Jade Small

Jade Small

May 23, 2025

18 Quirky Southern Habits That Leave Visitors Baffled

Obsessive Weather Small Talk

Big gray stratocumulus clouds With the air moving up and down in the same way as the waves and when the weather rises, it creates a layer of clouds up into the beautiful sky at Thailand.
Credit: Shutterstock

In the South, talking about the weather isn’t small talk, it’s social glue. Whether it’s 100 degrees in the shade or raining sideways, Southerners always have something to say about it. But this goes beyond just noting the forecast. There are colorful phrases like “hotter than a goat’s butt in a pepper patch” or “cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey.” These expressions aren’t just for fun, they’re regional shorthand for connection. Weather talk opens conversations, diffuses tension, and communicates local wisdom. Outsiders might see it as filler, but in the South, it’s a form of hospitality.