Regionalism's

[newfsmith]

I grew up in SW Wisconsin, and have spent the past year traveling back every 2-3 weeks to care for my Mom. As soon as you land in Milwaukee, you will hear "you betcha" instead of "you're welcome". This has not changed from my childhood, but some other phrases have disappeared or become less common, while others have become more generally used.
pop (soda)
down yonder & over yonder
rode Hank's mare = rode shank's pony (walked)
I had "ants" not "aunts"
crick = creek (no wonder I had trouble learning to spell)
"douse that glim" = turn out the light (that one facinated my husband,
who insisted it was a British thieves' expression)
My grandfather when badgered for a story would first always recite:
"I'll tell you a story about **** and Norrie, and now my story is begun.
I'll tell you another about Tom and his brother, and now my story is
done."

[NbyNW]

Eden and Ciao,

Another Pittsburgher here, and I'm surprised you didn't mention one of my favorites:

gumband - rubber band

I never thought I had an accent, b ut my New-England-native DH swears that when I say "it's cold out" that it sounds like "it's coowd aht"

[Eden]

Eden and Ciao,

Another Pittsburgher here, and I'm surprised you didn't mention one of my favorites:

gumband - rubber band

I never thought I had an accent, b ut my New-England-native DH swears that when I say "it's cold out" that it sounds like "it's coowd aht"

my husband (also a New Englander - Maine specifically) used to make fun of me for the way I said o's as in stone and thinks my mom says wush instead of wash.

[NbyNW]

my husband (also a New Englander - Maine specifically) used to make fun of me for the way I said o's as in stone and thinks my mom says wush instead of wash.

No. Way. My DH is from Maine, too. They got some nerve, making fun of the way we talk.

Ayup.

[Flur]

I went to college in NJ, and we had quite a mix of people from different parts of the US. I learned that in some parts of the country, jimmies are the same as sprinkles, but in other parts jimmies are condoms! It made quite a mess when a bunch of us would go out for ice cream....

When I lived in NY and NJ people referred to New York City as "the city" as if it was the only one. Everything else was a town. This drove my family nuts. Now I'm in Minneapolis and it's "the cities", again as if they're the only ones. LOL!

The biggest regionalism from my childhood in MI was "pop". When I moved out east people would either laugh (at me, not with me) or they just wouldn't understand - "pot?", "popcorn?" I picked up "soda" pretty quickly. I've been in MN now for almost 4 years and still say soda, and no one seems to mind, even though here it's "pop".

[Kimmyt]

When I lived in NY and NJ people referred to New York City as "the city" as if it was the only one. Everything else was a town. This drove my family nuts. Now I'm in Minneapolis and it's "the cities", again as if they're the only ones. LOL!

I think it's habit for a lot of folks that live in the direct area of a large city to call that city by a generic term instead of it's proper name. Maybe it's a more casual way of referring to it, or a way of establishing ones familiarity with it.

I grew up my entire life around Philadelphia and therefore almost always call it 'The City'. 'Hey let's go into the city for dinner' or 'do you want to see a show in the city?'

A friend of mine (who lives in the city, but isn't from there originally) made fun of me once for saying that and it kinda pissed me off.

To me, if you were referring to any city, it was Philly, because that was the closest one, being only 10-15 drive away. If you were going to NY you said New York. But, The City, was Philly.

I would imagine it'd be the same for folks living in the suburban areas of any large city.

I guess I'm saying that most people when they say 'The City' don't mean 'This is the only City, everything else is just a town'... it's just a quick and casual way of referring to 'their' city.

[Eden]

No. Way. My DH is from Maine, too. They got some nerve, making fun of the way we talk.

Ayup.

so lets see here
we are both from Pittsburgh, married to Mainers and moved to Seattle - cue the twilight zone music.... (not to mention we are both rather petite)

[NbyNW]

so lets see here
we are both from Pittsburgh, married to Mainers and moved to Seattle - cue the twilight zone music.... (not to mention we are both rather petite)

well . . . Pittsburgh and Maine both export people (DH thinks that's part of what we have in common: industrial/extraction economy that went into decline) . . . and Seattle (still) has jobs . . . can't really explain the petite thing, though

[Eden]

well . . . Pittsburgh and Maine both export people (DH thinks that's part of what we have in common: industrial/extraction economy that went into decline) . . . and Seattle (still) has jobs . . . can't really explain the petite thing, though

I met my husband in college. Neither of us would have had a job had we moved back to his small Maine town (he's a programmer, I'm a medical photographer - neither conducive to employment in lumber or in the paper mill) and though we probably could have lived in Pittsburgh, most of my family was gone from there already and heck, I grew up there, why not experience somewhere else.

[indigoiis]

You Might Be From Vodilun (say it aloud) if........

You've been to Twin Oaks for your birthday.
You reuse the Newport Creamery Gallon container to freeze your meatballs and gravy.
You have a $200 car with a $2000 sound system...
You have an ashtray made from a quahog shell...
You can't take a bath, because there's a saint inside your tub.
You've used an inside out tire as a planter...
Your friends throw you a going away party, because you're moving from Pawtucket to Woonsocket...
The guy you ended up marrying lived no more than 6 blocks from where you grew up.
You've converted the basement of your house into an apartment.
You pronounce it "Warrik" instead of Warwick..
You bump into Roanne from Off Track Bedding at a restaurant and you ask her for an autograph.
You call spaghetti sauce, "gravy."
You've thrown at least one yard sale this month.
You tell friends that something is "on special", instead of on sale.
The meal at every wedding you've ever attended was chicken, shells and frenchfries.
You put celery salt on your hot dogs.
You are never from Providence, or East Providence, but from the East Side, Rumford or Riverside
You've called into a radio talk show at least once in the past 5 days.
You don't eat dinner...,you have "suppa"...
You put vinegar on your french fries.
You order an iced coffee in December.
If 5 flakes of snow fall at 9:00 AM, you're out of there by 10:00 AM.
You read the wedding announcements in the Sunday Pro-Jo and recognize at least 3 couples.
Your favorite adjective is "wicket."
When told surprising news, yourespond, "Geddout!", if you're a male and "Nosuh!" if you're a female.
The seltzer guy delivers bottles to your home on a weekly basis.
People at work wish you a " Happy St. Joseph's Day!
You say "please" if you want something repeated.
A car journey longer than 1 hour is a day trip.
You can curse in Italian.
You know the basic rules of Duck Pin Bowling.
You own garden tools from Job Lot.
You have tried to drive the the measured mile in less than 45 seconds.
You know what the expression "side by each " means.
You've discussed graphic surgery at the dinner table.
You've used the expression " not fa nuthin " in conversation.
You serve bread with every meal.
You feel compelled to hear at least one weather report a day.
You've pulled out of a sidestreet and used your car to block oncoming traffic so you can make a left turn.
Your holiday season isn't complete without a trip to LaSallette Shrine.
There's a bottle of coffee syrup in your fridge right now.
You have given a bottle of Sakonnet wine as a gift.
You own a "Free Buddy" t-shirt.
You go to all the Micheal Corrente or Farrelly Brothers openings, even if you don't think you'll like the movie.
You've gotten sick from eating too many clam cakes.
You own at least one coffee table book with a picture of a light house on the cover.
You've boasted about the money you've saved at The Christmas Tree Shop.
You own a hat with a red " P " on it.
You harbor a secret desire to muss up Doug White's hair.
You still refer to The RI Mall as The Midland Mall.
You've gone to "Leggs and Eggs."
You've slammed on your breaks to discourage a tailgater.
You've dated a girl named Brenda,or a guy named Vinnie.
You've used a breakdown lane on 95 to pass someone.
You've personally met Vinny Pazienza.
You've driven more than 5 miles, just so you could save $2.
You've been on a RIPTA bus less than 6 times in 12 years.
You can still remember the words to the old Rocky Point theme song.
You know what a "governor-preferred " plate is.
You can always find someone to pass your car when it fails inspection.[/B]
You have a degree from URI, CCRI or RIC.
You know how to pronounce Pawtucket,Cowesett, Usqepaug and Narragansett.
You've taken a ride on the Bay Queen.
You refer to the movies as, "the show ."
You know what Allie's makes.
You go to " the package store ", not the liquor store.
You've never wondered why there's no "West Providence", but a "West End."
You think banana, vanilla, and idea all end in the letter " r ."
You give directions such as, "Make a left where Almacs used to be!"
Khakis are something you start the car with.
You think crosswalks are for wimps
You think if someone's nice to you, they either want something or they are from out of town and probably lost
You know how to cross 4 lanes of traffic in 5 seconds
You know that Wootoo is where to go to buy a car.
You think it's not actually tailgating unless your bumper is touching the car in front of you
You know that a yellow light means at least 5 more cars can get through.....and that a red light means 2 more can
The transportation system is known as the RIPTA
Subway is a fast food place
You could own a small town in Iowa for the cost of your house.
There are 24 Dunkin Donuts Shops within 15 minutes of your house.
You believe using a turn signal gives away your plan to the enemy
If you stay on the same road long enough, it will eventually have 3 or more different names
Three days of 90+ heat is definitely a "heat wave".....and 63 degree weather is "on the warm side"
At the creamery, you order a cabinet and call chocolate sprinkles "Jimmies"
Your friend Chevul drives a Camavo
You know who Peter Pan is (not the one in green tights.)
You have bridge tokens rattling around on your dashboard.
You can name all the islands in Narragansett Bay.
You know what a gagga is.
You had an account at Old Stone Bank.

And finally, you know you're a rhode island TE girl when you ride a hundred miles and end up leaving the state. Twice.

[Beane]

You Might Be From Vodilun (say it aloud) if........


And finally, you know you're a rhode island TE girl when you ride a hundred miles and end up leaving the state. Twice.

I have to say, having lived in the DC suburbs, Philadelphia, RI, and now Wisconsin, lil Rhody (with its lobstahs and mobstahs) has the most and wackiest sayings I've ever encountered! And with the accent many are very hard to figure out.

My favorite is definitely "pasta and gravy", especially if you wake up at 9 am to start cooking.

...such a fun place though. And i did make my mom bring a dozen donuts (from DD, not Allie's.. btw, we had a GIANT allie's donut as the cake at my 21st b-day party) across the country the last time she visited... they didn't make it very well. but hey, a squished donut is still a donut.

[Tuckervill]

We say "go to town" when we want to go to the biggest city nearby, even though we live in a town. In some cases that could mean Pine Bluff or Little Rock when we lived between the two, and now it means we have a choice of Fayetteville or Bentonville/Rogers, cuz that's where all the best shopping is. Sometimes we don't decide which town until we're in the car. (Um, 50,000 people in three of those "cities".)

I have a friend in NY state who uses "crick" for creek. I thought she was making fun of me when I first heard her say it--or "puttin' on airs", like she was now some kind of country-folk, having moved from The City. Then the more I heard it I thought she must be illiterate, because surely she can see it is spelled with two e's! Then I realized that's just how they say it up there.

I had some regional immersion today. I read a book of my son's grandmother's letters she had written to her daughter over the daughter's life. They were put together in a binder for everyone on that side after the grandmother passed. (Isn't that sweet?) The most quaint expression she used was "Myrtle's waiting." Every fourth letter had a phrase about Myrtle waiting for her baby--Grammaw's first grandchild--to be born. "Myrtle's still waiting." Just that phrase and nothing more about Myrtle or a baby. I had to divine what she meant by the dates, and then of course, the baby came and got his first mention in the letters!

Karen

[7rider]

We say "go to town" when we want to go to the biggest city nearby, even though we live in a town.

Gloucester, Massachusetts (northeast of Boston) is on a little spit of a cape that sticks out into the Atlantic. There is a highway, Route 128, that connects it with nearby towns and the main interstate (I-95). Locals refer to going "up the line" when they plan to make the trek off-Cape (gasp! ) and visit nearby Peabody, Danvers, Salem or where ever.

I grew up in Connecticut, and when I was in Massachusetts, decided to have a "tag sale" to unload some household stuff. I plastered signs all over the place - even on my car's windshield - pointing the way to my tag sale. I actually had folks show up and ask me what a "tag sale" was. In Gloucester (and MA in general), they are "yard sales."

[Tuckervill]

I've been to Gloucester! Whoopie Goldberg was tending bar in a little restaurant at the pier where we went whale watching. No lie!

Karen