Hillbilly Slang

Authentic sayings, folk stories, and mountain wisdom.

corn silk

Corn silk is the long, threadlike strands that grow inside an ear of corn. In Appalachian and Southern tradition, it wasn’t just farm waste - it was gathered and brewed into tea for home remedies.

#SouthernWords   #Appalachia   #Food   #Southern

Hillbilly Dude Says...
Pullin' 'corn silk' has always been a common summer occurrence down here. 

Pronunciation

[CORN-silk]

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We aim to get true definitions and pronunciations for ever single word we can find. Plus real-life tales from the hills - some funny, some maybe downright wild.

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Meaning & Usage

- The silky strands on corn (noun)

Mae:
Make sure to pull off all that corn silk before you cook it.

- A home remedy ingredient (noun, folk use)

Mae:
Don’t throw that out - we’ll dry the corn silk for tea.
other spellings: corn tassel (mistakenly), silk of corn, corn silk tea, silks, corn hairs, and medicine silk
★ Corn silk tea was a common folk medicine in Appalachia - believed to help with urinary and kidney troubles. Even if folks didn’t like the taste, they swore by it. ★

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