I love the idioms of American speech, especially Western and Southern people. Well, that’s what I know. I try to give my characters every chance to speak as I’ve heard the real people in my life. Especially my grandparents.

There’s a story about my uncle, who worked for a while in the late 1960s in the oil exploration near Jeaneu AK. When he decided to quit, he went and told the foreman he was draggin up. Then he went to wait for the helicopter to take him to town. It came, and the pilot said he’d made his last flight for the day. My uncle replied that he had drug up. The pilot said too bad, next flight tomorrow. My uncle said that was OK. Instead of taking him to town, the pilot could just take an ass-kickin where he stood. So they took off and flew to town.

Good stuff, Maynard.

I’m draggin’ up means I’m gathering my possibles (belongings, tools, etc.), I’m packin my grip, and I’m leaving.

Line from an old song, title lost in memory but stored somewhere on the iPod:

Don’t give me no lip or I’ll pack my grip.

Isn’t that great? A grip, of course, being a small bag or suitcase; a smallish container for clothing, usually with a handle and a clasp or buckle strap.

It’s pretty rare for me to get away with using my favorite idiomatic speech in conversation. The only person who really gets it is my Dad. Which makes sense, because I learned most of it from him.

Once in the office, as some of us were draggin up for the day, I said, I feel like I’ve been rode hard and put away wet. This is an old cowboy expression. It’s not good to ride your horse hard and put it away without drying and brushing; your horse can get sick. But one of the women thought it had something to do with human sex, and took offense, and I had to apologize. Idiot lacks idioms. Your mother tongue has nothing to do with getting kissed by your mama.

I feel like I been drug through a knothole, et by a bobcat and shat off a cliff.