   How’s Your Mama and Them?In Southern and Appalachian speech, "how’s your mama and them?" is a friendly greeting that really means "how’s your family?" It rarely asks just about the mother - it’s shorthand for checking on kinfolk as a whole. #SouthernSayings #Appalachia #People&Relationships #Southern Hillbilly Dude Says...  This is pretty much how we say it, but it's more like 'how’s your mama an'em?' Pronunciation[howz yer MAH-muh an-em] Meaning & Usage- A greeting that means "how’s your family?" (idiom)
Mae:
Ain’t seen you in a while!
Earl:
Yeah, been busy. How’s your mama and them?- A marker of friendliness and kinship (idiom, cultural use)
Mae:
How’s your mama and them?
Earl:
They’re doin’ fine - ask about y’all too.other spellings: how’s your folks, how’s everybody at home, checking on the family, mama an’em, kinfolk greeting, and family talk ★ This phrase isn’t really about one person - it’s a shorthand for showing you care about someone’s whole family. ★ OriginRooted in Southern and Appalachian kinship culture, where greetings naturally include family ties. The form "mama and them" (spoken "mama an’em") condensed into one of the most recognizable regional phrases. NotesStill common in the South and Appalachia, especially in small towns and rural communities. Outsiders often hear it as "mama an’em," but within the region it’s instantly understood. Say It Like a SouthernerSaid plain: "how’s yer mama an’em?" Quick, run-together, with "and them" almost always shortened to "an’em." | 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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