Monday, August 25, 2008

They all talk funny




First of all I'd like to welcome everyone visiting from Blog around the world! Thanks for stopping by. Have a seat, take a look around and make yourself at home. Feel free to come by anytime. My blog-door is always open!

I thought this would be a good time for this post I had in mind after visiting family in Massachusetts last week. I was born there but moved to Wisconsin when I was 11 years old. I'm now 38 so I've spent more of my life here than in my "home" state which means I talk like a Midwesterner I guess.

There is one word that I refuse to change my pronunciation on and that is AUNT. It is pronounced 'ant' around here and I will not say it! lol

Every time we get together with our family I notice differences in how we talk and thought it would be fun to list some of them here. I usually will pick on them for some of the stuff they say or how they pronounce things. But hey, they're family, I'm allowed! This is just for fun and not meant to offend anyone.





Here's a list of some of the things I noticed we have different words for:








What we say (WI)/What they say (MA)




liquor store/package store




basement/cellar




purse/pocketbook (this one really cracks me up)




sub (sandwich)/grinder




sprinkles/jimmies




naughty/fresh (as in a child misbehaving)




garbage/trash




garbage can/barrel




garage or rummage sale/tag sale




(shopping) cart/carriage




quarter to, after/quarter of, past (as in the time, quarter to 12)

Another thing that cracked us up is every time they referred to noon or the lunch hour they would say "noon time". Why not just noon? You don't say one time or two time etc at any other hour of the day. Why is noon so special?
There are also some pronunciation differences. They add syllables and extra letters where there aren't any! The main thing I usually notice is their misplacement of the letter R! They drop them off the end of words or add 'em where they aren't supposed to be.
I caught my self dropping my R's by the end of the week. When cashing in lottery tickets "I'll take any five doll-ah ticket" Doh!


My aunt was most noticeable with the adding of the R's.
"Did you see that?"
"Yeah, I saRR it"

So what about you? Where are you from and what are some things you've noticed when speaking to people from another area?


Edit to my list: Bubbler (WI)/Water fountain (MA)

How could I forget BUBBLER?! That is like the biggest one. I had it in mind but never wrote it down. Thanks to Hot Tub Lizzy for the reminder! I even did a post on Bubbler Rides







63 comments:

~Janet~ said...

I love how all over the US people talk differently. Down here in the South they say "get your picture made" instead of "get your picture taken" or buggy instead of shopping cart. Weird.

Scott said...

Hello from Missouri! I'm stopping by from BATW.

The pronunciation of Aunt strikes close to home here. I pronounce it like ant and it drives my boyfriend crazy! lol

Mrs. X said...

When I moved from CA to WA I thought it was weird that people said "pop" or "soda pop" instead of just "soda".

Darcy @ m3b said...

I'm from Chicago and I still think it's absurd how many people pronounce the /s/ on Illinois. It's a french word. Ill- ih- noy.

Now I live in a state where the capital is Des Moines.

Again, with the French.

Duh Moyn.

It's amazing how many ignorant Americans say Illi-noise and Dez Moynez.

Oh and here in IA people say "sack" for "bag". The first time I was at a grocery store and someone asked if I wanted my groceries "sacked", I thought they were going to turn my dinner into a punching bag!

Frizzy said...

I've moved my entire life and therefore don't know where to say I'm from. Along with this is my accidental ease in picking up drawls or nuances from different areas of the country w/o noticing. The one I am most aware of is the drawn out "Oh" sound many people use in their words near the US/Canada border. Also, different parts of the country say, "Soda, Soda pop, Pop or Coke." Fun post, I'm glad to have met you during my BATW.

Nonnas News said...

Its funny how we all talk differently isnt it? I just love it!!Congrats on being spotlighted today!!
Here from Texas!!
Patti

Dawn said...

That is SO funny! Here in cajun country, Louisiana, you can imagine there are lots of those kinds of things. The main one is that we would NEVER, EVER, say POP instead of Coke!!! When people say POP, we just stare oddly! And Coke means soft drink! Any kind! Yeah, get me a coke...what kind? Oh, a Dr. Pepper! Great post!

Dawn said...

Oh and other one...I hear a lot of people say they're going to the grocery store to "make groceries." Personally, I go there to BUY them, not MAKE them!!

Debbie said...

Lynn Lynn Lynn...soo soo funny

How about "tennis shoes vs sneakers" or "pop vs coke"....

Great post!

Amy said...

Hey Lynn! Get ready for LOTS of visitors today. I was featured last week on BATW and it was an overload of comments...fun fun! Debbie told me that another RS fan was here that she had uploaded, it's got to be YOU. But we already know each other! LOL!

Hmm, around here there are lots of ways people talk funny. Mostly it makes them sound uneducated (to me anyway) I say aunt like ant too..haha!! Some people put an S at the end of Walmart and it drives me nuts! or Sonic with an S on the end...uughh! Tons and tons of stuff like that going on here, I may have to do a post on that one someday...haha!

Enjoy the comment luvin' today! :D

Tracy P. said...

I think one of the biggest things is that here in MN we drink root beer, and the oo is as in book. Roof is the same.

My husband is from GA, and down there they love boiled peanuts, but for the longest time I thought they were saying "bowled" peanuts.

Have a fun day!

Aunt Julie said...

Hey there, Fellow Cheesehead--nice ta meetcha! How about those who say "ruff" (WI) and "roof" (everywhere else)? Ya, shore, you betcha!

Lula! said...

Oh, this was hilarious. I love the Wisconsin accent. But, being originally from Georgia and currently living in a very small, very rural town in southwest Virginia, I talk funnier than most.

Ever heard of a poke? That's a grocery back around here. I can't make this stuff up.

Melisa Wells said...

Hi from your southern neighbor (Illinois! LOL)!

I have lived so many places and heard so many things I couldn't even begin to tell you. Okay, I could begin:

I say "Pop" and others say "soda" or "coke".

Have a great day!

Julie said...

HI - I'm here from the Blog around the world! I have to learn more about your interest (or is it an obsession) with Rick Springfield. I'll have to dig around on your blog. I too am a big Rick fan - just saw him in concert Memorial Day weekend - love him!

My cousins are all from the MA area so all the "their way" of saying things totally brings me back to when we would visit as kids.

Leslie said...

OK, well since I'm new to this area (Santiago, Chile) they just speak Spanish. But to be honest. These Chileans have started their own "new Spanish". For example, these are not real Spanish words, but they use them: "Look-ie-are" usually said while pointing out something. Yes, they are taking English and trying to morph it into spanish. Here's another, "Catch-e-tay" As in, did you catch that? Again with the English. Then there is the actual word for please which is "por-favor", they say "por-fa" and leave off the "vor". So it sounds pretty weird.

Apparently there are sooo many more, but I'm still learning Spanish altogether. These are just a few.

Great post!

Unknown said...

You forgot Bubbler!!!! WI is the ONLY place you're going to hear that!!!

Susie said...

Congrats on your BATW feature. I don't know about you but I am swamped today!!!

Great post! It is really strange that we have such regional differences in the use of the English language. I wouldn't want it to be my second language:-)

Melissa Lester said...

That was an interesting post. Here in Alabama,we use more of the terms you use in Wisconsin. We do say "y'all" a lot, and any soda product is called Coke. And when referring to something on the agenda, many people say, "I am fixing to ... ."

Becky W said...

GREAT JOB!!!! That was wonderful! I know all about talking differently being an Air Force brat and living primarily in the south!!! Thanks for the visit!

Stacey @ The Blessed Nest said...

Haha! My relatives are from the east coast, I grew up in the midwest (IN), now live in the south. Definitely heard it all!
My fav crazy sayings:
South: "might could" as in "We might could get some ice cream after lunch, y'all!"
Midwest: difference between IN & MI (hubby's state) sliding glass door vs. doorwall; counter (flat surface in kitchen) vs. sink (everything is called the sink!); ice vs. "oyce"; roof vs. "ruuf"
East/Penn.Dutch: "Say" as in "It's a good day to get some ice cream, say?!" (Means isn't it/ok/don't you agree..)

Lynda said...

Greetings from Texas and BATW. I really enjoyed your post. I have new for you...all y'all talk funny ;-)

Tamie said...

i think that it just shows what a serious melting pot we have here in the good ol' US or A. people from different ends of the country probounce things differently and even use different words for the same thing (i excuse the british folks b/c their across the pond)
i can always tell if someone talking in from utah...they just have a certain twange to their speech and they usually "look" a certain way too (no offense to those from utah..i have lived there many a time...)
those littel quirks are just fun!

Ronnica said...

I haven't even been to Wisconsin or Massachusetts, but you've opened my eyes to figure out something. I saw an ABC Package Store here in NC, and wondered what it was. I know ABC stores sell alcohol, but why would they need to sell packing supplies? Now I know that it is simply a weird name for a liquor store!

Do people in Massachusetts actually call a basement a cellar? I'm from Kansas, and we use both words, but to describe two different things. A cellar is simply a storage area, while a basement is a place you use as living space, or at least could.

The quarter to/of thing has always confused me when talking to someone from the greater Northeast. I get my prepositions all mixed up regardless, but I always think that a "quarter of" should mean a quarter past.

taratoons said...

too funny! naughty/fresh?? It's funny to hear different words for different things. The one that stands out most for me is pop/soda/coke - when we visit different states people always comment. Here in Nebraska it is POP. Thanks for hosting us today! Love your blog!

Ashley said...

Massachusetts is very odd! Most everything in AL is the same as WI (except bubbler - what in the heck is that?). Great post! Congrats on your feature!

Shell said...

I'm surfing in from BATW. I love the word Bubbler for water fountain that is so cute!
I like Rick Springfield too. He looks amazing for his age. I'm a 69 girl as well. My b-day is in Jan.

Indiana Angel said...

From Indiana. Born in Illinois though. It's amazing to me how much differently my relatives in IL speak LOL (I moved here when I was one, so I'm all Hoosierspeak.) I'd have to say the biggest ones that always came up in my family were in IN everyone calls a soft drink pop, in IL it was always soda. My friends were clueless when my mom would ask if they wanted some soda LOL And the whole breakfast/lunch/dinner thing. It was always BLD growing up, but there are breakfast/dinner/supper people, breakfast/lunch/supper people, it's confusing so I just say "It's time to eat."

MediMonsters said...

Stopping in from BATW!! Great post. I won't even get started about how we say things down here in Louisiana.

Gramma 2 Many said...

People from the East Coast tend to say Warshington. There in no R in Washington. I also hear my Jersey friend say whata (water). We have a lot of Salmon here. The L is silent. When I lived in Georgia a shopping cart was called a buggy.
Love it all!
Have fun on this day to shine!!
BTW I say ant. (Aunt)

Sarahviz said...

Great post! I'm a NY-born gal, who's now living in MA. If I had had a girl (I didn't) I was worried about naming her Lydia b/c I knew everyone here in MA would call her "Lydi-er"

Breanne said...

Hi - came from BATW. Thanks for the lesson.

Lady Dorothy said...

Stopping by from California on my BATW tour!

Fun post! The only word not mentioned that I can think of is almond. I grew up saying it with a silent "l". I now say the "l". I don't know where or how the change came about. Hmmm....

Melissa B. said...

Ya, shore, you betcha!

I Love Purple More Than You said...

I love the WI/MA phrase comparisons. If I ever go to MA, I'll have to take your guide, because I don't know that I'd figure out what most of those phrases mean on my own!

TheMama said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
TheMama said...

Hi from MA!

I have only briefly left for college and the occasional trip, but I am having MA/Rest of the country vocabulary issues myself. I married a Jersey Boy who says ANT, BASEMENT, and YANKEES. Yuck.

Worse yet, it's starting to bleed in to my accent. All except the Yankees bit!

Julie said...

wow, that was so educational! I am from VA but live in Hungary, Europe now. And I say all the things like in WI but I have never heard of "bubbler" THat is new.
That was a lot of fun to read, thanks!

I am always amazed by people in Missouri who say things with an added "r" too. "Warsh" for "wash" etc... my boss does this and I want to shake her and say "there is NO R in there... ha ha, but that wouldn't make her, her.

Joy said...

I'm from the south too and it is so fun to hear how each region of the US has its own personality.
As far as the pop/soda debate we refer to everything as coke no matter what it is.
Gotta go, my little girl just got home from school and I need to "get me some sugar".

Joy said...

Oh, I forgot to mention that I absolutely love your blog background. Love the lavender and green and all the circles. Cute, Cute!

Unknown said...

LOL...great comparisson...Great blog!!

Anonymous said...

I'm from Louisiana originally and I'm told that I pronounce mayonaise funny. I'm so self conscioius of it I always ask for mayo.

Don't know if its a southern thing or my family's thing, but we all say "come see" instead of come here. Come see what? Nothing necessarily.

CaraBee said...

Oh, this is so great! Growing up in Kansas and now living in Maryland, I am acutely aware of how differently they say things here. Although my husband speaks Bawlmerese, I plan to coach my daughter in midwestern so she won't feel out of place when we go back for visits.

BTW, of course aunt is pronounced ant.

Laural Out Loud said...

That is a great list! I spent one year in WI when I was 7, and all I remember is the frozen custard. Mmmm.

Aubrey said...

How interesting! I'm another one with the soda/pop/coke funny talkin'.
Congrats on being in the spotlight today!!

oº˚ Homeschool Mom˚ºo said...

Have you ever heard people from Lousisana talk. I'm surprise we understand each other. I just say drink, I've heard people use soda, soda pop, soda water. I do say ant not aunt. I say lunch and dinner, my mom say dinner and supper. Anyway love your blog.

Jen said...

Most of my life was spent in Az. When we moved to Canada we found alot of differences.
Az-US/Canada
Mazda cars: Moh-zda/M-Az-da
again: a-gen/ a-gAIn
the letter z: zee/zed
schedule: skedual/sedjewal
sorry: sawree/sOree

these are just to name a few.
Thanks for sharing your lingo with us.

Shannon said...

I'm a Yankee by birth but have lived in the south for over 20 years... when we first moved down here, and then would go back "home" for visits, my cousins would laugh and say we talked funny.

Referring to all soda as "Coke" was the first thing I learned to do as a new southerner!

Kathy said...

Now that's funny! It is amazing how you can go from one area of the USA to another and everyone talks differently. Just one more thing that makes us Americans unique. Love your blog. Now that I have found you I will be back more often to visit.

Jen said...

That was a great post. Really funny.
I am glad that I was able to come on over.

Kelly said...

I've never heard the term "bubbler" too funny!!! I find myself having more vocabulary in common with you than the folks from MA and I grew up on the east coast!!!
Loved the idea...this subject is always fun!

Unknown said...

Bubbler? Interesting. There are so many different names for things depending on where you live. Thanks for sharing.

Brian and Staci said...

Cute post! Great blog! Ms. Oklahoma here! So sorry for my tardiness....but I can't wait to read more! Nice to meet ya!

Briana said...

Your blog is adorable. I'm from Michigan so I can see how similar it is to how WI talks. Too funny!

EmmaP said...

Hahaha. This is funny! I, too am from the Midwest. I pretty much say all of those things, except...
I HATE the word "ant" - got used to Aunt when I lived in HI.

Ooh - and we never added "ARR" to our words either...

Nice to visit - cute Blog... Thanks for hosting us from BATW!

Trish said...

Funny!

We moved to georgia (from Washington state) when I was in high school and I remember sitting at the lunch table at school once and saying that I was going to go outside to get a "pop". Everyone just looked at me weird. When I cam eback with a Sprite one girl said "OHHH, yous went to git a COKE". They all thought I was going outside to smoke weed......

I learned quickly that EVERYTHING is COKE in the south, and that POP means something totally different!!

Hope you had a great BATW day!

Gina said...

I loved that list. Thanks for coming by yesterday and supporting my blog crack habit. Enjoy your day today!

Domestic Executive said...

Loved this post - when we moved to New Zealand from the UK I thought we wouldn't at least have any language barriers. How wrong I was. I'm often left wondering what the heck did they say?

Kelly Curtis said...

Hello! I'm from Wisconsin too! We all say "Ant" here too and we say "pop" instead of soda.

Very fun.

Nice to meet you!

Kathi Roach said...

Sorry I's so late for your BATW day!! Finally stopping by...it's been a busy week here.

Loved your post! When we moved from Maryland to Seattle we noticed the same thing....lots of little differences in words.

They said Pop, we said Soda.
They said they were getting Bark for their yard, we said we were getting Mulch.
They said Hi, we said Hey.
They said Kittycorner, we said Catacorner.
We both said Aunt like Ant! Sorry. :)

Blogger said...

I read on a blogger's site, I think she is in New Zealand...that shopping carts are called, "Trolleys"...I thought that was so cute :)

Nice to meet you,
Bella

Sooz said...

When we went back to Minnesota, I could definitely hear an accent from the locals...I was told I didn't have one from here (is there one for the Northwest?? I thought we all sounded pretty bland LOL).

One that bugs me locally is the pronunciation of Washington. Every once in a while someone will say "WARSH-ington" and it drives me bonkers! There is no R!

The liquor store vs package store one puzzles me above...so UPS must deliver a lot of booze? :)

Laura Paxton said...

...coming by from BATW...nice to meet you!

I originally hail from SC...by way of TX, MT, and now in VA. There are SO MANY different pronunciations...it amazes me...and baffles me. My husband INSISTS on saying "waRsh", as in, "I'm going to WARSH the dishes tonight, honey." (not that he'd ever do that...just sayin'). Drives me CRAZY!!