G.R.I.T.S- Girls Raised In The South
I am a beautiful, loud and proud true southern girl. I was blessed enough to be born, raised, and live in the beautiful temperate climate of the southern half of this country for all of my 30+ years of this life. I love it more than words could ever begin to express. I genuinely could not and would not ever live anywhere else.
Here are some easy (and fun) clues as to what makes me a true GRIT and darn proud of it…
- I can “chicken fry” any protein that you put in front of me. Hell, I could chicken fry a portabella mushroom if you are one of them there veg-i-tarians (and if you do not know what that means…heaven help you, you are missing out!)
- I say “Bless your heart”. Everyone isn’t perfect but it is more than okay to point that out without looking like a jerk about it as long you as you throw a “bless her heart” on the end of it. Because look, seriously, she just can’t help herself from being dumb as a box of rocks…bless her poor little heart.
- All southerners know that a perfectly good excuse to day drink is to have a BBQ. As long as something is smoking on the grill…it is not technically alcoholism. *hiccup*
- Speaking of Barbecues…all good southern women know that the key ingredient that goes into all of the fixin’s is -no other than the best- premium mayonnaise. No lie, a costco-sized-dear-lord-my-arteries-are-acting-up-again VAT of mayo. Sound gross? You have never had my potato salad, cole slaw, deviled eggs, or pasta salad, then. You have never lived, I promise you that.
- I say y’all–A LOT. Like, a sincerely ridiculous amount of times per day. I do not even know what you would say in place of it, either. You all? You guys? Lame. I have even been known to use it twice in one sentence…”Y’all want y’alls ____?” (Side note: Yes, spell check, I am aware that this is improper spelling and grammar. Mind your business)
- Even though I worked hard at getting rid of that deep east Texas accent when I lived in Florida and went to school (because people picked on me for it) all it takes is a couple of cocktails and I sound like Boomhauer from King of the Hill. You can take the girl out of the country but you just can’t take the county out of the girl, ya know man?
- I say “Yes, ma’am” and “No sir” no matter how old the person that I am addressing is. It is polite and the way that I was raised. I say it to everyone from toddlers to the elderly without fail whenever I am asked a question by someone. I have encountered people that are actually offended that I may be calling them “old”. Here and now, I just want to say, would you rather me be rude or would you rather stop being insecure about your age, bless your heart.
- I wave and smile to everyone. I open doors for others. I let people go ahead of me even when I am in a hurry. Because, why not? Everybody is having just as bad a day as you may be and the truth is…you could accidentally make theirs with such a simple kindness.
- I drive a big red truck. End of story.
- No matter what is going on around me…the minute that Friends in Low Places by Garth Brooks comes on…it’s karaoke o’clock, y’all!
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There’s a fine line between cute southern drawl and you sound like an illiterate dumbfuck. It used to make me nuts when I was alone and somebody would call me y’all. There’s no all dipshit, just the you here!!
I was originally going to say Paula Deen but, well…you know. 😉
I was taking about the south but didn’t want “that” coming up. 🙂
Anybody who says “y’all” to one person is a fake. 😉
Who says y’all to one person? I think I read this wrong. 🙂
Oh this is brilliant. I couldn’t help but read this in that lovely Southern drawl you were writing about! I love the accent. Yours and the Kiwi’s. It definitely does it for me. Be loud and proud!
Mine used to be something out a movie…but I really took some heat for it and worked hard to sound “proper”. But it always comes back out! 🙂
Thank you!
This was a great post. I love to know the ins and outs of what is normal in other peoples lives. In my home town of Dublin we say Youse instead of y’ all. I still say it here in Cork and it is not the thing to do they say “ye” which is rubbish next to youse! I now have a much cleared mind picture of you.
I love your Irish sayings! So foreign but so neat! They say “you’s” up north, namely New York. Being raised in the South is all about being sassy but polite. It’s a weird balance. 🙂
As a fellow southern belle…amen! The only thing I take exception to is that anything cooked on a grill is a BBQ. It’s only a BBQ if it involves BBQ sauce…anything else is a cookout. 😉
And I just don’t see how other people get by without “bless your heart”. What other phrase can express both sincere compassion and utter ridicule?
Yay for fellow southern belles! Agreed about the Bless her heart…other people are just rude, right?
Although the only thing about the cookout/bbq difference for me is…if it goes on the grill it GETS BBQ. There is literally nothing that we grill that doesn’t get a dash of the good stuff! 😉
GOTCHA!
Lol 😉
You actually gave me an idea…is it OK if I link to you? Or would you rather I not?
Sorry if you get this twice…but you gave me an idea. Would you like me to link to yours? Or not?
Sure, that’s fine. I’m a public blog. 🙂
love love love! 🙂 Especially the part about just being polite!! That was one thing I REEEALLY missed when I lived on the East coast. Just nice people! Instead, if you wave at someone as they drive by, they think something is wrong.
As a hometown girl, what I really want to know is…how much of that accent did you hold on to?! 🙂
Honestly? Hardly any. But, people with a good ear can still hear it, and of course when my parents are in town, it comes out because they still sound as East Texan as they come!! But, the average person will sense that something is off, but just not know exactly what it is. And, every once in a while, my husband makes fun of me…usually when I’m real heated about something.
I had to work on mine A LOT but mostly mine is hidden. But it always comes out!
As a good southern girl, I have a cabinet full of Cool Whip bowls and I make a mean pitcher of Lipton tea.
Hahaha! I don’t drink tea. Get out your pitchforks! Lol I don’t hate it, don’t love it, totally indifferent. 🙂
Total weirdo, right? My husband makes a mean pitcher of sun tea though! 🙂
“I’ve got friends in lowww places where the whiskey drowns and the beer chases my blueees awayy…” hahah the mere mention of Garth sends me singing. That and “Neon Moon” from Brooks & Dunn!!
And “I’ll hang around as long you will let me”
Let me let me let me! 😉
LOVED this post!!!! I was born and raised I’m Austin, TX and wouldn’t trade growing up a southern girl!!! My two year old says yes mam/sir and no mam/sir… Anything else is uncivilized!! Lol
Austin!!!!!!!! That’s where I live!
Really??? I moved to Dallas after college… But the older I get (and more settled down) the more I miss Austin. I grew up in Round Rock… But I’m a south Congress type chick. Love it there!!!
I live right on the Cedar Park/Austin line. Jp’s ped is in Round Rock. 🙂 I love Austin…wouldn’t ever dream of moving! 🙂
Don’t leave then you’ll spend all of your time dreaming about how to move back!! My whole family still lives in Round Rock. The hubs family lives in Dallas. I guess the bright side is I still get back to visit often!!
Totally with you on the “bless your heart” and BBQ. Damn it. Now I want BBQ. THAT, incidentally, is hard to come by here in Louisiana. I think it got evicted in place of gumbo and jambalaya.
Eeeeew. I couldn’t live without barbecue! I would cry. 😉
This post had me laughing out loud. I think my favourite is the “bless her heart” portion, or was it the “Ma’am, are you calling me old”? part. It’s the same with us, we say “Madam” here, and some people really take offence heheehe
Thanks! When I say “ma’am” and I see that “ugh” face I always know they aren’t southern! 🙂
Thanks for taking the time to read and comment!
Wow! This California girl wants to be your new best friend. I’m Monica born and raised L.A. Latina girl. I just love southerners. You’re all charming as all get out. The best BBQ picnic was from a family that hailed from Natchez Miss. Please check out my blog http://coconutspeak.wordpress.com/