Hillbilly Elegy

(Rick Simeone) #1

Chapter 2


Hillbillies like to add their own twist to
many words. We call minnows
“minners” and crayfish “crawdads.”
“Hollow” is defined as a “valley or
basin,” but I’ve never said the word
“hollow” unless I’ve had to explain to a
friend what I mean when I say “holler.”
Other people have all kinds of names for
their grandparents: grandpa, nanna, pop-
pop, grannie, and so on. Yet I’ve never
heard anyone say “Mamaw”—

Free download pdf