Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Regionalism and Language: "Of Course!"

O'Neils to see the Irish Dancers
We take into consideration that language is a shifting element in society.  What was once "far out" turned "cool", or even "hot", while some parts of the country retained their own expressions (regionalism), more than others.

We've talked about it being "wicked hot" in New England, indicating a warmer than normal temperature, and not inherent evil within the temperature.  This is why context is so important.

We had a lesson in regionalism this past week.

At a restaurant in Colorado, each time we said, "Thank you", we were met with "Of course", rather than "you're welcome" (which is often written as 'your welcome' or 'your wellcome' in today's communications).

We thought it might just be our waiter, but soon heard others say the same.  Perhaps it was just this particular restaurant.

We went to another restaurant the next night, and, sure enough, rather than hear, "you're welcome" we received, "of course!" (with some emphasis) from our greeter, waitress, and busboy.

Hearing it in some local stores convinced us that this was, perhaps, a regional expression, since we had not heard it in our part of the country.

It also makes sense.

"Of course" means to take for granted, without question.  It is in this sense, that "thank you" being answered by, "of course", as if "it is expected service, without question."

It was good service.



Boulder had lots to offer, and the Pearl Street Mall was a lot of fun, including the thunder storm that came and went and gave us quite a show.

As language changes, Statement Analysis works with clay blocks, not cement, and is pliable.  Anything that is intended for communication presupposes understanding.

We can analyze it.

Can do it.

Even when pronouns dropped in text messages!

Can you think of anything from your region that is exclusive?


70 comments:

Anonymous said...

Since ive been reading your blog,and the comments made,i have a great tool to use(and i do use it).Thanks!

rob said...

And I native to SC, and my supervisor transferred in from Long Island, NY. Our language is foreign to him. One of my co-workers lives in the mountains of NC, and I don't even understand half of the phrases he used.
The New Yorker has 4 daughters, 3 out of high school when he came here. They jumped right in, and were saying ya'll within a year.
A lot of people get the impression that we are either ignorant or uneducated, and don't mind correcting us to our face. I am southern and country, and have no desire to change.

rob said...

I also don't proofread, sorry.

skip said...

Glad to see you two happy!
Even from Southern Maine to Northern, you have to watch what people say, or you'll take it the wrong way.

Statement Analysis Blog said...

Thanks, Skip.

We had a lot of fun and met some amazing professionals in business who see the value of Analytical Interviewing for new hires, promotions, and even Human Resource disputes.

It would be interesting to hear of some of the regional expressions from all over...


Boulder was a great place to visit.

Peter

Anonymous said...

Shut up u word nazi!

hobnob is warm bussoms said...

Birmingham people say"am yow ooorite"? Meaning "hello i hope you are feeling fine"!!!

Tania Cadogan said...

Living it what is familiarly known as little scotland due to the high percentage of scots (and irish) owing to the long closed steelworks steel works, i hear a lot of scottish colloquialisms. it is strange going to the next town and hearing english and the county accent.
The town has it's own accent which is a mixture of scottish and english with a pinch of irish although it may change over the coming years due to the high influx of east europeans

here we have slang such as
numpty - an idiot
brain donor - a real idiot.
whisht - be quiet.
greetin' - crying

Julie Moon said...

But of course,...
Certainly....
No Problem!

The one that gets me strange looks is when someone thanks me and I reply...

My pleasure!

Sus said...

I don't think it is just in Boulder that "your welcome" is being dropped from use. Around here ( Central Illinois ) thank you is most often met with "It was nothing", " Think nothing of it", or I'd do it for anyone." Is this because no one can except a simple thanks anymore?

John Mc Gowan said...

Im from Liverpool UK,i wouldn't know were to start..Lol

REK said...

I lived with a roommate once who had grown up on the east coast. I grew up in the midwest. she often pointed out to me how we say our "A's" different apparently. anyways.. one phrase i remember her getting a chuckle out of was anytime I would say the phrase "pack my bags" as in, I'm headed out of town so i'm going to pack my bags!

REK said...

i also see responses to thank you as, "sure!" or "not a problem", "anytime" or "no trouble at all!"

REK said...

It's hard to know what phrases are different until you leave your area. Some other differences I've heard: In wisconsin we often call soda, pop. We call a water fountain a bubbler, and we call the children's game, duck duck goose, but in minnesota they call it duck duck grey duck

SALurkerOne said...

Besides saying" Wicked" here in Maine, we say "ayuh" for just about everything else. :)

~mj said...

Pacific NW:

No worries or It's all good- is used often when someone else says sorry for a minor infraction.


Cool, Awesome, and Sweet are still used quite often.

When confirming arrangements, Okie-dokie is used. Sounds silly, I know. :)

Hey is used to greet someone casually or get someones attention and is not considered rude. (For the most part, obviously there are exceptions to rule)

When describing something (casual conversation) Kinda-like is used a lot.

Granted, these phrases are used in family, friend, casual expressions. Some may be used with co-workers, depending on how "professional" the setting is.

We certainly have a very laid back, "it is what it is" vibe in our speech.

C5H11ONO said...

In the mid 90's I was taking a flight from London to Dublin and sat between two Irish guys. They told me I could get good crack in Dublin. I freaked out and thought to myself "Oh My God! How scary! I'm sitting between to crack addicts. What are the odds!? And how casual they are about their addiction!!" My sister whispered to me and told me not to worry, I was safe.

In Spanish there are some words that mean differently in different regions. For example:
"ahora" to me means "now", but to others in South America it may mean "in a little while". For example if you are meeting someone and ask them where will you meet. They may reply "Te aviso ahora" and will mean I'll tell you in a little while or later, but to me, I would be waiting for their response, as I'd be expecting them to tell me "now".
You can just imagine the problems this has caused!

Statement Analysis Blog said...

sooooo,,,

what is crack?

Red Ryder said...

I have lived in several states. The greatest exams of a regianalism was when I lived near the Ohio Penn. border among the steel town. "Yuns" or "Yins" which I think was a mash of "you ones" used when referring to any amount of people, as in "Yins want to grab a burger?". This, incidentally, is where the movie The Deerhunter was filmed.

Red Ryder said...

"examples of regionalism" Lol

Anonymous said...

Heather looks beautiful in this photo. Gorgeous.

REK said...

I think my 6 year old has her own word that seems to be spreading like wild fire.. its called "yabut"..its a quick response stemming from the phrase "yeah, but..." when you tell her an answer she wasn't hoping to hear..lol

John Mc Gowan said...

To have good "crack" is to have a good time with good company,having fun..

Tania Cadogan said...

Peter Hyatt said...

sooooo,,,

what is crack?


I hear it a lot where i live due to the high proportion of scottish and irish folks.

The proper spelling is craic is a term for news, gossip, fun, entertainment, and enjoyable conversation, particularly prominent in Ireland.
It is often used with the definite article – the craic. The word has an unusual history; the English crack was borrowed into Irish as craic in the mid-20th century and the Irish spelling was then reborrowed into English. Under either spelling, the term has great cultural currency and significance in Ireland.

i often hear folk asking what's the crack?(craic) or it was/is/will be a good crack.

I also note when people say thankyou to me i often reply my pleasure, it was nothing, no worries (which makes me think aussie) anytime, anyone would do the same often ending with honey ( i also greet people with hi honey, even strangers, bigwigs etc. I also use sweetie or darlin' though honey is my preffered term of address.

Where i live hen is often used as a term of endearment or greeting ( how're you doin'hen?)

GetThem said...

Tim McGraw made a song about meanings in words:

Don't you remember
The fizz in a pepper
Peanuts in a bottle
At ten, two and four
A fried bologna sandwich
With mayo and tomato
Sittin' round the table
Don't happen much anymore

We got too complicated
It's all way over-rated
I like the old and out-dated
Way of life

Back when a hoe was a hoe
Coke was a coke
And crack's what you were doing
When you were cracking jokes
Back when a screw was a screw
The wind was all that blew
And when you said I'm down with that
Well it meant you had the flu
I miss back when
I miss back when
I miss back when

I love my records
Black, shiny vinyl
Clicks and pops
And white noise
Man they sounded fine
I had my favorite stations
The ones that played them all
Country, soul and rock-and-roll
What happened to those times?

I'm readin' Street Slang For Dummies
Cause they put pop in my country
I want more for my money
The way it was back then

Back when a hoe was a hoe
Coke was a coke
And crack's what you were doing
When you were cracking jokes
Back when a screw was a screw
The wind was all that blew
And when you said I'm down with that
Well it meant you had the flu
I miss back when
I miss back when
I miss back when

Give me a flat top for strumming
I want the whole world to be humming
Just keep it coming
The way it was back then

Back when a hoe was a hoe
Coke was a coke
And crack's what you were doing
When you were cracking jokes
Back when a screw was a screw
The wind was all that blew
And when you said I'm down with that
Well it meant you had the flu
I miss back when
I miss back when
I miss back when

Tania Cadogan said...

REK said...

I think my 6 year old has her own word that seems to be spreading like wild fire.. its called "yabut"..its a quick response stemming from the phrase "yeah, but..." when you tell her an answer she wasn't hoping to hear..lol


We had a comedy sketch show here called Little Britain where the stars (David Walliams and Matt Lucas) plyed different characters some of who are outrageously rude, shocking and occassionally funny (to me)
One character Vicky Pollard is your common-or-garden teenage delinquent, the sort you can see hanging around any number of off licences in Britain, trying to persuade people going inside to buy them 10 fags and a bottle of White Lightening.
Vicky Pollard and boyfriend

Whether nicking stuff from the supermarket or swapping her baby for a Westlife CD, Vicky reacts to any accusation with indignant outrage, while filling you in on 'this fing wot you know nuffin about'.

She often says yeah but no but yeah but no but yeah but no but yeah as she thinks of some excuse for her lies.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/littlebritain/characters/vicky.shtml

Sus said...

I have a language story, not regionalism, but family. I grew up with the saying, "Aunt Ealy's coming along"...meaning I'll just ride along for fun, or I'll tag along.

My mother always said it because her mother said it. It seems my grandmother had an aunt who tagged along...Aunt Ealy.

Many years later, I ended up with a distant cousin as a co-worker. One day as I pulled out of the parking lot, she ran after me yelling...you guessed it..."Wait, Aunt Ealy's coming along."

I burst out laughing after my initial shock. Of course ...our grandmothers were sisters and passed the saying down to their respective families. Since my grandmother had five sisters, I wonder how many cousins I have out there saying, "Wait, Aunt Ealy's coming along."

Sella35 said...

Where I am from we said, "Sure" to mean yes. It did not mean or was not meant to be taken as "If I have to..etc"

When I used to travel for a living and I would do the BIG E fair, we would have people say "All Set"...meaning they were fine. We used to laugh about it, but after 12 years of traveling to New England states. I now say "All set" when I am fine.

Jazzie said...

Regionalism as I know it in CT:

"Funny as shit" = Extremely funny
(My friend Inka out in SoCal thought this expression pretty funny.)

"down cellar" means "in the basement"

"The Packy" (Packy being short for Package Store aka Liquor Store)

We call those things everyone else calls "Hogies" or "Subs": "Grinders"

I borrow from Boston (because I lived there) the word "Wicked" meaning "over the top" or "extreme"

I do hear a lot of younger people in the service industry replying to a "Thank you" with "No problem" instead "Your welcome". Which is odd and annoying. But this might not be regional.

All I can think of tonight.

Jazzie said...

It's weird because there are three terms for those things you can get on your ice cream. I knew them as "sprinkles" some say "jimmies" others say "shots". CT being sandwiched between NY and MA makes for a strange mix. LOL

Dee said...

Sella - When a waitress or another person working in service asks "can I get you anything else?" I always reply "all set, thanks". It seems to be common in CT.

Jazzie - I used to call them shots as a kid. For some reason I now find myself calling them sprinkles. I do know some who call them bugs, lol.

Nic said...

Sorry! (For excuse me.)

We Canadians are always "sorry". We meet each rounding the corner in a grocery store..we say, "Sorry!" It's the funniest thing and something I'm trying to break my habit of.

Nic said...

Oh and when addressing letters and packages to the US/abroad, when I write "Canada" under my return address, I write it

Canada, eh

:0)

Sella35 said...

@Dee, Yes, LOL..I gave up my good career for my love...and here I am now working in a bar/grill as the main daytime person. We sell rentals for a campground, canoes and kayaks..often people will say, is their anything else? and I reply now, "Nope, you're all set"...HA I live in the north now and not south, so I think I CAN say it and get away with it, even with my southern drawl!!! :)

One thing Jazzie said that made me smile and miss the NE area..."Grinders".. there was a place in the old Springfield Mass place that sold GRINDERS. Me and my aunt stopped in one day, because...well, we were curious if you guys in the yankee towns were that kinky or selling coffee..or what?? LOL...

We took a picture of the "We sell GRINDERS" sign..I told my Auntie, ohh they sale lap dances there!!Who would ever guess with the BUNS and bread in the front window!!!!! We were a little disappointed when we realized it was just sandwiches:))) Not SAMwiches.

Anonymous said...

This post kind of reminds me of playing online games, MMO's. I used to be a guild leader in a few popular MMO games. We had Canadians, kiwis, Aussies etc.. everyone used their own online terms....

We would start typing eh, or Oy Vey, or woot, or l33t or various other things. My mom still says on the phone to me WOOT..or she sends me an online recipe that is good she will put WOOT! This is great... she tends to use LEET speak..as it is called by us nerds... I think online speech has a place in this post.

Jazzie said...

NIC:

One of my endearing memories of Vancouver is riding on the public transit and hearing Canadians say "eh" at the end of their sentences.

Brought a smile to my face.

Jazzie said...

So funny.
Regionalism.
My friend's dad (big-wig language consultant) used to make fun of the way I said "New Britain". I would say "New Bri-ehn". We common CT folk apparently clip our "t's" in CT (showcasing our "regionalism"). I do this too when speaking words containing "t" and "ing" i.e "fighting" becomes "fi-ehn".
It can't be helped. Well, maybe it can with a lot of practice. But what the hey? Eh!

deejay said...

That's funny vs, How funny.How cute. How cool.

Tania Cadogan said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Tania Cadogan said...

Our regional accent makes me laugh. Once you get outside of our town and everyone speaks english with the regional accent it's funny as heck.

They don't go they goo
They aren't going they are gooing

other words i often hear where i live

Shoes - Clod-hoppers

Unattractive -minging (ming ing)

left handed or clumsy - cack handed

alley - jitty

Truanting -dogging

Lacking money – skint

Tired – knackered

Sleep – have a kip, catch some z’s

Rich – loaded, minted

Pregnant - preggers, bun in the oven, up the duff

Sexually active – gagging for it, horny

Rains lightly – tipping down, spitting

Raining heavily – lashing, chucking it down, pissing it down

Something forgotten – wotsit, thingy, thingamajig, doodah

Friend – mate

term of endearment - me duck

town centre - townie

have a chat - chopse (chops)

move along a bit - otch up / scootch up

I get told off by my bro as i often slip into americanisms ( 10 years plus of working with them ) diapers, parking lot, side walk and trunk are my oft used words

REK said...

Hobnob August 27, 2013 at 4:37 PM

Sounds just like her! will have to check it out later thanks

GetThem said...

In Canada, I find it odd when they say "at hospital." They don't say at "the hospital." The same with college. They say "at university." The kids don't go to college, they go "at university."

Sella35 said...

My husband often calls me at work to order a burger to go...he says, "Babe, can you throw me a burger on the spit?" ... I heard a few others up here ask for something on the spit, I started wondering if they want me to spit on the burgers. Naw, they just mean grill???

Now you really have me thinking of all the crazy words people say depending on where they live.

I have a hard time understanding people over the phone here. I talk slow and my ears listen slow. Everyone around here talks fast. They do not have an accent. They just talk a lot faster than I can hear.

Tania Cadogan said...

It amuses me to hear Americans saying "Where you at?" rather than "Where are you?"

REK said...

I believe europe also describes it as either "at hospital" or "in hospital? using it as a noun a little differently..

REK said...

i always think of "at hospital" as sounding so odd, but now that I think about it...its similar to how we describe kids going to college like another poster referenced.

If i was talking about someone leaving town to go back to school, I might say "she's at college"
it would sound silly to me to say "she's at the college" because you don't know which one.. the same could be true for "at hospital"

Anonymous said...

Years ago, when I was in the USAF,one of the airmen asked if I would like to get a tonic,(we were given some free time). I totally freaked and said NO! She was a lovely gal from Boston. I could not believe that she would risk getting sent back to day one of basic training for a liquor drink.I told my Mom when I got home, and she laughed and laughed and said she meant a Coke, that's how they say it in the northeast.

Anonymous said...

Hobnob said...

It amuses me to hear Americans saying "Where you at?" rather than "Where are you?"

August 28, 2013 at 9:45 AM

Oh, Hobnob! I always enjoy your posts. Where you at anyhow?

LOL I am in Indiana

Shayna said...

I live in New Mexico now. We say "Of course!" a a way of thanks here also. You were correct, it means to be taken for granted; Of course I'd help you with that!
We also ask a friend in the car, "Are you going to get down?" It means "Are you getting out and coming into the store/house/restaurant?" Maybe originating from getting down from a horse and buggy???
I used to live in Wisconsin and related to everything the Wisconsinite above posted. Out here, a bubbler isn't a water fountain, but a small water pipe to smoke marijuana! Not one you wasn't to confuse!

Tania Cadogan said...

I be at the UK or is it i are at the UK or is it i are in the UK or is it I are in the UK or is it i be in the UK?

Decisions decisions

Eenie meenie miny mo,
Datch a guidey by it's toe
If it tools you let it go.
Ennie meenie miny MO!

hehehe

REK said...

Hobnob..
"I'm in Wisconsin" and we say:
eenie meenie miny mo,
catch a tiger by it's toe,
if it hollers, let it go,
Eenie, meenie, miny mo!

rob said...

Hobnob and REK-
We say- catch a rabbit by its toe!
but we do say- if it hollars

Sarah said...

Heather is looking beautiful!

Anonymous said...

Blogger Hobnob said...

I be at the UK or is it i are at the UK or is it i are in the UK or is it I are in the UK or is it i be in the UK?

Decisions decisions

Eenie meenie miny mo,
Datch a guidey by it's toe
If it tools you let it go.
Ennie meenie miny MO!

hehehe

You are across the pond! (we Americans may have stole that phrase from y'all)
August 28, 2013 at 12:08 PM

Tania Cadogan said...

I use guidey as it is part of my name and my job description.

I like to play around with wirds, saying and poetry.

the members like it plus it is fun to see my sayings end up as part of the lingo in client.

Tania Cadogan said...

aimed at the mccanns

When I'm Cleaning Windows
George Formby
mangled by hobnob

Now I go breaking windows to earn a dishonest bob
For a child abductor it's an interestin' job

Now it's a job that just suits me
A child abductor you would be
If you can see what I can see
When I'm stealing children

Abandoned children left alone
You should see them cry and moan
You'd be surprised at things i saw
When I'm stealing children

In my profession I'll work hard
But I'll never stop
I'll climb this blinkin' ladder
Till I get right to the top

The 3yr old, she looks divine
The twins are sleepin fine just fine
I'll grab the girl there's lots of time
When I'm stealing children

Gerry & Jez standing by the wall
It's a wonder I don't fall
My mind's not on my work at all
When I'm stealing children

I know a fella, such a w**ker
He has a thirst, can drain a tanker
I've seen him drink his bath as well
When I stole his daughter

Oh, in my profession I'll work hard
But I'll never stop
I'll climb this blinkin' ladder
Till I get right to the top

Pyjamas lyin' side by side
Sedated toddlers I have spied
I've often seen what goes inside
When I'm stealing children

------ banjo ------

Now there's a famous talkie queen
Her name is Oprah mistress of the screen
She got the gruesomes to spin a tale
About when I stole the small female

Kate pulls her hair all down behind
Then tells a porkie about her find
And after that pulls down the blind
'Cos I stole her daughter

In my profession I'll work hard
But I'll never stop
I'll climb this blinkin' ladder
Till I get right to the top

Dear old kate walks around the floor
She's so fed up, one day I'm sure
She'll drop the lies and tell us more
About her missing daughter

When I'm Stealing children

Tania Cadogan said...

THREE WHEELS ON MY WAGON
(Burt Bacharach / Bob Hilliard)

The New Christy Minstrels

mangled by Hobnob


Three wheels on our wagon,
And we're still rolling along
The cops are chasing us
Accusations fly, right on by
But we're singing a happy song

We're a singing gimme, gimmus, money and fame
Mccanns, we never say die
Was an abductor what came
And we can watch those cops
Stand impotently by

SPOKEN: “gerry, they’re catching on to us!”
“Get back in the wagon kate!”

Two wheels on our wagon,
And we're still rolling along
Them cops are after us
The honest truth, burns our ears
But we keep spinning our song

We're a singing gimme, gimmus, money and fame
Mccanns, they never say die
A mile up the road there’s a lawyers office
And the cops can watch us
Scarper via the sky


SPOKEN: “Duh,kate? Are you sure this is the right story?”
“Will you hush up? You and your scripts!”

One wheel on our wagon,
And we're still rolling along
Them Cops are still after us
We're still hiding, clarrie at the reins
But we're singing a happy song

We're a singing gimme, gimmus, money and fame
Mccanns, we always lie
A mile up the road there’s a newspaper office
We can sue and get rich whilst the media
Go carefully by

SPOKEN: “gerry? Should I get the bag of wristbands and t-shirts?”
“Woman, I know what I’m doing!”

No wheels on our wagon,
So we're not rolling along
The Cops captured us
They look mad, things look bad
So I’m spilling the beans

SPOKEN: “C’mon all you Coppers sing along with me!”

We're a singing gimme, gimmus, bail and mercy
mccanns, we got found guilty
A mile up the road there’s a nice prison cell
Where the cops can watch us
As the years go crawling by

Tania Cadogan said...

witness statement by hobs

I wasn't in the area and i saw no one carrying anything that looked remotely like an abductee or in fact any kind of victim.

However.....

I did see a swarthy tall man, height about 4'6 with pale skin with short crew cut hair tied into a long,frizzy ponytail.
He was walking slowly so i only caught a brief glimpse as he sprinted past me but i am postive he was carrying ... wait for it ... amabductee!!!
I noticed him cos his clean shaven face looked straight at me as she looked away pretending to admire something in the shop window, i also noticed his 1970's porn star moustache and long bushy beard.

I will never forget his face, he had 2 eyes a nose and just one mouth and i am pretty sure she had 2 ears.
He was dressed in clothing possibly jeans and a tea shirt but i am sure i also spotted a dicky bow hidden beneath his dinner jacket.
It was midnight, just after breakfast i think, as i remember watching the sunset.

I am pretty sure he wore shoes as i could hear the clack of her stiletto's as she sidled past me trying not to be seen, but, he didn't fool me, i saw her, cross my heart and hope to earn mega bux.

It was the way the cat was being held, grabbed roughly by the collar, i could see it was upset but he said it was a chihuahua and just expressing itself.
I will never forget the sound of those happy faces, i was immediately suspicious and vowed to contact police after i returned from my mission to mars.
I didn't think anymore about it until i saw the big reward and all the press coverage so i thought i would get my 30 mins of fame and make a few bux out of what i saw.
I could possibly help with an e fit if you can guarantee it will make the front page of the papers and be breaking news on tv, just make sure there is plenty of free booze and not the cheap stuff mind you, to help me refresh my memory.
My mate says for £500 she can also remember the sighting even though she was lying in bed fast asleep dreaming about being on a desert island with sean connery.

http://www.artnewsblog.com/images/pablo-picasso-painting.jpg

This is the man that took the last cookie...
However for £10,000 it could be the man below who also is the spitting image of the woman i saw

http://www.artnewsblog.com/images/pablo-picasso-painting.jpg

Please make all checks payable to cash please and thank you and if paying cash please provide it in a very large brown envelope.

All further interviews, where, for a fee, i will spout my story plus give you exact descriptions of the person i saw, you can contact my publicists clarence mitchell (just look for the smarm with the orange hair and pink suit and smell of bull chit) or max clifford (once his legal problems have ended) taco joe (extra cheese on mine) or jose bozo (look for a smarmy chipmunk aided by a slore)

Tania Cadogan said...

You both make an amzingly photogenic couple now where our beer and wine??

Anonymous said...

I'm sorry is used in situations like please repeat or I didn't mean to get in your way

Jen said...

I am from Virginia, but I have lived near Pittsburgh (or Picks-baarg for locals) for the last 10 years. Several words or phrases I grew up using are met with giggles in the north.


Such as:

I say ya'll = they say 'yinns'

I say buggy = they say 'cart' (grocery, once I asked a store clerk where to get a 'buggy' and they didn't know what I was talking about)

I say purse/bag= they say 'pack'

And one that blew my mind, in the south we often refer to a pharmacy as a 'drug store' (this is a term my grandparents and everyone I grew up with regularly used...I thought it was a widely used term?? But when I moved to PA they looked at me like I had two heads when I called CVS the 'drug store', and had a big laugh!



Anon "I" said...

KISS-a-me, FL means they are from out of state.

Kiss-SEM-me, FL means they are local.

:)

Running the streets means running errands.

"Sorry?" or "come again?" means please say that again or did I hear you correctly.

Also, I have noticed where people are dropping the -ly's from words like correctly to just correct and it just might drive me mad. Mad meaning crazy.

"Tubing" is riding a float down the river in the summer, not a subway.

Townships up north are just cities in the south.

Buggies are pushed to buy groceries here.

Our city and county are exactly the same name. I have noticed many pronouncing them differently to distinguish between the two.

Sus, I wonder if "it was nothing" comes from the Spanish words "de nada" meaning "of nothing" as a reply to a thank-you.

Oh, and Jeff Foxworthy's expressions make perfect sense in the south. LOL Have you seen the commercial where three cartoon characters have a strong southern accent and someone with the same southern accent asks who they are looking for? Their answer was "someone with an accent." LOL

Jazzie said...

HOBNOB:

Married to a Half Brit/Half American.
He was mostly raised in Dartford, England.

Oh Boy.
I'm forever saying "What?" Never cn understand when he mumbles!!
As his soul is so British but his heart so American.
I say "No worries mate"
Me thought he was Aussie when I met him. Go figure. LOL

Gotta love borrowing from regionalism!

Jazzie said...

I remember being on a bus on a tobacco farm here in CT. I sat in the back and there was a young woman from the deep South. She asked me if "Ya'll gotta a ma-ahsh?" and I said "What?" and she repeated it. I just took the safe route and said no. I thought about it all day until I figured out she was asking me "for a match" (a light for a cigarette).

Regionalism plus dialect is an adventure.
Totally cool. Her voice, her face is still in my head.

Statement Analysis Blog said...

Anyone grow up "on" and not "in"

Long Guyland?

Skeptical said...

Although Texas is mostly urban now it is common to hear phrases from an earlier time such as "that dog'll hunt" for an idea that will work, describing an acquaintance "we've howdied and shook", a braggart "all hat and no cattle", intend to do something "aim to, fixin' to".

Jazzie said...

PETER:

So funny because the same friend's dad (CT language consultant) made fun of me when I was young for say "Long Guyland" instead of "Longh IIIIhland"

I grew "up" on a farm in Northern CT. But apparently my dialect got under the skin of my friend's Dad! LOL. Not sure if my Polish roots inflected my language. I think it's a CT "thing".

Nu Brih-ahn. Me clipping those "t's"
He would correct me with "Nu Bri-TAN" Thank you very much!

Jazzie said...

SKEPTICAL:

Love the Texas dialect. My sister lived down there in Del Rio. Gotta love Texas. I learned to understand how Texans were so graciously kind and and hospitable.

I lived in North Carolina. Visited Texas and New Orleans. Love the difference in drawls.

I love to have to relax my ears in order to understand the spoken word.

Karen T said...

When I was little, about 5 years old, a step-dad came into my life. He was from North Carolina. We lived in Northern California, close to the Oregon border. He said things like:
"cut it off" to mean "turn it off" as in "cut off the water". My 5 year old, shy self was very confused as he continued to yell at me to "cut off the water". And being told to "turn the "spigot" was met with confusion. A "spigot" or sometimes "spikot" was the faucet. Did you know that a "divan" is a couch or a sofa?

As a five year old I figured out we had a different dictionary. HE just called my sister & I "hateful" because we did not immediately understand his language.

Anonymous said...

SE Texas here and have noticed a friend from NW Louisiana recently saying he would close the conversation, "If you're good," meaning if I was comfortable with hanging up. Don't know if it's regional, but it's new to me - although I knew what he meant immediately.

A term I grew up with was "a skosh bit" (long o sound phonetically) meaning a little bit. My mother said it - her family being from SE Texas, SE Oklahoma and the Carolinas.