Too Big for Your BritchesIn Appalachian and Southern speech, "too big for your britches" means someone is acting arrogant, sassy, or beyond their proper place. It’s often said of children getting mouthy or uppity. #SouthernSayings #Appalachia #PeopleandRelationships #Southern #ScoldingandTeasing Hillbilly Dude Says... Hillbilly Dude Says... Pronunciation[too big fer yer BRITCH-iz] Meaning & Usage- Arrogant, acting above station (saying)
Mae:
Earl:
variations: too big for his britches, too big for her britches ★ This phrase is almost always a warning - it tells someone to remember their place, usually before they get humbled by a parent, elder, or life itself. ★ Origin and EtymologyFrom "breeches," an old English word for trousers. By the 1800s, "too big for your britches" was a common American phrase meaning someone’s pride had outgrown their actual size. Appalachia and the South carried it forward as a homespun rebuke. Usage NotesStill common in the South and Appalachia, especially when elders are correcting children. Can also be used jokingly among adults. Say It Like a SouthernerSay it plain: "too big fer yer britches." The word "britches" is the mountain form of "breeches," meaning pants. | ...
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