Cutting a Head Shine

An East Tennessee caller wonders about the phrase “cutting a head shine,” meaning “pull off a caper” or “behave in a boisterous, comical manner.” Cutting a head shine derives from an alternate use of shine, meaning “trick,” and head, a term used in Appalachia meaning “most remarkable, striking, or entertaining.” A similar phrase, “cutting a dido,” is used not only in the South and South Midlands, but through much of New England as well. This is part of a complete episode.

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

More from this show

Boodle on Beaver Island

A resident of Michigan’s scenic Beaver Island shares the term, boodling, which the locals use to denote the social activity of leisurely wandering the island, often with cold fermented beverages. There have been various proposed etymologies...