treed
In Appalachian and Southern speech, "treed" means chased up a tree or cornered. It comes from hunting talk, where dogs run a raccoon or other critter up a tree, but it’s also used figuratively to mean trapped or stuck.
Pronunciation
[treed]
Meaning & Usage
- Chased up a tree (verb, past tense)
Mae:
Where’s the hounds?
Where’s the hounds?
Earl:
They got a coon treed in the holler.
They got a coon treed in the holler.- Caught or cornered (figurative use)
Mae:
Think he’ll wiggle out of that mess?
Think he’ll wiggle out of that mess?
Earl:
Nope, he’s treed good and proper.
Nope, he’s treed good and proper.★ Though rooted in hunting, "treed" can apply to cats, dogs, or any critter chased up a tree - and to people in a jam, whether literal or figurative. ★
Origin
From the verb "to tree," meaning to drive or chase into a tree. First used in the 14th century, but took on strong life in American hunting culture, especially in the South and Appalachia.
Notes
Still very common in hunting circles. Widely understood in the South and Appalachia as both literal and figurative. Outside the region, people may know the word but mostly in the context of animals.
Say It Like a Southerner
Said plain: "treed." Short and sharp.