Some Selections From

Whut Makes You Thank Teksuns Tawk Funny? A dictionary of 
the Texas language by Ken Rigsbee
click to enlarge


A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - J - K - L - M - N - O - P - Q - R - S - T - U - V - W - Y - Z

A (pronounced "aey")
Ah- 1. the first person, singular 2. that portion of the anatomy with which one sees.
"Ah thank Ah got sumpn in mah ah"(1. I, 2. eye)

air- 60 minutes.
"Ah monly drivin 50 mahls pur air." - (hour)

all- 1. a liquid hydocarbon which is produced from deep in the earth. 2. complete or whole.
"Hid take all thuh all in Teksus tuh keep them Yankees warm thus winner." - (1. oil - not to be confused with the Southern pronounciation, "awl". 2. all)

arncha- an inquiry concerning the addressee's plans.
"Arncha gunna go over tuh thuh pitchur sho tuhnite?" - (aren't you)

aukerd- clumsy, inept, embarrassing.
"Ah shore felt aukerd when thuh outhouse wall fayul down." - (awkward)


B (pronounced "bay")
bawl- any toy which rolls and bounces.
"Thuh greatest game evur davised bah man is futbawl." -(ball)

brayke- 1. to seperate into pieces by force. 2. a device to stop motion.
"Few don't stop that Ah mona brayke yarm!" - (1. break, 2. brake)

breck- a masonry building material
"Sum toms hay makes may so mad Ah could throw uh breck attum." - (brick)


C (pronounced "saey")
captul- the seat of government.
"Thuh Teksus Captul is the buggest in thuh whole, dang country." - (capitol, or capital)

cawdja- past tense of "cawya".
"Heard Joe cawdja last night. Whuddle say?" - (called you)

cawer- a 4-wheel vehicle normally used to transport people.
"Ah mona git may uh new diesel cawer." - (car)

chair- to yell or holler with gusto.
"Her greatest desire is tuh bay uh chairleader." (cheer).

chur- second person, possessive.
"Whuzzat chur ode dawg tahd up ovare?" - (your)

code- opposite of hot.
"Ah gotta code in mah nose." - (cold)

cuz- normally comes before the reason.
"Ah didunt go ovur tuh town cuz Ah habumt got no money." - (because)


D (pronounced "daey")
diduhnit- a negative inquiry.
"Diduhnit rain last night?" - (didn't it?)

difahkult- hard to do.
"Hit's difahkult tuh walk and chew gum." - (difficult)

dja- an affirmative inquiry.
"Dja see thet game yesterdy?" - (did you) Note: some folks use "jew" or "didja".

drank- to consume liquid.
"Ah thank Ahl go down and havuh liddel drank." - (drink)

duduhnit- a positive inquiry.
"Duduhnit feel good tuh win? - (doesn't it?)


E (pronounced "aee")
entahr- complete or universal; all of it.
"Hay's thuh best goat roper hin thuh entahr warld!" - (entire)

eventchly- before long or ultimately.
"Good will win out, eventchly." - (eventully)

evurwonsinawhahl- periodically, but infrequently.
"Ah git tuh drahv mah Pappa's pickup truk evurwonsinawhahl." - (every once in a while)


F (pronounced "ayuf")
fahwar- the object or purpose of, or reason of action.
"Wadja wonna go do that fahwar?" - (for) Note: also pronounced "fur" and "fuh" by well-meaning, but unenlightened Southerners.

far- the ignition of fuel from which to derive heat.
"Thow sum lawgs on thet far." - (fire)

figger- 1. the shape of human form. 2. to calculate.
"Thet Cindy Lou shore has got uh fahn lookin figger." - (figure)

fixin- preparing. getting ready.
"Ode Joe's fixin tuh find himself in uh heap uh trouble." - (fixing (to)

fraze- to render a material solid from temperature reduction.
"Fah don't git mah coat Ah mona fraze!" - (freeze)

frunt- opposite of back.
"Thuh cawer's out frunt." (front)


G (pronounced "jey")
gittaholdayew- a Texas way to say "call out" or "contact" you.
"Shay's sposed tuh gittaholdayew bout thet thus safternoon." - (get ahold of you)

guesss- visitors.
"Ahl bet way habba hunnert guesss at thuh wedden." - (guests)

guf- a large body of water for which a previously large and independant oil company was named.
"Thuh closest thang way got tuh un oshun iz thuh Guf uh Messyco." - (gulf)

gunna or gonna- a modifier which comes between the subject and the verb used to add emphasis, or to fill in and make the sentence sound right; used with third person.
"Hay's gunna git wet fee don't git outta thet rain." - (going (to)


H (pronounced "aetch")
ha- 1. upper elevation. 2. a state of inebriation.
"Thuh Mahl-Ha Stadyum iz in Denver." - (high)

habumt- a contraction to indicate the condition of not having.
"Ah habunt got uh dime tuh mah name." - (haven't)

hidee- a unique form of getting used almost exclusively by Texas Auggies; normally used alone, but echoed by other Aggies within earshot.
"Hidee." "Hidee." - (how do you do)

hiduhnit- a negative inquiry.
"Hiduhnit bout tom way headed home?" - (isn't it)

hyeru- a greeting, normally used alone and frequently answered,
"Fahn, hyeru?" - (how are you?)


I (pronounced "ah")
I-O-no- used as an answer to virtually any question of a sub-teenager.
"Whardja go tuhnight?" "I-O-no." "Whudja do?" "I-O-no." - (I don't know)

ignernt- without knowledge.
"Ignernts of thuh law iz no excuse." - (ignorance)


J (pronounced "jay")
janes- wearing apparel for the legs.
"Dja see them tot blue janes on thet whoamun?" - (jeans)

jayul- a place of incarceration.
"Few keep runnin round with thet bunch yore gonna git throwed in jayul." - (jail)

joggerfee- the study of the Earth's surface.
"Ah made uh Bay-plus in Joggerfee." - (geography)


K (pronounced "kayee")
kaynt- a contraction of can not.
"Ah gist kaynt wait til Christmas." - (can't)

kinduh- an approximation, or nearly.
"Ah now kinduh understaynd whut chur tawkin bout." - (kind of)

kliment- meteorological environment.
"Few don't lahk Amuriller's kliment gist wait uh minent." - (climate)


L (pronounced "ayul")
lah- 1. a fib or untruth. 2. to recline.
"Hit wuz gist uh liddel, wot lah." - (lie)

lahf- 1. the name of a magazine. 2. before death.
"Ahv lived in Teksus most uv mah a-dult lahf." - (life)

liberry- where books are housed.
"Thay got lotsa books on how tuh tawk rot over at thuh liberry." - (library)

lot- an instrument or element which emits brightness.
"Ah'd lahk tuh hayuv wunna them 60-watt lot bubs, playze. - (light)


M (pronounced "eyum")
mahsef- one's own self.
"... and Ah sayud tuh mahsef, 'Sef, yew kaynt git by with thet,'" - (myself)

mahtearyul- what a thing is made of.
"Summtoms Jay Leno dudunt have very good mahtearyul, but hay stll tawks funny." - (material)

mawl- a center, normally covered, used for shopping.
"Keep them wimmen away from thuh mawl." - (mall)

mona- used with the first person, singular to state what one intends to do.
"Ah mona git mahsef uh brand new fishin poe." - (going to, see "gonna" or "gunna" for second and third person)


N (pronounced "eyun")
naw- a negative response.
"Dja git paid tuhday?" "Naw." "Tuhmorrow?" "Naw." - (no) Note: sometimes pronounced "naugh".

nuthun- the opposite of something.
"Wheyun yew duhvide nuthun by sumpm yew git nuthun." - (nothing)


O (pronounced "oh")
ode- ancient.
"Thuh ode mare shay ain't whut shay ustuh bay." - (old)

opsit- completely different.
"Thay say opsits attrack." - (opposite)


P (pronounced "pay")
paypul- human beings.
"Teksuns iz thuh greatest paypul in thuh whole warld." - (people)

pears- a statement of apparent observation.
"Pears tuh may yore puttin on uh liddel weight." - (it)appears)

pillar- a soft object placed under one's head.
"Way ustuh have pillar fites when way wuz liddel kids." - (pillow)

playze- a polite request
"Brang may uh cup uh coffee, playze." - (please)

probly- a modifier of limited certainty.
"Hit's probly not gonna rain tuhday, either." - (probably)

purdy- 1. a degree of beauty. 2. a degree of completeness.
"Shay shore iz purdy." "Ah feel purdy good tuhday." - (pretty)


Q (pronounced "kew")
Note: I have never ever heard a Texan pronounce a word beginning with the letter "Q" - lots of "KW's", but no "Q's". For example, a "kwane" is a female leader.

R (pronounced "aruh")
rang- 1. the present tense sound made by a bell. 2. jewelry for the fingers.
"Gist gimme uh rang when yore reddy tuh go." - (ring)

rot- 1. the opposite of left. 2. correct.
"Yew gist go down thet road till yew git tuh thuh fowerk, then take uh rot turn." (right)


S (pronounced "ayus")
sahn- an indicator or information conveyor.
"Them ducks flyin north izza sahn of Sprang." - (sign)

Saowth- the portion of the United States below the Mason-Dixon line, including Texas.
"Hain't nuthun wrong with anybody whut comes from the Saowth." - (South)

sayud- past tense of "say".
"Yew hurd whut Ah sayud, yew ain't dayuf." -(said)

sayul- 1. normally referring to drastic reduction in price. 2. that which captures the wind on a certain type of boat by the same name.
"Ah bought thet purdy red hat on sayul." (1. sale 2. sail, and sometimes 3. sell)

skoo- the place of learning.
"Few don't hurry yore gunna bay late fahwer skoo." - (school)

smahl- a pleasant expression on one's face.
"Smahl and thuh warld smahls with yew." - (smile)

smatter- the objective of inquiries about one's health or condition.
"Whut smatter wichew, boy?" - (what is the matter)

sumoze- to indicate which and how many.
"Ahl have sumoze jelly beans ovare, playze." - (some of those)

sumpn- an article or item or object.
"Thar's sumpn bout un Aqua Velva man." - (something)


T (pronounced "tay")
tarbul- awful or dreadful
"Hit's been uh tarbul code winner." - (terrible)

tawk- verbal communication.
"Sum paypul shore tawk funny." - (talk)

tayvay- an electronic video receiving instrument.
"Ah got uh short in mah tayvay." - (TV)

thayure- a place or location.
"Put thet sack down rot thayure." - (there)

thuh- principal modifier of nouns, an article.
"Thuh rain in Teksus falls mainly on thuh coastal plain."

Note: - Texans almost always spell the previous word properly but hardly ever pronounce it right. (the)

tom- the hour of the day.
"Whut tom izit?" - (time)

tray- a large, growing plant.
"Ah thank Ahl nevur say uh thang as purdy azza tray." - (tree)


U (pronounced "yew")
u-betcha- an affirmative comment, normally used alone/
"Dja git paid tuhday?" "U-betcha!" - (no known English phrase connotes the exact meaning of this term)

uh-hawh or uh-huh- an affirmative response normally used alone. (example sentence above could be answered with this term)

ustuh- expression when in the past an act was or was not performed.
"Way shore ustuh hav uh lottuh fun going tuh thuh Texus-OU game." - (used to)


V (pronounced "vay")
vahlayshun- an act against the law.
"Parking next tuh uh yeller curb izza vahlayshun." - (violation)

viktray- a triumph.
Gimme viktray, or gimme dayuth." - (victory)

vurchully- essentially, or almost all.
"Vurchully evur Teksun izza Dallus Cowboy fayun," - (virtually)


W (pronounced "dubya" or dubyou")
war- 1. a standard metallic fiber. 2. a colloquial term for a telegram.
"They's not uh cow been bornd whut can brayke thoo uh strang uh bob-war." - (wire)

wartch- to cleanse.
"Ah mona warch out mah coffee cup." - (wash)

Wayust- the opposite of East.
"Fowert Wurth's whar thuh Wayust begins." - (West)

wender- the opening in a wall to let in breeze and light.
"Put uh candle in yore wender..." - (window)

whale- a round object which normally rolls and turns.
"Few been drankin, don't take thuh whale." - (wheel)

whoamun- the female of the Human species.
"Shay's uh hard hardud whoamun..." - (woman)


Y (pronounced "why")
y-oncha- a personal suggestion.
"Y-oncha go ovur tuh thuh fillin stayshun tuh git sum gayus?" - (why don't you)

yawl- the collectve second person, singular, never "you-all".
"Yawl kumbak now, yuh hear?" - (a unique Southern word)

yayus or yayuh or yayup- an affirmative response, frequently used alone; sometimes prefaced with "Hayul". - (yes)

yew- second person, singular.
"Yew hain't nuthun but uh houndawg ..." - (you)


Z (pronounced "zaey")
zekatuv- A corporate or business leader.
"Thet good lookin liddel secretary's whut Ah call uh zekatuv sweet." - (executive)

zatrot- an inquiring comment indicating message understood, but not totally believed; normally used alone and followed by an affirmative response like, "uh-huh". - (is that right)


Portions posted here by specific permission of Ken Rigsbee.
A complete copy of

What Makes you Thank Teksuns Tawk Funny?
A dictionary of the Texas language by Ken Rigsbee
is published by
Cuerno Largo Publications
6406 Old Harbor Lane
Austin, Texas 78739-1547
1-800-373-4726
E-MAIL


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