yee-yaw
Crooked, off-kilter, out of plumb.
Also called gee-yaw, yee-yawed.
Updated September 24, 2026
yee-yaw pronunciation
/YEE-yaw/
Meaning
When a shelf, fence post, or trailer sits wrong, mountain talk may call it yee-yaw. Same neighborhood as sigogglin and cattywampus. Comes out of farm animal commands more than party whoops: gee and haw (or yaw) steered mules left and right, and the mash-up stuck as a word for anything that won't line up straight. Not the same as the cowboy "yeehaw" yell, though the spellings get tangled.
How folks use it
- “That picture frame hangs all yee-yaw.”
- “The porch steps are yee-yaw after the frost heave.”
Origin and etymology
Tied to draft-animal driving calls gee (right) and haw/yaw (left). Rural Southern and Appalachian speech turned the sound into a description of things gone askew. Chloe's Big Mill Southern sayings gloss yee-yaw as off kilter or out of plumb. Glossary stubs sometimes list it as a shout, confusing it with yeehaw.
Frequently asked questions
Is yee-yaw the same as yeehaw?
No. Yeehaw is a holler of excitement. Yee-yaw means crooked or off balance.