Virginia Folk Speech #3

Photo taken on Mill Mountain, Roanoke, Virginia 2009

Ailing--To feel pain; be unwell.  "She is ailing today."  (When I was growing up, there was a woman who lived near us and she was constantly complaining about her health. So anytime her name was mentioned, the first response was usually, "So, what's ailin' her today?")

Jaw--To talk or gossip.  (Many times I heard my grandpa tell grandma to "stop her jawing" when she was talking with friends on the phone!)

Ailments--Disorders; disease.  "She is full of ailments."

Jimber-jawed--Having a projecting lower jaw.

Amind--Aminded--Disposed; inclined to.  "I have amind to buy that new spinning wheel."  "Any person aminded to buy that ugly heifer must be half crazy."

This, that and tother--This, that, and the other.  "What have you been doing all day?"  "Oh, just this, that and tother."  (My grandmother used to say this all of the time so of course, I picked it right up from her much to my mother's dismay!)

Ammon--Almond.  (We always called them ammons.)

Bark--To knock the skin off.  "I just barked my shin against that door."

Muley Cow--A cow without horns.

Knit--To grow together, as the ends of a broken bone.  "The bones of his leg didn't knit straight."

Jowl--The lower jaw, usually refers to a hog jowl but also a human jaw.  "I am going to smack you right in the jowl if you don't stop backtalking your mother."

Tom-walkers--Stilts on which a child walks.  Usually made of saplings with a short limb being used for the footrest.

We also just LOVE to string together a whole bunch of prepositions!   "You come on out from down in under that table!"  Every time that I hear myself or my husband do this, it just makes me smile.  It really does place a nice emphasis on what you are trying to say!