Favorite Regional Words or Phrases

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm not sure it's a Southern or Midwestern thing, but my friends think it's hilarious that I say "Good Lord!" when exasperated... somehow, it's become my trademark b/c no one's ever heard it!?

I'm guilty of running my words together and dropping my 'g's. As in, "You better gitcher stuff off the stairs and get goin' before you miss the bus". I have almost completely dropped "ya'll" unless I'm home visiting family in Texas, and then it's required vernacular.

Really? I never thought Good Lord was regional.

And that's "get goin' afore you miss the bus."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In South Philly, every Italian I know calls tomato sauce gravy....when it's NOT gravy.

And they call the team the iggles, which drives me bonkers.

My dad's family (Italian descent) are from New Haven Ct. and they also call tomato sauce grav. He told me that it was because the word gravy is similar to an Italian word that means sauce.

Same for North Jersey. And the Shore, too.

Up here, when asked what kind of Coke someone wants, the reply is often "Columbian." Maybe that's just my friends, though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Was your friend 2? I don't even know what Uff da, ish, and ishy are supposed to mean.

Noooo, she is Minnesotan of Norwegian descent. Uff da is a not-entirely-positive expression of surprise (You paid how much for that car that broke down a week later? Uff da!); ish is yuck.

I remember "Oh, Ish!" from either the Caddie Woodlawn novels (set in Minnesota) or the Betsie/Tacy novels by Maude Hart Lovelace.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People in Minesota (and maybe elswhere) call the carts at the grocery store "buggies." They also pronounce bag as "bayg" like bay with a g on the end of it.

Born and raised in Minnesota. NEVER heard "buggies" for shopping carts. How do YOU pronounce bag? Like bog?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Was your friend 2? I don't even know what Uff da, ish, and ishy are supposed to mean.

Noooo, she is Minnesotan of Norwegian descent. Uff da is a not-entirely-positive expression of surprise (You paid how much for that car that broke down a week later? Uff da!); ish is yuck.

I remember "Oh, Ish!" from either the Caddie Woodlawn novels (set in Minnesota) or the Betsie/Tacy novels by Maude Hart Lovelace.

To clarify, "uff da" is an all-purpose expression. "Uff da, that box is heavy." "Uff da, it's hot out here." "Uff da! Look at all these beautiful birthday presents!" Real Minnesotans will also say "uff da, then." "Been a busy week. Uff da then."

"Ish" is indeed an expression akin to "yuck" or "gross" or to signify that something is disgusting. "Ish da" is also used for something really disgusting. "Oh, ish, this milk went bad three days ago" versus "This milk expired three weeks ago! Ish da!"

"Dontcha know" (don't you know) is also commonly heard from senior Minnesotans. "It's snowing pretty good out there, dontcha know!"

Sadly, many of these expressions are on the way out, along with long Os and a particular emphasis on Ss, as the state's residents age. Not many of us are being raised by immigrants from Norway anymore. I will sure miss the real Norw. accent when it fades from here!

[Anonymous]

I have a friend from outside Boston who says "so didn't I" and "so don't I" and all that. Hilarious, cracked me up every time.

Not an American one, but I was really thrown the first time I ordered a lemonade in Australia and got a Sprite.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm from New England and I've never heard anyone use bubbler for water fountain? I've also never heard creeme or frappe.

Oh come on! I'm from DC and have heard of a frappe (pronounced frap)! You MUST have heard that before. Maybe it's a Boston thing.

I'm the PP from NE. I've heard frappe only at Starbucks - never in reference to a milkshake while growing up in NE. It could certainly be a Boston thing but I lived in Boston in addition to other parts of NE and never heard it there either.

I'm from NH and we definitely used both bubbler and frappe growing up. In fact, I was just there this summer and there was a sign somewhere that actually said "bubbler" and there was a water fountain beneath it. I think it may have been at a Childrens' Museum we were at, but I can't remember.

[Anonymous]

Omg I never realized how southern my vernacular is thanks to my parents and a lot of time in he south! I thought I was like a newscaster w/a totally neutral vocabulary, but I use every single southern expression listed. So does my husband, but he's from he deep south, so go figure.

[Anonymous]

Anyone from the midwest here say "pop" for soda?

And I'm surprised at the New Englanders that don't know frappe! My mom is from the Boston area and I never even realized it was regional until I was about high school age. Funny!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anyone from the midwest here say "pop" for soda?

We use "pop" and "coke" interchangeably in my house. In fact, I won't acknowledge my kids' request if they even try to ask for a pop by saying they want a soda. Raised in the midwest and lived in Texas where "coke" prevails.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone from the midwest here say "pop" for soda?

We use "pop" and "coke" interchangeably in my house. In fact, I won't acknowledge my kids' request if they even try to ask for a pop by saying they want a soda. Raised in the midwest and lived in Texas where "coke" prevails.

Northern Ohio native here . . . definitely used pop. Dead giveaway that you're from the midwest.
I've finally lived elsewhere long enough and use soda more now, though.

[Anonymous]

I didn't know what the heck this police officer was telling me in Massachusetts when he was telling me to go around the rotary.

[Anonymous]

Okay, you gotta LOVE the MA cops - they are awesome. They are there to HELP! Imagine that! The ones here tell you in so many southern words to go to hell. Rude, rude, rude.

Non-NE's do NOT get the Sawx and the Pats and the Broons thing - AT ALL! BOY, are they missing out! All they have are the Redskins (SO not PC, oh yeah, and they suck!) and that new baseball team that no one goes to see.

Sigh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In South Carolina (the upstate, anyway), you "cut that light on". As in, to turn it on. I think you can cut it off, too.

And when you're putting something away, it doesn't matter if you're putting it on a high shelf or on the floor of the basement, you're putting it up. "Junior, take these ice skates and put them up."

YES! My husband is from SC and he is ALWAYS asking me to "cut the light on."

I am from SC and never thought a thing of saying "cut the light on or off" until I married someone not from SC. There are so many more...

[Anonymous]

southerners call a coke a coke. we also call a 7 up, pepsi, sprite, root beer etc... a coke. At least us those of us from Charleston. The river is the river not matter what type of water is running thru it and it is pronounced riva. The beach is the coast. I want to go home.