Regionalism's

[Mr. Bloom]

OK, all this talk of politics somehow rekindled a memory of an NPR story a long time ago about a comment Bill Clinton made at a press conference. He made a comment using the phrase

"Adam's Off Ox"

In a sentence: " I don't know him from Adam's Off Ox"

So the NPR commentary traced the idiomatic phrase to rural Arkansas although the roots were ultimately traced to 18th century England.

So, what are the idiomatic phrases in your region?

[Crankin]

Let's see: tonic, frappe, wicked pissa, barrel, bubbler, packie, jimmies, dungarees...
Oh and calling everything by some abbreviation that was thought of 200 years ago.

These words are dying out. Nobody I know has a Boston accent and none of my friends use these words. Once in awhile I slip one in to confuse my husband.

[Jolt]

...and let's not forget the use of "wicked" as an adverb--when I am in NJ visiting my family and say something like, for example, "it's wicked hot today", people there ask "where are you from?".

[spotlightmama]

Hehe - I love wicked! I only spent one year in Boston, but I have to keep that one around.

I'm from the South, so ya'll is a big one. "Knee high to a grasshopper" - that kind of thing. DH is from the beach area, so "shaka bra" is quite popular around this area (but not this house, lol).

[SlowButSteady]

y'all

yonder

reckon

I have somewhat of an interest in regionalism both in speech and in regional foods. In fact, I enjoy watching true crime shows on television and "placing" an accent to within a state or two based on the speech of the interviewd persons.

Though I have a doctorate, my speech in everyday life retains the flavor of Appalachia, albeit a "mill hill" of the central piedmont version. Actually, I like it, and I can put a damper on it when the need arises.

Given the constant audio and video media in which we in Western civilization exist, I always thought that regional variations in accent and speech would have been erased. However, I notice these variations more.

Perhaps variations help identify us and promote a sense of community and bonding.

[Geonz]

Grammar Police! Grammar Police!! I have my regionalisms... Actually I can't think of any 'round here... in Culpeper ( in the foothills of hte Blue Ridge) you could be a career "woodchuck" - person who works wiht trees, especially if you take a pickup truck full of firewood into D.C. to sell it ... and my favorite "I feel like a biscuit!" ("I felt like a complete idiot!") ... but I'm not sure that wasn't a family phrase for one of Culpeper's bigger sets of cousins - now *those* I have a fair number of...

[bmccasland]

Baby
Term of endearment to be used with any small child, or adult you're particularily close to - and used by all races with all races.

(when I was reading this thread, I thought of a couple of others, but now they've gone pfft out of my head.)

[OakLeaf]

you could be a career "woodchuck" - person who works wiht trees

The name of the animal itself is a regionalism - just five hours away it's a "groundhog." My sister and I agree that it's an awful garden pest (although the four babies under my porch right now are just too cute), but we can't agree on what it's called!

In the country, a private road connecting a house to a public road is called a "lane." I've lived here 11 years and still call it my "driveway" more often than not... trying to learn.

[AmyO]

Let's see: tonic, frappe, wicked pissa, barrel, bubbler, packie, jimmies, dungarees...
Oh and calling everything by some abbreviation that was thought of 200 years ago.

These words are dying out. Nobody I know has a Boston accent and none of my friends use these words. Once in awhile I slip one in to confuse my husband.

I tried in vain to make my kids call a Coke "tonic". I won't give up, though.

I have a "bad" Boston accent, but my kids don't. I agree that most of these things are getting lost.

Interesting show from WBUR's "Radio Boston" about the accents in eastern Mass....http://www.radioboston.org/index.php...-accent-2.html

[tc1]

You wait in line. On line applies to computers only.
Get a Starbucks means get a coffee.
The freeways are, for example, I-5, or 5 if you are really lazy. NEVER "the 5".
Microsoft is the evil empire.
I'm trying to remember all the ones that stumped my friend from Iowa, but my mind is fried after 26 miles on the bike and 2 hours of yardwork.

[KnottedYet]

Get a Starbucks means get a coffee.

I grew up here and remember when Starbucks was one little herb and tea shop (no coffee) at Pike Place. I usually say "get some coffee."

(maybe cuz "a" coffee is never enough? )

ETA: I sort of view Starbucks as the evil empire... they have bought out so many other coffee companies, they own their competition! Seattlite trivia: who remembers what SBC stood for BEFORE its name was changed to Seattle's Best Coffee? I'll give you a hint: their logo was a cat.)

[OakLeaf]

You wait in line. On line applies to computers only.
The freeways are, for example, I-5, or 5 if you are really lazy. NEVER "the 5".

That's funny, because I think of your versions as standard, and the variations as regionalisms.

"On line" to mean what you're standing in - my DH is the only person I've ever heard that from, and I've lived on both coasts, the Great Plains, the Great Lakes and Appalachia. He's mostly NJ with a little AZ. I suspect AZ, since I've known several people from NJ who stand "in line."

"The 5," exclusively California.

Am I wrong?


ETA: we don't get "some" or "a" coffee, we just "get [or go for] coffee"

[Becky]

Let's see...

"Y'all" is actually pretty popular here, especially as you head south. Delaware has a split personality. We get a lot of Philly influence, but there's parts of the state that are most definitely deep south.

"On line", e.g., "I'm on line at the grocery store- be home soon" is something that I picked up from my hubby, who's from northern NJ. I think it's a NJ/NY thing, 'cuz our friends in southern NJ don't use it.

Darn...there's got to be others.....I'll post if I think of them.

[shootingstar]

I still haven't figured out the regionalisms where we are since I've moved.

Methinks my brain is messed up in terms of terminology and accents because of globalism...seriously in Canadian Pacific Rim city...it's different. Maybe I'm in the wrong social circles here in Vancouver..

One thing I have noticed since coming to Vancouver, is a tendency for people to refer to their cottage as a ..."cabin" when it really is not a loghouse cabin/hut at all. It could be something...closer to a detached home year-round or ...chalet.

Whereas in Ontario, a cottage is truly a cottage and a cabin really means a roughed place.

Yes Vancouverites do mention sushi WAY more often than Toronto folks..because we are closer to the natural sources.

But may I politely add, Canadian English spelling does lean abit more heavily on British English spelling. So we colour our world different than 'color' your world.

The Oxford English dictionary in a Canadian university or for any large Canadian library would be considered a strong preferred purchase for any English literature/language course vs. Webster's.

I love regionalism and dialects for 1 language. The English language worldwide, of how it manifests itself in different countries is truly interesting.... when various 'patois' are born.

[kelownagirl]

I still haven't figured out the regionalisms where we are since I've moved.

Methinks my brain is messed up in terms of terminology and accents because of globalism...seriously in Canadian Pacific Rim city...it's different. Maybe I'm in the wrong social circles here in Vancouver..

One thing I have noticed since coming to Vancouver, is a tendency for people to refer to their cottage as a ..."cabin" when it really is not a loghouse cabin/hut at all. It could be something...closer to a detached home year-round or ...chalet.

Whereas in Ontario, a cottage is truly a cottage and a cabin really means a roughed place.

Yes Vancouverites do mention sushi WAY more often than Toronto folks..because we are closer to the natural sources.

But may I politely add, Canadian English spelling does lean abit more heavily on British English spelling. So we colour our world different than 'color' your world.

The Oxford English dictionary in a Canadian university or for any large Canadian library would be considered a strong preferred purchase for any English literature/language course vs. Webster's.

I love regionalism and dialects for 1 language. The English language worldwide, of how it manifests itself in different countries is truly interesting.... when various 'patois' are born.

"Cottage" is definitely an eastern word. I always think it sounds funny. We call them cabins regardless of the size.