Regionalism's

[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.

[Geonz]

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.

... and other places it's a "whistle pig."