Gotta Love Those Mountain Folks!

I'll never forget when I met Dolly Parton.

In 8th grade, she made a promise to my entire class (~300) to pay us five hundred dollars when we graduated. It was a trial run for a stay in school incentive.

So, four years later, we have a ceremony at Dollywood where she gives us each a check and our picture is taken with Dolly. When it was my turn, she was so nice and charming. The photographer told me to tilt my head to avoid the reflection on my glasses. I guess Dolly thought it hurt my feelings, cause she started telling me how pretty my chin was. No fooling.

Sled, great thread. We mountain folk may be hillbillies, but we're also the salt of the earth.

Originally posted by smyleegrl
I'll never forget when I met Dolly Parton.

In 8th grade, she made a promise to my entire class (~300) to pay us five hundred dollars when we graduated. It was a trial run for a stay in school incentive.

So, four years later, we have a ceremony at Dollywood where she gives us each a check and our picture is taken with Dolly. When it was my turn, she was so nice and charming. The photographer told me to tilt my head to avoid the reflection on my glasses. I guess Dolly thought it hurt my feelings, cause she started telling me how pretty my chin was. No fooling.

Sled, great thread. We mountain folk may be hillbillies, but we're also the salt of the earth.

That's awesome, Smyleegrl!
I've talked to a lot of people who have talked to her in person at Dollywood. They all say she is so friendly, and "down to earth" you would never know she is a mega-star! I haven't been fortunate enough to meet her in person myself, but maybe someday.
I love people who don't let their fame "go to their heads". She is a prime example.

Cool about your experience with her! Thanks for sharing that.

reply to post by Thescripter


Yea man I get it too from Western NC and when traveling to Europe they don't understand a word I say and they think that calling someone "redneck" is offensive I say hell no I been called much worse ill take redneck anyway what's worse is my kids accent is even thicker and everyone laughs and thinks it cute to laugh at her but I don't hide my accent we are who we are ya know but it does get much worse when drunk or around family though I bet some people would need captions to talk to me when I'm bout drunk

Looking at that mountain dictionary, those are all the words we used growing up here in the ozarks of eastern Oklahoma. The only difference I've noticed so far was that we never said "davenport" for sofa, we always said "de-van" or du-van. I was real surprised to see catty-whompus in there!

Originally posted by dave_welch
Looking at that mountain dictionary, those are all the words we used growing up here in the ozarks of eastern Oklahoma. The only difference I've noticed so far was that we never said "davenport" for sofa, we always said "de-van" or du-van. I was real surprised to see catty-whompus in there!

Really? I didn't realize that type of language was used anywhere else.
I had heard the Ozark people had a different accent, but I didn't realize it was like ours.
I guess our European ancestors scattered the language farther than I realized.
Or maybe someone from the Appalachians moved there "way back when" and used the same phrases, and they got passed on down.
Interesting.

Fer youens cityfied folks who jest don't no no better, these are the right vittle times fer the day: Brekfurst is fer eating furst thang in the mornin'. When the sun is bout mid hi an the dinner bell rangs, than ye eat yer dinner. Rite 'bout dark, ye eat yer supper.

www.tngenweb.org...

YEP! That's how it was at my house growing up. I never knew lunch was actually the noon meal, and dinner was the evening meal until I left home.

reply to post by sled735


Well, my grandfather's family (on my dad's side) made it here from Ireland by way of the Appalachians, so that might have something to do with it. When I was in the Navy, most of my friends had no Idea what I was talking about half the time if I'd say something like "catty-whompus" or said we needed to move the "de-van"! They all called me hillbilly or would say things like "Welch, you're a country mother f**ker, aren't you?"