The other thread got too big and my needs are a bit more specific right now. I'm looking for Memphis specific slang. Anything you heard growing up, regardless of age group, although anyone 35 under could find their words coming from my MC's mouth.

This is for the prequel to the novel being published in August, and takes place entirely here in the Bluff City. If successful, it could turn into a prequel series to the series already in production.

Thanks in advance!

Mane look...

(05-21-2016 12:10 PM)Latilleon Wrote:  Mane look...

Thank you, that points out a big issue with prose. We all know that a lot of folks around here pronounce 'man' as 'mane.' But as a writer I have to be careful doing that, it's frowned upon except in rare cases.

However, I'm going to use this in the following way:

"Man, look..." he said, pronouncing 'man' as 'mane.'

that works, Box does it all the time.

(05-22-2016 11:20 AM)fathergoose714 Wrote:  that works, Box does it all the time.

C.J. Box? Good point. I had lunch with him once, great guy.

"I'll have a Huey burger w/fries and extra frill picks."

may have discussed this before.

tump, as in it's going to tump over.

then there's the whole old bridge new bridge descriptions.

(05-23-2016 10:12 AM)Tiger46 Wrote:  may have discussed this before.

tump, as in it's going to tump over.

then there's the whole old bridge new bridge descriptions.

And it was always gonna tump over. Jars could tump off the counter.
Swingsets could tump when you swung too high.

Remember that feeling when the vibration got going...and there was no stopping the tumping. Jump! Jump!

Jump before it tumps!

Hey ....... whut's goin awn up in hurrah?

Whurra you stays Mane?

(05-23-2016 11:07 AM)snowtiger Wrote:  

(05-23-2016 10:12 AM)Tiger46 Wrote:  may have discussed this before.

tump, as in it's going to tump over.

then there's the whole old bridge new bridge descriptions.

And it was always gonna tump over. Jars could tump off the counter.
Swingsets could tump when you swung too high.

Remember that feeling when the vibration got going...and there was no stopping the tumping. Jump! Jump!

Jump before it tumps!

We did discuss it and it's in the novel. Awesome word.

By the way, whoever gave me 'swell up like a dead cat in a ditch', I don't remember who it was, it's part of the featured quote from the book on my website. So yes, I really do steal all of these great ideas from you people and use them.

Some of you are even in the book itself.

(05-23-2016 11:37 AM)Cletus Wrote:  Hey ....... whut's goin awn up in hurrah?

Whurra you stays Mane?

Yes, good stuff. I can't use much of that, but I can do the first line for flavoring and explain it.

King Willie and Elvis is the Kang down on Beale Skreet.

(05-21-2016 11:11 AM)TigerBill Wrote:  The other thread got too big and my needs are a bit more specific right now. I'm looking for Memphis specific slang. Anything you heard growing up, regardless of age group, although anyone 35 under could find their words coming from my MC's mouth.

This is for the prequel to the novel being published in August, and takes place entirely here in the Bluff City. If successful, it could turn into a prequel series to the series already in production.

Thanks in advance!

Maybe a little off subject, but when I first moved to Memphis from Little Rock in 75, I noticed a lot of people would end a sentence with
"I mean, you know.."

And, a lot of guys talked like Elvis. Not in an imitation manner but in the cadence of the words...always with a "man" in there like, "hey man, I just work here".

So I always wondered if Elvis was Memphis or Memphis was Elvis. And that's a line in my book.

(05-23-2016 11:58 AM)TigerBill Wrote:  

(05-23-2016 11:07 AM)snowtiger Wrote:  

(05-23-2016 10:12 AM)Tiger46 Wrote:  may have discussed this before.

tump, as in it's going to tump over.

then there's the whole old bridge new bridge descriptions.

And it was always gonna tump over. Jars could tump off the counter.
Swingsets could tump when you swung too high.

Remember that feeling when the vibration got going...and there was no stopping the tumping. Jump! Jump!

Jump before it tumps!

We did discuss it and it's in the novel. Awesome word.

By the way, whoever gave me 'swell up like a dead cat in a ditch', I don't remember who it was, it's part of the featured quote from the book on my website. So yes, I really do steal all of these great ideas from you people and use them.

Some of you are even in the book itself.

That was me, but it wasn't original. I guy I worked with sent me a file of things his buddy Jimmy used to say. He called them Jimmisms which was funny in and of itself. Wish I had the file, but that was easily the best one of the bunch.

(05-26-2016 11:52 PM)Claw Wrote:  

(05-23-2016 11:58 AM)TigerBill Wrote:  

(05-23-2016 11:07 AM)snowtiger Wrote:  

(05-23-2016 10:12 AM)Tiger46 Wrote:  may have discussed this before.

tump, as in it's going to tump over.

then there's the whole old bridge new bridge descriptions.

And it was always gonna tump over. Jars could tump off the counter.
Swingsets could tump when you swung too high.

Remember that feeling when the vibration got going...and there was no stopping the tumping. Jump! Jump!

Jump before it tumps!

We did discuss it and it's in the novel. Awesome word.

By the way, whoever gave me 'swell up like a dead cat in a ditch', I don't remember who it was, it's part of the featured quote from the book on my website. So yes, I really do steal all of these great ideas from you people and use them.

Some of you are even in the book itself.

That was me, but it wasn't original. I guy I worked with sent me a file of things his buddy Jimmy used to say. He called them Jimmisms which was funny in and of itself. Wish I had the file, but that was easily the best one of the bunch.

Well it's the excerpt from the book featured on the site. Great line.

Memphis ones-

Lots of wrasslin references.

He went all Lollar on his ass.

Tojo Yamamoto was referenced in all kinds of situations. Tojo Yamamoto over there... Guy thinks he's Tojo Yamamoto. Head like Tojo Yamamoto. Don't see how you can use that unless you have Tojo in the story, but hey, why not?

Getting some Q to eat.

Steak and Egg and the 100 slang terms for it. Introduce it once and the reader will decipher the variations. You could do a whole thread on names for Steak and Egg. You could put 5 chapters in various Steak and Eggs.

(05-26-2016 11:53 PM)TigerBill Wrote:  

(05-26-2016 11:52 PM)Claw Wrote:  

(05-23-2016 11:58 AM)TigerBill Wrote:  

(05-23-2016 11:07 AM)snowtiger Wrote:  

(05-23-2016 10:12 AM)Tiger46 Wrote:  may have discussed this before.

tump, as in it's going to tump over.

then there's the whole old bridge new bridge descriptions.

And it was always gonna tump over. Jars could tump off the counter.
Swingsets could tump when you swung too high.

Remember that feeling when the vibration got going...and there was no stopping the tumping. Jump! Jump!

Jump before it tumps!

We did discuss it and it's in the novel. Awesome word.

By the way, whoever gave me 'swell up like a dead cat in a ditch', I don't remember who it was, it's part of the featured quote from the book on my website. So yes, I really do steal all of these great ideas from you people and use them.

Some of you are even in the book itself.

That was me, but it wasn't original. I guy I worked with sent me a file of things his buddy Jimmy used to say. He called them Jimmisms which was funny in and of itself. Wish I had the file, but that was easily the best one of the bunch.

Well it's the excerpt from the book featured on the site. Great line.

The only other one I remember has its own unique quality:

"That's as stupid as who sh*t in the ditch."

It grows on you, but I don't think it's literary material. The problem is, you won't forget it.

(05-27-2016 12:10 AM)Claw Wrote:  

(05-26-2016 11:53 PM)TigerBill Wrote:  

(05-26-2016 11:52 PM)Claw Wrote:  

(05-23-2016 11:58 AM)TigerBill Wrote:  

(05-23-2016 11:07 AM)snowtiger Wrote:  And it was always gonna tump over. Jars could tump off the counter.
Swingsets could tump when you swung too high.

Remember that feeling when the vibration got going...and there was no stopping the tumping. Jump! Jump!

Jump before it tumps!

We did discuss it and it's in the novel. Awesome word.

By the way, whoever gave me 'swell up like a dead cat in a ditch', I don't remember who it was, it's part of the featured quote from the book on my website. So yes, I really do steal all of these great ideas from you people and use them.

Some of you are even in the book itself.

That was me, but it wasn't original. I guy I worked with sent me a file of things his buddy Jimmy used to say. He called them Jimmisms which was funny in and of itself. Wish I had the file, but that was easily the best one of the bunch.

Well it's the excerpt from the book featured on the site. Great line.

The only other one I remember has its own unique quality:

"That's as stupid as who sh*t in the ditch."

It grows on you, but I don't think it's literary material. The problem is, you won't forget it.

Sayings don't have to make sense, I like it. Here's the excerpt as it appears on the website.

Pronto Pup- Anyone not from here is going to call it corndog. Its not a corndog. Its a Pronto Pup. Its different, and its awesome.

Mempho.

Death Day (Elvis).

Thinks he's Boss Crump. Crump don't like it (ain't a gonna have it here), etc

King Willie

Head South (to Tunica)

FredEx

For some reason I am compelled to mention the sandwich shop that gave a free draft whenever a train blocked Highland. That's not something you see every day.

And what does a Germantown housewife think about during sex?

Beige, I think I'll paint the ceiling beige.