Proverbs Southern Sayings, Idioms, & Phrases
Proverbs and sayings are the backbone of Southern and Appalachian storytelling. Here you’ll find a growing collection of authentic, old-time phrases that pass down wisdom, humor, and life lessons from generation to generation. These aren’t just generic quotes - they’re the real proverbs heard in kitchens, on porches, and in hollers across the South and Appalachia. Each one is paired with its meaning, origin, and examples so you can appreciate how deeply these sayings are woven into everyday speech.
Browse Sayings, Idioms, and Phrases
- Better Stop Diggin’
- Can’t Never Could Do Nothing
- Dance with the One That Brung You
- Don’t Be Throwing Stones
- Don’t Borrow Trouble
- Don’t Buy a Pig in a Poke
- Don’t Fool With Something That Ain’t Bothering You
- Don’t Get Above Your Raising
- Don’t Get the Big Head
- Don’t Let Your Mouth Write a Check Your Tail Can’t Cash
- Don’t Try to Plow Through the Stump
- Don’t Worry About the Mule Going Blind
- Don't Rob Peter to Pay Paul
- Even a Blind Hog Finds an Acorn Now and Then
- Every Tub Must Sit on Its Own Bottom
- If a Frog Had Wings, He Wouldn’t Bump His Tail
- If You Lay Down With Dogs, You’ll Get Up With Fleas
- Leave Some for Mister Manners
- Lord Willing and the Creek Don’t Rise
- Make Do or Do Without
- That Dog Won’t Hunt
- The Sun Don’t Shine on the Same Dog’s Back Every Day
- Too Wet to Plow
- When You Waller With Pigs, Expect to Get Dirty
- Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda
- You Can’t Hitch a Mule Behind the Plow
- You Can’t Squeeze Blood from a Turnip
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Created by The Hillbilly Dude, this site is a growing field guide to culture, speech, memory, and meaning - rooted in Appalachia but reaching across the world. Every slang word, saying, accent and story is gathered from first-hand experience and trusted sources. The goal: preserve authentic voices and share them with writers, learners, and culture lovers everywhere - with a little humor thrown in here and there. Read more...Slang, folklore, culture, and accent vary from place to place, even ridge to ridge - this is how I know it. Read the full disclaimer and terms of use • Privacy Policy
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