sparking
Courting, the old-fashioned porch-and-church kind.
Also called sparkin', go sparking.
Updated September 24, 2026
sparking pronunciation
/SPAR-kin/
Meaning
Sparking means dating or wooing, usually said with a wink about somebody sweet on somebody else. In Appalachian talk you go sparking when a young man calls on a girl, walks her home from meeting, or sits up late by the fire with family still in earshot. It sounds softer than "dating" and older than "going out."
How folks use it
- “He's been sparking that girl from over the ridge all spring.”
- “Mama said they were just friends, but everybody knew they were sparking.”
Origin and etymology
Spark as "court" shows up in American English by the early 1800s. Southern Appalachian English kept sparking for wooing long after city talk moved on. One mountain story ties the word to couples sitting by the hearth after bedtime, with sparks up the chimney telling neighbors somebody was still awake. Cute story. The broader root is older courtship slang for playing the beau.
Frequently asked questions
Is sparking still used?
Mostly by older speakers or folks joking in mountain talk. Younger people usually say dating, but the word still gets a laugh.