According to the Appalachian Regional Commission, the Appalachian region includes parts of 12 states and all of West Virginia:
Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and all of West Virginia
Those of us who grew up with Appalachian/southern relatives know the dialect and sayings can be...well...unusual, at best. One of my cherished recollections is of my grandmother, Grace Alice (Robertson) LeRoy (1909-1989), who always—and I mean always—said "scat Thomas!" instead of "bless you" when someone sneezed. It appears this may be a version of "scat there, Tom - your tail’s in the gravy". I actually wasn't able to find any reference to the specific shortened version of "scat Thomas". While there's little to no actual evidence for how or where this colloquialism started, it seems quite a lot of Appalachian families had a version of this saying. At A Way With Words, one podcast delves into the theory it may be a reference to expelling evil spirits from the body when a sneeze happens. Or possibly it's just a joke about a sneeze caused by cat allergies. In any case, as I get older, I find myself saying it about 1/2 the time now. Perhaps my "nanny" (the word I always used to refer to both of my grandmas) is sitting on my shoulder or I'm channeling my inner hillbilly!
Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and all of West Virginia
Those of us who grew up with Appalachian/southern relatives know the dialect and sayings can be...well...unusual, at best. One of my cherished recollections is of my grandmother, Grace Alice (Robertson) LeRoy (1909-1989), who always—and I mean always—said "scat Thomas!" instead of "bless you" when someone sneezed. It appears this may be a version of "scat there, Tom - your tail’s in the gravy". I actually wasn't able to find any reference to the specific shortened version of "scat Thomas". While there's little to no actual evidence for how or where this colloquialism started, it seems quite a lot of Appalachian families had a version of this saying. At A Way With Words, one podcast delves into the theory it may be a reference to expelling evil spirits from the body when a sneeze happens. Or possibly it's just a joke about a sneeze caused by cat allergies. In any case, as I get older, I find myself saying it about 1/2 the time now. Perhaps my "nanny" (the word I always used to refer to both of my grandmas) is sitting on my shoulder or I'm channeling my inner hillbilly!
While I didn't find any reference to the exact phrase "scat Thomas", I did find some fun Appalachian resources. Do you need these resources? Not likely, unless you're trying to read a diary or journal (most likely from the south), or you need to converse with a southern relative and need a little "translation". And yet, these sites hold some neat insights and actual useful information—like traditions, sayings, recipes and folklore.
- Hillbilly Slang - "describes the vocabulary, linguistics, food, culture, and ways of life found throughout Appalachia and the American South." I particularly like the recipe section because there's nothing quite like southern home cooking! The rest of the site, curated by The Hillbilly Dude, is amusing and quite entertaining, featuring folklore, proverbs, sayings and stories.
- Blind Pig & the Acorn - shares a journey "to preserve and celebrate Appalachia". Appalachian dialect and food feature prominently.
- Southern Home & Hospitality - Although highly geared toward decorating and entertaining, they do have a list of 120 Best Southern Sayings That’ll Charm Your Britches Off. As you read through the list, you may find yourself nodding and thinking "I've heard this one before!"
Only one of these sites receives a place in my Genealogy Toolbox. Hillbilly Slang has been saved in a newly added section called "Regional/Geographic Resources". It really didn't fit elsewhere, but due to the sheer volume of easily searchable region-specific information, it could be useful for those looking to learn more about the areas their ancestors hail from. Another site worth knowing about (and saved in my Genealogy Toolbox) is the Dictionary of American Regional English (DARE). This is a vast collection of "American regional words, phrases, and pronunciations." Some university and public libraries provide free access to the DARE database online (with an institutional subscription), or may have print copies available. DARE also offers an individual subscription for $49 per year (though this is a somewhat specialized collection and you'd likely be better off checking for free library/university access).
As a final note on regional dialect, while those of us in the United States may be familiar with and easily understand regional slang without giving it much thought, for those whose first language isn’t English or who live in countries with different regional dialects, it could be far more challenging to understand. AI may be wonderful for helping folks transcribe what's been written, but unless you're aware there's slang being used, it may not clarify actual meaning.
As a final note on regional dialect, while those of us in the United States may be familiar with and easily understand regional slang without giving it much thought, for those whose first language isn’t English or who live in countries with different regional dialects, it could be far more challenging to understand. AI may be wonderful for helping folks transcribe what's been written, but unless you're aware there's slang being used, it may not clarify actual meaning.
Note: Prices referenced in this post were current at the time of original publication of this post.
Disclosure: I used ChatGPT to assist with a title and search description, and to review this post for clarity, punctuation and grammar. Unless otherwise indicated, the content and all opinions are my own.