booger man
The Southern bogeyman who gets kids that won't behave.
Also called boogerman, boogeyman.
Updated September 21, 2026
booger man pronunciation
/BOOG-er man/
Meaning
The regional stand-in for the boogeyman. Parents and grandparents use him to keep children in after dark or straighten up their manners. In mountain folklore he can blur into ghosts, haints, and general spook talk. Also spelled boogerman as one word.
How folks use it
- “You better mind, or the booger man will get you.”
- “We used to dare each other to walk past that old barn where the booger man lived.”
Origin and etymology
From British bogeyman, reshaped by Southern pronunciation of bogey as booger. Dictionary.com dates boogerman to the mid-1800s as South Midland and Southern. DARE notes boogerman as the common Southern form where other regions say boogeyman.
Frequently asked questions
Is booger man just for kids?
Mostly told to children, but adults still use the name in ghost stories and teasing.