Fetch
In Appalachian and Southern speech, "fetch" means to go get something and bring it back. While once common nationally, today it survives most strongly in rural speech, especially in Appalachia and the South.
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Hillbilly Dude Says...
We never used 'fetch' that much growin' up, and it's mainly old timers when you hear it today. Hillbilly Dude Says...
We never used 'fetch' that much growin' up, and it's mainly old timers when you hear it today. Pronunciation
[FECH]
Meaning & Usage
- To go get and bring back (verb)
Mae:
Go fetch me a pail of water.
Go fetch me a pail of water.- To cause or bring about (verb)
Earl:
That old truck’ll fetch a good bit at auction.
That old truck’ll fetch a good bit at auction.- To arrive, turn up, or settle (verb phrase "fetch up")
Mae:
We just fetched up at the crossroads and rested a spell.
We just fetched up at the crossroads and rested a spell.variations: get, go get, bring, retrieve, carry back, fetch up (settle or arrive), fetchin’ (present participle)
★ "Fetch" often carries a tone of authority when spoken to children - one of the first chores kids got was to "fetch" something for their elders. ★
Origin and Etymology
From Old English *fetian* (to bring). The word stayed in everyday English for centuries. In much of the U.S. it faded, but in Appalachia and the South, "fetch" remains active in daily speech.
Usage Notes
Still common in Appalachia and the South, both in everyday commands ("fetch me that") and in phrases like "fetch up." Rare in most other regions, except in older or rural contexts.
Say It Like a Southerner
Said plain: "fech." Short and sharp, often used in a command.