When I first got to Alabama, people weren’t just speaking English. Or at least… not the kind of English I had learned in school. It was like a whole new dialect, with words and phrases I had never seen in a textbook. At first, I thought I was just bad at listening, but then I realised, nope, it was Southern slang. So, after trying to learn and use that slang for 10 months, here's my honest review:
1. "Y'all" - 10/10
I can definitely say that this is my favourite. I can also definitely say that this is the most useful word in the whole English language and we should start finding ways to use it in other languages too. I now catch myself saying it without thinking, and I fear my English teacher in Spain will not like it, but She'll just have to put up with it 💪. Verdict: it still sounds silly when I say it with my accent, but it's mandatory in every conversation.
2. "Fixing to/ Finna" - 7/10
This one was the one that confused me the most when I first heard it, matter of fact, it took me a couple times of hearing it to get used to it. I still don't really understand where it comes from but, deep inside, it makes sense in some way. Like any other Southern slang I love it and I try to sneak it into my sentences.
3. "Bless your heart" - 6/10
I'm haunted by this one. At first, I thought it was just always something sweet to say. Now, I've seen too many people use it as a backhanded compliment, it's the ultimate polite insult. One of those where it takes you a minute to realise that they're not really saying what you're hearing. Luckily for me, I've never been "bless-your-hearted" in a mean way... at least, I think I haven't.
4. "Might could" - 8/10
Love and hate relationship with this one. It sounds so cool when others say it; me, I always manage to end up saying "might can" instead and sound the complete opposite of cool. The double verb situation does not click in my brain, but I'm working on it because I just wanna sound cool like that 😔. This is another thing that I suspect my English teacher will not be a fan of.
5. "Yonder" - 4/10
WHERE? I don't get it. Every time I've been told that something or someone was in yonder I was left as clueless as in the beginning. It can refer to so many places, it's like saying "there", right? I feel like there's some secret nuance I haven't been taught yet. For now it just confuses me... maybe some day I'll figure it out. Until then, it's staying at 4/10.
People might could say I still have an accent that slips out and makes me sound a little silly sometimes, but y’all can’t deny I’m fixin’ to sound like a true Southerner after learning all this lovely slang!
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