12 Phrases You’ll Only Understand If You Live in South Carolina

South Carolina is where the tea is sweet, the drawls are long, and the humidity clings to you like an overbearing aunt. From the Palmetto-covered Lowcountry to the foothills of the Upstate, folks here speak with a mix of Southern grace, sass, and just enough mystery to keep outsiders guessing. If you’ve ever had a conversation about grits, ghost stories, and college football in the same breath, you’re definitely from the Palmetto State.

1. “It’s not hot, it’s close.”

As in: the air is thick, your clothes are glued to your back, and it’s only 8 a.m.

2. “Y’all want some boiled peanuts?”

Found in gas stations, roadside stands, and probably your grandma’s porch. Wet, salty, and weirdly addictive.

3. “Bless her heart.”

A sweet way to insult someone. Bonus points if it’s followed by a compliment about her pie.

4. “We don’t do unsweet tea.”

Ordering unsweetened tea here is basically asking to be escorted out of the state.

5. “That’s over in the Upstate.”

Which is basically anything north of Columbia and south of moonshine country.

6. “You goin’ to the beach or the coast?”

Translation: Myrtle or Charleston. One has waves, the other has class. Choose carefully.

7. “He’s full of beans and collards.”

Translation: that child’s wild, loud, and probably climbing something he shouldn’t be.

8. “We’re goin’ to the Pig.”

Piggly Wiggly, that is. The official grocery store of fried chicken and Southern pride.

9. “Mind the skeeters.”

They’re not mosquitoes. They’re airborne vampires with no mercy and a vendetta.

10. “That boy’s slicker than okra in August.”

Said about someone who’s either charming or up to no good. Possibly both.

11. “You cheer for Clemson or Carolina?”

Pick a side. It’s not just football—it’s a lifelong allegiance and possible marital dealbreaker.

12. “We fry everything.”

Okra, green tomatoes, pork chops, butter… if it ain’t fried, it ain’t right.

If you’ve said these while fanning yourself with a church bulletin and eating shrimp ‘n grits under a mossy oak, congrats—you’re South Carolina to the core. If not, take a ride down a dirt road, sip some tea so sweet it’ll make your teeth hurt, and never forget: in the South, manners matter—but so does college football.

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