   Got to Thinkin’In Appalachian and Southern speech, "got to thinkin’" means started thinking. It’s a folksy, storytelling way to describe how an idea or decision came about. Hillbilly Dude Says...  'And that got me to thinkin’' is one of those common, everday phrases around here. Pronunciation[got tuh THINK-in] Meaning & Usage- To start reflecting on something (verb phrase)
Mae:
How’d you decide?
Earl:
Well, I got to thinkin’ it was the right thing to do.- To explain a choice or action in storytelling (verb phrase, figurative)
Mae:
Why’d you move the cows?
Earl:
I got to thinkin’ the storm might spook ’em.other spellings: got me to thinkin', and got to thinking ★ "Got to thinkin’" is rarely written - it lives in spoken storytelling. Folks use it to ease into an explanation or a memory. ★ OriginFrom the dialect habit of using "got to" + verb (*got to laughin’, got to hollerin’*) in place of "started to." Strongly rooted in Southern/Appalachian oral tradition, passed along in everyday speech. NotesNot common in standard American English outside the South. It marks regional, informal talk, especially in stories or reflections. Often used by older speakers, but still heard in casual Southern conversation. Say It Like a SouthernerSaid plain: "got tuh thinkin’." The final "g" is nearly always dropped: "thinkin’." | About We are a growing field guide to culture, speech, memory, and meaning - rooted in Appalachia, but wide as the world. Read more... |
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