The Junior League was originated in NYC...wonder how many people know that.

Not many---and most people do not realize that the purpose of the League is to train volunteers.

Wayne--The one that drives me crazy (although it's not a Southern expression--I hear it every day up here in the Chicago area) is, "I went by my mom's today"--meaning, "I went to my mom's today". By & To are not the same thing!!

And then there's "can't hardly" as in I can't hardly get out of bed this mornin'.

No worse insult than a "well, bless your heart." said with a lifted eyebrow as the speaker then turns and starts a conversation with someone else.

Except that when you went "by" your mom's house - that implies a short or impromptu visit whereas going "to" your mom's is very intention and probably very time-consuming - unless, of course, you have no clue as to what you might be getting into when you go "by". It's all in the syntax! :)

Re: DAR. I qualify. I know because a close elderly relative is already a member, so I can coattail on her research (and my dad's - he has a copy of the land grant given to my great-great, etc., etc., grandfather who fought the British.)

But really, now, is it worth it? I LIKE dark meat in chicken salad.

ausc59, great explanation of by/to.

I qualify for DAR but would never do it. That or JL. Neither are my cup of tea. Different strokes for different folks.

Need to sign off because I'm fixin' to stop by my Momma's.

One final expression and I'll shut up. This was an extremely common way to say that you are going to drive your car to work (or shopping, or whatever):

"Are you gonna carry your car to work today?"

When I was growing up, I didn't know there was anything wrong with that expression. Now I laugh every time I think of someone picking up their car and carrying it to work.

allison_h,
"I hear it every day up here in the Chicago area) is, "I went by my mom's today"--meaning, "I went to my mom's today"."

Means the same thing to me. I didn't know there was a difference! If you Drove by your mom's today it would mean something different.

Wayne: You are 'right on' on the way most of us southerner's talk! You have brought back fond memories of my grandparents!

I have only used a couple of the specific ones you bring up, but hear them often!
Never heard that use of 'allowed' though?

The ones I'm most often guilty of are 'fix'n' and, one you didn't mention (that my children rib me the most about) is 'yonder'. As in [some item] is 'over yonder'! Ha! I'm convicted in my head everytime I say it, (or fix'n), but they still come out!

'Southern born and Southern bred'!

Belle

Here's another one that mystifies me up here in the Chicago area: Doing something "on" accident (instead of "by" accident)--ex: "I did the wrong assignment on accident!" Seems a lot of people are getting pronouns mixed up these days! Oh well....

Umm, allison_h, uh, that would be that people are mixing up their prepositions, not their pronouns I believe. (sorry- ex school-marm!).

I've followed this thread with great enjoyment. Not being from the south but hailing from Newfoundland and having grown up in rural communities in Manitoba and Ontario and currently living in a very small Ontario rural community, many, many of the expressions quoted here are ones that have been part of my life for forever!

I especially love the way that a whole world of meaning can be condensed into a couple of words and an uplifted eyebrow!

Newfoundland also has the benefit of a raft of colloquialisms that no one else in the world understands (although I understand that in this electronic age there is a Newfie dictionary on line with the definitions of words like "chummy" (no - it has nothing at all to do with a close relationship. It's a noun, as in "Pass me the chummy dere, by!").

One of my favourites that my dad quoted to me relates back to an earlier post which I think dealt with "nary".

Two Newfies talking, (subject already decided):

Newfie 1: "Aarn?"
Newfie 2: "Narn."

Translation-

Newfie 1: "Did you get any of or do you have any of (whatever the subject is - fish, turnip greens, rum)?"
Newfie 2" "Nah by, I gots none."

Oh - and to me chicken salad is white meat only! Hellmans only! Can I be a member of the JL and the DAR?

Oops--I knew that (about the prepositions)! Just mistyped, I guess!

allison, I'm in the Chicago area too. The "by" instead of "to" thing doesn't bother me. But I'm with you on the "on accident" thing!

But the one that drives me right up the wall is very common where I grew up. It's a small town in southern Illinois where pretty much everyone's ancestors were German. While I've never studied German, I have to think this has something to do with the German language. They refer to hair as "them" instead of "it". As in "I can't do a thing with them." Or "Did you get them cut?"

There are other odd expressions in the area that I suspect have to do with the language structure of German. One that I can think of off-hand is "Come here once" instead of "Come here for a second" or a minute. And they use "yet" in an odd way. More or less as a synonym for still. I see most of these expressions as sort of a colorful, local thing. But, as I said, the hair thing just makes me crazy!

Chicagoese:

It has always been "on accident" to me, and that carries an ironic tinge and/or is facetious. "Oops, I just ate your last cookie on accident."

And the same people might use the other form for a more straight forward statement. "Penicillin was discovered by accident".

And if you que up here, you are not "on line". You are in line. If you are going "on line" you are going to use a phone or a computer, and not standing waiting for a service.

I have actually had people looking for a line on the floor or an area with a designated line to stop at (like the spot you stand on when you are having your ID picture taken) when someone from another area told them to get "on line".

That is really funny. Because they are walking around looking at the floor.

Does anyone know where the expression, "go with" originated?
As in, <i>Do you want to go with?</i> or, <i>Jamie's going with.</i>
There is the preposition, <i>with</i>, dangling without an object. Somehow I picked up this odd colloquiallism in NYC, although I believe it must have come over the bridge from Brooklyn to Manhattan. :-D

A friend who has German parents says this, too, so I am wondering if it has roots in incomplete translation.

no clue, but I say it all the time.

I do too. And I think there are some others that have dangling prepositions or strangly placed adverbs as well in Chicago.

And we use more passives because of translations also, I think.

Such as,&quot;Throw me the ball&quot; or &quot;Toss me that bag&quot; instead of &quot;Throw the ball to me&quot; or &quot;Toss that bag to me.&quot;

I don't know if you read the book Eats, Shoots, and Leaves, but you just said something that could be interpreted rather differently with creative punctuation:

Throw me, the ball!

I think the &quot;go with&quot; expression is almost exclusively northern, because I never hear it in the South.

We tend to say &quot;on accident&quot; here in Texas this way . . . Did you do that &quot;on purpose?&quot; No, I did it &quot;on accident.&quot; See, makes perfect sense.

Enjoying this thread.

Sandy (in Denton)

Yes exactly, that's another way we use
&quot;on accident&quot; here.

And my all time pet peeve mistake that I hear quite frequently in Northern IL is the borrow/lend verb and tense error. It sounds so wrong to me, and I correct it each time. I've been told that it sounds &quot;right&quot; to them and that's it's the same. Not!

&quot;He borrowed me his walkman.&quot;
&quot;Can you borrow me a pen?&quot;

Honestly, I hear it about twice a month from someone different. That also may come from European translation legacy.

I have a darling neighbor/friend who was born and raised outside of St Louis. I always smile to myself when she tells me &quot;I'm fixing to go to the store in a bit&quot;. &quot;I'm fixing to go to get my hair cut and colored tomorrow&quot;.

That is probably the case, I deal with a lot of people from Poland on a daily basis, and the borrow/lend thing is always confused. I've had generous people offer to 'borrow' me more items than I can even count.

I just got these &quot;tips&quot; in an email for visitors to Atlanta, the &quot;capital&quot; of the south:

Atlanta is composed mostly of one-way streets. The only way to get out of downtown Atlanta is to turn around and start over when you reach Greenville, South Carolina.

All directions start with, &quot;Go down Peachtree&quot; and include the phrase, &quot;When you see the Waffle House.&quot;
Except that in Cobb County, all directions begin with,&quot;Go to the Big Chicken.&quot; :-D

Hi kswl, Peachtree, that has to be one of the most famous streets in the US.
And let me tell you, when OWJ and I were going back to Atlanta from Charleston between the rain and our talking we almost ended up in N. Carolina, gulp. But there was a freeway (I am a good map reader) that got us to Atlanta at the north end which worked out perfect. The angels were with us I think!

Julie,
I just wanted to say I was raised in Raleigh..all of my life..I never have seen any racial remarks from people that are actually FROM NC.Open your eyes and you may find that ignorant type of behavior..anywhere (up North or down South)

So you hit I40 and never looked back..good for you if you hated it that bad.:S-

To this comment that you made:
&quot;Diana.. I wasn't aware Raleigh was on the top 10 of anything anymore... Typically, the lists I've read in the last few years, it isn't even the best place in NC. I think you can have some peace of mind... most folks are figuring it out - and moving elsewhere.&quot;

If this is true...then HOORAY..I moved away from Raleigh 7 years ago because it has become too busy for me.Maybe were I live now will not be another Raleigh.;)It's people like you that need to move elsewhere.

Thank you, Fodors editors!

Tandoori_Girl,
Loved your comments, but I'm puzzled as to why you think that &quot; I'll wager there's barely a single poster here who is African-American.&quot;

Do you think that black people do not travel? I travel quite a bit.....

Yea..really Renee..I always thought that people of all races travel..black,white,chinese,japanese,latino,I sure see a mix of folks when I travel.:)

I think that Tandoori Girl meant on This particular thread...and I don't think she said anything about African Americans not traveling, just not posting here.

Seamus,
After moving North a while back and having to learn new words that Yankees understood, then I found myself moving to the South again, and having to remember what those words meant again :D
Now I am living in the Pacific NorthWest where they pronounce so many words totally differently! I had better stop moving around, I can't remember how to speak English LOL

Folks, setting aside the screen name, this post is genuine. We care.
_____________________

Ok, so after donating to my charity of choice, I couldn't sit still. I wanted to go and offer help directly, but that wasn't feasable.

Instead, I have done the only thing I know I can do quickly and effectively...build a website!

I have created a Hurricane Family Help portal located at http://www.hurricanefamilyhelp.org

1st things 1st - we DO NOT accept donations.

Here is the stated purpose:

1) To unite displaced individuals and families of hurricane Katrina with others willing to offer immediate SHORT TERM shelter.

2) To unite displaced individuals and families of hurricane Katrina with others willing to offer LONG TERM shelter.

3) To unite the survivors with family and friends.

4) To find full or part time employment opportunities for hurricane victims.

5) To provide contact information for charities, communities, and churches offering assistance.

Thank you,
Craig