What it means
A double modal verb combo that makes perfect sense in the American South even though it makes English teachers twitch. It means I might be able to or there is a possibility I could. It is softer than I can and more polite than I will. Southern grammar stacks modals like pancakes and this is the most beloved stack on the menu.
Usage examples
"I might could swing by after church if Mama does not need help with the porch. No promises though, because last time she had me repainting the whole thing."
"I might could give you a ride to the airport tomorrow."
"We might could fix it ourselves if we had the right tools."
Where it comes from
A Southern double modal, stacking might and could to soften a maybe: I might could help. The pattern comes from older Scots and Northern English speech carried over by settlers.
Editors of this term
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