"Calla Lilies" Mixed Media on Board. Copyright 2011 Totsymae

I learned a good deal last year, some of which I shared with you. As the generous person I am, this year, I aim to increase my (ahem) understanding of vocabulary and to (maybe) stop making up words. I was taught better, by the way. Being from the south don’t (doesn’t, for you proper folk), mean we don’t get good learning. We do. Some of us just lazy and got our own version of the English language. Words and phrases like yonder, make aise (haste), be back d’rectly and chullun (children) are all southern vocabularies. When others catch a holt (hold) to them, like folk from the north or any other place really, it don’t quite land right on the ear. It’s like hearing fingernails scraping on a chalkboard.

To give you my little backstory, I, my good folk, grew up in a little household where my sister and I were constantly being corrected. Grammar was BIG in my world and I tell you the truth from the neck up, it got on my nerves! I would be seething on the inside and think, ‘If you don’t let me finish my damn sentence, you -!…Goddamit, I done forgot what I was about to say now!” I’m serious.

That woman, who was my mother, was my first English teacher, with that constant correcting and telling us to enunciate. Not only did she correct my sister and me (yes, I’m rebelling by not saying “I”), she corrected the whole damn family! I’ve got one aunt who’d, and still does, say shit like, “She are.” How the poot nanny she keep getting that wrong?!! Wasn’t much a teacher could do for me in elementary school but teach me some new words and do math. Oh, I could add fine but I couldn’t subtract wortha damn, ya’ll. I was getting more on the end of words and reading at home, then I took to drawing and making my own little paper dolls. I wasn’t stuttin’ (studying) no numbers. I did crosswords, played Scrabble, Word Searches, AND read encyclopedias and dictionaries. Talk about somebody destined for a “no life” life, here I am, folks!

Now, what I won’t do, as you can see already, is hold back on the expletives the FCC likes to block on radio and TV. It’s not like I walk around cussing and going on. Folk tend to think one has a limited vocabulary when cuss words are used but when you look at it, you’re only gonna have regular use for so many words in your lifetime anyway. All depending on the kinda company you keep. Some folk reach their peak sooner than others, for whatever reason and if that’s the case, it ain’t necessarily a thing to judge folk on. Hell, they may be far better at something in another area that you ain’t. That’s usually how it goes.

And would you really wanna keep company with me if I said shit like, “That supercilious twit” or “I only go for unctuous type guys.” Words are a beautiful thing but must be mixed in the right company. Not that I think you wouldn’t get it but shit, I may not! Plus, in conversation, and writing too, it doesn’t sound natural, especially if you have a real show-off trying to throw a lotta words at you. It’s pompous. I know ’cause I’ve caught the bitch bug on sparing occasions. I’ve used certain vocabulary in writing to tell folk off or in one-on-one contact, when the need arose. It’s not something I’m proud of though, ’cause I don’t like getting outta sorts. Throwing big words around and all. Folk are beautiful people when they ain’t acting ugly and all (I guess it gets no simpler than that).

Anyhow. I’m even gonna try to expand on using the words I, and you, already know. That’ll be the main focus ’cause it’s not so much about learning new words as it is understanding (ahem, ahem) ALL of what a word means. And I say I’m generous and all ’cause I’m gonna share what I’ve learned with you good folks. So, I’m soon gonna put the first word out there. If I don’t get tangled up in life, I’ll put other words on this here blog as they come to me and try to get a pretty little picture up for you visual learners. Not only will we increase our depth of prior learning, you will be armed with “Southern” to add on your resume in the foreign language category by the end of the year. In the meantime, if you’re ever down here in my parts and need a translator, ring me up for the hook up. I don’t do backroads though. Those folk got thick tongues and say shit like, “Fetch water for the far (fire) and “Get bike (back) over yonder if you specta (expect to) set chere (sit here).”

So, my good folk, until tomorra…

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