crumble-in n
1 also crumb(le)-up: A dish of cornbread crumbled into milk or buttermilk; occas the crumbled cornbread in this or a similar dish. chiefly TN, wNC Also called crumbly n
1913 Union Republican (Winston-Salem NC) 20 Feb 8/4 nwNC, [Letter:] We have the finest pancake and cornbread and sweet milk. A boy can have “crumblein” up to his chin. 1931 Ft. Worth Star–Telegram (TX) 27 Feb 21/5 csTN, “Crumblein” was made in an entirely different manner [from pot liquor] and only served at “supper,” but the same bowl and pewter spoon was used and rich sweet milk, fresh from the spring house poured into the bowl and sufficient pone was crumbled in to make a thin mass that would not require chewing. 1952 Callahan Smoky Mt. 88, Often it [=corn bread] was simply crumbled into a glass of milk and eaten with a spoon, this delectable dish being called “crumble up” and often serving as the sole item in a full evening meal. 1956 Asheville Citizen (NC) 3 Aug [15]/1, A mountain man once described his notion of heaven as a land flowing with cornpone and potlikker. He made his comment, appropriately enough, while pleasuring his palate with a brimming dish of potlikker and “crumble-in.” 1958 PADS 29.9 TN, Crumb up: Corn bread crumbled in sweet milk. Rep[orted] from Humphreys, Perry [Counties]. 1961 Nashville Tennessean (TN) 17 May 9/6, Mrs. Sidney McMurtry of Greenbrier brought up the subject of “crumbleup,” which is one name for cornbread crumbled into buttermilk. Says her husband wouldn’t think of going to bed before he has his glass of “crumbleup.” 1963 Nashville Tennessean (TN) 29 Nov 27/5, He suffered a heart attack and has been home from the hospital for two weeks. What worries me he hasn’t yet called for any ‘crumble-up’ in milk. [DARE Ed: This is a letter from the person mentioned in quot 1961 above.] 1981 Howell Surv. Folklife 100 cTN, “Crumble in” (corn bread crumbled into sweet milk and eaten like cereal) is still a favorite light supper of several informants. 1982 Slone How We Talked 90 eKY (as of c1950), “Crumble in”—Large pieces of corn bread and crust were soaked in milk. This was what most kids took to school for their lunch, in an empty lard bucket. 1995 Farr Table Talk 20 swVA, After the butter was taken out Grandmother always filled a little mixing bowl with buttermilk and gave us the corn bread that was left over from dinner that day. We crumbled the bread into that bowl, . . and ate that crumble-in.
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