Liar’s Winter Excerpt – Getting to know Miss Edna.
Grandpa Moses on the truth about tellin mountain stories:
“One man’s words spun into a tale, understood by another by his own interpretation; spit back at the man, twisted and turned. This is the truth about n tellin mountain stories.” – Grandpaw Moses
*Mountain Trivia – In the mountains we say Y’all. So the plural version of y’all is:
a) y’alls
B) all y’all
c) youin’s
(answer – all y’all)
*Mountain Trivia: There are no BETTER biscuits than what you get in the mountains. Momma’s biscuits make your mouth water. Her biscuits are made of flour, baking power, salt, ice water and ???
1) Butter
2) Oil
3) Lard
(Real biscuits are made with lard)
*Mountain trivia: Grits are:
a) somethin’ you do with your teeth (She grits her teeth.)
b) A show of strength (He’s got grit)
c) bowl of soft cooked delicious
d) Something that gets stuck in the cracks of the counter
(Bowl of soft-cooked delicious decorated with things like butter, salt, pepper, cheese, or shrimp)
*Mountain Trivia – Decipher this: “Welibe”
1) A type of coon
2) An iron stick used to stir hot coals
3) Well I’ll be
(Well I’ll be)
*”Folks is so used to gettin’ their own way that the coals don’t get cold afore the knife sinks in.” ~ Appalachian Joe
*Mountain Trivia: Tornadoes in the mountains are somewhat rare. But when one drops its tail in between the mountains into the valley it does what?
1) Tears up jack
2) Ushers in the Reaper
3) Rips a new one
(Tears up Jack)
*Mountain Trivia: In the Appalachians, folks named the winters i.e. Dogwood, Blackberry, Redbud, Locust, etc.
What is the last cold snap of winter – or the last time a body’d need longjohns, called:
A) Locust Winter
B)Linsey-Woolsy Britches winter
C) Whippoorwill winter
(Linsey-Woolsy Britches winter)
*Mountain Trivia: In the Appalachian Mountains during the 1800s, life was hard. A man might carve out and tame a small quarter of land but when all was said and done, those who lived there were surrounded by dense forests. Many things led to the death of the Appalachian people. The primary case of death was:
1) typhoid
2) wild animals
3) winter
4) starvation
(typhoid)
*Mountain Trivia: In the mountains recreation was home grown. What was the favorite pass time when a days work was done.
1) horseshoes
2) poker
3) music – juice harp, harmonica, wood flute, banjo
(music)
*Mountain Trivia: In the 1800’s, medicine was scare in the mountains. Doctors were a rarity. These things were used to try and curb 
illness before a doctor was sought:
1) bleeding a vein, herbs, sweating out illness
2) leeches, herbs, bleeding a vein
3) herbs and sweating out illness
(bleeding a vein, herbs, sweating out illness)
*Mountain Trivia: mountain folks used to say when cattle laid down in a group in the field that:
1) The kids have been cow tipping
2) The cattle are tired
3) A storm is on the rise
(a storm is on the rise)
*Mountain Trivia: When folks cross from one mountain to the other they:
1) go through the pass
2) cross the gap
3) go through the holler
(cross the gap)
Mountain Trivia:
Mountain folks didn’t have chewing gum but chewing was never a problem they couldn’t handle. What did they chew? And don’t be fooled….
A) teaberry leaves
B) rosin
C) tobacco
(teaberry leaves)
