Talk like a Texan

"Texas is neither southern nor western. Texas is Texas" ~ Senator William Blakley

Texas can seem like a whole different country. And sometimes when people come around for the first time it can be a little confusing to understand us. Now, we don't ALL talk like this. Or we might talk like this..sometimes. I know my accent can deepen depending on who I am talking to. Or there are certain words that just come out...southern. So, here is a list of words or sayings that you might hear in Texas.

all choked up - upset, overcome with emotions (other than aggravation). A person is usually "all choked up" when they are deeply moved by sadness or by the thoughtfulness of others.

Arbuckle - a synonym for coffee, when the Arbuckle brand was virtually the only one available

blinky - adjective used to describe milk that has begun to sour

catty whompus - used to describe something that doesn't fit properly or is out of line

come hell or high water - shows determination to proceed, regardless of the problems, obstacles, etc

conniptions - to have conniptions is to get upset and raise a ruckus

dad blame it, dad gum it, dag nab it - euphamisms coined to allow expressive speech without swearing

fit to be tied - really upset.

fixins - food; the rest of the meal, excluding the main dish

fixin' ta - getting ready to do something.

frog-strangler - an extraordinary amount of rain

howdy - How do you do?

lit out - took off, started out, or absconded across some terrain.

looker - a pretty girl

norther - a storm; not as bad as a blue norther

over yonder - a directional phrase meaning "over there."

taken to - began, adapted, started liking. Use #l: He's taken to drinking." Use #2: She's taken to that new job of hers right off."

whole nuther thing - soemthing else entirely

wore out - fatigued, exhausted; also sometimes used for "worn out" machinery, etc.

Emotional states in the state of Texas:

Happy as a gopher in soft dirt.

Like a one-legged man at a butt-kicking contest. (I assume this would mean you're extremely frustrated, or perhaps out of place, or dumb as box of hammers.)

Like a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. (Nervous. Very, very nervous.)

Like a gnat in a hail storm. (Evokes quite a picture, doesn't it?)

Having a fit (or a hissy fit) and stepping in it. (Sounds like a tantrum of major proportions.)

Somebody who looks like he/she has been rode hard and put up wet. (A tired individual who looks somewhat the worse for wear.)

**Thanks to Kathy DiSanto for her collection of Texas words and saying**