Appalachian Words of the Week -- GIMME SOME SUGAR

My uncle Junior's idea of GIMME SOME SUGAR was to clamp his fingers on either side of my knee and squeeze. When he hit the nerves in just the right spot, it made me scream--just as I thought I might pass out from the pain. I tried to hide from Uncle Junior.

For most folks, though, GIMME SOME SUGAR meant they wanted a sweet little kiss on the cheek. I didn't mind when my mom, dad, or grandmothers requested sugar. They didn't gross me out or hurt me in the process.

I did have a few relatives though who didn't understand the rules of GIMME SOME SUGAR.

GIMME SOME SUGAR

Aunt Georgie lived in Detroit. Thankfully, that meant she rarely came back home for a visit. I liked Aunt Georgie. She was a sweet person and I loved to listen to her half Detroit/half hillbilly accent.

Unfortunately, her greeting of GIMME SOME SUGAR instilled dread in my young heart. Her sugar was so intense, it felt like she would bore a hole right through my cheeks. I looked in the mirror later to see if my cheeks had bruises.

Then there are the relatives, usually older men, who smelled of cigarette smoke or had bacca juice oozing from their lips. They gave me brown sugar. Yuck.

The most common victims of GIMME SOME SUGAR were babies. I felt sorry for them. My sister always cried. Of course, she cried about most things. Everybody seemed to get a thrill out of covering babies with sugar.

Although the pain of the sugar could be intense, the worse part was the remnant of the attack -- red lip marks all over your face! That red lipstick especially was nearly impossible to remove. It had to wear off. Funny how most women who loved to GIMME SOME SUGAR wore bright red lipstick.

Hoping he wants to GIMME SOME SUGAR

As we reached our teen years, we developed a whole new attitude about the idea of GIMME SOME SUGAR. Suddenly, we had a list of people we wished would GIMME SOME SUGAR.

Did your family use the term GIMME SOME SUGAR? Do you still use it today? Do you smother your grandbabies in sugar every time you see them?

In today's political climate, we are inclined to use great caution before practicing GIMME SOME SUGAR--especially without giving the potential recipient the choice to opt out. Perhaps it is more appropriate to use words to express love or adoration to people outside our family circle.

For me, I still like to hug necks and get sugar from special people in my life. As I get older, though, my list of people I want to GIMME SOME SUGAR has shrunk.

How about you? Do you love to GIMME SOME SUGAR when you greet family and friends?

I love to hear your stories.