Would Argue with a Fence Post

In Southern and Appalachian speech, "would argue with a fence post" means someone is extremely argumentative or contrary - so much so they’d even argue with an inanimate object.

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synonyms: contrary, argumentative, stubborn, quarrelsome, ornery

Hillbilly Dude Says...

I've heard that somebody 'would argue with a fence post' many-a-time. This one's a common one.

Pronunciation

[WUD AR-gyoo wihth uh FENSS post] /wʊd ˈɑːr.gjuː wɪð ə fɛns poʊst/

Meaning & Usage

- Extremely argumentative (idiom)

Hazel:

Don’t bother trying to change his mind.

Earl:

I know it - he’d argue with a fence post.

variations: he’d argue with a fence post, she’d argue with a fence post

★ This phrase is a classic Southern exaggeration - the kind of colorful hyperbole that makes Appalachian speech memorable. ★

Origin

Recorded in Southern oral tradition and small-town newspapers by the mid-20th century, especially in Tennessee, Kentucky, and the Carolinas. It builds on older Southern humor of comparing someone’s contrariness to arguing with inanimate objects.

Notes

Distinctly Southern/Appalachian in flavor; rarely heard outside the region except as a borrowed folksy phrase.
Often said in a half-joking, half-critical way about someone who won’t let a point drop.
Works with any pronoun ("he’d argue"," "she’d argue"," "they’d argue"").

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Common Questions

What does "would argue with a fence post" mean?

It means someone is extremely argumentative or contrary - so much so they’d even argue with an inanimate object.

Is this saying Southern?

Yes. It’s deeply rooted in Southern/Appalachian speech and documented for decades.

When did it start?

It appears in Southern print sources by the mid-20th century and likely existed in oral tradition earlier.

How do you use it in a sentence?

"Don’t bother debating him - he’d argue with a fence post."

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