Sleep
In Southern and Appalachian speech, sleep means the little crusty bits that gather in the corners of your eyes overnight. A plain, gentle word most families still use every morning.
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Hillbilly Dude Says...
We always called it 'sleep' growin' up, and we still do in our family. I'd say this one is gettin' more rare. Hillbilly Dude Says...
We always called it 'sleep' growin' up, and we still do in our family. I'd say this one is gettin' more rare. Pronunciation
[SLEEP]
/sliːp/
/sliːp/
Meaning & Usage
- Eye Crust Formed During Sleep (noun)
Mamaw:
Wipe that sleep out before breakfast.
Wipe that sleep out before breakfast.
Papaw:
Ain’t fit to eat with your eyes glued shut.
Ain’t fit to eat with your eyes glued shut.★ Used mostly for kids, but everybody knows what it means. It’s friendly, not clinical - one of those words that keeps its warmth generation after generation. ★
Origin and Etymology
From Old English slǣp (sleep). The eye-crust sense developed centuries ago and survived strongly in Southern and Appalachian English while fading elsewhere.
Usage Notes
Still said daily in the South and Appalachia. Rarely written, but everyone knows it. Sometimes called "sleep dust" or "sleep seed" when talking to children.