I've heard mostly MeMaw and Mawmaw for grandmother and Pepaw and Pawpaw for grandfather.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, I'm a sixth generation southerner and lived in the deep South my entire life until I came here. And I never ever onece heard anyoen in real life called Big Daddy.

Same here. I don't know anybody named Big Daddy lol. (I'm from Georgia which is about as Southern as it gets.)

Big Daddy is more of a Louisiana thing, I think. It might come from translating " grand pere."

I know a Big Daddy from my home state (Deep South). It's his nickname-- even his buddies call him Big Daddy. So in this case, it's not even a family nickname.

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, I'm a sixth generation southerner and lived in the deep South my entire life until I came here. And I never ever onece heard anyoen in real life called Big Daddy.

Same here. I don't know anybody named Big Daddy lol. (I'm from Georgia which is about as Southern as it gets.)

Blanche Deveraux and Tennessee Williams are the only people I've heard use it. It's not common.

Honestly, I'm a sixth generation southerner and lived in the deep South my entire life until I came here. And I never ever onece heard anyoen in real life called Big Daddy.

Anonymous wrote:Blanche Devereaux's father was Big Daddy.

+1,000

This is what I thought of!


When I hear it in DC, I think of a well endowed man

Blanche Devereaux's father was Big Daddy.

Hearing, "Big Momma and Big Daddy" are very common in some southern communities. I've heard so many women call their fathers or grandfathers, "Big Daddy" when I lived in the south. Instead of saying, "Let me introduce you to my father or grandfather", you will often hear, "This is my Big Daddy."

My DH goes by Big Daddy to his grandkids and all others who want to call him Big Daddy. He's an athlete and in great shape. From Washington DC.

My mom called her grandmother Big Momma. I don't know what she called her grandfather.

It's in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" -- the family patriarch is "Big Daddy" and his wife is "Big Momma" -- but it's by no means universal in the south. Both of my parents are from South Carolina, and neither of their families uses it.

I know a Big Daddy in Mississippi. And yes he is BIG.

I don't think this is a widespread southern thing, but I've certainly heard it used this way before. Mostly from people with generations long southern roots.

I was in Richmond this weekend visiting an old college buddy of mine and she introduced her grandfather to me as "Big Daddy". It took me a minute to understand that. Up north when a girl calls a man "big daddy", it means something else entirely. Is this a common Southern thing? Do you say it just to grandfathers, or also fathers? It reminds me of this scene from The Princess and the Frog: