17 Terrifying Phrases for ‘Ghost’ from Across the United States

During Halloween, it’s believed that the spirits of the deceased roam among the living. Whether you believe in this or in ghosts at all, it’s worth knowing what locals mean when a South Carolinian talks about a plat-eye or a Mainer cautions you about swogons. Explore these eerie regional terms for supernatural beings, sourced from the Dictionary of American Regional English (DARE).

Skookum

The term skookum, used to describe a ghost, demon, or spirit, originates from the Chinook Native American language and is primarily a Northwest term. In the Northwest and Alaska, skookum as an adjective can mean strong, powerful, or excellent, while a skookum house refers to a jail, and a skookum chuck describes a rough or fast-moving body of water.

Tommyknocker

Beyond being the title of a Stephen King book, the term tommyknocker has been a Western term since the early 1900s, referring to a ghost inhabiting a mine. It also describes the knocking sounds supposedly made by such spirits. This usage stems from the English dialect word tommyknocker, which means a “tool used to crush ore.”

Haunt

In the South and South Midland regions, a haunt or hant refers to a ghost or spirit. Originally, the word haunt had no supernatural connotations: According to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), it first appeared in the 13th century to mean “to frequent a place” or “to practice habitually.” By 1576, it evolved to describe persistent memories, thoughts, or emotions. In 1597, it took on a ghostly meaning, as seen in Richard III: “Some haunted by the ghosts they have deposed.” Nearly 300 years later, it came to mean a spirit or ghost.

Hot Hant and Hot Steam

In the Lower Mississippi Valley and southern Alabama, you might encounter a hot hant or hot steam. Ben Burman’s 1938 book, Blow for a Landing, explains that hot hants are hot because “they’ve gone to hell.” In To Kill a Mockingbird, a hot steam is described as “a lost soul unable to reach heaven, wandering lonely roads. If you walk through one, you’ll become one after death.”

Bugaboo

This Southern and South Midland term for a ghost can also mean an imaginary monster or the devil. Dating back to at least 1710, the OED suggests it may derive from the obsolete meaning of bug, an evil spirit (the insect meaning came later), and might be influenced by boo. Variants include boogerboo and bugabo.

Booger

If someone from the South or South Midland states mentions a booger, be cautious—they might be referring to something far scarier than nasal mucus. The term first appeared in the 1750s to describe a contemptible person, according to the OED, and by the 1820s, it evolved to signify a terrifying supernatural being (while also gaining its mucus-related meaning in 1891).

Duppy

In Alabama and Louisiana, the term “duppy” is often used to describe a ghost. DARE traces its origins to Bube, a Bantu language spoken in West Africa. The OED’s earliest English reference comes from British historian Edward Long’s 1774 work, The History of Jamaica (“Those of deceased friends are duppies”), while DARE cites a 1919 issue of the Journal of American Folklore: “... the ghost-story, the tale based on a belief about ‘hants’ or ‘bugies’ or ‘duppies.’”

Hide-Behind

This term—with variations like high-behind and nigh-behind—describes a ghost or mythical creature that constantly conceals itself behind objects. Henry Tryon’s 1939 book, Fearsome Critters, portrays the hide-behind as a 6-foot-tall “highly dangerous animal” equipped with “grizzly-like claws.” Interestingly, it’s said to “never attack a drunk person.” Vance Randolph’s 1951 book, We Always Lie to Strangers: Tall Tales from the Ozarks, describes it as “a lizard as large as a bull” that “ambushes humans on nighttime trails.”

Catawampus

In the South and South Midland states, catawampus refers to an imaginary monster or hobgoblin. It also means “fierce, destructive, or relentless,” according to the OED. The word likely originated as a playful term, with its first part possibly inspired by catamount, another name for a puma or cougar.

Swogon

This Maine expression for a ghost may derive from Swamp Swogon, mentioned in Holman Day’s Up in Maine: “For even in these days P.I.’s tremble / At the great Swamp Swogon of Brassua Lake./ When it howls and moans through the endless night,/ And demands the souls of the terrified crew.” Another Maine term, swogun (also spelled swagin, swagan, and other variations), refers to bean soup.

Akua

In Hawaii, an akua refers to a deity, spirit, or supernatural entity. The OED includes atua, a Polynesian term with the same meaning.

Stepney

This term is used by Gullah speakers along the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina. It can signify hunger or difficult times and is sometimes personified as an evil spirit. The origin of the word remains unclear.

Plat-eye

If you’re wandering through South Carolina at night, beware of plat-eyes. These malevolent spirits or hobgoblins are believed to emerge from graves. The term platt-eye prowl refers to the nighttime hours when they are said to wander.

Go-Devil

Another term from South Carolina, a go-devil refers to an evil spirit or someone disguised as one. It also describes various tools and machines used in agriculture, forestry, oil drilling, and logging.

Hag (or Hag Spirit)

Though often associated with witches, in the Southeast, the term hag or hag spirit can also describe the malevolent ghost of a deceased person. This spirit is believed to cause nightmares by “riding” the unfortunate dreamer. Hag-ridden, as defined by the OED, means tormented by nightmares or mentally distressed.

Rawhead and Bloodybones

Aside from being a great name for a death metal band, rawhead and bloodybones is a Southern and South Midland term for a ghost or hobgoblin. Its origins are ancient: DARE’s earliest American English reference dates to 1637, while the OED traces it back to 1566 in British English. The definitions are chilling: rawhead refers to a creature “often imagined with a skull-like head or one stripped of flesh,” and bloodybones is sometimes depicted as a bogeyman “lurking in ponds, waiting to drown children.”