southernism means anything characteristic of the southern part of a region, especially the southern United States. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 90 out of 100.
Etymology
From southern + -ism.
noun
- Anything characteristic of the southern part of a region, especially the southern United States.“It is one of the national peccadilloes that anyone who lives north of St. Albans has some kind of prejudice against Londoners — perhaps "prejudice" is the wrong word — or rather not against Londoners but against southernism.”
- A word or phrase (a dialectism) from Southern American English.“I loved his languid, Southern speech and little southernisms, like "you can't put a sequin on a rat's ass."”