nekkid
In Southern and Appalachian speech, "nekkid" is simply the dialect pronunciation of "naked." It means without clothes, used in everyday family talk and storytelling.
Hillbilly Dude Says...
Pretty much everybody born here pronounces it 'nekkid.' Pronunciation
[NEK-id]
Meaning & Usage
- Without clothes (adjective)
Mae:
Where’s the young’un?
Where’s the young’un?
Earl:
Out there runnin’ nekkid again.
Out there runnin’ nekkid again.other spellings: naked
★ "Baby nekkid" and "nekkid swimmin’" are about as common as it gets in country storytelling. The word carries no shame - it’s just the natural, folksy way of saying "naked." ★
Origin
"Nekkid" is a phonetic Southern/Appalachian pronunciation of "naked." The shifted vowel and dropped middle consonant are common in regional speech patterns. Comedians later popularized a joke contrast between "naked" and "nekkid," but everyday Southern use treats them the same.
Notes
Widely used in Southern and Appalachian families, especially in casual or playful talk. Outside the region, people usually know it through comedy or caricature of Southern speech. The word itself is natural and common in real country talk.
Say It Like a Southerner
Said plain: "nek-id." Two syllables, never "nay-kid."