strang
A string — mountain talk for cord or green beans.
Also called string.
Updated September 24, 2026
strang pronunciation
/STRANG/
Meaning
Appalachian pronunciation of string, rhyming with hang. You hear it for twine, baling cord, or a "strang of beans" ready to snap for the pot. It is not a fancy different word. It is how string comes out in older rural mountain mouths. Folks sometimes mix it up with "strange" or "strong," but garden and kitchen context usually settles it.
How folks use it
- “Hand me a strang to tie that feed sack.”
- “Them strangs of beans need snapping before supper.”
Origin and etymology
From Old English streng and related Scots and Ulster forms for cord. Scots-Irish speech carried the vowel into Appalachia, where it held on in rural talk. Same kind of shift you hear in thang for thing. The glossary sometimes lists it as "strange," but dialect writing and mountain usage point to string.
Frequently asked questions
Does strang mean strange?
Usually no. In Appalachian talk it means string. For odd or peculiar, you are more likely to hear quare.