Stob
In Southern and Appalachian English, "stob" is both a noun and a verb. As a noun it means a short stake or stub; as a verb it means to drive a post or poke something - and commonly "stob your toe" means "stub your toe."
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synonyms: stake, stub, poke, jab, stub your toe
Hillbilly Dude Says...
I grew up hearin' people getting a 'toe stobbed.' The one related to farmin' wasn't one I heard much growin' up, so I'm assuming it's more regional and old timers. Pronunciation
[STAUB] /stɒb/
Meaning & Usage
- Noun: A short stake or stub
Elmer:
He drove a stob in the ground for the fence line.
He drove a stob in the ground for the fence line.
Estel:
Make sure it’s good and deep.
Make sure it’s good and deep.- Verb: To drive a stake or poke something
Elmer:
Stob that post in the ground right there.
Stob that post in the ground right there.
Estel:
Got it. It won’t move.
Got it. It won’t move.- Verb (regional): To stub or strike, especially a toe
Elmer:
I stobbed my toe on that rock.
I stobbed my toe on that rock.
Estel:
Ouch. That’s gonna leave a mark.
Ouch. That’s gonna leave a mark.variations: stobbed, stobbing, stob a toe, stobbing a toe
★ Think of "stob" as both the object (a stake or stub) and the action (to poke or stub). In Southern/Appalachian English it extends naturally to "stobbing a toe." ★
Origin
From Scots/Old English "stob" meaning a stake or stub. Preserved in Southern and Appalachian speech as both a noun ("stake") and verb ("to drive a post" or "to stub/poke"). This usage appears in regional dictionaries and oral histories throughout the 20th century.
Notes
- Common across Appalachia and the rural South; largely unknown outside those areas except among dialect enthusiasts.
- "Stob" (noun) and "stob" (verb) share the same root; "stobbing a toe" is the regional way of saying "stubbing a toe."
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