Terryn Hall

Southern accents are some of the most distinctive in the U.S. — and, to my ear, some of the most melodic, although there is nothing sweet about a Yankee attempting to mimic a southern drawl. (I’m looking at you, Dulé Hill, aka Larry Siefert). But while Southern accents should never be appropriated by anyone born north of the Mason-Dixon, Southern slang is a different story all together.

Virginia summers are sticky, filled with lightening bugs and cicadas humming in the background. When it gets deep into the season (which is basically the entirety of the season), starting in early July and running all the way through September, everyone retreats. From the middle of the day until about 6 p.m., we Southerners know to avoid the scorching overhead sun. Growing up, we did so on my grandmother’s porch.