Cackle
To cackle means to laugh loudly and sharply, like a chicken clucking. In Southern and Appalachian talk, it paints the sound of laughter that fills a room - bright, unrestrained, and contagious.
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Hillbilly Dude Says...
I'll say somebody is 'cacklin’' when they're laughin' really hard - way past just gettin' tickled. Hillbilly Dude Says...
I'll say somebody is 'cacklin’' when they're laughin' really hard - way past just gettin' tickled. Pronunciation
[KACK-ul] ~ [KACK-lin]
/ˈkæk.əl/
/ˈkæk.əl/
Meaning & Usage
- Laugh Sharply or Loudly (verb)
Mamaw:
You girls quit that cacklin’ and finish your chores.
You girls quit that cacklin’ and finish your chores.
Papaw:
Ain’t nothin’ wrong with a little joy in the house.
Ain’t nothin’ wrong with a little joy in the house.- Sound Like a Chicken (verb/noun)
Estel:
That red hen’s cacklin’ again - must’ve laid one.
That red hen’s cacklin’ again - must’ve laid one.
Elmer:
She brags more than the preacher’s wife.
She brags more than the preacher’s wife.★ In the South, "cacklin’" can mean laughter or gossip - depends on who’s doin’ it and what’s got ’em goin’. ★
Origin and Etymology
From Middle English cakelen ("to cluck like a hen"), imitative of the sound itself. Early settlers carried it into Southern speech, where it became a staple of both barnyard and porch talk.
Usage Notes
Common across the South and Appalachia. Used affectionately, not insultingly, to describe lively talk or laughter - especially among women.