carry
To take or drive somebody somewhere, not hoist them on your back.
Updated September 21, 2026
carry pronunciation
/KAIR-ee/
Meaning
In Southern and Appalachian talk, carry often means take or haul a person from one place to another. "I'll carry you to town" means you get a ride, not a piggyback. Outsiders hear the word and picture arms full. Locals hear a truck door slamming.
How folks use it
- “I can carry you to the feed store after breakfast if you need.”
- “Mama carried us kids to church every Sunday whether we wanted to go or not.”
Origin and etymology
Carry has meant transport for a long time in English. In the rural South it stayed the everyday verb for giving somebody a lift, the way take took over elsewhere. You still hear it thick in older Appalachian and country speech. A separate store sense ("Do y'all carry bait?") spread nationwide from mercantile talk.
Frequently asked questions
Does carry mean pick someone up in your arms?
Not in this Southern use. It means take them somewhere, usually by car or truck. Same word, different job.