# significance/meaning of "I reckon" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 27, 2020, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/significance-meaning-of-i-reckon/847076 "2020-01-27T20:28:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/significance-meaning-of-i-reckon/847076/21 "2020-01-28T05:12:07Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > Josey Wales: “I reckon I’m right popular” Now spit. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/significance-meaning-of-i-reckon/847076/22 "2020-01-28T05:19:02Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > Now spit. Spit? You must have me confused with someone else.:😛 ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/significance-meaning-of-i-reckon/847076/23 "2020-01-28T07:32:57Z")
I reckon it’s an older usage, nowadays commonly associated (not necessarily correctly) with less-educated people: Rural people; pioneers in the Old West; Appalachian hillbillies; etc. It was also commonly used with the meaning “to figure” or “to compute” or doing arithmetic. Parents living out on the prairie learnt their chillun their letters and figures: They taught them reading, writing, and reckoning. They used Sears Mail-Order Catalogs as the textbooks for all of these subject. (That’s true, I’ve read.) Steinbeck uses “reckon” a lot in _Grapes of Wrath_ both to mean “I figure” or “The way I see it” and also meaning to do arithmetic. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/significance-meaning-of-i-reckon/847076/24 "2020-01-28T11:14:14Z")
> [@Doug\_K](#): > > It’s a perfectly legitimate English language usage. Not a “southern” or rural thing at all. > > From [Cambridge Dictionary:](https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/reckon) This. To reckon is to judge or estimate. To preface a statement with “I reckon” is to tag that statement as the opinion of the speaker (rather than any sort of fact). “A \* to be reckoned with” tags the \* as a thing about which you will need to do some thinking; the \* is not something you can dismiss or ignore without consequence. A reckoning is an act or instance of judgment reconciling. ---
**Author:** ![Grave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/71c47a/32.png) [@Grave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grave)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/significance-meaning-of-i-reckon/847076/25 "2020-01-28T14:46:36Z")
Once dictionaries were cited, I reckon most of y’all are clueless about the conversational use of the term in the American South. American South means Texas and states east, excluding Florida for purposes of this reply. “I reckon” is used daily; equivalents would be ‘I think’, ‘in my opinion’ or ‘if you are asking me’. A simple shorthand for saying ‘This is what I think’ which was widely understood. Just a geographical colloquialism. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/significance-meaning-of-i-reckon/847076/26 "2020-01-28T15:20:37Z")
> [@Grave](#): > > Once dictionaries were cited, I reckon most of y’all are clueless about the conversational use of the term in the American South. You think dictionaries don’t document conversational uses? > [@Grave](#): > > “I reckon” is used daily; equivalents would be ‘I think’, ‘in my opinion’ or ‘if you are asking me’. A simple shorthand for saying ‘This is what I think’ which was widely understood. I think these meaning are captured pretty well by the OED. Here are the full entries for the two senses I alluded to in my previous post: > [@OED](#): > > 6.a To consider, think, suppose, be of opinion, etc., _that_. Also with omission of _that_. Now usu. _colloq._, esp. in the U.S. (formerly chiefly in southern States). > > > [@](#): > > > > **1513** More in _Grafton Chron._ (1568) II. 803 Men woulde not recon that hee coulde haue right to the realme. **1530** Wriothesley _Chron._ (1875) I. 16 Some recken he killed himselfe with purgations. **1611** Bible _Isa._ xxxviii. 13, I reckoned till morning, that as a Lyon so will hee breake all my bones. **1668** Glanvill _Plus Ultra_ Pref., Whether his reply be publique or not, I reckon he will blow the dust upon me. **1712** Swift _Jrnl. to Stella_ xlviii, I reckon the queen will go to Windsor in three‥weeks. **1796** Burney _Mem. Metastasio_ II. 78, I reckon that I shall have a humpback. **1810** M. van H. Dwight _Jrnl._ 9 Nov. in Journey to Ohio in 1810 (1912) 37 The people here talk curiously, they all reckon instead of expect. **1860** Mrs. Gaskell _Sylvia’s L._ v, ‘A reckon it’s a bargain’, said Harry. **1863** _Congress. Globe_ 7 Feb. 783/3 If you can take this property by compact, I reckon you cannot take it against the consent of the owners. **1875** Jowett _Plato_ (ed. 2) I. 443, I reckon, said Socrates, that no one‥could accuse me of idle talking. **1893** H. A. Shands _Some Peculiarities of Speech in Mississippi_ 53 Reckon,‥this word is almost always used in the ordinary conversation of our best educated people for _think_ or _suppose,_ and corresponds to a like use of guess in the Northern States. **1900** _Cosmopolitan_ Feb. 389/1 She met Sam on the way out, and says she: ‘Sam, what do you reckon? My quilt took the premium.’ **1963** _Social Problems_ Spring 367/1, I reckon it’ll always be lucky. **1977** I. Shaw _Beggarman, Thief_ iii. ii. 193, I don’t reckon I’ve had a fare there for more than ten years. > > b. _I reckon_, used parenthetically or finally. > > Formerly in literary Eng. use; still common in Eng. dialects, and current in the southern States of America in place of the northern _I guess_. > > > [@](#): > > > > **1603** Sir R. Cecil in Harington _Nugæ Ant._ (1804) I. 345 He is, I reckon, no wise man that looketh this waye to heaven. **1748** Richardson _Clarissa_ Wks. 1883 VII. 144, I shall have a good deal of trouble, I reckon,‥to be decent on the expected occasion. **1776** Foote _Capuchin_ i. Wks. 1799 II. 389 All your family‥come over to be polish’d, I reckon. **1827** J. F. Cooper _Prairie_ I. vii. 107 Neither of us, I reckon, has ever had much to do with [etc.]. **1883** Stevenson _Treas. Isl._ iv. xx, You would just as soon save your lives, I reckon. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/significance-meaning-of-i-reckon/847076/27 "2020-01-28T15:21:06Z")
> [@Grave](#): > > Once dictionaries were cited, I reckon most of y’all are clueless about the conversational use of the term in the American South. American South means Texas and states east, excluding Florida for purposes of this reply. > > “I reckon” is used daily; equivalents would be ‘I think’, ‘in my opinion’ or ‘if you are asking me’. A simple shorthand for saying ‘This is what I think’ which was widely understood. > > Just a geographical colloquialism. But that colloquial usage of the word (“I reckon”) is perfectly consistent with the dictionary meaning of the word. If you know the dictionary meaning of the word, then the colloquial expression is not at all confusing. ---
**Author:** ![Grave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/71c47a/32.png) [@Grave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grave)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/significance-meaning-of-i-reckon/847076/28 "2020-01-28T16:00:39Z")
Once again, I failed to notice that this thread was in GQ whilst failing to remember I am not good with humor. My sincere apologies to **psychonaut** , **Machine Elf** , and anyone else who suffered my drivel. ---
**Author:** ![dstarfire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dstarfire/32/5762_2.png) [@dstarfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dstarfire)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/significance-meaning-of-i-reckon/847076/29 "2020-01-28T20:01:17Z")
Just to add some clarity (and redirect thread away from who the ‘who uses it’ tangent) the podcast I hear it in most often is reporting tech news. Often the phrase is used when offering an opinion on a just-stated fact. I’ve also heard in in those news segments where they interview a man/woman on the street about a current issue. I’m not disparaging the phrase or people who use it (re-read the OP I only described the accent as “southern” and “country/southern”). On the contrary, I was impressed at the idea of a phrase for positively marking a statement as personal opinion without diminishing or discrediting the opinion (all the similar phrases I could think of at the time, including “I think” generally have connotations of uncertainty). I have heard it used in shows about or set in Australia (e.g. Bondi Vet), but had forgotten about that. ---
**Author:** ![ALOHA\_HATER](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/76d3ee/32.png) [@ALOHA\_HATER](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ALOHA_HATER)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/significance-meaning-of-i-reckon/847076/30 "2020-01-28T23:10:38Z")
In my inexpert opinion, “reckon” is avoided by US English speakers who speak higher-prestige dialects, and not often used by UK English speakers who speak lower-prestige dialects. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/significance-meaning-of-i-reckon/847076/31 "2020-01-28T23:37:42Z")
I prefer to declare dramatically, “There shall be a reckoning!” I also curl my arm toward me while clenching a quivering fist. Then I calmly present my opinion. ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/significance-meaning-of-i-reckon/847076/32 "2020-01-28T23:39:37Z")
> [@ALOHA\_HATER](#): > > In my inexpert opinion, “reckon” is avoided by US English speakers who speak higher-prestige dialects, and not often used by UK English speakers who speak lower-prestige dialects. I would reverse that for the UK. “Reckon” sounds right to me in a Scots/Irish/Cockney etc accent, but not so much in RP/Toffy-nosed Queens English ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/significance-meaning-of-i-reckon/847076/33 "2020-01-28T23:50:32Z")
> [@Aspidistra](#): > > I would reverse that for the UK. “Reckon” sounds right to me in a Scots/Irish/Cockney etc accent, but not so much in RP/Toffy-nosed Queens English Interesting. When I think of my British friends that use the word “reckon,” they seem to be posh, London or Oxbridge types. I was even watching an episode of Would I Lie to You with David Mitchell on it, and he used the word “reckon,” and I reckon he’s got a fairly upper class accent, no? (Also, I do note that he was linked to earlier in the thread, but this context was not in the tone of a character or sketch, just spontaneous speech.) I’m not British, though, but I definitely picked up the words from people with a public school education. ---
**Author:** ![excavating\_for\_a\_mind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e8c25b/32.png) [@excavating\_for\_a\_mind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/excavating_for_a_mind)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/significance-meaning-of-i-reckon/847076/34 "2020-01-28T23:58:52Z")
I Guess I Reckon I Calculate I have heard all three of these used to indicate how much thought the speaker has given the point he is speaking about. “I guess it’s time to go” – The speaker thinks it time to leave, probably based on information obvious to everyone, i.e. , drinks are finished, and the host spent his last $20 to settle the bill. “I reckon it’s time to go” – The speaker thinks it time to leave, more likely based on information he has observed, but maybe not everyone has, i.e. , bill paid, drinks finished, and he sees the bartender starting to mop behind the bar. “I calculate it’s time to go” – The speaker thinks it time to leave, after thorough consideration of available information, i.e. , the bill is paid, drinks are finished, and a large, boisterous group a couple of tables over are beginning to throw bottles and he sees the bartender making a phone call before reaching behind the bar and pulling out a large stick (or is that a gun?). A guy could be talked out of an “I guess” fairly easily, say his second cousin announcing the next round is on him. To talk him out of an “I reckon” would take a bit more, say the second cousin says the bartender is dating his sister and they can stay all night, if they want to. To get around the “I calculate” takes a quite bit more, perhaps something like the second cousin having the superpower to turn the entire group invisible. ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2020, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/significance-meaning-of-i-reckon/847076/35 "2020-01-29T00:07:29Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Interesting. When I think of my British friends that use the word “reckon,” they seem to be posh, London or Oxbridge types. This is just based on my gut feel from living in the UK - mostly if I was hearing posh oxbridge types it would be in some kind of formal presenter-ish role, where more slack/informal speech like ‘I reckon’ wouldn’t fit so well. I’m open to the possibility that just everyone was using it and I didn’t notice 'cos it all sounded normal to me, though ---
**Author:** ![dba\_Fred](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c37758/32.png) [@dba\_Fred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dba_Fred)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2020, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/significance-meaning-of-i-reckon/847076/36 "2020-01-29T00:09:52Z")
When I reckon’ something, I’ve figgered it out pret’ near, not down to a gnat’s ass. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2020, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/significance-meaning-of-i-reckon/847076/37 "2020-01-29T00:34:05Z")
In my experience (17 years living in Indonesia and traveling through most of SE Asia), it’s not that uncommon to hear SE Asians who speak English as a second language say “I reckon.” It sounded quaint to me at first, but after I worked with a lot of Australians for a while it started to sound more natural to me. ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2020, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/significance-meaning-of-i-reckon/847076/38 "2020-01-29T04:36:58Z")
‘I reckon so.’ ‘Well,\* I\* reckon not.’ ‘Agree to disagree?’ ‘I reckon.’ ---
**Author:** ![Oswald\_Bastable](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oswald_bastable/32/214_2.png) [@Oswald\_Bastable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oswald_Bastable)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2020, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/significance-meaning-of-i-reckon/847076/39 "2020-01-29T07:08:19Z")
Chinny reckon. OB :dubious: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/significance-meaning-of-i-reckon/847076.md?page=1)