Knock You Into Next Week

In Southern and Appalachian speech, knock you into next week means to hit someone so hard they’d metaphorically wake up days later. It’s an exaggerated, good-humored threat used to warn someone to behave.

#SouthernSayings #Appalachia #PeopleandRelationships #OldTimers #Southern #ScoldingandTeasing

synonyms: hit

Hillbilly Dude Says...

Growin' up, whatever you's about to do wuttin worth it if your Momma warned, 'I’ll knock you into next week.' I'd say you hear stuff like that much less often nowadays.

Hillbilly Dude Says...

Growin' up, whatever you's about to do wuttin worth it if your Momma warned, 'I’ll knock you into next week.' I'd say you hear stuff like that much less often nowadays.

Pronunciation

[NAHK yew inn-tuh nekst WEEK]
/nɑk ju ɪn.tə nɛkst wiːk/

Meaning & Usage

- Exaggerated threat or warning (figurative)

Elmer:

If y’all don’t hush in there, I’m gon’ knock you into next week.

Estel:

We’re bein’ quiet! That was the cat.

- Hit extremely hard (hyperbolic)

Mae:

That ball come off the bat and near ’bout knocked him into next week.

Earl:

He’ll be seein’ stars till Tuesday.

variations: knock him into next week, knock her into next week, knock somebody into next week

★ The phrase almost never signals real violence - it’s usually a joking, half-serious way of telling somebody to behave. ★

Origin and Etymology

This expression developed in American folk speech in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with the earliest strong evidence in the South and lower Midwest. Hyperbolic "time displacement" threats - being hit so hard you land in another day or week - were especially common in rural Southern storytelling and humor.

Usage Notes

Though now understood nationwide, the phrase has distinct Southern and Appalachian roots and remains common in rural speech. It’s most often used by parents, teachers, and older folks as a humorous warning rather than a literal threat.

Kin Topics

Common Questions

Does it mean someone was really hit?

Usually no. It’s figurative - a colorful way to warn or exaggerate.

Is it still used today?

Yes. You’ll still hear it across the South and Appalachia.

Is it violent?

It’s traditionally playful or emphatic, not a genuine threat.

How to Cite This Page

APA (7th edition)
The Hillbilly Dude. (2025, November 14). Knock You Into Next Week. HillbillySlang.com. https://www.hillbillyslang.com/sayings/knock-you-into-next-week
MLA (9th edition)
"The Hillbilly Dude." "Knock You Into Next Week." HillbillySlang.com, 14 Nov. 2025, https://www.hillbillyslang.com/sayings/knock-you-into-next-week.
Chicago (17th edition)
The Hillbilly Dude. "Knock You Into Next Week." HillbillySlang.com. November 14, 2025. https://www.hillbillyslang.com/sayings/knock-you-into-next-week.

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