taters
Potatoes — the everyday Southern and mountain word.
Also called tater, 'taters, potatoes.
Updated September 24, 2026
taters pronunciation
/TAY-terz/
Meaning
Just potatoes, said the rural way. Mashed taters, fried taters, a grab of taters for supper. Usually means white potatoes unless somebody says sweet taters. Pair it with maters (tomatoes) and you've got classic garden talk. Pass the taters means hand over the potatoes, gravy welcome.
How folks use it
- “What's for supper? Meatloaf, green beans, and mashed taters.”
- “We raised corn and taters every year out back.”
Origin and etymology
Shortened from potato by dropping the weak first syllable, a habit common in Southern and Appalachian speech (same pattern as 'mater for tomato). Southern Appalachian English cites taters in mountain writing from the 1800s on. Free Dictionary notes it as Upper Southern US dialect.
Frequently asked questions
Do taters include sweet potatoes?
Usually white potatoes. Sweet ones get called sweet taters so nobody mixes them up.