  Plumb Wore Out"Plumb wore out" is Appalachian and Southern talk for being completely exhausted. The "plumb" means "entirely" or "utterly," and "wore out" is the hillbilly way of saying worn out. Hillbilly Dude Says...  No doubt you'll still hear plumb wore out around here. I've heard it all my life - and used it myself. Pronunciation[PLUM wor out] Meaning & Usage- Completely exhausted (saying)
Mae:
You look plumb wore out.
Earl:
Been splittin’ wood all afternoon.other spellings: plum wore out, completely tired, exhausted, tuckered out, dog-tired, zonked out, ``wore slap out``, and ``beat to death`` ★ "Plumb" here doesn’t mean the fruit - it’s from the word meaning "completely." Pair it with "wore out" and you’ve got a hillbilly way of saying "dead tired." ★ OriginFrom Middle English *plum(b)*, meaning exact or complete. The phrase "plumb wore out" spread in the South and Appalachia as a vivid way of stressing exhaustion. NotesStill common in Appalachian and Southern speech. Often swapped with "plum tuckered out" or "wore slap out." Both "plumb" and "plum" spellings show up, depending on who’s writing it down. Say It Like a SouthernerSaid flat: "plum wore out" - with "wore" often stretched: "plum worrrrr out." | 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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