The words we use...

[playoutside]

Since I'm done with skiing this season, I was riding my bike mindlessly this morning and I was just thinking with the geographically diverse population here that we could amuse ourselves comparing various regional words we use for the same thing.

For instance I grew up (in NJ) calling the sugary, carbonated, beverage in a can -- soda. When I moved to MA I learned locals called it -- tonic. I had a roomate from Ohio who called it -- pop. Another friend from GA who called it -- coke (all flavors of soda, not just Coke).

Another is the word for shoes that you might wear to jog or play sports. I call them sneakers, a friend from Oklahoma called them tennies (not just for tennis).

Heard any others?

 

[MaineSkiLady]

Wicked pissah! Anyone from Maine - or possibly MA - knows what this means

A true Maine pecularity: "The Door Yard."

Anyone ever heard this wacky term for the front yard?

A half century-plus in the Midwest, and now this. I'm dialect-challenged and confused.

 

[Little Lightning]

When I'm asked a question and I don't understand I say "please?" instead of "pardon me".

"Huh? Sorry, we meant Please? Blame our German heritage for that one. In Germany, it's customary to say bitte when you miss what a speaker says. The direct translation of bitte is, you guessed it, please." Quoted from https://www.mpkellyrealty.com/cincyunique.htm

I get strange looks when I slip and say it here. I still haven't figured out how to respond when I don't understand without saying please. I get all tongue tied.

I also call carbonated, sugery drinks "pop".

I call tennis shoes/sneakers "gym shoes".

 

[Jilly]

Well things can get a little interesting here with the French-English thing.
1. Two eggs side by each.
2. A pair of toasts
3. pop or soda is a soft drink
4. And one of my favourite British saying "Knock you up in the morning" (knock on your door, wake up call!)

 

[playoutside]

Well things can get a little interesting here with the French-English thing.
1. Two eggs side by each.

They say this in MA too...always wondered where it came from, must be all the French-Canadian immigrants here. I've also heard of people walking/marching side by each.

 

[Pattn]

Moving from the midwest to TX I never could get used to all flavors of pop being called coke. Visiting Maine as a kid with a midwest accent they'd think I said pap when I'd say pop.....the midwest nasal thing I guess. Didn't matter they drink soda here anyway.
The other TX thing I could never get used to was "fixin to" as in "I'm fixin to eat."

 

[Native Vail Gal]

For me:
Soda is "Pop"!
Sneakers are "Keds"!
Music will always be "Records"!
Portable Radio is a "Ghetto Blaster"!
Tissue is "Kleenex"!

Hmmmmmmm.....gotta thinka some more....I'm soure there are many!!!!!

 

[MaineSkiLady]

Semi-related is this older thread about American accents, with link to a quiz:
https://www.theskidiva.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2979

 

[Severine]

And one of my favourite British saying "Knock you up in the morning" (knock on your door, wake up call!)

That one would concern me! Now I know not to be worried if I hear that.

 

[Little Lightning]

3 Way Chili!

Only in Cincinnati. Skyline Chili. One thing I don't miss about Cincinnati!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cincinnati_chili

 

[Little Lightning]

And Goetta!

My SO reminded me of this. Another Cincy food that is not my favorite.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goetta

 

[num]

Are you talking about regional slang, or words that vary by region that one would use in a proper setting? I'll give a few of the latter.

What some call blank I'm used to being called blank

Soft drinks- I'm used to pop.
Sneakers- I'm used to gym shoes.
Movie theater- I'm used to the show.
Living room- I'm used to front room.

I have on friend who says "hand cart" for what I'd call a basket and "push cart" for what I'd just call a cart at the grocery store. He's from Massachusetts. I have a different friend who says "indicator" for what I'd call a signal/turn signal (on a car). She's from the Chicago area, but suburbs, which I've notice to have a different dialect.

 

[Kiragirl]

not sure about the geographical regions but this one always comes up:

sub / grinder / submarine / hoagie / hero / wedge

and I think mid-west people call a paper bag a sack

 

[hoodgirl]

I live in the PNW but grew up in the Southeast (alabama specifically)

What I now call soda we called "coke"
Sneakers were "tennis shoes" (but sounded more like tinny shoes)
Living room was "front room"
My grandma called the stove top burners "stove eyes" (i heard Paula Deen say this the other day on Food Netowork)
The funniest thing is that we called shopping carts "buggies" The first time my husband (who grew up in PNW) heard my use this term he thought I was insane.
My grandma also always said "cut that ___ (insert light, TV, radio) on/off" instead of turn it off/on.

ahhh the south.:p

 

[Kiragirl]

My grandma also always said "cut that ___ (insert light, TV, radio) on/off" instead of turn it off/on.

my mom's dad was German and would say "outen the light"

 

[Jilly]

How about "close the light". Again that French-English thing. Literal translation of the french.

 

[ski diva]

One expression that I've always loved is Pennsylvania-Dutch. There was a man we used to work with who was from Lancaster County (that's heavily Amish), and when it rained, he always said "It's making down out." I've come to use that myself.