Southern Sayings and Quotes

Below you will find our collection of inspirational, wise, and humorous old southern quotes, southern sayings, and southern proverbs, collected over the years from a variety of sources.

I can't see this world unless I go outside my southern comfort zone. Brad Paisley
Southern women see no contradiction in mixing strength with gentleness. Sharon McKern
The South­­where roots, place, family, and tradition are the essence of identity. unknown
The only place in the world that nothing has to be explained to me is the South. Woodrow Wilson
Because I was born in the South, I'm a Southerner. If I had been born in the North, the West or the Central Plains, I would be just a human being. Clyde Edgerton
In the North, he discoverd, courtesy was considered a barometer of genuine esteem; for any decently brought up Southerner, good manners were simply habitual. Mary Doria Russell
Southerners smile more than other Americans. John Shelton Reed
When life hands you lemons... squeeze them into some sweet iced tea and thank God you were born a southern girl! unknown
In the South, perhaps more than any other region, we go back to our home in dreams and memories, hoping it remains what it was on a lazy, still summer's day twenty years ago. unknown
It's not a common thing for a Southern white family to go out and seek their black cousins. Edward Ball
Southerners can claim kin with anybody. It's one of our most dextrous talents. unknown
I'll have you know Southern isn't a synonym for stupid. Janice Lane Palko
Southerners have never been afraid of seasoning. It's kind of the other way around; our seasoning is afraid of us. Paula Deen
Being a Southern person and a blonde, it's not a good combination. Immediately, when people meet you, they think of you as not being smart. Reese Witherspoon
From the mountains of Virginia to the Texas Plains there is a Southern way of life and it begins with hospitality and a proper emphasis on good cooking. Winifred G. Cheney
The Southerner always tended to believe with his blood rather than his intellect. Marshall Frady
Southern women like their men religious and a little mad. Michael Shaara
I like the South because it is so much warmer on the sidelines than it is up North. Tom Landry
Southerners know you can't be considered a serious Southern cook if you don't know how to make peach cobbler. Trisha Yearwood
Nobody but a Southerner knows the wrenching rinsing sadness of the cities of the North. Walker Percy
The South is a region that history has happened to. Richard Weaver
The most beautiful voice in the world is that of an educated Southern woman. Winston Churchill
Southerners make such good novelists; they have so many good stories because they have so much family. Gore Vidal
The Southerner is usually tolerant of those weaknesses that proceed from innocence. Flannery O'Connor
People may think of Southern humor in terms of missing teeth and outhouse accidents, but the best of it is a rich vein running through the best of Southern literature. Roy Blount Jr.
A true Southerner will never say in 2-3 words what can better be said in 10-12. Charles Kuralt
Southern women can say more with a cut of their eyes than a whole debate club's worth of speeches. Allison Glock
Storytelling and copulation are the two chief forms of amusement in the South. They are inexpensive and easy to procure. Robert Penn Warren
Southerners have a genius for psychological alchemy. If something intolerable simply cannot be changed, driven away or shot they will not only tolerate it but take pride in it as well Florence King
We Southerners live at a leisurely pace and sharing our hospitality with our family, friends, and the stranger within our gate is one of our greatest joys. Winifred G. Cheney