Southern-fried
Americanadjective
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Cooking. coated with flour, egg, and breadcrumbs and fried in deep fat.
Southern-fried chicken.
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(often lowercase) characteristic of or originating in the South.
a vocabulary full of southern-fried expressions.
adjective
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(of meats, esp chicken) dipped in a mixture of flour and breadcrumbs and deep-fried
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Also: country-fried. (of music) combined with or influenced by elements of country-and-western music
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Also: country-fried. derogatory characteristic of or pertaining to the Southeastern US, esp in culture, politics, or religion Compare chicken-fried
Etymology
Origin of Southern-fried
First recorded in 1925–30
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The Southern-fried chicken they’re known for was oh-so-crispy and perfectly seasoned, but honestly, everything was delicious.
From Salon ● Jan. 13, 2026
Goggins’ gritty and/or Southern-fried shows are not the kind that inspire Emmy voters’ rapture.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2025
Beatty later told People magazine he was grateful simply for a chance to play a tough-minded businessman after a run of Southern-fried “schnooks.”
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 13, 2021
This isn’t American Southern-fried chicken, unless you mean south of the border.
From Washington Post ● Aug. 28, 2019
There are satisfying arena-ready rockers like “Greatest Show on Earth,” ”American Rock ‘n Roll” and “Stand the Pain” along with proud Southern-fried tunes like “Tennessee Mountain Top” and the playful, bluesy “Raining Whiskey.”
From Washington Times ● Nov. 6, 2017
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
