about
Around a place, or roughly a number or time.
Also called 'bout, around.
Updated September 21, 2026
about pronunciation
/uh-BOUT/
Meaning
Two everyday jobs in Southern and Appalachian talk. One is place: somebody is about if they are around or nearby ("Anybody about?"). The other is a soft estimate: about three miles, about dark, about twenty head. Same word English uses everywhere, but mountain speech leans on it hard for directions and guesses. In the South it can also mean almost ("I about fell").
How folks use it
- “Anybody about, or am I talking to the porch?”
- “It's about two miles past the sycamore.”
Origin and etymology
Straight from older English senses of nearness and approximation. DARE notes the "around" and "nearly" uses across the South and Midland. Nothing fancy invented here. Rural speakers just kept those flexible old meanings in daily talk.
Frequently asked questions
Can about mean almost?
Yes, especially in Southern talk. "I about missed it" means you nearly missed it.