Ever Heard of These 17 Eastern Kentucky Slang Terms?

Several years ago, I was listening to a talk show, and the guest mentioned there are 29 different southern dialects. I found that fascinating, but I have never found anything online that backs that up. The most I've found is seven.

Dialects seem to go hand-in-hand with colloquialisms. This region has its own vocabulary and way of uttering it and so does that one--the Great American Melting Pot. (Although my definition differs slightly from the one in Schoolhouse Rock.)

Regional slang is endlessly interesting, and I always wondered if some of the things my parents popped off with fell under that umbrella or if it was just something they came up with. (Don't ask me why I didn't pose this question while they were still living; I could kick myself over that.)

For example, Dad was known to switch out cuss words so he wouldn't get the stink-eye from Mom. "For garden seed!" subbed for "For God's sake." "I'll be dad burned" sat in for "I'll be damned." Then there was Mom who never cussed but did have a range of mild epithets like "Blame take it, and throw it away!" There was also the ubiquitous "Cricket!"

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Again, shame on me for not delving into the meanings behind those phrases, ones I have never heard another person utter in my lifetime. With that in mind, I came upon a list of terms--and their definitions--used in Eastern Kentucky and the rest of Appalachia. They come from the Kentucky History (State) Facebook group. Some of these I've heard a LOT; others were new to my ears. Maybe they're new to yours, too.