Sigogglin

A Southern Midland and Appalachian term meaning crooked, leaning, or askew, "sigogglin" describes anything visibly off-level - fences, sheds, chairs, porches, or tools set wrong.

#SouthernWords #Appalachia #Southern

synonyms: crooked, leaning, askew, tilted, cattywampus

Hillbilly Dude Says...

We use 'sigogglin' for something crooked, slantin’, leanin’ like it might fall. This is one I can remember my Momma sayin.

Hillbilly Dude Says...

We use 'sigogglin' for something crooked, slantin’, leanin’ like it might fall. This is one I can remember my Momma sayin.

Pronunciation

[SIH-gog-lin]
/ˈsɪˌgɑɡlɪn/

Meaning & Usage

- Crooked; leaning out of true (adjective)

Mae:

That fence is all sigogglin after the storm.

Earl:

Reckon it’ll take a good day to set it straight.

Ruby:

This chair’s sigogglin - near threw me out.

variations: sigogglin’, sigoggle, sigoggling

★ If something’s "sigogglin," it’s not just a bit off - it’s leaning or wobbling enough that folks notice. Think storm-battered barns and crooked porch rails. ★

Origin and Etymology

Documented in Appalachian and Southern Midland dialect sources since the 1800s, "sigogglin" (and related forms like "sigoggle") likely evolved through playful alteration of older words meaning askew or goggling. Its strongest footprint is in mountain speech across East Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia, western Virginia, and the Carolina highlands.

Usage Notes

Still heard across Appalachia and the Southern Midland region, especially among older speakers and in rural settings. The word almost always refers to physical objects - buildings, furniture, fences - rather than people.

Common after storms or seasonal shifts when structures start to lean.
Recognized widely across the mountain South.
Pronounced with a rolling middle syllable: "sig-GOG-lin."

Kin Topics

Common Questions

Is "sigogglin" the same as "cattywampus"?

Similar, but "sigogglin" is more distinctly Appalachian, while "cattywampus" is broader across the South and Midwest.

Can it describe a person?

Only jokingly - it’s almost always used for physical objects.

Is it still used today?

Yes, though more commonly among older speakers. Many younger Appalachians still recognize it from family speech.

How to Cite This Page

APA (7th edition)
The Hillbilly Dude. (2025, November 16). Sigogglin. HillbillySlang.com. https://www.hillbillyslang.com/definitions/sigogglin
MLA (9th edition)
"The Hillbilly Dude." "Sigogglin." HillbillySlang.com, 16 Nov. 2025, https://www.hillbillyslang.com/definitions/sigogglin.
Chicago (17th edition)
The Hillbilly Dude. "Sigogglin." HillbillySlang.com. November 16, 2025. https://www.hillbillyslang.com/definitions/sigogglin.