The Hole

In Appalachian and rural Southern speech, the hole refers to a low spot or gully used as a personal dump - the place where families tossed broken or worn-out things before garbage pickup or landfills were common.

#SouthernWords #Appalachia #Southern

synonyms: dump, gully, junk pile, burn pit

Hillbilly Dude Says...

We had one of these 'holes' growin' up. I'm sure my old tricycle's buried somewhere in there.

Hillbilly Dude Says...

We had one of these 'holes' growin' up. I'm sure my old tricycle's buried somewhere in there.

Pronunciation

[thuh HOHL]
/ðə hoʊl/

Meaning & Usage

- Old dumping spot (noun)

Elmer:

That chair’s broke clean in two.

Estel:

Haul it down to the hole.

- Metaphor for complete ruin (figurative use)

Elmer:

He’s fixed that wagon all the way to the hole.

Estel:

Guess it’s scrap now.

variations: hole, the-hole, trash hole, dump hole

★ If someone says "take it to the hole," they don’t mean the post office. ★

Origin and Etymology

"The hole" came from the common rural practice of using a natural low spot, gully, or pit as a dumping place for junk long before organized waste collection. The phrase became a fixture in Appalachian and Southern life, especially in the mid-1900s when self-sufficiency meant disposing of one’s own trash on the property.

Usage Notes

Families often had their own "hole" - usually down a hill, past the barn, or near the back of the property - where anything broken got tossed. The phrase carries a nostalgic tinge now, tied to a time when nothing went to waste for long.

"Throw it in the hole." - send something unusable to the family dump.
"He worked that thing to the hole." - used until completely worn out.
"We found it down in the old hole." - discovered among long-buried junk.
"That truck’s headed for the hole." - figurative for beyond saving.

Kin Topics

Common Questions

Was "the hole" an actual hole in the ground?

Sometimes, but it could also be a gully, ravine, or any low spot used as a dump.

What went in "the hole"?

Anything broken or no longer useful - furniture, tools, tires, appliances, even old toys.

Do people still have "the hole" today?

Not commonly. Garbage pickup and landfills replaced it, but many old dump holes still exist on older rural land.

Why did folks use it?

It was practical and out of sight - a simple solution before modern waste systems.

How to Cite This Page

APA (7th edition)
The Hillbilly Dude. (2025, November 8). The Hole. HillbillySlang.com. https://www.hillbillyslang.com/definitions/the-hole
MLA (9th edition)
"The Hillbilly Dude." "The Hole." HillbillySlang.com, 8 Nov. 2025, https://www.hillbillyslang.com/definitions/the-hole.
Chicago (17th edition)
The Hillbilly Dude. "The Hole." HillbillySlang.com. November 8, 2025. https://www.hillbillyslang.com/definitions/the-hole.

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