Them There

In Southern and Appalachian speech, them there is a colorful way of saying "those," often for emphasis or flavor - "them there hills," "them there tools," "them there biscuits."

#SouthernSayings #Appalachia #OldTimers #Southern

synonyms: those, those there, them

Hillbilly Dude Says...

Yes, people sometimes use 'them there' in a silly way. But old timers out in the country still use this one.

Pronunciation

[THEM THAIR] /ðɛm ðɛr/

Meaning & Usage

- Demonstrative phrase for "those" (nonstandard)

Billy:

Grab them there tools for me, will ya?

Mabel:

Got ‘em right here.

variations: them there, them-there, them there hills, them there tools

★ "Them there" adds Southern flavor to plain "those." It’s the verbal equivalent of pointing and squinting across the holler. ★

Origin

The construction "them there" descends from older British and Scots-Irish English patterns brought to Appalachia. It’s been documented in Appalachian speech since the early 20th century, where "them" functions as a demonstrative and "there" adds emphasis or location.

Notes

Them there - a nonstandard demonstrative for "those" plus "there" as an intensifier.
Common examples: "them there hills," "them there biscuits," "them there critters."
Still widely recognized as "country talk" or a marker of rural Southern/Appalachian speech.
Younger Southerners may use it jokingly to signal local identity.
Comparable to other double-determiner patterns like "these here" and "this here."

Kin Topics

Kin Words, Stories and More

Common Questions

Does "them there" mean anything different from "those"?

No - it’s simply a colorful Southern/Appalachian way of saying "those."

Is it still used today?

Yes - mostly in rural areas, older speakers, or as playful dialect speech.

Is it unique to the South?

It’s strongest in the South and Appalachia, though historically it also appeared in some rural Midwestern and Ozark speech.

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