In Southern and Appalachian speech, sop means to soak up liquid - most often gravy, syrup, or pot likker - using bread, biscuits, or another food. The same verb also applies more generally to soaking up any liquid, like "sop up a spill" with a towel.
'Sop up' is one of those I've heard and said all my life, it's a common one. It's often about food, but a towel can sop up a spill in the same way.
Hillbilly Dude Says...
'Sop up' is one of those I've heard and said all my life, it's a common one. It's often about food, but a towel can sop up a spill in the same way.
Pronunciation
[SAHP]
/sɒp/
Meaning & Usage
- To soak up liquid with bread or food (verb)
At the table
Mae:
Don’t waste that redeye gravy.
Earl:
I’ll sop it up with my biscuit.
- To soak up any liquid (nonfood) (verb)
Cleaning up
Mae:
Spilled sweet tea!
Earl:
Grab a towel and sop it up.
- A piece of bread or biscuit used to soak liquid; the liquid itself (noun)
Talking about breakfast
Mae:
We had ham and gravy with a sop of biscuit.
★ "Sop" has deep roots in Southern and Appalachian food culture - biscuits and gravy, pot likker, and sorghum syrup. It’s both the action ("to sop up") and sometimes the thing you use ("a sop of biscuit"). ★
Origin and Etymology
From Old English sopp, meaning bread soaked in liquid. It appears in British and early American writing as far back as the 14th century and became a lasting fixture in Appalachian and Southern cooking and speech.
Usage Notes
"Sop" remains part of daily conversation and cooking vocabulary across the South. It conveys both warmth and thrift - not wasting a drop of good flavor.
"Sop it up with your biscuit." - soaking up gravy or syrup at the table.
"Sop up that spill." - using a towel or rag to clean liquid.
"Sopping wet." - completely soaked; derived from the same root.
"That’s good sop." - describing the flavorful liquid left in a dish.
No - while it’s mainly used for soaking up gravy or syrup, it’s also used for spills and other liquids.
Is "sopping wet" related?
Yes - both come from the same root word meaning "soaked."
What’s "pot likker sop"?
Bread or cornbread dipped in the liquid left from cooking greens - a classic Southern tradition.
How to Cite This Page
APA (7th edition)
The Hillbilly Dude. (2025, November 8). Sop. HillbillySlang.com. https://www.hillbillyslang.com/definitions/sop
MLA (9th edition)
"The Hillbilly Dude." "Sop." HillbillySlang.com, 8 Nov. 2025, https://www.hillbillyslang.com/definitions/sop.
Chicago (17th edition)
The Hillbilly Dude. "Sop." HillbillySlang.com. November 8, 2025. https://www.hillbillyslang.com/definitions/sop.
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Created by a true, actual, proper, real-life hillbilly, HillbillySlang is a growing field guide to culture, speech, memory, and meaning - rooted in Appalachia but reaching across the world. Every slang word, saying, accent and story is gathered from first-hand experience and trusted sources. The goal: preserve authentic voices and share them with writers, learners, and culture lovers everywhere - with a little humor thrown in here and there. Read more...
'Sop up' is one of those I've heard and said all my life, it's a common one. It's often about food, but a towel can sop up a spill in the same way. 
