Regional Phrases, funny expressions and Idioms

[Oldie13]

Oh I thought of another one! “Fixin’ to”
A- “hey what yall up to?”
B- “fixin’ to go to the store”

And when I was in college we did the play “Our Town” and a LOT of time was spend on the accent. Our biggest problem was our Texas “cha”:
Can’t you = cantcha
Won’t you = wontcha
Don’t you = dontcha

 

[snowwite]

I’m from Texas, we have whole books and magazines dedicated to the things we say. Obviously “yall” is a big one.

We also use “coke” for any soda beverage and then list off what kinds we have: Sprite, Dr Pepper, Big Red.

Most of the ones I can post due to some word not being allowed here.

Raining harder than a cow peeing on a flat rock comes to mind

winner winner chicken dinner

 

[snowwite]

I'm from Georgia so yes, all soft drinks are cokes.
I've noticed just about everyone says ya'll now so you really can't tell where they are from. I heard it the other day with someone from California. When we lived in Ohio and everyone said you guys my brothers would say ya'll guys.

My Daddy used to say "like Pete O'Neil" He used ole Pete in all sorts of way. Look at him sittin there bigger than Pete O'Neil. To this day I have no clue who Pete was.

There are a lot of regional differences here. For me the mid-day meal is lunch and the later meal is either supper or dinner. Hubby's from south Georgia and dinner is lunch then supper is the late meal. He has been up here in Athens so long a number of times we have been late to special meals because his family would invite us for dinner and he would think they meant supper.

I'm often madder than a wet hen. And my son often aggravated the hound out of me. Daddy would often threaten to whup the livin tar out of my brothers. He also often wondered what in tar nation they were up to. Evidently those boys were often in tar.

Mama was from the north Georgia mountains and Daddy from middle Georgia so their accents were totally different, they ate different things and both had different expressions. Mama's daddy used a lot of Scots phrases, I'm guessing that was a mountain thing. We kids just learned to be great translators. My ex-husband was from a rural area so it took me a long time to figure out half of what he was saying.

The first time a British person called Daddy a yank (we lived in Saudi Arabia for a while and there were a lot of Brits there) Daddy bout took his head off.

Haha! Lunch, Dinner and Supper vary too.
Dinner and supper can be the evening meal in New England. But then boiled dinner or chicken dinner could be lunch. When we visit my in laws in Scotland they call lunch dinner and afternoon snack with hot tea is Tea but also the evening meal is Tea and supper is a bed time snack. Except on work day when lunch is a Piece. My mum in law phoned to ask when we expected to be back so she could plan tea. I was like we are in a coffee shop now, Can we just get you something? Then I discovered she meant evening meal not actual cup of tea. My husband said he needed to make his piece for work. I was totally lost. He was like you don’t know what a crisp piece is (chips on bread and butter) or a jeely piece (jam on bread) ?
oh and asking for jelly for my toast got weird looks. Apparently jelly is like Jello. Lol
Oh I could definitely add an entire page of how different we speak in US compared to UK. Some of the phrases I’ve learned are hilarious. Like when you don’t believe someone you can say “ Yer bum’s oot the windae “ Or “Do I look like ma heid zips up the back? “
I would also take offense to Yank.

 

[fly girl]

Has anyone ever told you that you have a Michigan/Midwest accent? The first time I told someone out here I was going to Albany and pronounced it AL-bany instead of AHL-bany they laughed.

YES! My husband loves teasing my sister and I about our Michigander accent. He is from Pittsburgh so he really can't tease too hard.

He jokes at our elongated a's. Ex: how we say mom (mahm) and dollar (dahller) compared to his mum and dullor. He does not say yinz, but jag off is used.

When I first moved to Mass I was driving with someone who told me to bang a uey. I responded with who the hell is Uey? Still laugh about it.

If only you taught them about the Michigan left hand turn.


As for other regional phrases:

Michigan: kitty corner instead of catty corner.

Cincinnati: please instead of excuse me, or can you repeat that. I found that really odd when I moved here.

Family phrases: instead of using the phrase, "is the pope Catholic!" my family (dad's side is polish) and when John Paul II was alive it was, "is the pope Polish!"

 

[snowwite]

Oh I thought of another one! “Fixin’ to”
A- “hey what yall up to?”
B- “fixin’ to go to the store”

And when I was in college we did the play “Our Town” and a LOT of time was spend on the accent. Our biggest problem was our Texas “cha”:
Can’t you = cantcha
Won’t you = wontcha
Don’t you = dontcha

Ha! Fixin to reminds me of Jeff Foxworthy‘s routine

 

[snowwite]

I had a Scottish student once ask if I had a rubber on me. In Scotland a rubber is an eraser but things were pretty awkward until I realised that.

I worked with several Irish nurses and discovered that a Johnny (hospital gown) is a prophylactic in Irish slang after the other nurse blushed and good crack is a good time!

 

[happybaker]

When I lived in CT, we'd do a packy run for booze/beer. It was sold in a package store aka: liquor store. Although for years now, beer can also be bought in the grocery store.

 

[Neapolitan Ice Cream]

Welsh words:

Poppety-ping = Microwave

Go!

 

[snowwite]

When I lived in CT, we'd do a packy run for booze/beer. It was sold in a package store aka: liquor store. Although for years now, beer can also be bought in the grocery store.

Same here

 

[LoveSpringsteen]

Thought of a few more.
No, yea = yes.
Yea, no = no.
Ope = excuse me, sorry about that.

I think these are more made Western than just Northern Ohio idioms.

I’m also from NE Ohio and “Ope” was the first one that came to me. I also call the strip of grass near the road a tree lawn.

 

[Neapolitan Ice Cream]

More Welsh:

Buwch goch gota. Literal translation: short red cow. Meaning: ladybird.

 

[RedAngie]

I had a Scottish student once ask if I had a rubber on me. In Scotland a rubber is an eraser but things were pretty awkward until I realised that.

When I was a kid rubbers referred to stretchy rubber coverings for your shoes when it rained.

Galoshes were snow or rain boots with buckles that you slipped on over your shoes then buckled.

 

[RedAngie]

Everyone in NJ and close-by regions of neighboring states knows what a “jughandle” is. It has nothing to do with a bottle or beverage container.

 

[SpaceMan5]

Eh?

I see a friend of the Great White North checking in.

In H.S a few friends would me "Zed" instead of "Z"

I imagine you have been wearing your tuque daily....

 

[BlueStarryHat]

Everyone in NJ and close-by regions of neighboring states knows what a “jughandle” is. It has nothing to do with a bottle or beverage container.

I'm glad I don't drive.

 

[SpaceMan5]

Saying we went fishing at the "crick" instead of "creek"

 

[Moliphino]

In Massachusetts we use wicked in place of very. It's been wicked cold this week.
We use rotary instead of roundabout or traffic circle. The East Longmeadow rotary is the worst.

 

[Living42Day]

Ope!

 

[Oldie13]

In Massachusetts we use wicked in place of very. It's been wicked cold this week.
We use rotary instead of roundabout or traffic circle. The East Longmeadow rotary is the worst.

I can’t remember where I saw it but someone made a sign for a graduate that said “wicked smaht doctah”

 

[luvthatduke]

Saying we went fishing at the "crick" instead of "creek"

I once was in a conversation that turned into a friendly debate
re: What is the difference between a crick and a creek?

One of the best answers (not mine):
"If it's in your back yard it's a crick,
if it isn't it's a creek."

When I was a kid rubbers referred to stretchy rubber coverings for your shoes when it rained.

Galoshes were snow or rain boots with buckles that you slipped on over your shoes then buckled.

I had red rubbers all through elementary school.
Man, they were so hard to get OFF, especially when they were wet!