Are we speaking the same language?

[Jake_Taylor]

I thought it was pretty interesting the sandwich one had the whole country pretty dark red for subs, with the exception of Pennsylvania and their hoo-oh-gies. I bet there would have been more color on that map 20 or 30 years ago, but I suspect the proliferation of Subway and other national chain sandwich shops kind of universalized that one.

 

[buckweaver]

I thought it was pretty interesting the sandwich one had the whole country pretty dark red for subs, with the exception of Pennsylvania and their hoo-oh-gies. I bet there would have been more color on that map 20 or 30 years ago, but I suspect the proliferation of Subway and other national chain sandwich shops kind of universalized that one.

I was thinking the exact same thing. That used to be a real regional difference, but I think Subway's popularity has single-handedly changed that.

 

[Riptide]

I thought it was pretty interesting the sandwich one had the whole country pretty dark red for subs, with the exception of Pennsylvania and their hoo-oh-gies. I bet there would have been more color on that map 20 or 30 years ago, but I suspect the proliferation of Subway and other national chain sandwich shops kind of universalized that one.

I was thinking the exact same thing. That used to be a real regional difference, but I think Subway's popularity has single-handedly changed that.

Wasn't it actually hoagies/subs/heros/gyros not so long ago?

 

[KJIM]

I thought it was pretty interesting the sandwich one had the whole country pretty dark red for subs, with the exception of Pennsylvania and their hoo-oh-gies. I bet there would have been more color on that map 20 or 30 years ago, but I suspect the proliferation of Subway and other national chain sandwich shops kind of universalized that one.

I was thinking the exact same thing. That used to be a real regional difference, but I think Subway's popularity has single-handedly changed that.

Wasn't it actually hoagies/subs/heros/gyros not so long ago?

Don't forget grinders.

 

[Johnny Dangerously]

Customer in the South but not from the South: "I'd like a Coke, please."
Southern server: "What kind?"
Customer: "Regular. Not diet."
Server: "No, I mean what kind, like Sprite, Dr Pepper, Coke, root beer ..."
Customer: "I said a Coke."

Edited to add: Oops. I see Batman beat me to this one.

 

[Johnny Dangerously]

Many years ago in a part of the South with a distinct French influence in the language, I got to know a woman who attended Notre Dame and had lived most of her life in the D.C. suburbs. We were in the car and stopped somewhere -- a store, a donut shop, somewhere -- and as I stepped out of the car I asked, "Are you going to get down?"

She laughed (as only she could) and asked if I were wondering whether she was going to dance. You know, get down.



Annoyed, I said, "No, are you coming inside??"

She still looked at me as if I had three eyes. We talked about it a bit, and I had to consider something I'd never thought about before. Then it struck me that one of the definitions of the French word descendre is:

descendre de = to step off [step]; = to get off [train, bike, horse]; = to get out of [car]

There are not a few other examples of French to Cajun French to English with that kind of result.

 

[Starman]

I'm a Yooper. We don't speak right...we know it and we love it.

Yooper = a hybrid of Michituckian and Southern Canuckistanese.

 

[Buck]

what about the option for second-person plural pronoun = yooz

 

[spikechiquet]

I'm a Yooper. We don't speak right...we know it and we love it.

Yooper = a hybrid of Michituckian and Southern Canuckistanese.

http://www.usaring.com/yooper/glossary.htm

Another one is any soft drink in the south is called a "Coke." Took me a couple of years to figure that one out when I went away to college.
Friend: You want a Coke?
Me: Sure, that sounds fine.
Friend: OK, we've got Coke, Diet Coke or Mountain Dew.
Me: <confused silence>

Buddies and I were at a strip club in Milwaukee. I lost a bet, or something like that...and had to speak in a Southern accent for the whole night.
Somehow, I became "Dale" from "near Birmingham" and I was a "tire tester" for NASCAR and was working at the track that week.
She asked me what I called pop and I pulled out the "Coke" word and she was convinced.
Got a free lapper I believe for that.
My buddies were amazed I pulled it off.

 

[Shoeless Joe]

One I remember from the first few months out of boot camp: A group of us were at a party, and one guy, who was from California, had a truck. We were out of beer. I said to him, "Run up to the store and get more beer." He replied, "OK ... but I could drive." I don't know if it was because of the regional difference in what "run up to the store" meant or this guy was just not real sharp. Either way, I still remember that as funny.

 

[pressboxer]

I'd just like to point our that the proper pronunciation of pecan is puh-KAHN. A pee-can is something you need to take on a long road trip.

 

[Football_Bat]

I thought it was pretty interesting the sandwich one had the whole country pretty dark red for subs, with the exception of Pennsylvania and their hoo-oh-gies. I bet there would have been more color on that map 20 or 30 years ago, but I suspect the proliferation of Subway and other national chain sandwich shops kind of universalized that one.

I was thinking the exact same thing. That used to be a real regional difference, but I think Subway's popularity has single-handedly changed that.

Wasn't it actually hoagies/subs/heros/gyros not so long ago?

Don't forget grinders.

And po-boys in Louisiana. But to me, a po-boy has specific ingredients that differentiate it from a regular sub/hoagie/hero.

 

[albert77]

I thought it was pretty interesting the sandwich one had the whole country pretty dark red for subs, with the exception of Pennsylvania and their hoo-oh-gies. I bet there would have been more color on that map 20 or 30 years ago, but I suspect the proliferation of Subway and other national chain sandwich shops kind of universalized that one.

I was thinking the exact same thing. That used to be a real regional difference, but I think Subway's popularity has single-handedly changed that.

Wasn't it actually hoagies/subs/heros/gyros not so long ago?

Don't forget grinders.

And po-boys in Louisiana. But to me, a po-boy has specific ingredients that differentiate it from a regular sub/hoagie/hero.

Yeah, like gravy. And mayonnaise, which is pronounced MY-nez in South Looziana.

 

[Football_Bat]

The traffic circle/roundabout one is one that's totally shifted in just the last 20 years, particularly in areas (like mine) where they virtually don't exist. Nobody in America called them "roundabouts" (other than Brit transplants) until recent years. Back east where they're more common, "traffic circle" is more entrenched usage.

Ground zero for "crawdad" is the Ozarks, so the Beverly Hillbillies got that right.

 

[House M.D.]

The shopping cart/buggy one always gets people laughing at my redneck ass.

 

[micropolitan guy]

I always thought one of the more unusual regional idioms was the "Oh for ..." expression I learned in Norf Dakooda.

"Oh for stupid."

"Oh for cool."

"Oh for gross."

And "Oh for April" when watching the 1980-81 Twins or "Oh for four" when watching the Vikings.

 

[Amy]

I always thought one of the more unusual regional idioms was the "Oh for ..." expression I learned in Norf Dakooda.

"Oh for stupid."

"Oh for cool."

"Oh for gross."

And "Oh for April" when watching the 1980-81 Twins or "Oh for four" when watching the Vikings.

Oh for sure I say things like that.

Many people have made fun of how I pronounce roof.

 

[KJIM]

The traffic circle/roundabout one is one that's totally shifted in just the last 20 years, particularly in areas (like mine) where they virtually don't exist. Nobody in America called them "roundabouts" (other than Brit transplants) until recent years. Back east where they're more common, "traffic circle" is more entrenched usage.

Not sure about that. I've heard them as "roundabouts" my entire life, even though we didn't have any.

I think it was awhile before I realized that a traffic circle was the same thing.

 

[FileNotFound]

Oddest linguistic quirk I've heard is in the Cincinnati region, and I've heard this no place outside of Hamilton, Butler, Warren and Clermont counties in Ohio: When someone wants you to repeat what you just said, they say, "Please?"

 

[Big Circus]

I thought it was pretty interesting the sandwich one had the whole country pretty dark red for subs, with the exception of Pennsylvania and their hoo-oh-gies. I bet there would have been more color on that map 20 or 30 years ago, but I suspect the proliferation of Subway and other national chain sandwich shops kind of universalized that one.

I was thinking the exact same thing. That used to be a real regional difference, but I think Subway's popularity has single-handedly changed that.

Wasn't it actually hoagies/subs/heros/gyros not so long ago?

Don't forget grinders.

Navy beans, navy beans, navy beans...