August 8, 2006
The Miseries
I was boring The Bride with yet another monologue on the inscrutability of the Marthambles ailment when she reminded me of the Miseries. Yes. When we were children, black folk always complained about it. "I have the miseries in my back. I have the miseries in my laig. I gots the miseries in my groins."
Beautiful stuff, that. Cuts to the fucking chase. A white person will befuddle a doctor for hours on end with gussied up symptoms, and phantom neuroses. But a black person could just say I gots the miseries and doc would understand, and set it aright.
Perhaps not as exotic as hearing Gullah for the first time, that honored patois. If you needed ice or cigarettes on Daufuskie Island in the olden days, and went to the only confectionary shack near Bloody Point, you'd better, even at 7 or 8 years old, have a smattering of Gullah in your lingua franca. Geechee would work as a crutch, both languages being a sort of Bantu speak your maid spoke. And your maid was the godhead. You spoke her dialect if you wanted anything. (Or you would be ignored. Britches-pissing is universal, however. That transcends all languages.) Gullah was Carolina, Geechee was Georgia. But they understood one enough to clabber together a damned Nat Turner moment, so watch out.
The Miseries. What an elegant term. I love it. In fact, I suffer from it. Please call me. I'll tell you all about it.
That's rich. So give us some examples.
Posted by: rankin' rob at August 8, 2006 9:28 PMDo you need your phone to ring?
I thought this was just another one of your well-written cries of southern nostalgia, until I saw the end. I'll have Georgia give you a call, show Vman the love. (She's on the Gullah-Geechee line, and I'm pretty sure she is fluent in both.)
Posted by: Key at August 8, 2006 9:52 PMi've got the miseries too, all over. bet i got you beat.
is that what georgia speaks? gullah-geechee? why am i just hearing this? we really need to implement a class or two at our next conference.
you are full of very important information, vman. don't be stingy, let it out.
Posted by: shoe at August 8, 2006 11:02 PMTell us all about it? Why, I understand a teleplay is in the works.
"Miseries - The Miniseries."
Filmed entirely in Gullah-Geechee - it's just peechee!
Posted by: Elisson at August 9, 2006 2:05 AMHaving been born and raised on James Island,
S.C., it took me years to de-Geechy my accent but to this day, when I go back to Charleston and hear the first native speak..
Shrimp becomes "Shrump" and, James Island becomes "Jim Oyland"!
Damn I love that place but can't take the heat and humidity anymore. Which is why I've lived in NC mountain for 20 yrs now.
I could say just reading you blog gives me the miseries but that probably would not be the correct use of the word.
Just kidding.
Posted by: Titan Mk6B at August 9, 2006 4:04 PMChatham Artillery Punch. That takes real good care of the miseries. Or go see Catfish. He's probably got something to help you out.
Posted by: Denny at August 9, 2006 11:24 PM... me, I've got the lurgies myself... and boy, do they suck.... word up, nothing sucks like a lurgie...
Posted by: Eric at August 9, 2006 11:39 PMI was a Navy brat and the vast majority of my first seven years was spent living in the Ben Tilman area of Charleston. I spent all of my days hanging out with the black Public Works workmen. When, due to my Dad's transfer, I found myself in a Connecticutt second grade classroom learning about homonyms I offered up 'selry'. The yankee teacher was puzzled and asked me to explain. I said, "well, my daddy earns a selry and you can eat selry"
Posted by: Mike at August 10, 2006 1:59 PMIn the Great state of Alabama were the Blue Gums where I hail form. Ifin you had an ailment you was sow.
I got a sow back or sow neck.
Guess I'm just too uppercrust. Ladies don't get the miseries, we get the vapors.
Is it too late to call and explain the difference?
Posted by: Libby at August 11, 2006 1:31 PM