"Only a Southerner understands the difference between a redneck, a good ol' boy, and po' white trash."

I just read a great article from a fellow Southerner. I especially loved the phrase,  "Only a Southerner understands the difference between a redneck, a good ol' boy, and po' white trash." Wow! That took me back to my roots. I got it instantly! I can't count the number of times I've used those exact same phrases to describe someone. For those of you who aren't from the South, here's a breakdown of the terms:

Redneck:  The guy that drives around in a jacked-up truck with his music blaring loud enough to be heard in the next county and his confederate flag waving. You'll often see him peeling out the instant the light turns green and belting out wolf calls to everything that wears a skirt. (Yep, dated a few too many of those in my lifetime.)

Good ol' boy:  The salt of the earth guy who would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it. He loves to hunt, fish, and is a natural-born mechanic, even though he's never had a single formal lesson in auto mechanics. He's soft-spoken and doesn't like to call attention to himself, so he often gets overlooked; but if you'll take the time to get to know him, you'll discover him to be quick-witted, funny--a diamond in the rough.

Po' white trash:  These are the ones my mama told me to stay away from! There's no dishonor in being poor mind you, but when you add in ignorance and ruthlessness, you get a lethal combination. Having gown up in a rural part of North Alabama, I learned quick that there some people you don't want to tangle with. They'd just assume to burn your house down as to look at you. These are the out and out wild types that don't cotton to moral codes or social values.  

Here's the original article. It was posted in about.com under the local Huntsville, Alabama section. FYI, Huntsville is only forty minutes from where I grew up. 

I Love Being Southern

Things Only a True Southerner Knows...

By , About.com Guide


There are certain things that only Southerners know or appreciate about the South. Northerners can try to understand, but mostly, they don't even know WHAT they don't understand. Some of these "jokes" go around and around the internet and back and forth through email. I don't know WHO wrote this...but I do know that it just had to be a real, true Southerner:
    I LOVE Being Southern...
  • Only a Southerner knows the difference between a hissie fit and a conniption fit, and that you don't "HAVE" them, you "PITCH" them.
  • Only a Southerner knows how many fish, collard greens, turnip greens, peas, beans, etc., make up "a mess."
  • Only a Southerner can show or point out to you the general direction of "yonder."
  • Only a Southerner knows exactly how long "directly" is -- as in: "Going to town, be back directly."
  • Even Southern babies know that "Gimme some sugar" is not a request for the white, granular sweet substance that sits in a pretty little bowl in the middle of the table.
  • All Southerners know exactly when "by and by" is. They might not use the term, but they know the concept well.
  • Only a Southerner knows instinctively that the best gesture of solace for a neighbor who's got trouble is a plate of hot fried chicken and a big bowl of cold potato salad. If the neighbor's trouble is a real crisis, they also know to add a large banana puddin!
  • Only Southerners grow up knowing the difference between "right near" and "a right far piece." They also know that "just down the road" can be 1 mile or 20.
  • Only a Southerner, both knows and understands, the difference between a redneck, a good ol' boy, and po' white trash.
  • No true Southerner would ever assume that the car with the flashing turn signal is actually going to make a turn.
  • A Southerner knows that "fixin" can be used as a noun, a verb, or an adverb.
  • Only Southerners make friends while standing in lines. We don't do "queues," we do "lines"; and when we're "in line," we talk to everybody!
  • Put 100 Southerners in a room and half of them will discover they're related, even if only by marriage.
  • Southerners never refer to one person as "ya'll."
  • Southerners know grits come from corn and how to eat them.
  • Every Southerner knows tomatoes with eggs, bacon, grits, and coffee are perfectly wonderful; that red eye gravy is also a breakfast food; and that fried green tomatoes are not a breakfast food.
  • When you hear someone say, "Well, I caught myself lookin'," you know you are in the presence of a genuine Southerner!
  • Only true Southerners say "sweet tea" and "sweet milk." Sweet tea indicates the need for sugar and lots of it --- we do not like our tea unsweetened. "Sweet milk" means you don't want buttermilk.
  • And a true Southerner knows you don't scream obscenities at little old ladies who drive 30 MPH on the freeway. You just say, "Bless her heart" and go your own way.
  • To those of you who're still a little embarrassed by your Southerness: Take two tent revivals and a dose of sausage gravy and call me in the morning. Bless your heart!
  • And to those of you who are still having a hard time understanding all this Southern stuff, bless your hearts, I hear they are fixin' to have classes on Southernness as a second language!
  • And for those that are not from the South but have lived here for a long time, ya'll need a sign to hang on ya'lls front porch that reads "I aint from the South but I got here as fast as I could."
  • Bless your hearts, ya'll have a blessed day.
    ~Anonymous