fixin'
Getting ready or meaning to — Southern fixing with the g dropped.
Also called fixing.
Updated September 21, 2026
fixin' pronunciation
/FIX-in/
Meaning
The everyday Southern form of fixing. Most often it rides with to: I'm fixin' to head out means you are about to, after a little getting ready. Alone it can mean preparing food or gear, like Mama's fixin' supper or he's fixin' the fence. Same root idea of arranging or making ready. How soon the next step starts depends on the speaker and the coffee still in the cup.
How folks use it
- “I'm fixin' supper, so don't go far.”
- “He's fixin' to crank that tractor whether it wants to or not.”
Origin and etymology
From fix meaning prepare or arrange, into the progressive fixing. Southern speech drops the g to fixin'. The about-to sense with to shows up in American English by the early 1800s. Southern Appalachian English cites fixing to as preparing or intending. OED and regional notes put the future-leaning use in Southern talk by the mid-1800s. Fixin' is the spoken shape you hear on porches and in truck cabs.
Frequently asked questions
Does fixin' always need to?
No. Fixin' supper means cooking. Fixin' to leave means about to leave. Context tells you which.