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Talk Southern to Me: Stories & Sayings to Accent Your Life

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The hilarious book that the South's very own Dolly Parton described as "fun, informative, and oh-so Southern," Talk Southern To Me is a love letter to the South, y'all. Essays 'bout charm, beauty and style, chewin' the fat, love, parenting, and more--full of yes ma'ams and no sirs, casseroles and cheese balls, taffeta and pom-poms . . . plus more Southern phrases than you can shake a stick at.

If you're not from the South, bless your heart, pay attention cause there's a ton of wisdom to be found in these heartfelt, humorous ways. Southerners speak their own unique version of the English language, and you'll come to understand it in these pages. It's a linguistic art. And it's gooder than grits, y'all.

South Carolina native, Julia Fowler, is the creator of YouTube's Southern Women Channel, home of the viral video series, Sh%t Southern Women Say. She is an actor, writer, and producer who has worked in television, film, and on Broadway. She currently resides in Venice Beach, California, and is generally irritated that it's void of proper fried okra. Visit her at www.southernwomenchannel.com.

168 pages, Hardcover

Published March 6, 2018

122 people are currently reading
273 people want to read

About the author

Julia Fowler

4 books4 followers
Julia Fowler is an actor, writer and producer. Julia is also the creator of the Southern Women Channel, a growing YouTube channel with over 11 million views. The channel celebrates Southern humor, Southern culture and the South’s most precious asset…Southern Women.

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5 stars
118 (43%)
4 stars
69 (25%)
3 stars
68 (24%)
2 stars
13 (4%)
1 star
6 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
Profile Image for Sassa.
284 reviews6 followers
November 9, 2019
⭐️⭐️💫There is truth and humor in the author’s commentary (and I am thankful for the genuinely funny parts) but the quotes included way too much language that is outside my Southern circle. I am so disappointed I want to cry.
Profile Image for Yaaresse.
2,155 reviews16 followers
August 24, 2023
Cute for a quick read. Not nearly as funny as her YouTube Channel, though.
Fowler depends heavily on the tropes of southern belle, deb, and high maintenance daddy's girl. It gets old after a bit since there really aren't that many pageant queens and Real Housewives of the Trailer Park IRL.
Profile Image for Jane.
165 reviews66 followers
January 4, 2019
A thoroughly entertaining and humorous guide to Southern customs, expressions, and more.
Profile Image for Jerry Winsett.
130 reviews
December 15, 2022
My nephew Steve recommended this book to me, and I laughed SO much flipping through the pages.

I grew up in Tennessee, and many of these sayings are some of the same ones I heard aunts, uncles, friend's moms and my own mother saying long ago.

When visiting in-laws, they frequently ask me to, "Tell us something else your mom used to say." And I will and they will laugh hysterically! A lot of hers old standards are in this book. A lot are not, because I think some were original. And then many would NOT be appreciate in a book of this nature, "Bless her heart."

It's a great book to pick up for those "I could really use a smile right now" moments. And you might find some gems to incorporate into your on vocabulary!
247 reviews
January 7, 2020
I question whether all of the sayings can be attributed to the South. Some are also used in the North, where I live. I love the person who gifted the book to me....way more than I liked the book.
85 reviews
May 2, 2019
This book was AMAZING and an easy read. It took me 2 days to finish it but I'm sure if I dedicated time to it I could have blown through it in a day! I have family in the south and this is the most relatable book I've ever read! I love th short stories Julia tells and quotes that she's encountered while she was there. Although I wish she talked more about her Southern take on a New York world - I LOVED her take no it. I absolutely will be buying this book (since I am renting from the library right now) and will see if she's come out with any more books. I would be interested on her atke on Fiction. Absolutely recommend!
Profile Image for Heather.
333 reviews27 followers
December 19, 2019
My sister got this book for our birthday, because she really enjoys the YouTube channel "Shit Southern Women Say". Having watched that with her several times, I enjoy it too.

Our Gramma was from Tennessee and I didn't realize until reading this book with my sister just how much she influenced our mother and (through her) us. So much of this really spoke to me about my own childhood. A lot of the idioms were ones that my sister and I heard from our mother while we were growing up. It also gave me some insight into both my Gramma and Ma. I may read it again on my own at some point, just because.
Profile Image for Lynn Smith.
267 reviews6 followers
April 20, 2018
I enjoyed this book. I have loved Julia's Youtube channel, especially the video series "Sh*t Southern Women Say". This is really more of the same. It isn't as laugh-out-loud funny as the videos. In fact, at the end of each chapter, is a series of Southern sayings, most of which have been used in the video series and that was actually more fun and funny than the chapters. It's an easy, quick read (less than 200 pages). I think the people who have seen the videos might be slightly disappointed, but the new readers will likely be drawn to the videos and they are hilarious.
223 reviews1 follower
January 4, 2021
I don't live in the South, but our daughter and family have lived in the South for over 20 years. There are so many unique things about the South.....their sayings, their culture, their outlook on life.
This book is a hilarious look at the South. Their charm, their style, and unique phrases.
Bless your heart! This is a "must read" for anyone who has been to the South! It is an especially "good read" during this time of the Pandemic and being locked down! We need a good giggle and a light hearted laugh!!
3 reviews
April 20, 2019
Too funny!

I really liked this book! I have a Southern grandmother and have heard all these Southern things before. I think I enjoyed this book so much because it’s been 16 years since I have heard them because my Granny passed away. I feel like my friends would enjoy this book, along with anyone who would like to understand the Southern way of life. I reckon I will just mosey on to Miss Julia’s next book to do some more reminiscing!
119 reviews1 follower
September 4, 2023
Not strictly southern terms

I'm familiar with most of the terms in this book and have used several of them myself. A lot of them are more universal than the author realizes. I've heard , and used many of them growing up in western Pennsylvania. btw, not all soda pop is called a coke in the rest of the country! If I say I would like a Coke, I want a coke! Not something else!!. I guess when I'm down south I'll have to spell it out for you
Profile Image for Dianne.
594 reviews9 followers
December 27, 2024
This was a gift from my bestie. Please go get you one! I am howling at the lengths we will go to in the South to turn a phrase and nodding continually at phrases and words that I came up with (grew up around, not made up that is) that I'd totally forgotten- spoken by kin and in-laws and others. With a Mississippi and Louisiana mix- no shortage whatsoever. A quick, fun read to savor or especially to share.
Profile Image for Pamela Bodine.
41 reviews2 followers
June 16, 2018
Love it!

When I saw this book, I jumped on it like a chicken on a June bug. If you need to interpret southerners speech, you need to mash that button and order this book. My poor ole yankee husband has had some difficulties with understanding me, so I am fixing to let him read it. Highly recommend!
12 reviews
December 3, 2019
Southernisms

This was recommended by a very sweet older southern lady that started giggling as she was talking about it. Being a not so sweet older southern lady myself I was intrigued. I read and I giggled because I could hear all my friends and relatives saying every one of what I've always referred to as Southernisms. Excellent job on the book and her videos.
7 reviews
August 26, 2024
Mildly amusing

I enjoyed the book quite a bit actually, but mostly enjoyed her text and not so much the photos of “sayings,“ many of which I have heard all my life from various people -not necessarily from the south. Of course they may have originated in the south. I wouldn’t know about that.
Profile Image for Heidi.
98 reviews
December 19, 2019
I enjoyed the book as much as I've enjoyed the episodes on Youtube. It was very funny and interesting as well and helped me realize just how much the Southern habits from my Gramma, who was from Tennessee, have come down, even into those of us who were raised in the north.
Profile Image for Chris Coleman.
101 reviews
January 3, 2023
This is a nice fluffy book about southern women that is filled with explanations of cliches of southern women. It does give good advice about like and living and that makes the book worth reading and the glossary of southern terms was amazing, it just did not have the humor I was expect.
4 reviews
March 6, 2025
Just Like Mama Always Said

I so enjoyed reading the language of my beloved South, especially as it applies to the fairer sex in our quirky, sometimes scary, but always wonderful part of the world!
Profile Image for Christie Litchfield.
114 reviews6 followers
May 13, 2018
Very witty book! Love all the southern sayings! Seems I have heard them a time or two!
Profile Image for Gina Wiser.
44 reviews6 followers
May 9, 2019
This is a cute little book - I bought it for t-shirt iron-on inspiration.
Profile Image for Audra Gayle.
236 reviews
September 27, 2019
This is a great table top book! I recently discovered the Southern Women Channel, and it's brought me a lot of joy. Growing up in the South I've heard many of these sayings.
Profile Image for JessicaPJ.
65 reviews1 follower
April 9, 2020
Very cute. Nice lighthearted day read. Probably would make a nice beach or pool book. Some parts did make me giggle out loud.
Profile Image for Lita.
2,538 reviews7 followers
June 8, 2020
Laugh out loud funny. I found myself reading parts of this out loud to my family who also laughed. Recommended for everyone who could use a laugh.
Profile Image for Courtney.
165 reviews1 follower
January 19, 2021
Love it for what it is: a lighthearted, sassy, down-home Southern fête.
223 reviews2 followers
July 30, 2022
Fun little book with stories and sayings from the U.S. South
Profile Image for Nicole.
184 reviews1 follower
August 26, 2022
Perfect book to read a little at a time. Full of southern humor and wisdom.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews

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