Hemhaw
In Appalachian and Southern speech, "hemhaw" means to hesitate, stall, or beat around the bush without getting to the point. It’s the regional form of the older national phrase "hem and haw."
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Hillbilly Dude Says...
We say 'hemhawin’' when somebody's draggin' their feet on somethin'. Not quite like lolligaggin'. Hillbilly Dude Says...
We say 'hemhawin’' when somebody's draggin' their feet on somethin'. Not quite like lolligaggin'. Pronunciation
[HEM-haw]
Meaning & Usage
- To hesitate or stall before speaking or deciding (verb)
Mae:
Well, are you comin’ or not?
Well, are you comin’ or not?
Earl:
I don’t know"
I don’t know"
Mae:
Don’t just hemhaw around - say yes or no!
Don’t just hemhaw around - say yes or no!- To avoid getting to the point (verb)
Mae:
He hemhawed around for ten minutes before he ever told me the price.
He hemhawed around for ten minutes before he ever told me the price.variations: stall, hesitate, beat around the bush, dawdle, drag feet, waste time, won’t spit it out
★ "Hemhaw" almost always carries a tone of impatience - the speaker wants someone to quit stalling and get on with it. ★
Origin and Etymology
From the older English phrase "hem and haw," which mimicked the sounds of hesitation. In Appalachia and the South, it got slurred together into the simpler, sharper "hemhaw."
Usage Notes
Common throughout the South and Appalachia, especially in rural speech. Outside these regions, most people still say "hem and haw," but they understand "hemhaw" when they hear it.
Say It Like a Southerner
Said plain: "hem-haw." Often drawn out as "hemhawin’" when describing someone hesitating.