KYHillChick comes from down on the KY/TN line. I'm a Cincinnati Krauthead.
She has a music degree from Berea (Hillbilly Harvard) so most of her colloquialisms are gone. That is, until she gets a call from home. You can always tell when she's gotten a call from her family. Her tone goes up, the sound comes out of her nasal passages, and she starts adding dipthongs and tripthongs.
One of the big things I notice out of KYHillChick is her reluctance to say what she means.
"It's gotten cold in here." she'll say.
"Yes, it has," I say.
After a long pause she'll say, "I'm getting cold."
"Would you like a blanket?"
"I meant would you go turn up the thermostat?"
"I'd be happy to."
"Why didn't you do it before?"
"Before what?"
"When I first asked you to."
"You didn't ask me to do anything. You just said it was cold."
"You knew what I meant."
"Yes, but you were using your Hillbilly subtlety."
"And?"
"The whole point of Hillbilly subtlety is that you never say things directly. If I, as a Northerner, show that I understand what you're saying, then you have failed to be properly subtle. I, therefore, have to respond as if I do not fully understand-- to show proper respect."
"Never mind that. I'm cold. Turn up the damn thermostat."
"There, now we're getting somewhere."
Our new thermostat has an app for Androids that allows us to set the temperature from anywhere.
