Still
In Appalachian speech, a "still" is the equipment used to make moonshine, usually hidden deep in the woods or a holler to avoid the revenuers.
Pronunciation
[STIL]
Meaning & Usage
- Apparatus for distilling liquor (noun)
Elmer:
Reckon the still’s runnin’ hot today.
Reckon the still’s runnin’ hot today.
Estel:
Better keep that worm cooled down.
Better keep that worm cooled down.- Remain in place (verb)
Elmer:
You still workin’ on that fence?
You still workin’ on that fence?
Estel:
Yep, nearly done.
Yep, nearly done.variations: moonshine still, liquor still, stillhouse, still pot,
★ If you find a still in the woods, best leave it be - unless you want company from the revenuer. ★
Origin
From Old English "stillan" meaning "to distill" or "to drip." In the Appalachian moonshine sense, it refers to the entire setup used for making liquor, typically including a boiler, a worm (coil), and a condenser.
Notes
"Still" in this context almost always means illegal liquor-making equipment unless specified otherwise. Stills were often hidden far from the homeplace, near a water source for cooling.