Round About
Round about means "approximately," as in "round about two o’clock" or "round about a mile." It’s common English, but the phrasing has stuck around naturally in Southern and Appalachian storytelling and everyday talk.
Hillbilly Dude Says...
You'll often hear 'round about two o’clock,' it's a common way of describing time. Hillbilly Dude Says...
You'll often hear 'round about two o’clock,' it's a common way of describing time. Pronunciation
[ROUND about]
/raʊnd əˈbaʊt/
/raʊnd əˈbaʊt/
Meaning & Usage
- Approximately (time/quantity)
Estel:
We’ll head out round about two.
We’ll head out round about two.
Elmer:
Good enough - I’ll have the truck warmed.
Good enough - I’ll have the truck warmed.- Rough distance or location
Mamaw:
Spring’s round about a half mile past the sycamore.
Spring’s round about a half mile past the sycamore.
Papaw:
You’ll hear it before you see it.
You’ll hear it before you see it.★ You’ll also hear ’round about in dialect writing (dropping the initial "a" in "around"). Avoid the single word roundabout here - that’s the traffic circle. ★
Origin and Etymology
From older British/General English usage of "round" + "about" for approximation. The phrasing remained lively in Southern/Appalachian speech even as many speakers elsewhere shifted to just "around" or "about."
Usage Notes
Two-word form for this meaning: round about. Works with time, amounts, distances, and headcounts: "round about noon," "round about five pounds," "round about ten folks."