag your britches.
still
A setup for cooking liquor, especially moonshine.
still't
Still; even now. Short for "still yet."
stillhouse
The shed or setup where liquor gets cooked off a still.
stob
A short stake, post, or stump sticking out of the ground.
stout
Strong, healthy, or solidly built — mountain talk for tough.
stove eye
A stove burner, named for the round lids on an old wood cookstove.
stove up
Stiff, sore, and hard to move after work, age, or a wreck.
strang
A string — mountain talk for cord or green beans.
stripedy
Striped; marked with bands of color.
sugarhead
Moonshine made mostly from sugar mash instead of all corn.
sull up
To pout, sulk, or shut down mad and quiet.
sumpin
Something, said the short country way.
supper
The evening meal at home, not the fancy restaurant kind.
swaller
Mountain way of saying swallow: gulp food, drink, or pride.
swarp
To strike with a sweep, or to weave and stagger around.
sweet tea
Iced black tea with sugar already in it, the house drink of the South.
swimmy-headed
Dizzy or lightheaded, like your head is swimming.
switch
A thin, flexible tree limb cut for a whipping.
switchback
A sharp hairpin bend on a mountain road or trail.
swole up
Got swollen — ankle, eye, jaw, or a jug in the sun.
sye
Old storytelling short for "says I" or "I said."