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Wear You Out

In Appalachian and Southern speech, "wear you out" means to punish or spank as discipline. More broadly, it can also mean to exhaust someone or beat them badly in a contest.

#SouthernSayings   #Appalachia   #PeopleandRelationships   #Southern   #ScoldingandTeasing

Hillbilly Dude Says...
Oh we all got the 'wear you out' threat growin' up... and I still hear it around town these days. I'm sure it's more of a warning than follow-through. 
Hillbilly Dude Says...
Oh we all got the 'wear you out' threat growin' up... and I still hear it around town these days. I'm sure it's more of a warning than follow-through. 

Pronunciation

[WAIR yoo OUT]

Meaning & Usage

- To spank or punish (verb phrase)

Mae:
Kids are runnin’ wild.
Earl:
Keep it up and I’ll wear ’em out.

- To exhaust or drain (verb phrase, figurative)

Mae:
How was work?
Earl:
It wore me out.

- To defeat badly (verb phrase, figurative)

Mae:
Score looked rough.
Earl:
Yep, they wore us out.
★ In family talk, "wear you out" nearly always means a spanking threat. In sports or work, it means exhaustion or being badly beaten. ★

Origin and Etymology

From the Old English sense of "wear" meaning to erode, weaken, or consume. In Southern and Appalachian English, it took on the added figurative sense of corporal punishment by the 1800s.

Usage Notes

Still very common in Southern/Appalachian households as a discipline phrase. Understood elsewhere in the U.S. mostly in the "exhausted" sense, but the spanking meaning is recognized as a Southernism. Related to sayings like tan your hide and whoop.

Say It Like a Southerner

Said plain: "wear ya out." Often quick and clipped in everyday talk.

Kin Topics

Related Pages

Common Questions

Does "wear you out" always mean spanking?
In the South, often yes - but it can also mean being exhausted or defeated.
Is it still said today?
Yes - in both the discipline sense and the tired sense.
Is it rude?
No - it’s strong, but considered family talk.

How to Cite This Page

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    The Hillbilly Dude. (2025, September 6). Wear You Out. HillbillySlang.com. https://www.hillbillyslang.com/sayings/wear-you-out
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    The Hillbilly Dude. "Wear You Out." HillbillySlang.com. September 6, 2025. https://www.hillbillyslang.com/sayings/wear-you-out.
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