Several years ago I & family were in Virginia (in the Navy). We stopped at a gas station (full service back then) and a tall black gentleman saundered out. So tall he put an arm on the top of my '61 Ford Falcon and leaned down to see what I needed. I told him to fill it with regular and he saundered off to start the pump. Shortly he returned while the pump was still running, leaned down again and in a pleasant southern drawl said, "How's y'all?" Having lived in Houston when I was a kid, I knew what he meant. I said, "We're fine, thanks. How are you?' He nodded, turned and began washing the windshield, but stopped and turned back, leaned back down and repeated, "No suh, how's y'all?" This time it hit me. He was asking "How's your oil?"
My wife's grandmother often referred to people as "slack twisted". I believe it comes from the days of spinning yarn when the yarn was spun too loosely. Some say it meant untidy, but Grandma used it to define someone who was a bit silly. "That feller is a bit slack twisted."
