Random Thoughts and Favourite Texanisms
Texas - © R. Koleilat, 2007
In honour of my darling sister's safe return, here are some of my favourite Lone Star State-isms, y'all:
- Busy as a one-armed paper hanger - Bobbie W.
- Even a blind chicken'll find the corn sometime
- Whatever makes your boat float - Seven-11 cashier on Lamar
- I'm fixin' to go now - my old boss
- You can have my girl, but don't touch my hat - Lyle Lovett
- The clash of ideas is the sound of freedom - Lady Bird Johnson
- Keep Austin weird - Everyone there
21 comments:
Definitely a woman of appetites, what with the wild hair and the red top (in your picture)LOL
A fine looking woman. I like your denim shirt, I suppose people wear denim a lot in Texas (this from someone in England who hasn't travelled very much)LOL
That Lyle Lovett. With that attitude he deserved to lose somebody like Julia Roberts.
Hi, Eleanor - yep, I guess people do wear a lot of denim there. As for me, this picture was taken at a nearby apple orchard, close to Toronto in Canada, where I've been living for over 15 years now. And what do you mean, about L.L.? I love this man, he has the best sense of irony and the sharpest wit on his side of the Mason-Dixon line. Also the best melodies.
I love your list!
I'm fixin' to steal that idea for a post soon as I put on my blue jeans and my denim jacket. Shoot fire, girl! You act like you are a far'ner or somethin'.
I'm going to have to post Audrey's Dad's beaucoup story sometime. You know that boo-coo is Texan right? Well most Texans don't know beaucoup is French.
For right now, I'll share this one that I heard from a hungry Texan: I'm so hungry my stomach and my backbone are a-makin' sparks!
Duh! Silly me! I meant to also say, I LOVE THE GRAPHIC! You are a right little artist there, ain't cha darlin'?
Gosh darn it, I forgot the best one: When mama ain't happy, ain't NOBODY happy!
we have whatever floats your boat here in the UK too.
And by the way, my mom's (Bobbie) got a million of 'em. I don't know if they are all Texan (she's lived everywhere), but sometimes she's even got one I ain't heard before that makes me laugh.
That's the Bobbie W. in the paper hanger quote!
I am joking about Lyle Lovett! I've got to start being very careful what I say because I am very blunt and Northern and it sometimes doesn't translate very well on the computer screen! Sorry about that, I need a lesson in charm, Southern charm perhaps. But is Texas in the South? You see I'm not that knowlegeable either.
Oh, Beverley, I was joking too - sorry, I tend to go overboard with the snarky comments sometimes. I do the fake outrage bit quite a lot, and believe me, it doesn't translate very well in print OR real life either. I'm always getting odd looks from the other mums at school. But there's always the odd (no pun intended) one or two who get it, and laugh instead of clutching their purses and looking for the exit.
Hey Beverly, I know what you mean about not knowing where places are exactly. I still haven't looked up Hull.
Texas is not South. Definitely not North or East (Yankees!) But ok, will agree to be called West as long as you aren't talking too West (like California). And Texans might agree to being considered part of the West because of Country & Western music, and cowboys (which we have plenty of, drugstore and otherwise).
Frankly, Texas considers its region of the US as "Texas," as if that says it all.
But from a non-native 30 year veteran Texan, I'd say Texas is definitely not South (Southern US usually means Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Carolinas, etc.) We are probably best described as part of the Southwest, like Arizona, New Mexico, etc.
Anybody agree? Disagree? Mom, how do East Texans feel about "Southwest?"
Well, up North (Canuckistan for the red states, Canada for the rest), we refer to y'all Yanks and non-Yanks alike as "our neighbours to the south"
My favourate is:
Q: How busy are you
A: Busier than a three leg-ged cat tryin' to cover *&^% on a frozen pond!
Y'all be good now!
Fawzan you are about as handy (with jokes) as a pocket on a shirt!
Hard to live up to my reputation as I'm not even a real Texan. But I've been here so long it is hard to tell the difference. In East Texas I think they are a mix, many things are distinctly southern although they are fiercely loyal to Texas. This area is only about 60 miles from Shreveport, Louisiana and so is almost the south. As hot as it gets here one would never dare wear white shoes past labor day.
And Rima, I love your collage!
Aw shucks folks, what are y'all talkin' about? You mean people in Texas are different then the rest of the United States? Well, I never heard such a thing. I thought them was just cowboys and such that they had all over the place. Wearin' them denim shirts and those cute hats that hold ten gallons of ice cream and such. We all like that very much in Holland, but they all look alike to us.
Sorry about all of this. I must read your personal information more closely, then I would realise you live in Canada and you list Lyle Lovett as a personal favourite. Somehow, because you are a friend of Debi and Bobbie I thought you lived in Texas, next door to her or something, or at least in the same town. Also you like L.L. and isn't he a Country and Western singer, albeit a very talented one. Before I visited your blog and you became real to me (a very artistic, creative and intellectual person)I had always mentally thought of you as one of Frances' American friends, in a rather abstract way, a bit frightening as you all seem very articulate.
Sometimes its difficult to know how far to take the humour. I live in an environment where it sometimes goes all the way. I do hope you never take offense, because none is intended,
Don't they have lumberjacks in Canada? Shouldn't you be wearing a checked shirt or something? LOL
The clash of ideas is the sound of freedom (Lady Bird Johnson)
A great thought in a brilliant mind !! thanks for it, Rima.
Neda, welcomo to home: yours and this one too!
Hey, Bev! There is only one rule here: take it as far as you want to! Don't worry about hurting someone's feelings, we may be artsy-fartsy but we're quite thick skinned. And some of us have a wicked, wicked sense of humour (and their names start with F and I and B-e-v). My heroes!
I don't blame you for being confused, I get confused a lot about all of this, hehe.
Let's see: I met Debi and Bobbie and Audrey online through my husband Fawzan's blog (he was the first in my family with Artezan). Debi had been to the same high boarding school in, brace yourself, Lebanon. So did Frances - we've never actually met each other physically, but it seems like we've all known each other forever.
To confuse you a little bit further, I DID live in Texas for a while before settling in Canada. My sister Neda (papier colles blog)still lives there. I'll spare you more details. Unless you're interested because we're such fascinating people.
Anyhoo, we're having a hoot building a fun, art-loving community. This is such a break from "reality", and it's such a boost to make friends (yes, I stand by this word) who are so vibrant, and funny, and sweet, and supportive. I'd better leave something for a post about this, the why-we-blog train of thought.
And yes, Canadians wear PLAID (technical word for checkered shirt), but only on TV! On the other hand, we do eat a lot of salmon and maple syrup, and say "eh?" a lot. We also freeze in the winter.
Jin, merci ma chere! Je te dois un "post" en francais! C'est beau, n'est-ce-pas ce qu'elle a dit. C'etait une femme extraordinaire, pas timide ou bebete comme tout le monde le croyait. Elle adorait la botanique aussi, je crois bien.
Hey y'all! I am back!!! I missed you...and here's my favorite slang of all times. In the 80's, the flight attendants of American Airlines (homegrown and based in Dallas) would say (with a twang): " Thank you for choosing American Airlines. Enjoy your stay here and go and make a lot of money now, ya hear?!" Anyway, I LOVE AUSTIN, I love being back home, and I am going to check all of your news!!!
Rima, thanks for the post, dahlin'. Lovely collage.
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