louse
In Appalachian and Southern speech, "louse" can mean either a parasitic bug or, more often, a no-good person. It’s an old-fashioned insult that’s still alive in mountain talk.
Hillbilly Dude Says...
You've got to do something pretty bad to deserve it, but you still might get called a 'louse.' Pronunciation
[LOWSS] (rhymes with "mouse")
Meaning & Usage
- Parasitic Insect (noun)
Mae:
Them young’uns got head-lice again.
Them young’uns got head-lice again.
Ruby:
Just one louse’ll turn into a dozen if you don’t treat it.
Just one louse’ll turn into a dozen if you don’t treat it.- No-Good Person / Scoundrel (insult)
Estel:
That louse run off with her money.
That louse run off with her money.
Earl:
Ain’t nothin’ sorrier than a man that won’t keep his word.
Ain’t nothin’ sorrier than a man that won’t keep his word.other spellings: louse, lice (plural), low-down louse, and good-for-nothin’ louse
★ If someone calls you "a louse," they don’t mean you’ve got bugs - they mean you’re a low-down, sorry excuse for a person. ★
Origin
From Old English "lūs" (insect). By the 1600s, English speakers were already using "louse" as an insult for a worthless person. That sense carried into Appalachian speech, where it stuck as a common put-down.
Notes
In Appalachia, "louse" is still used by older generations as a sharp but mild insult. It’s about on par with "rascal" or "sorry joker," stronger than "mess" but lighter than a curse word.
Say It Like a Southerner
"Louse" comes out sharp and quick, same as "mouse" with an "l." Plural is "lice" - but as an insult, it’s usually singular: "a louse."