Too Big for Your Britches

In Appalachian and Southern speech, "too big for your britches" means someone is acting arrogant, sassy, or beyond their proper place. It’s often said of children getting mouthy or uppity.

#SouthernSayings #Appalachia #PeopleandRelationships #Southern #ScoldingandTeasing

Hillbilly Dude Says...

Often still heard around here, too big for his britches means somebody's actin' superior.

Hillbilly Dude Says...

Often still heard around here, too big for his britches means somebody's actin' superior.

Pronunciation

[too big fer yer BRITCH-iz]

Meaning & Usage

- Arrogant, acting above station (saying)

Mae:

Don’t you get too big for your britches, young man.

Earl:

Best mind your manners ‘fore you get a whoopin’.

variations: too big for his britches, too big for her britches

★ This phrase is almost always a warning - it tells someone to remember their place, usually before they get humbled by a parent, elder, or life itself. ★

Origin and Etymology

From "breeches," an old English word for trousers. By the 1800s, "too big for your britches" was a common American phrase meaning someone’s pride had outgrown their actual size. Appalachia and the South carried it forward as a homespun rebuke.

Usage Notes

Still common in the South and Appalachia, especially when elders are correcting children. Can also be used jokingly among adults.

Say It Like a Southerner

Say it plain: "too big fer yer britches." The word "britches" is the mountain form of "breeches," meaning pants.

Kin Topics

Common Questions

Does it literally mean pants?

Not really - "britches" means pants, but the phrase is figurative for pride or arrogance.

Who usually says it?

Parents, grandparents, and elders telling a child not to get too sassy.

Do people still say it today?

Absolutely - it’s a staple Southern/Appalachian expression, still understood everywhere.

How to Cite This Page

APA (7th edition)
The Hillbilly Dude. (2025, August 25). Too Big for Your Britches. HillbillySlang.com. https://www.hillbillyslang.com/sayings/too-big-for-your-britches
MLA (9th edition)
"The Hillbilly Dude." "Too Big for Your Britches." HillbillySlang.com, 25 Aug. 2025, https://www.hillbillyslang.com/sayings/too-big-for-your-britches.
Chicago (17th edition)
The Hillbilly Dude. "Too Big for Your Britches." HillbillySlang.com. August 25, 2025. https://www.hillbillyslang.com/sayings/too-big-for-your-britches.

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