We Mississippians have our own way of talkin’. From our unique dialect to colorful expressions, it’s like we have language all our own. And if you’re not convinced, read on for 13 words and phrases all Mississippians have uttered at least once.

1. "What accent?"
Ben W/Flickr
This is probably the most common response when out-of-towners comment on our accents.
2. "I’m fixin’ to…"
Jimmy Emerson, DVM/Flickr
"Fixin’ to" is practically the state verb of Mississippi.
3. "How's your mama n'em?"
Taber Andrew Bain/Flickr
Mississippians know this is the polite thing to say when you run into an old friend or acquaintance, which will most likely happen at Wal-Mart.
4. "I’m gettin' ate up by mosquitoes."
Matt Howry/Flickr
You’ve probably said this one too many times to count.
5. "This isn’t how grandma made it."
Natalie Maynor/Flickr
No matter how much a restaurant touts its food as authentically southern, it’ll never be as good as grandma’s.
6. "Bless your heart."
Queen Kaughan/Flickr
You know you’ve used this expression before. As to what you meant by it, well, that’s up for interpretation.

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7. "It doesn’t feel like Christmas."
Jared/Flickr
We’ve all experienced at least one Christmas that involved wearing shorts and running the AC.
8. "It’s soooo hot today."
bark/Flickr
Because, well, it gets really hot in Mississippi.
9. "I can’t take this humidity."
Leucippus/Flickr
This one doesn’t really need much of an explanation either.
10. "Yes, ma’am."
Patrick Rising/Flickr
What other way would you answer your southern mama?
11. "Y’all."
Piedmont Council for the Arts/Flickr
Anyone who lives in Mississippi has most likely uttered this word countless times. Isn’t that right, y’all?
12. "Hush!"
Bev Sykes/Flickr
"Shut up" sounds a bit rude, so most Mississippians stick with "hush," which sounds much more polite but still gets the point across.
13. "There are some cows in the road."
Allan/Flickr
Traffic jams may be uncommon in small town Mississippi, but we do have road blocks…which come in the form loose cows.

What other words and phrases would you add to this list?

If you enjoyed this, be sure to check out “12 Phrases That Will Make You Swear Mississippians Have Their Own Language.“

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