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Blackberry winter is a colloquial expression used in south & midwest North America, referring to a cold snap that often occurs in late spring when the blackberries are in bloom. Other colloquial names for spring cold snaps include "Dogwood winter," “Whippoorwill winter,” "Locust winter," and “Redbud winter.” The different names are based on what is blooming in particular regions during the typical spring cold snaps. Another colloquialism for these spring cold snaps is "Linsey-Woolsey Britches winter," referring to a type of winter long underwear which could be put away after the last cold snap. The Blackberry winter term may have arisen to describe the belief that a spring cold snap helps the blackberry canes to start growing.
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And, here's what Bubba has to say about the subject . . .
Bubba explains history of phrase blackberry winter
GREASEPIT GRAMMAR: Welcome to Swampscum, where Bubba and his pals meet regularly around the greasepit at Wade's Dixieco to perfect the English language.
John S. Breed has found that Texans don't always understand plain English.
"A few mornings ago, Houston awoke to a colder-than-usual day," he said, as he twisted the top off a Coke at Wade's Dixieco.
"I told my co-workers it was blackberry winter - as opposed to Indian summer, which comes in the fall," John said. "I'm sure I heard this term as a kid playing with my country cousins in Alabama. My co-workers say I'm nuts; I think I'm homesick. What would Bubba's diagnosis be?"
Bubba thinks John Breed is perfectly healthy in mind, spirit and vocabulary.
Professor Copernicus Claptrap of the Swampscum Polytechnic Institute and Barber College says the blackberry crop is a handy benchmark for measuring the seasons. Blackberry winter is the name for that last gasp of winter when the cruel season snatches back a few days from spring just as the blackberries are ready to bloom. When this occurs around Easter, it's called the Easter snap.
The Dictionary of American Regional Expressions says some parts of the country even have blackberry storms and blackberry squalls.
BUBBA C/O GENE OWENS at 1004 Cobbs Glen Drive, Anderson, SC 29621, or e-mail at WadesDixieco@aol.com.
Ol' Elmer, Uncle Hadacol's fearful hound dog, chased a rabbit into a blackberry patch and let out a piercing yowl when the briars pierced his hide.
"What was that?" asked Bubba.
"That was a blackberry squall," said Uncle Hadacol.
"Oh," said Bubba. "I thought maybe the rabbit had counter-attacked again."
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64 degrees, we're loving it.
Later . . .
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