   More Than You Can Shake a Stick AtIn Appalachian and Southern speech, "more than you can shake a stick at" means a very large number of things - more than you can easily count or manage. It’s a colorful way of saying "a whole lot." Hillbilly Dude Says...  I don't hear 'more thank you can shake a stick at' as much as I used to, but it's still around down here. Pronunciation[mohr thun yuh kin SHAYK uh STIK at] Meaning & Usage- A very large number or amount (idiom)
Mae:
How many booths they got?
Earl:
More’n you can shake a stick at.- Too many to manage easily (figurative)
Mae:
Think you’ll finish today?
Earl:
Not with more work than I can shake a stick at.other spellings: more than you can count, a whole mess of, plenty more, lots more, more chores than you can shake a stick at, we had more pies than you can shake a stick at, and more troubles than you can shake a stick at ★ This phrase is almost always playful or humorous. It exaggerates the size of something without needing an exact count. ★ OriginFirst recorded in the early 1800s in America. Farmers sometimes used a stick for counting animals or controlling them. If there were too many, you literally couldn’t shake a stick at them all. The phrase stuck, especially in Southern and Appalachian talk, where colorful exaggerations are common. NotesStill widely heard in Southern and Appalachian storytelling and everyday speech. Outside the region, it’s understood but may sound old-fashioned or quaint. Say It Like a SouthernerSaid plain: "more than you can shake a stick at." The "you can" often runs together: "ya can." | 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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