Yee-yaw
In Southern and Appalachian speech, "yee-yaw" means crooked, out of kilter, or off balance. It’s a colorful way to say something isn’t lined up straight, much like sigogglin or cattywampus.
synonyms: crooked, askew, off-kilter, sigogglin, cattywampus
Hillbilly Dude Says...
I've only read 'yee-yaw'- I'm gonna assume its more regional. Hillbilly Dude Says...
I've only read 'yee-yaw'- I'm gonna assume its more regional. Pronunciation
[YEE-YAW]
/ˈjiː.jɑː/
/ˈjiː.jɑː/
Meaning & Usage
- Crooked, off-kilter (adjective)
Clara:
Does that look level to you?
Does that look level to you?
Elmer:
No, it’s all yee-yaw on the left side.
No, it’s all yee-yaw on the left side.variations: gee-yaw, yeehaw
Origin and Etymology
From Southern and Appalachian dialect speech. Related to the old mule-driving commands "gee" (right) and "haw" or "yaw" (left), shouted by farmers when plowing with draft animals. Over time, the sound-pattern gee/yaw → yee-yaw came to describe anything that was out of true, askew, or off balance.
Usage Notes
- Strongly tied to Appalachian/Southern rural speech; not widely used outside the region.
- Often applied to posts, shelves, or anything visibly crooked.
- Closely related in meaning to sigogglin and cattywampus.
Kin Topics
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How to Cite This Page
- APA (7th edition)The Hillbilly Dude. (2025, October 3). Yee-yaw. HillbillySlang.com. https://www.hillbillyslang.com/definitions/yee-yaw
- MLA (9th edition)"The Hillbilly Dude." "Yee-yaw." HillbillySlang.com, 3 Oct. 2025, https://www.hillbillyslang.com/definitions/yee-yaw.
- Chicago (17th edition)The Hillbilly Dude. "Yee-yaw." HillbillySlang.com. October 3, 2025. https://www.hillbillyslang.com/definitions/yee-yaw.
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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...