My mother was Tennessee born and bred. Southerners have their own language. One of my mother's favorite expressions was "Don't be ugly."
Being ugly meant bad-mouthing someone (unless you preface it with "Bless her heart), being selfish, being mean, just being plain old nasty. Unfortunately, I have been ugly plenty of times in my life. Mostly it was unintentional, but sometimes my "uglies" came out deliberately. (Just ask my ex-daughter in law.) I was ugly with her. I was ugly with the women who fleeced my father of his life's savings. I tend to be downright ornery and ugly to anyone who hurts my family. (It's that mama grizzly thing.)
So, okay, that's nothing to brag about. And I'm not really bragging, just 'fessing up to the uglies in me. I want to plead it's genetic, what with my southern roots and all. But then there's my Aunt Mae, also Tennessee born and bred, who hasn't an ugly bone in her body.
Gem for the day: the uglies will get you if you don't watch out.
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