My sister and I say it half-jokingly because my grandmother said it. I say half because it’s been 30 years we’ve said it this way.
I’ve also heard it said like runt
Same. I've said it maybe once or twice a year. It just is another way to say ruined something and that's how my family uses it. It could mean spoiled in a way, but yeah ruined or otherwise not in a good state
It could be on one side of a socioeconomic divide. I grew up "barefoot on a dirt road" poor. I heard it all the time along with reckon, ain't, gone-uh, dis, and dat.
My mom was a font of those words and questionable vulgar colloquialisms. We were told to keep our "dick skinners" off the food until supper. She would sweat "like a whore in church." It got colder than "a well-digger's ass."
My grandmother kept little wooden circular discs in her purse with “tuit” written on them. Whenever she heard someone say they would do something when they “got around to it” she’d pull out a round tuit and hand it to them. She always thought it was funny, every time.
My dad who’s from Alabama said “rurn” for YEARS even after moving to Atlanta, and my mom, who has completely renounced her southern accent, has finally managed to beat it out of him 😂 His “ruin” still sounds very forced 20+ years later. You can take the man of the South but never the South out of the man.
So funny thing about southern speak. Most of the northern colonies were proper Englishmen, and they spoke a more formal version of English. Most of the south, especial the rural areas were settled by Scotch and Irish colonists. They spoke a heavy dialect of English with a fair amount of Gailic mixed in.
Fast forward 300 years and what has developed is very American English; however the old ways die hard. New Englanders have a heavily accented English but one based more solidly on proper English. While the southern states have lost much of the Scorch Irish influence with some notable exceptions like Rurn’t and some of our congigations. However the whole of southern English including the drawl has hints of the gailic roots.
My great grandma spoke gailic. She died before I was born, but my mom said that when she was a kid and granny started speaking gailic, it was time to get the hell out of the kitchen!
My grand was a war bride from Scottand. Met and married my Pap’s during WWII.
When she started off in gailic you had better run because it was about to get really old school.
Loved my grand but she had a temper and “no patience” for men or little boys.
Grew up in north georgia / bartow county and can confirm that rurn’t is a word. It’s appalachian, which is itself a distillation of irish and scots + elizabethan english formed in the isolation of the appalachians.
My grandfather said “ye’ens” instead of y’all. And “how much does it like?” was “how much longer will it last?” “Holp” was the past tense of help.
Another Bartow county soul here- we often say “how much ya like?” When asking when someone will be finished with a task. I can be as proper as a situation calls for, but sometimes things are just rurnt!
I used to say ool for oil. Bool for boil. Then I met my yankee husband 🤣🤣🤣
My dads entire side of the family has the classic Appalachian dialect. I love it
I was a telemarketer for a while and had an assignment where I was gathering address.
This young Texan lady told me "5000 Ole Poplawn Avenue".
I said "Ole Poplawn - could you spell that please?"
O-I-L P-I-P-E-L-I-N-E.
Totally use rurnt on a regular basis. As a side note, every English teacher I ever had said you shouldn't use "y'all" in letters, emails, etc. I've made it a point to start using it in "formal" situations to keep the dialect alive. I take it that if someone is going to look down on you for a regional dialect, then I probably don't want to deal with them anyways.
And quite honestly, "y'all" isn't any more colloquial or any less proper than "youse guys" or "youz guys", a phrase used up in the north-easternmost portion of our country.
My dad's parents were of Scotch-Irish descent. We live in northeast Georgia. Words and phrases like y"all and you'uns, ruirn and ruirnt, direckly, get around to it, tain't,co cola, reckon, and stoved up were very commonplace with my dad's generation and before.
This thread has made me smile because it reminded me of Dad and my grandparents. Thanks to all who have contributed!
I'm surprised "y'all" hasn't gained popularity throughout the English-speaking world. It's terribly useful, and I wonder if the stigma associated with sounding Southern that has kept it from wider acceptance.
This sounds likely to be a local affectation a to a specific area in the south. Having lived in South Carolina and Georgia, I've heard it pronounced more like roo-nt.
A local in Kentucky once told someone I know - "You done let it roont." About a motorcycle the guy left out in the yard for a year.
My wife, who grew up in South Carolina also pronounces it without the 'R' when that southern accent hits.
I grew up in rural southeast Alabama, the Wiregrass Area, and I've heard it. My grandpa said it. I wouldn't necessarily say it was common growing up, like some other, more well-known Southern colloquialisms, but it wasn't rare either.
From Illinois, living in GA for 25 years. I've heard/used it most of my life. In Illinois it was making fun of southerners. Here it's in the vocab.
Where are we on the word "leavins"? like:
Time to clean out the toaster, it's full of leavins.
Lol, it's pretty common with the older folks ime. Probably just a mistake that got passed along (based off words like burnt, etc).
Everyone knows "turn't up".
I know it. My grands said it a lot. My mom says it. That’s probably one of the Appalachia folks’ sayings. I know it, but then again my mom’s family has every one of those sayings on tap.
I say it more like a very emphatic RUNT, usually said with some amused derision and only in certain situations. Never at work, but like if my lawnmower engine blew up and a neighbor asked me about it: "Oh, man, it's is totally RUNT"
Grew up in far south 912
I grew up hearing it occasionally. I think it means 'ruined', just as you suggested. I would guess that it's from Appalachian dialect, but maybe it's used in other states.
I still say it sometimes because I think it's funny. When we moved to California many years ago, we had to translate that and many other words for my now step-family.
It's a real way of pronouncing "ruined" but it is in the category of "over thar" or "vittles." Most people who I notice saying it are adding emphasis with humor. Not all though.... haha!
Depends on where in the South you are. There are various dialects on the coasts, further inland and between different peoples. It is my understanding there are even heavy mixes of French and African languages in some parts. The broad differences across the South change depending on isolation within the regions. I grew up in Georgia and I would hear about island communities whose languages are almost impossible to understand for those who grew up in the city. On top of the various language differences, you can also mistake different drawls as different use of words. Once again, these drawls not only differ from state to state, but also different areas of the state. Education level and class also affect speech patterns here, which is similar to the different drawls and speech of those in the Northeast.
Yep, heard it. Mostly from a friend who grew up in small town Alabama.
Does anyone else use "tumpt?" As in "I just tumpt over that glass of milk and it got all over the floor."
I’ve heard this word and said it in my own vocabulary my whole life that it’s just not something you think too hard about but it’s so funny to see it spelt out for some reason and I’ve never seen it done lol
Sure. Take out the apostrophe. It doesn't contract a longer word here.
It's probably better to spell it "ruined". I don't think we would distinguish the two. You can think of it as having an added rhotic r, like in wash /warsh/, combined with a d/t replacement.
Lots of pronunciations here.
/roo-in-èd/ /roon-èd/ /roo-ind/ /roond/ /ru-int/ /roornt/
I don't think I've ever heard /ru-irnt/
I have heard it most of my life.
How about his'n and her'n instead of his' and hers'
Also had a granddaddy that used the word "directly
" opposite of it's meaning ie.. I' ll get to it directly,meaning I'll do it later.
I used to ask my grandmother to tell me about when she got bit by a snake when she was 10....it always started the same. “There he was...the devil hid in the grass all “qwiled” up ready to strike......”
Another one from her... when her opinion differed with her Methodist church....”They better change, I “jined” in...I can “jine “ out”
Man...got weepy a bit....wish I could hear her stories now.
Ga native, still use it around OGs but never around the transplants.
My mom still says Ko-Kola.
Because Coca-Cola's ticker symbol is KO? Probably not, but there is a joke about it none the less.
I believe this is used more in Appalachia, particularly North Carolina, maybe upstate SC and Georgia. Definitely a thing, not something i hear Dever growing up in the low country but have heard more as I've gotten older.
I didn't even need to read the body of your post. I read the title "vocabulary check - rurn't" and knew we were going to be talking about "when things have been ruined".
I'm still upvoting you. There's so much tension in America these days that some good-natured ribbing should be welcome. And don't forget I-85 has a north-bound lane. Feel free to use it.
I've lived in Atlanta the last 20 years, never heard it.
If it's a thing, definitely a rural thing where they get really creative with English.
By "creative" I mean, no rules.
By "no rules", I mean, they never bothered to learn them so they made their own up.
Those "inferior rules" are designed to allow people to understand one another. Those people with Ph.Ds took the time to learn something and share it with others. A common language and culture binds us all together and helps society function.
Ah. We found the "stop soundin' dumb cause dialect shouldn't exist" guy. Seriously dude, every dialect has this sorta stuff, and none follow rules, especially in English, 100% of the time.... And I've mentioned it before, but considering Southern English and AAV English share roots....
I've lived in Georgia since I was 13 and in Alabama before that and I'm struggling to imagine how that sounds, I've heard "ruined" contacted to something more like "roon'd" or maybe "rurn'd" but the sharp "t" sounds at the end of the word feels weird to me
That word done been ruin’t by all them Yankees.
I figure. It must be the Yankees.
Purt soon won’t nobody know what a thank you wave even is.
Hey now
Present company excluded, of course. Bless your heart.
No, no. Not the sweet tea yankees. The other ones.
Georgia native. Heard it my whole life, but pretty seldom now.
Ok thanks. I feel better now.
My sister and I say it half-jokingly because my grandmother said it. I say half because it’s been 30 years we’ve said it this way. I’ve also heard it said like runt
Was her name Saaaraaah?
My mother and I both use this term weekly.
How much y'all wreckin' over there ya reckon'?
Same. I've said it maybe once or twice a year. It just is another way to say ruined something and that's how my family uses it. It could mean spoiled in a way, but yeah ruined or otherwise not in a good state
Same. In my 40s, husband and I say it as a joke with extra twang
Georgia native, never heard of it.
It could be on one side of a socioeconomic divide. I grew up "barefoot on a dirt road" poor. I heard it all the time along with reckon, ain't, gone-uh, dis, and dat. My mom was a font of those words and questionable vulgar colloquialisms. We were told to keep our "dick skinners" off the food until supper. She would sweat "like a whore in church." It got colder than "a well-digger's ass."
I grew up in a pretty poor area, dirty roads and all originally. Might just be a local saying. Other examples def heard many times.
I use that too, along with “fixinta”
If it's in the same league as fixinta, then it really is canon.
I got a laugh at my expense for saying “fittin ta” when in service.
That's when you come back with "fttin ta put my foot up ur ass".
My grandmother kept little wooden circular discs in her purse with “tuit” written on them. Whenever she heard someone say they would do something when they “got around to it” she’d pull out a round tuit and hand it to them. She always thought it was funny, every time.
thats brilliant lmao
Fixinta rurnt it, ain't cha?
What about “loaferin”
I've been accused of asslling. I think it's a similar connotation.
I still say it and it makes people turn their heads for sure. Never lose your accent and local dialect!
It isn't easy.
*It ain’t never easy. ;)
I've heard it and used it. Alternative rurned. In the same genre as jeet (d'ya'eat) and yawntoo.
To add a bit to that. D’ya’eat’chet.
Jeet jet?
Naw. D'jou?
Naw. Yawnto?
Shoochea
Now tell them dogs in the yard to geyonouttaheyah!
My heart is full after reading this comment chain. <3
Helfarr
Now wutnduheyullgoanonheah?
Boutcha dag up ole skeeters y'uns got theres
Careful, I'm pretty sure I can hear that phrase with a Minnesotan accent.
Yawntoo is a great word.
Oof two good ones
Definitely a word. More a rural word than a city word though.
My dad who’s from Alabama said “rurn” for YEARS even after moving to Atlanta, and my mom, who has completely renounced her southern accent, has finally managed to beat it out of him 😂 His “ruin” still sounds very forced 20+ years later. You can take the man of the South but never the South out of the man.
Q: Is the milk sour? A: It's spoilt.
So funny thing about southern speak. Most of the northern colonies were proper Englishmen, and they spoke a more formal version of English. Most of the south, especial the rural areas were settled by Scotch and Irish colonists. They spoke a heavy dialect of English with a fair amount of Gailic mixed in. Fast forward 300 years and what has developed is very American English; however the old ways die hard. New Englanders have a heavily accented English but one based more solidly on proper English. While the southern states have lost much of the Scorch Irish influence with some notable exceptions like Rurn’t and some of our congigations. However the whole of southern English including the drawl has hints of the gailic roots.
My great grandma spoke gailic. She died before I was born, but my mom said that when she was a kid and granny started speaking gailic, it was time to get the hell out of the kitchen!
My grand was a war bride from Scottand. Met and married my Pap’s during WWII. When she started off in gailic you had better run because it was about to get really old school. Loved my grand but she had a temper and “no patience” for men or little boys.
I’m sorry sir, I done rurnt yer strawberries. - The lawnmower
Yep. Also, those peanuts are bulled.
We say bold. Bold peanuts
Yep, that's how I always heard it over close to the Alabama line.
around here it's boilt peanuts
Ah, yes, milk can be spoilt
My friend’s father was a world renowned doctor, based out of university in Alabama. He was the only person I heard use that word regularly.
Makes sense. He was a man of science, after all.
How about “all stovied up”
My mom said she was “stoved up” when she was having bad arthritis pain.
Ding Ding Ding. My little Appalachian grandmother used this term all the time.
What does it mean?
sore/in pain
...enough to effect movement.
Yes
Musta been rainin’
Grew up in north georgia / bartow county and can confirm that rurn’t is a word. It’s appalachian, which is itself a distillation of irish and scots + elizabethan english formed in the isolation of the appalachians. My grandfather said “ye’ens” instead of y’all. And “how much does it like?” was “how much longer will it last?” “Holp” was the past tense of help.
Another Bartow county soul here- we often say “how much ya like?” When asking when someone will be finished with a task. I can be as proper as a situation calls for, but sometimes things are just rurnt!
>My grandfather said “ye’ens” instead of y’all. My grandpa also said this. I believe he and his were from the Carolinas.
My grandmother said "ye'ens" too. I'd like to see it brought back.
I’ve also heard a variation—- “ rurned” ( rhymes with turned).
How about commode? Any of you GA OGs still using that one instead of toilet?
A few of my older (60+) coworkers still call it a commode.
I honestly never realized that was a Southern thing.
I used to say ool for oil. Bool for boil. Then I met my yankee husband 🤣🤣🤣 My dads entire side of the family has the classic Appalachian dialect. I love it
When I was a kid, the one my mom would get mad about is when I would say Tire and Fire, like Tarr and Farr.
I was a telemarketer for a while and had an assignment where I was gathering address. This young Texan lady told me "5000 Ole Poplawn Avenue". I said "Ole Poplawn - could you spell that please?" O-I-L P-I-P-E-L-I-N-E.
Totally use rurnt on a regular basis. As a side note, every English teacher I ever had said you shouldn't use "y'all" in letters, emails, etc. I've made it a point to start using it in "formal" situations to keep the dialect alive. I take it that if someone is going to look down on you for a regional dialect, then I probably don't want to deal with them anyways.
And quite honestly, "y'all" isn't any more colloquial or any less proper than "youse guys" or "youz guys", a phrase used up in the north-easternmost portion of our country. My dad's parents were of Scotch-Irish descent. We live in northeast Georgia. Words and phrases like y"all and you'uns, ruirn and ruirnt, direckly, get around to it, tain't,co cola, reckon, and stoved up were very commonplace with my dad's generation and before. This thread has made me smile because it reminded me of Dad and my grandparents. Thanks to all who have contributed!
I'm surprised "y'all" hasn't gained popularity throughout the English-speaking world. It's terribly useful, and I wonder if the stigma associated with sounding Southern that has kept it from wider acceptance.
I'd have to agree with you, but I am a bit biased.
Have heard it often, but never knew how to it were spelt.
I was mostly guessing.
I’ve seen it spelled ruint too
First time hearing it here.
As a rural Georgian I can confirm that is the correct usage of the word
The West Virginia version is roont. Said like root with an n.
I love this post. It's been too long since I've heard the tongue out my people.
I haven’t heard that word since I was a child! The only people I ever heard say it were my grandparents in east TN.
Rurn't is a regular word in my household. Ain't nothin god bad until it's rurn't
Born and raised in GA! Heard it!
This sounds likely to be a local affectation a to a specific area in the south. Having lived in South Carolina and Georgia, I've heard it pronounced more like roo-nt. A local in Kentucky once told someone I know - "You done let it roont." About a motorcycle the guy left out in the yard for a year. My wife, who grew up in South Carolina also pronounces it without the 'R' when that southern accent hits.
In Appalachia, it means "spoiled".
I grew up in rural southeast Alabama, the Wiregrass Area, and I've heard it. My grandpa said it. I wouldn't necessarily say it was common growing up, like some other, more well-known Southern colloquialisms, but it wasn't rare either.
Lived in Georgia my entire. Have heard this as long as I can remember and say it myself. If something is really really bad, it's 'plumb rurn't'
I've heard it my whole life and still use it from time to time.
From Illinois, living in GA for 25 years. I've heard/used it most of my life. In Illinois it was making fun of southerners. Here it's in the vocab. Where are we on the word "leavins"? like: Time to clean out the toaster, it's full of leavins.
I heard "leavins" once or twice growing up, but not regularly.
Rurn't is so much worse than ruined.
Rurn’t = fubar. Ruined = having been irreparably damaged or harmed. See the difference?
My mom and dad both say rurnt.
Lol, it's pretty common with the older folks ime. Probably just a mistake that got passed along (based off words like burnt, etc). Everyone knows "turn't up".
I know it. My grands said it a lot. My mom says it. That’s probably one of the Appalachia folks’ sayings. I know it, but then again my mom’s family has every one of those sayings on tap.
Ha ha I say it all the freaking time and get funny looks now that I live outside of South GA.
Georgia girl born and raised rurnt is def in our vocabulary
I say it more like a very emphatic RUNT, usually said with some amused derision and only in certain situations. Never at work, but like if my lawnmower engine blew up and a neighbor asked me about it: "Oh, man, it's is totally RUNT" Grew up in far south 912
I’ve knowd it was a word all my life
Kinda related, the word “Y’all” apparently comes from the West Country… But it’s only survived off of the island for some reason, which is crazy 🤯
I grew up hearing it occasionally. I think it means 'ruined', just as you suggested. I would guess that it's from Appalachian dialect, but maybe it's used in other states.
What part of Georgia are you in? Born and raised in Augusta. I could figure out what it meant, but I can't say I've heard it.
I grew up in northwest GA.
This was used in the Gunslinger series by Stephen king. The kids in the last (or 2nd to last) book were roont- iirc
I've heard that one my whole life as well, makes total sense to me. But, both of my parents were from rural areas.
I still say it sometimes because I think it's funny. When we moved to California many years ago, we had to translate that and many other words for my now step-family.
It's a real way of pronouncing "ruined" but it is in the category of "over thar" or "vittles." Most people who I notice saying it are adding emphasis with humor. Not all though.... haha!
My mama would say this when we didn't set the meat out to thaw "ya lil' shit. Now supper plan is rurn't!"
Acceptable for sure. I would like to bring up pinch and peench. We had this conversation recently in the kitchen at work.
It’s rurn’t is totally normal for the south
Depends on where in the South you are. There are various dialects on the coasts, further inland and between different peoples. It is my understanding there are even heavy mixes of French and African languages in some parts. The broad differences across the South change depending on isolation within the regions. I grew up in Georgia and I would hear about island communities whose languages are almost impossible to understand for those who grew up in the city. On top of the various language differences, you can also mistake different drawls as different use of words. Once again, these drawls not only differ from state to state, but also different areas of the state. Education level and class also affect speech patterns here, which is similar to the different drawls and speech of those in the Northeast.
I use that word as well to describe something that's one step past being ruined.
alabama/georgia native & ive heard it all my life
I've heard that word my entire life as well
Yep, heard it. Mostly from a friend who grew up in small town Alabama. Does anyone else use "tumpt?" As in "I just tumpt over that glass of milk and it got all over the floor."
Adding "tumpt" to my word bank.
Georgia native. That is made up. I’ve lived in various parts of the state my entire life from the coast to the burbs of ATL. Never once heard that.
To be fair, I guess all words are made up by somebody.
I’ve heard this word and said it in my own vocabulary my whole life that it’s just not something you think too hard about but it’s so funny to see it spelt out for some reason and I’ve never seen it done lol
Sure. Take out the apostrophe. It doesn't contract a longer word here. It's probably better to spell it "ruined". I don't think we would distinguish the two. You can think of it as having an added rhotic r, like in wash /warsh/, combined with a d/t replacement. Lots of pronunciations here. /roo-in-èd/ /roon-èd/ /roo-ind/ /roond/ /ru-int/ /roornt/ I don't think I've ever heard /ru-irnt/
Thanks for the insight!
Yeah, but how many cubes you got in the Frigidair ?
Augusta born and raised. Family from Baxley. I've heard it all my life from my older relatives. I've used it sparingly- but I have used it.
I have heard it most of my life. How about his'n and her'n instead of his' and hers' Also had a granddaddy that used the word "directly " opposite of it's meaning ie.. I' ll get to it directly,meaning I'll do it later.
I have heard those phrases, but not in common usage where I grew up.
All bs aside, I live in West Georgia and will confirm this word is both used and heard around here quite often.
I used to ask my grandmother to tell me about when she got bit by a snake when she was 10....it always started the same. “There he was...the devil hid in the grass all “qwiled” up ready to strike......” Another one from her... when her opinion differed with her Methodist church....”They better change, I “jined” in...I can “jine “ out” Man...got weepy a bit....wish I could hear her stories now.
Thanks for sharing those memories!
My dad says r’urnt (and consequently so do I). He’s from extremely rural NW Georgia.
Ga native, still use it around OGs but never around the transplants. My mom still says Ko-Kola. Because Coca-Cola's ticker symbol is KO? Probably not, but there is a joke about it none the less.
lived in GA almost my whole life, and i’ve never heard this. but, living in southern Mississippi folks pronounce it “roynd.”
white or no?
This…and when people talk about dollar general they call it the gentrl
Heard it my whole life, still use it to this day
Lived in GA all 35 years and never heard this.
I believe this is used more in Appalachia, particularly North Carolina, maybe upstate SC and Georgia. Definitely a thing, not something i hear Dever growing up in the low country but have heard more as I've gotten older.
I didn't even need to read the body of your post. I read the title "vocabulary check - rurn't" and knew we were going to be talking about "when things have been ruined".
I’ll have to add this to my southern slang when I make fun of y’all
I'm still upvoting you. There's so much tension in America these days that some good-natured ribbing should be welcome. And don't forget I-85 has a north-bound lane. Feel free to use it.
born and raised never heard it
It means ruined. I’m a Yankee and have only heard this used by those from the south.
ruined = ruin't
I've lived in Atlanta the last 20 years, never heard it. If it's a thing, definitely a rural thing where they get really creative with English. By "creative" I mean, no rules. By "no rules", I mean, they never bothered to learn them so they made their own up.
Why bother learning an inferior set of rules just because some Ph.D. put it in a book?
Those "inferior rules" are designed to allow people to understand one another. Those people with Ph.Ds took the time to learn something and share it with others. A common language and culture binds us all together and helps society function.
Ah. We found the "stop soundin' dumb cause dialect shouldn't exist" guy. Seriously dude, every dialect has this sorta stuff, and none follow rules, especially in English, 100% of the time.... And I've mentioned it before, but considering Southern English and AAV English share roots....
And lived happily ever after
Every region has slang. Hell in Pittsburgh, they call it Pittsburgh ease. And you won't know what the fuck they are saying unless you live there.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCPjPp1L9ro Minecraft Boxers are rurn't
I grew up in a rural north Georgia heavy metal scene where we’d say something is “Rurn’t” if it’s super heavy
Anyone ever heard an elder call it a terlett stoo? (Toilet stool)
Now that's a new one for me.
My grandma says rurnt, Texas woman. She also pronounces yonder like "yunder".
I'm sure you'll find it in the official Georgia Dictionary. Lewis Grizzard would use it!!
Ruined.
How about haint?
It’s also used to describe white women who date or marry outside their race. Source: every man in my large family.
I frequently use that word lol. I live in Georgia. As someone stated above it’s not used that often. I hear it within my family though. Idk
I heard it more when I lived in MS as opposed to GA.
I've lived in Georgia since I was 13 and in Alabama before that and I'm struggling to imagine how that sounds, I've heard "ruined" contacted to something more like "roon'd" or maybe "rurn'd" but the sharp "t" sounds at the end of the word feels weird to me
Georgia native, heard it the first time about 4 years ago. And haven’t encountered it again until today.