Southernisms

When I first started thinking about writing a response to the language prompt I figured I would write about when I went to Hong Kong but the more I thought about it the more I realized how obvious it is to write a response to a heavily populated, small amount of English speaking country. So I thought I would write about when I first moved to Texas and the STRANGE language they use there.
When I first moved to Texas one of the first phrases I heard (besides y'all) was "Bless her heart". And to my naivety, I thought people were being genuinely nice. Nope, "bless her heart" in 'southern' actually means "What a hoe" or something along those lines. Other odd sayings include "On me like white on rice", "Well butter my butt and call me a biscuit" and "Barking up the wrong tree". Some I could guess the meaning, others I was left clueless and was never really given a clear answer as to their meaning. I think the Southerners don't even know what they mean!
I can't carry on too much considering I picked up a few of their quirks. Shortly after leaving for Africa I had referred to my teammates as "y'all" which resulted in me being nicknamed Texas. I have caught myself every once in a while saying "Bless her heart", and often feel like an imposter when it is murmured.
It's interesting because unlike Hong Kong, I never really asked for an interpretation (which I sometimes should have) when I didn't understand a phrase. I seemed to just smile and nod along pretending I knew exactly what the other person was talking about. And once I picked up on some of the lingo, it was amazing how much more people were careful what phrases were spoken when I was around. Interesting...
Coming back to South Dakota, I realize how much more of the language and phrases resonate with me. Not only do I know them all, but I use them on a regualr basis. I never feel lost or excluded from conversations anymore. And now I don't have to wonder whether when someone says "Bless her heart" if they are being genuine, because chances are here in SD they are!

Q: What did the fish say when he swam into the wall?
A: Dam!