Funny, odd, or unique words or phrases you've heard while on vacation.
Apr 29th, 2003, 05:05 AM
#122
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When my kids were little, we took them to New York City (we live in Toronto). A friend who lived there came along with us when we took them to a playground near the hotel, and was amused to hear us talking about the "slide" and the "teeter-totter." Turns out they're called "sliding pond" and "seesaw" on that side of the border. I've since heard "seesaw" a lot in Canada but I don't think anybody here would know what a "sliding pond" was.
Apr 29th, 2003, 05:24 AM
#123
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On the y'all v. y'alls debate: Did anyone see CSI:Miami last night? The blond detective kept saying y'alls when questioning some suspects. "Did y'alls smoke any marijuana last night?" "I'm gonna need the clothes y'alls were wearing last night.". Was that her own accent coming through or was it part of the script I wonder. Her character is supposed to be from rural Louisiana but the actress is actually from N. Carolina. Any thoughts?
Apr 29th, 2003, 06:48 AM
#126
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Alexis823: Hmmm, my people are from the heart of Acadiana in Louisiana and I've never heard anyone use "y'alls". Ever. Maybe northern Louisiana...? Who knows? I always thought our extensive use of "y'all" to mean singular and plural "you" connects with the French "vous" which is indeed used for singular (for non-intimates) and plural. Or it's just my bad spoken grammar.
rbnwdln: Priceless! I totally forgot about "red up the house"....
ccolor: Yep, "Where y'at?" just about covers every possible type of greeting.
A whole thread could start on regional accents-- my French dad could do hilarious impressions of my mom's Cajun relatives (which my mom, oddly enough, cannot do), and his imitation of a "mush-mouth" east Texan radio announcer always had me on the floor....
rbnwdln: Priceless! I totally forgot about "red up the house"....
ccolor: Yep, "Where y'at?" just about covers every possible type of greeting.
A whole thread could start on regional accents-- my French dad could do hilarious impressions of my mom's Cajun relatives (which my mom, oddly enough, cannot do), and his imitation of a "mush-mouth" east Texan radio announcer always had me on the floor....
Apr 29th, 2003, 07:25 AM
#127
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Right now I'm feeling a bit defensive. As a born and breed North Carolinian I use a great deal of these terms as regular speech and I don't see anything wrong with them.
I mash elevator buttons, I get a buggy at the grocery store (sometimes someone will carry me there). And if it's cold outside, I know some people wear toboggins.
Sunday dinner is at 1:00 after church. Supper is the evening meal.
Y'all (NEVER ya'll) is a contraction of you and all. It represents the second person plural of a word and is a good word. It helps prevent confusion between you (second person singular) and you (second person plural). Though I have never heard of Y'alls, I have heard 'all y'all' (all of you all).
I mash elevator buttons, I get a buggy at the grocery store (sometimes someone will carry me there). And if it's cold outside, I know some people wear toboggins.
Sunday dinner is at 1:00 after church. Supper is the evening meal.
Y'all (NEVER ya'll) is a contraction of you and all. It represents the second person plural of a word and is a good word. It helps prevent confusion between you (second person singular) and you (second person plural). Though I have never heard of Y'alls, I have heard 'all y'all' (all of you all).
Apr 29th, 2003, 07:53 AM
#128
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ncgrrl - I too was starting to feel a little odd earlier in this thread when all of the "strange" Boston/NE phrases were being pointed out - especially the ones that I took for granted as being ordinary speech! I mean doesn't everyone say "monkeying around" Oh well.
Anyway I think all the regional differences are wonderful and hate to see them change. But language has always been very adaptable. That's why Webster's keeps revising the dictionary!
Anyway I think all the regional differences are wonderful and hate to see them change. But language has always been very adaptable. That's why Webster's keeps revising the dictionary!
Apr 29th, 2003, 08:22 AM
#130
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Bennie,
Glad to know I wasn't the only one. And I've heard about monkeying around, though sometimes it has a more 'adult' definition.
And I thought 'you can't there from here' was a southern term. I think it was even on the Andy Griffith show.
Glad to know I wasn't the only one. And I've heard about monkeying around, though sometimes it has a more 'adult' definition.
And I thought 'you can't there from here' was a southern term. I think it was even on the Andy Griffith show.
Apr 29th, 2003, 01:13 PM
#131
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Just today, I received an e-mail from my sister in Alabama, she was referring to her son being upset she wrote, "he had a come apart."
She was raised in Alabama and I was raised in Massachusetts. We often find each other's dialect and manner of speech amusing.
She was raised in Alabama and I was raised in Massachusetts. We often find each other's dialect and manner of speech amusing.
Apr 29th, 2003, 01:41 PM
#132
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ccolor: I reread your post and laughed about the "neutral ground"-- that's something I'd hear from my cousins in White Castle and Houma (out on d' bayou dere, you know, cher?). Stuff I just don't hear any more *sigh*....
Apr 29th, 2003, 05:14 PM
#133
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OK - I've waited long enough. Last Saturday I had a garage sale. An older man made a purchase and I asked him if he wanted a bag for his purchases. He looked at me, pointed to a purse and said "THAT is a bag, in Texas we say "sack". That was a new one for this Northern transplant. Also, the locals call grocery carts "buggies". I still can't bring myself to say that!
Mar 18th, 2005, 03:59 PM
#134
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Not being from NC.,but now living here, I find myself at a loss once in awhile. I felt insulted when I was called a mess, only to find out it is a compliment. A man at a market told me he put my fruit into a tote. Huh? They push their buggies in the grocery store (I can't bring myself to say that either) Mee-Maw and Paw-Paw had me confused but what really made me laugh out loud was "Is that at ya'llse's house?" They also refer to underpants as britches.
My grandfather was from here and he said "I swannee" when something surprised him but I imagine that is an old saying.
But I got here from Idaho by way of Wisconsin and New York. They all have their cute sayings.
My grandfather was from here and he said "I swannee" when something surprised him but I imagine that is an old saying.
But I got here from Idaho by way of Wisconsin and New York. They all have their cute sayings.
Dec 22nd, 2011, 06:39 PM
#135
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I've lived in Florida all my life, my dad's from Kentucky and mom's from Pittsburg, so I kinda get a mix. But I do say "y'all" and I often hear "I reckon" and "fixin' to" and whatnot. And many of my relatives call underwear "britches."
One odd thing I've heard is someone from the Pittsburg area saying "warsh" instead of "wash". It was very strange to me and I wonder what other words it applies to!
And for the record, the plural of "y'all" is "all y'all".
One odd thing I've heard is someone from the Pittsburg area saying "warsh" instead of "wash". It was very strange to me and I wonder what other words it applies to!
And for the record, the plural of "y'all" is "all y'all".
Dec 26th, 2011, 05:33 PM
#136
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LilyMaria, my Dad is from the Pittsburg area and he also says "warsh" and Julia, all of his relatives refer to garbage as rubbish.
This is a fun thread. Just imagine how boring the world would be if we all referred to a drinking fountain as a drinking fountain.
Last fall there was a new police show that was suppose to take place in Detroit. In the first episode anyone from Detroit could tell that the dialect was not researched prior to taping. They referred to a soft drink as soda, we call it pop or soda pop. They indicated that one of the characters had gone down the street for a "slice." I believe that is how you purchase pizza in New York but in Detroit we just buy a pizza and rarely do we walk down the street to get it. We get into our cars and drive to the store. They must have gotten a few calls or letters because in subsequent episodes the dialect was changed.
This is a fun thread. Just imagine how boring the world would be if we all referred to a drinking fountain as a drinking fountain.
Last fall there was a new police show that was suppose to take place in Detroit. In the first episode anyone from Detroit could tell that the dialect was not researched prior to taping. They referred to a soft drink as soda, we call it pop or soda pop. They indicated that one of the characters had gone down the street for a "slice." I believe that is how you purchase pizza in New York but in Detroit we just buy a pizza and rarely do we walk down the street to get it. We get into our cars and drive to the store. They must have gotten a few calls or letters because in subsequent episodes the dialect was changed.
Dec 26th, 2011, 09:57 PM
#138
somebody --help me here. I honestly want to know: How in hell does a first time poster find this 8 yo thread to top?? Now sometimes I'll grant you, a google search will bring up a really OLD thread. But that is when there is something actually 'searchable'. Like a hotel name, or something like that. LilyMaria- if you ever come back to this thread . . .PLEASE tell us how you found this old/moldy thing?? Inquiring minds want to know . . .
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