GTKY: words

MinnesotaMomma91

Katie6202 said:

The sprinkles convo in UO got me thinking. Where I am from we call sprinkles jimmies, water coolers bubblahs, soda is soda, and to describe anything REALLY good- we use the word wicked (ie, that ice cream was wicked good!)

What are some different words that you guys use across the US? (and beyond!)

I am minnesota born and raised. Growing up it was pop, water fountains, and gravel roads.

I lived in oregon for six years where every pop is a coke, its a water fountain, and a dirt road. Now i live in minnesota again and everyone thinks im from the south cause everything is a coke

henderson1026

what is provel?

johnson8586

From Iowa:

My family pronounces the word "creek" with a long e sound, not as "crick." 

My dad says "warsh."

He also says, "What the hine?" or "What the snarf?" instead of "What the heck?" 

Don't ask what a hine or snarf is because I have no idea, but I've started using it as I've gotten older.

henderson1026

johnson8586 said:

From Iowa:

My family pronounces the word "creek" with a long e sound, not as "crick." 

My dad says "warsh."

He also says, "What the hine?" or "What the snarf?" instead of "What the heck?" 

Don't ask what a hine or snarf is because I have no idea, but I've started using it as I've gotten older.

That would be correct then.  Crick makes you sound like a hillbilly, sorry.

WildRumpus

It's a processed cheese that's really only found here. I think it's cheddar, swiss, and provolone? If you're not from the area, most people think it's gross. Restaurants here use it for a bunch of things, but mainly pizza.

Katie6202

Also, what is the high school question?

WildRumpus

In St Louis, it's apparently a thing to ask where people went to high school, like a status thing or something. It's odd.

Smom901316

Coke versus soda or pop. I have always said remote but Fiancé grew up saying clicker it was so odd to me! I just saw research on this a few months ago !! I am still unsure if posting links in mobile make them clicky : https://www.businessinsider.com/22-maps-that-show-the-deepest-linguistic-conflicts-in-america-2013-6?op=1

henderson1026

Jill9288 said:

It's a processed cheese that's really only found here. I think it's cheddar, swiss, and provolone? If you're not from the area, most people think it's gross. Restaurants here use it for a bunch of things, but mainly pizza.

gag.  Mozzarella is the only acceptable cheese.  Expect Ricotta, mmm I love white pizza.

There is one for ya - those two cheese are pronounced mutz-a-rell and re-gut.  NY Italian over here.

Smom901316

ayanahazel1 said:

Usualmischief -- Hi there!

Jill -- I'm fascinated by different pronunciations. My husband sent me this article about a linguistic project they did at N.C. State University; it's a neat read.

https://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/heat-maps-linguistic-trends-nation-article-1.1366388

I am sorry I didn't see this when I posted my link !!! I think it is so interesting

MommyKristin88

Jill9288 said:

In St Louis, it's apparently a thing to ask where people went to high school, like a status thing or something. It's odd.

That's exactly what it is for: status. The high school you attend explains how much money your family has/had, what area of town you're from, stereotypes the type of person you are, etc. It's kinda crazy, but that's how we do it. I have grown to realize how offensive that can be though (for instance, the high school I went to is stereotyped as being for rich whores - neither of which I am), so I don't ask people anymore.

MommyKristin88

henderson1026 said:

Jill9288 said:

It's a processed cheese that's really only found here. I think it's cheddar, swiss, and provolone? If you're not from the area, most people think it's gross. Restaurants here use it for a bunch of things, but mainly pizza.

gag.  Mozzarella is the only acceptable cheese.  Expect Ricotta, mmm I love white pizza.

There is one for ya - those two cheese are pronounced mutz-a-rell and re-gut.  NY Italian over here.

LOL provel is awesome!!! Don't gag it until you try it!

henderson1026

MommyKristin88 said:

Jill9288 said:

In St Louis, it's apparently a thing to ask where people went to high school, like a status thing or something. It's odd.

That's exactly what it is for: status. The high school you attend explains how much money your family has/had, what area of town you're from, stereotypes the type of person you are, etc. It's kinda crazy, but that's how we do it. I have grown to realize how offensive that can be though (for instance, the high school I went to is stereotyped as being for rich whores - neither of which I am), so I don't ask people anymore.

What's considered the best high school?  I'm gonna tell people I went there   also the worst? sometimes I like to mix things up.

WildRumpus

Haha, Henderson, do you want public or private? STL public schools are kind of a mess, unless you live in the burbs

MommyKristin88

Jill9288 said:

Haha, Henderson, do you want public or private? STL public schools are kind of a mess, unless you live in the burbs

Yeah, public or private makes a HUGE difference!

CourtJack

I'm in Ontario, Canada. One thing I notice on my first bmb was the use of the term "cook out" in the US. Is that fairly standard or regional? We just call it a BBQ.....

MommyKristin88

CourtJack said:

I'm in Ontario, Canada. One thing I notice on my first bmb was the use of the term "cook out" in the US. Is that fairly standard or regional? We just call it a BBQ.....

I've never heard people use cook out here, but I know people from other states that do.

henderson1026

Jill & Mommy - the best private and worst public please.

@CourtJack - I say BBQ, too. but have heard other people say cook out.

MommyKristin88

henderson1026 said:

Jill & Mommy - the best private and worst public please.

@CourtJack - I say BBQ, too. but have heard other people say cook out.

Best private: That's a hard one. I think I'm biased to my alma mater. Let me think about that one!

Worst public: Vashon or Sumner

EDIT: MICDS is probably considered the best private high school.

LilMissScareAll

CourtJack said:

I'm in Ontario, Canada. One thing I notice on my first bmb was the use of the term "cook out" in the US. Is that fairly standard or regional? We just call it a BBQ.....

It's only a BBQ if your actually BBQing. Most of the time people are just grilling. 

I say pop not soda

I say freeway (or tollway) not expressway

things are 'jacked' if their messed up

henderson1026

mmm, bbq, grill same thing.

But I know that in other states, they are completely different.

WildRumpus

We tend to use "grilling out" instead of BBQ or cooking out

DH's friend used the term "come apart" the other day to describe an outburst. I've never heard that before, but I like it. The ladies at work called fits/tantrums "falling out"

CourtJack

Oh. Lol. Yeah I think of grilling and bbq'ing as the same thing.

henderson1026

Jill9288 said:

We tend to use "grilling out" instead of BBQ or cooking out

DH's friend used the term "come apart" the other day to describe an outburst. I've never heard that before, but I like it. The ladies at work called fits/tantrums "falling out"

to me "falling out" is a platonic break-up

WildRumpus

@CourtJack, I just meant here! Yeah, they're definitely the same thing, I don't know why we complicate things haha

MommyKristin88

henderson1026 said:

Jill9288 said:

We tend to use "grilling out" instead of BBQ or cooking out

DH's friend used the term "come apart" the other day to describe an outburst. I've never heard that before, but I like it. The ladies at work called fits/tantrums "falling out"

to me "falling out" is a platonic break-up

Falling out for me is any sort of disagreement/argument 

rooftop

I'm from up in montana. We call fizzy drinks soda, mayonnaise has 2 syllables (man-aze), "the" does not have a long e (thee is a completely different word) and it's not a word per se but we describe distance in minutes (or hours) not miles. And for those prononcing my screen name it's with an uh not ooo (ruhf).

henderson1026

rooftop said:

I'm from up in montana. We call fizzy drinks soda, mayonnaise has 2 syllables (man-aze), "the" does not have a long e (thee is a completely different word) and it's not a word per se but we describe distance in minutes (or hours) not miles. And for those prononcing my screen name it's with an uh not ooo (ruhf).

I either take the o out of mayonnaise or just call it mayo,  I say the the same way, and I say distance in minutes or hours, too.  your on your own for roof, though

MommyKristin88

rooftop said:

I'm from up in montana. We call fizzy drinks soda, mayonnaise has 2 syllables (man-aze), "the" does not have a long e (thee is a completely different word) and it's not a word per se but we describe distance in minutes (or hours) not miles. And for those prononcing my screen name it's with an uh not ooo (ruhf).

I was agreeing with everything you said until you said roof. LOL that's a new one for me!

Lovehavinggirls

caramia582 said:

henderson1026 said:

Katie6202 said:

The sprinkles convo in UO got me thinking. Where I am from we call sprinkles jimmies, water coolers bubblahs, soda is soda, and to describe anything REALLY good- we use the word wicked (ie, that ice cream was wicked good!)

What are some different words that you guys use across the US? (and beyond!)

You must live in Boston

That's my guess... I think we're neighbors!  It's the "jimmies" that give it away, you must at least be in New England!
I thought the same thing when I read the post. I grew up in MA

julie279

lindsayanne79 said:

I'm from Pittsburgh and people in this area use the words "yinz" to describe a group of people rather than you all. I personally don't use yinz though. Other common ones are hoagies for submarine sandwiches, pop for soda, gum bands for rubber bands and the one I use most often...slippy instead of slippery.

Yay! Another pittsburgher!

I don't use yinz either. I also don't say gum bands. I do pronounce some things differently, like down is "dahn" and steelers is "stillers".

KristiBree

Although there aren't too many in A13,  in New Mexico you will always get asked Red or Green when you order Mexican food.  Strangest thing ever when I moved here.  Red or Green what?   Chile!!!

 

I am from San Diego and I admit, we do refer to freeways as THE 5, THE 15, etc.

 

ETA: People here are always "fixin" to do something and we also measure distance in hours. 

lefender

henderson1026 said:

mmm, bbq, grill same thing.

But I know that in other states, they are completely different.

In the south, NC and SC for sure, a BBQ means you are literally roasting/smoking a pig, and there are crazy opinions on which BBQ sauce is the best kind. Eastern NC which is mustard based vs Western NC which is vinegar based. A cook out is just burgers and hot dogs on a grill.

RK125

My h and I have the sprinkles/jimmies debate all the time. I use a lot of the same wording as OP.

BlondieBia21

ELauren88 said:

BlondieBia21 said:

LOL didn't think about it that way with the whole couch word, I get it! I wasn't meaning that that's how everyone does it, I was just kinda saying where I was, I should've clarified!

Oh I know! I think it's funny, though. We lived so close to each other, but talk so differently! Our mutual friend calls a remote a clicker and it drives my brother and I bonkers! Haha!

lol yeah it is! I call the remote "buttons"- FI hates it!

ELauren88

Also, doesn't everybody refer to distance in time increments? Like when someone asks how long it takes to get to Pitt, I tell them about 3 hours. Not that it's 168 miles away. 

I've heard people before say this is a "Kansas" or "Midwest" thing...but I'm just certain people do it everywhere.

CourtJack

ELauren88 said:

Also, doesn't everybody refer to distance in time increments? Like when someone asks how long it takes to get to Pitt, I tell them about 3 hours. Not that it's 168 miles away. 

I've heard people before say this is a "Kansas" or "Midwest" thing...but I'm just certain people do it everywhere.

Ha! Yes. I always hear its a Canadian thing, but I thought it was a fairly common thing. That's funny