Why Gen X People From The Midwest Talk Funny!

I talk funny… I know it and you might too if you came from the midwest and grew up hearing all the old timers with their delightful sayings and random phrases.

I grew up in a little town called Saegertown in Northwest Pennsylvania. The current population is 869 people so we are talking SMALL TOWN life! (source )

The cool thing about that area when I was growing up was that it was mix of old Germans, Pennsylvania Dutch, folks from Scotland and other white people who had lived a pretty isolated life.

This language abnormality even lead to a crime being solved in the Criminal Intent about the next town over, Meadville, PA which was the “big city” with a population of 12,849 currently. (source )

One of the gals said “redd up” which means to generally clean or straighten up your house. I say “redd up” to this day, 23 YEARS after leaving the area!

Here are 97 Colloquialisms Used In The Midwest!

“Knee-high by the Fourth of July” — Describing corn crops that are growing well.

“Bee in your bonnet” — Being extremely upset.

“Fixin’ to” — Preparing to do something.

“Skedaddle” — To leave quickly.

“Over yonder” — Over there.

“Gullywasher” — A heavy rainstorm.

“Cattywampus” — Crooked or askew.

“Slicker than snot on a doorknob” — Very slippery.

“Colder than a well digger’s rear” — Extremely cold.

“Jeez Louise” — An expression of surprise or frustration.

“Bless your heart” — A sympathetic phrase, but can also be used sarcastically.

“Hankering” — A strong desire or craving.

“All get-out” — Used for emphasis, similar to “very” or “extremely.”

“Hoosegow” — Jail.

“Knee-slapper” — A very funny joke.

“Busier than a one-armed paperhanger” — Extremely busy.

“Fit as a fiddle” — In good health.

“Full as a tick” — Extremely full, usually after eating.

“Gussied up” — Dressed up.

“Happy as a clam” — Very happy.

“Heavens to Betsy” — An exclamation of surprise.

“Hold your horses” — Wait or slow down.

“In a coon’s age” — A long time.

“Like a bull in a china shop” — Clumsy or careless.

“Madder than a wet hen” — Very angry.

“Nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs” — Extremely nervous.

“Off like a herd of turtles” — Moving very slowly. I heard this one from my cousin on a trip and we even had tshirts made!

“Raining cats and dogs” — Raining very heavily.

“Scarce as hen’s teeth” — Very rare.

“Till the cows come home” — A very long time.

“Two shakes of a lamb’s tail” — Very quickly.

“Under the weather” — Feeling ill.

“Worth its weight in gold” — Extremely valuable.

“You can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear” — You can’t make something of high quality from poor quality materials.

“Caught between a rock and a hard place” — In a difficult situation.

“Dead as a doornail” — Completely dead or inanimate.

“Don’t count your chickens before they hatch” — Don’t make plans based on future events that might not happen.

“Like finding a needle in a haystack” — Something extremely hard to find.

“Spitting image” — An exact likeness.

“Throw in the towel” — To give up.

“Tie one on” — To drink a lot, often alcohol.

“Tough as nails” — Very tough or resilient.

“Wet blanket” — A person who ruins others’ fun.

“Barking up the wrong tree” — Misunderstanding a situation or problem.

“Chew the fat” — To chat or gossip.

“Doesn’t know beans” — Doesn’t know anything. We also said it “doesn’t know a hill of beans”.

“Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth” — Don’t question the value of a gift.

“Full as a tick” — Very full, often after eating.

“Go over like a lead balloon” — To be poorly received.

“Grinnin’ like a possum eatin’ a sweet tater” — Looking very pleased or smug.

“Happy as a clam at high tide” — Very happy and content.

“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” — Don’t change something that’s working well.

“Like a bat out of hell” — Moving very fast.

“Mighty oaks from little acorns grow” — Great things may come from small beginnings.

“Puttin’ on the dog” — Dressing or acting fancily.

“Rough as a cob” — Very rough or harsh.

“Slicker than a greased pig” — Very slippery or evasive.

“Snug as a bug in a rug” — Very cozy and comfortable.

“Straight from the horse’s mouth” — Directly from the original source.

“The early bird gets the worm” — Success comes to those who prepare well and put in effort.

“The whole nine yards” — Everything, all of it.

“There’s more than one way to skin a cat” — There are many ways to achieve a goal.

“Thick as thieves” — Very close or friendly.

“Two peas in a pod” — Two people who are very similar.

“When pigs fly” — Something that will never happen.

“You’re pulling my leg” — You must be joking.

“As useful as a tits on a boarhog” — Completely useless.

“Colder than a witch’s tit” — Extremely cold.

“Like a chicken with its head cut off” — Acting in a frantic or disoriented manner.

“Slick as a whistle” — Very smooth or efficient.

“Busy as a bee” — Very busy or active.

“Mad as a hornet” — Very angry.

“Sharp as a tack” — Very intelligent or clever.

“Clear as mud” — Not clear at all.

“As happy as a pig in mud” — Very happy in one’s situation.

“Beating around the bush” — Avoiding the main topic.

“Bite the bullet” — To endure a painful experience.

“Burning the midnight oil” — Working late into the night.

“Cry over spilt milk” — Complain about something that cannot be fixed.

“Don’t bite the hand that feeds you” — Don’t act against someone who is supporting you.

“Every cloud has a silver lining” — There is something good in every bad situation.

“Hit the hay” — Go to bed.

“Jump on the bandwagon” — Join a popular trend or activity.

“Kick the bucket” — To die.

“Let the cat out of the bag” — Reveal a secret.

“Make a mountain out of a molehill” — Exaggerate a small problem.

“Out of the frying pan into the fire” — From a bad situation to a worse one.

“Pull yourself up by your bootstraps” — Improve your situation by your own efforts.

“Put the cart before the horse” — To do things in the wrong order.

“The pot calling the kettle black” — Criticizing someone for a fault one also has.

“Throw caution to the wind” — To take a risk.

“Speak of the devil” — The person we were just talking about has appeared. We always added “and up she jumps” when we said this one!

BONUS

“You catch more flies with honey than vinegar” — be nice when you ask for things.

“Let’s get down to brass tacks” — get to the point of the matter.

“Right from the jump” — at the start of things.

“Lay down with dogs and you will get fleas” — if you hang out with bad people you will turn bad too.

“That ship has sailed” — you decided not to do something a long time ago or there is no possibility now.

“Where the rubber meets the road” — when you are ready to start.

I hope you love this list as much I do! It made me giggle to remember all these sayings and realize I have passed at least a few of these onto my grandaughter and she talking like an old Pennsylvania Dutch lass at 2 years old!

Leave me a comment with how many you have used in the past too! I am 97 for 97!