  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. Hillbilly Dude Says...  Often still heard around here, too big for his britches means somebody's actin' superior. Pronunciation[too big fer yer BRITCH-iz] Meaning & Usage- Arrogant, acting above station (saying)
Mae:
Don’t you get too big for your britches, young man.
Earl:
Best mind your manners ‘fore you get a whoopin’.other spellings: too big for his britches, and 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. ★ OriginFrom "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. 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. | 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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