the hole
In Appalachian speech, "the hole" is the place folks used to throw old junk before there was garbage pickup or landfills.
Hillbilly Dude Says...
We had one of these 'holes' growing up. I'm sure my old tricycle buried somewhere in there. Pronunciation
[thuh HOHL]
Meaning & Usage
- Old dumping spot (noun)
Elmer:
That chair’s broke clean in two.
That chair’s broke clean in two.
Estel:
Haul it down to the hole.
Haul it down to the hole.- Metaphor for complete ruin (figurative use)
Elmer:
He’s fixed that wagon all the way to the hole.
He’s fixed that wagon all the way to the hole.
Estel:
Guess it’s scrap now.
Guess it’s scrap now.other spellings: hole, the-hole, trash hole, dump hole, and
★ If someone says "take it to the hole," they don’t mean the post office. ★
Origin
From the practice of using a low spot, pit, or dug-out area on a property as a dumping place for broken, worn-out, or unwanted items before modern waste collection existed.
Notes
"The hole" was often on the edge of a property, down a steep slope, or in a gully where hauling things back out wasn’t worth the trouble. Over time, it also became a metaphor for something beyond saving.