Tan Your Hide

In Appalachian and Southern speech, "tan your hide" means to spank or whip someone as punishment. A folksy way of saying someone’s backside is about to get worn out for misbehaving. A softer version is "tan your hind end."

#SouthernSayings #Appalachia #Animals #PeopleandRelationships #Southern #BodyandHealth

Hillbilly Dude Says...

It doesn't happen much in modern times, but 'I’ll tan your hide' is a classic.

Hillbilly Dude Says...

It doesn't happen much in modern times, but 'I’ll tan your hide' is a classic.

Pronunciation

[TAN yer HIDE]

Meaning & Usage

- To spank or whip as discipline (verb phrase)

Mae:

The boys won’t quit fightin’.

Earl:

Well, I’ll tan their hide if they don’t stop.

- To punish or rough someone up (figurative extension)

Mae:

How bad’d they lose?

Earl:

Other team tanned their hide good.

variations: whip, spank, whoop, I’ll tan your hide if you sass me, he got his hide tanned after breakin’ that window, she said she’d tan my hind end if I came home late

★ "Tan your hide" is a vivid old phrase that doesn’t literally mean tanning leather. It’s a way of warning kids they’ll get spanked - strong enough to scare, but usually more bark than bite. ★

Origin and Etymology

"Tanning" is the process of working animal hides into leather. The phrase "tan your hide" arose in the 1800s as slang for whipping someone’s skin. It spread widely in American English, but stuck especially in Southern and Appalachian family talk.

Usage Notes

Still recognized everywhere, but strongest in the South and Appalachia. "Tan your hind end" is the family-friendly version, often used by parents and grandparents. Today it’s said more as a colorful threat than a real promise.

Say It Like a Southerner

Said plain: "tan yer hide." Sometimes softened: "tan yer hind end."

Kin Topics

Common Questions

Does "tan your hide" mean literally tanning leather?

No - it’s a figure of speech for spanking or whipping.

Is "tan your hind end" the same?

Yes - it’s just a milder version, more common in family talk.

Do people still say it today?

Yes - often as a joking or nostalgic phrase, even if spanking isn’t intended.

How to Cite This Page

APA (7th edition)
The Hillbilly Dude. (2025, September 5). Tan Your Hide. HillbillySlang.com. https://www.hillbillyslang.com/sayings/tan-your-hide
MLA (9th edition)
"The Hillbilly Dude." "Tan Your Hide." HillbillySlang.com, 5 Sept. 2025, https://www.hillbillyslang.com/sayings/tan-your-hide.
Chicago (17th edition)
The Hillbilly Dude. "Tan Your Hide." HillbillySlang.com. September 5, 2025. https://www.hillbillyslang.com/sayings/tan-your-hide.

advertisement...