O/T What's the difference???????

Goose · Apr 21, 2012

I was transplanted to the South for ten years during my military days, and I love Southern accents. I still catch myself sayin "ya'll" and "fixin' to".

What I never figured out, though, is what's the difference between a "bait" of something and a "mess" of something?

JerryS · Apr 21, 2012

A "mess" is either fish or greens; a "bait" is just about anything else you eat a bunch of.
We'll let somebody else discuss what a "bunch" is.

Zachary Hoyt · Apr 21, 2012

Isn't a bunch what you're not supposed to get your underwear in?
Zach

Richard from SE AZ · Apr 21, 2012

No, what you are not supposed to get your underware into is a WAD, and bait is something you fish with.

farmall100 · Apr 21, 2012

A mess of something (food)is enough for 1 or 2 meals. I gave Goose a mess of collards. A bait means your are tired of something. I've about had a bait of my neighbors. This standard translation from SE North Carolina.

Anonymous-0 · Apr 21, 2012

A bunch is a crowd as "got a Bunch to feed today".

OldFarmTractor · Apr 21, 2012

Had a guy from Texas ask me if I "lock" my car? I was worried until he told me he locked his new Kia but his wife locked my new car even more.

bjd · Apr 21, 2012

in north mississippi a mess is enough of some type of food for a meal. and bait is what you fish with

NCWayne · Apr 21, 2012

Lived in NC all of my life except for the 6 years in the navy and I've never heard the term bait used for anything other than like baiting a hook, a trap, or something along those lines.

As far as a mess, it varies a bit on the amount, but the way I was taught it's usually enough of something to make up at least one meal for the family, usually with enough extra for leftovers.

Goose · Apr 21, 2012

A buddy of mine from New Bern, NC said he and his wife ate a bait of shrimp.......

Anonymous-0 · Apr 21, 2012

I'v herd people up here in north westen Pa. call their lunch pail,box, the bait box.

Wesley Stephens · Apr 21, 2012

Here in SE NC bait of something is just a lot of something. A mess of something is not always large and usually applies to vegetables, fish, etc... like someone else said. Wayne, my father in law was from the western part of the state and their speech and customs differ from ours sometimes, but are alike more than not. NC actually varies quite a bit in the way people talk. In the eastern half of the state you can narrow down to where a person is from pretty closely.

Red Mud · Apr 21, 2012

There are southern dictionaries on the internet for this very purpose, and they're only a couple clicks away.

JerryS · Apr 21, 2012

You and BJD are correct; a mess is enough of something for one meal. It's actually not necessarily a southern word---it has its origins in the military, e.g., "mess hall", "officers' mess".

In regard to "bait", I've lived in the rural south a long time and it was only in recent years that I've heard it used to mean anything other than an enticement to catch or entrap something. Doesn't mean that it wasn't, I just never heard it.

the tractor vet · Apr 21, 2012

I too was stationed for a short time down in Ga. and that Ga accent sorta rubbed off and the three things i liked down there was the weather them Georgia PEACH's and the cars.Them young lady's and there yes ya'll can compared to the northern girls and yes YOU can !!!!!

Goose · Apr 21, 2012

Have you ever talked to anyone from Harker's Island?

Now that's different. Anyway, it was years ago when I was an inhabitant of NC.

Anonymous-0 · Apr 21, 2012

Tractor Vet forgetting about the girl up here in Pa. that he tryed to pull the wool over her eyes 3 years ago.lol.

the tractor vet · Apr 21, 2012

Oh heavens no she is FILED in the old computer hard drive .maybe looking forward to seeing her again at the WOOL PULL this year. One never knows where i may run into another fine fox. Sometimes it pays big not to be the first in line. Learned that one way back in the coal hauling days . Never be the first one out of the mine unless it was before 5 am . That way by the time you were loaded and out the Bears and portable scales had the Hungry ones waiting in line for there turn and no place for me as i drove by .

john in la · Apr 21, 2012

Are you sure he said a "Bait of Shrimp"
OR
Did you not understand his accent and he really said a "Bit of Shrimp".

A mess is a lot.
Bait is for fishing.

Wesley Stephens · Apr 22, 2012

He probably did say bait. That's pretty common in this area, and up toward New Bern.

O/T What's the difference???????

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Member

Member

Well-known Member

Member

Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Member

Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Member

Similar threads