   Better Stop Diggin’In Appalachian and Southern speech, "Better stop diggin’" (sometimes written "better stop digging") is a proverb-like warning meaning "stop making your own trouble worse." It’s the folksy way Southerners shorten the older proverb "When you’re in a hole, stop digging." #SouthernSayings #Appalachia #PeopleandRelationships #Southern #Proverbs Hillbilly Dude Says...  With a litter of kids, I feel like I'm sayin' 'better stop diggin’' ever few minutes. Common down here. Hillbilly Dude Says... With a litter of kids, I feel like I'm sayin' 'better stop diggin’' ever few minutes. Common down here. Pronunciation[BET-ter STOP DIG-in] Meaning & Usage- To warn someone they’re making a bad situation worse (verb phrase/proverb)
Mae:
And another thing-
Earl:
Son, better stop diggin’ before you get grounded twice as long.- To give general advice about stopping harmful behavior (verb phrase/proverb)
Mae:
You’ve maxed that card already.
Earl:
I know - better stop diggin’.variations: quit diggin’ ★ "Better stop diggin’" works as a real-time admonishment and a folk nugget of advice. It carries the same wisdom as "When you’re in a hole, stop digging" but with Southern/Appalachian brevity and dialect flavor. ★ Origin and EtymologyDerived from the proverb "When you’re in a hole, stop digging," which appears in print from the early 20th century. In the South and Appalachia, the line got shortened and folksified to "better stop diggin’." Usage NotesStill heard in Southern households and small towns. Outsiders may understand the meaning, but the clipped "diggin’" form and "better stop" construction mark it as regional speech. Say It Like a SouthernerSaid plain: "better stop diggin’." Sometimes "you better stop diggin’." | ...
About Created by The Hillbilly Dude, this site 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... |