y'all @ the south: culture, tradition & life in dixie

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Kick up your heels at a juke joint or honky tonk
By John T. Edge

Jukin'?

That's when you get into a car which is preferably open -- in any weather -- and then you drink a little bit and you drive a little bit. And then you stop and you dance a little bit with a juke box. And then you drink a little bit more and you drive a little bit more.

Then you stop and you dance a little more. Then you stop dancin' and you drink and you drive. And then you stop drivin' and you just drink. That's jukin'"

Carol Cutrere, from Tennessee Williams' "The Fugitive Kind"

Want to follow in Miss. Cutrere's footsteps? Headin' out for a night of jukin' or honky tonkin'?

Here's what you need to know...

The terms juke joint and honky tonk are often used interchangeably, but such linguistic recklessness is ill-advised -- especially for those of us who are "just visiting." Though one can go jukin' at either and a juke box is always a fixture in the corner of both, juke joints and honky tonks are similar but not synonymous. Each type of establishment is governed by a separate set of rules and frequented by a separate set of customers.

In this series, we'll explore these Southern roadhouses and the cultures from which they sprang. So gas up the car, grab a longneck or a quart (Don't forget the little paper bag!), crank up the stereo and join John T. on a two-fisted exploration of some of the South's finest two-lane blacktops.


When all else fails, kudzu takes over.
Photo by John T. Edge

  • Honky tonkin' made simple
  • Juke joints: a no-jive guide.
  • Got a question or maybe a suggestion for John T.? Leave it here.

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