Regional Word Differences

S

Sherri S.

O.G.
Dec 14, 2005
155
0
#1
A discussion in a different thread ("Sweet Tea" vs. "Iced Tea") got me thinking. Who else has noticed a difference in the words people use for the same thing in different parts of your country?

For instance, I moved from Minnesota, where I grew up, to Texas. In one of the first restaurants we went to, I remember being so frustrated because I couldn't get an answer to my question, "What kind of pop do you have?" The waitress kept asking, "Hon, ya mean what kinda Coke?" and I kept answering, "No, I don't want a Coke. What kinds of pop do you have?" [In MN, we called it "pop" or "soda pop." In TX, everything was "Coke" - even rootbeer, orange, etc.

What kind of differences have you notice? Any good stories (not that mine was, but it happened 25 years ago and I still remember it . . . .)
 
#2
Well i know that in Saskatchewan, Canada they commonly refer to hoodies/kangaroo jackets as "bunny hugs". Cute, but i have never heard that anywhere else.
 
#3
^ Also i think that's what people from the UK refer to as jumpers?

Oh. And what I call running shoes are referred to as tennis shoes in the US and trainers in the UK. Strange.
 
#4
I always wondered what the heck a friend of mine (from Wisconsin) was asking for when she wondered where the 'bubbler' was. She wanted a water-fountain!!

I moved to NYC about 10 months ago. I still think it's funny that you wait 'on'-line instead of 'in'-line.
 
#5
In the North people mow their lawns, in the South we "cut the grass."
In the North people give someone a ride in the South we "carry you" to the store!
In the North people resemble each other, in the South people "favor" as in "You and your sister really favor each other!"
In the other parts of the country people will ask "what did you pay for that?" In the South people say "What did you GIVE for that?"
 
#6
Bunny-hugs. :lol: :lol: ..that's true...I just never realized it was only us 'Saskatchewanites' that used that phrase..and I certainly never expected to find Saskatchewan mentioned on a purse forum, since there is no place to buy a designer place for hundreds of miles:hrmm: :hrmm: ...that's where I am...we also call hats toques (pronounced tooks)...I am pretty sure there are alot of US/Canadian differences...just can't think of more off the top of my head...
 
#7
well i was going to give the example of the crazy people in Wisconsin that call water fountains 'bubblers' because i had a girl on my hall in my freshman dorm from there, but that was already taken...

In the North, they say they're 'Going to _____'. in the South, we say we're "Fixin' to _____"

caannie covered some of the other good ones, let me think a while and see what i come up with...

and i didn't know that people in the North didn't say 'cut the grass!'
 
#8
Not regional but I get so confused with all the sandwich food terms here. There's hoagies, subs, burgers, sandwiches.....I just end up telling them what it looks like.
 
#9
I know Im from England so its not exactly regional but I have so many problems being understood here in the USA. The first time I went into a bar i ordered a "jug of larger" and the bartender was like? what??? Now I know its "pitcher of beer".
And I "queue" up in the "shops" when I want to pay for my "tinned Tomaaaaartos"

No one understands me... :sad:
 
#10
People in teh NE say "standing on line" like at the bank or soemthing, down here we say "standing in line"!
I rib DH about this ALL the time as he's from NY.
I tell him "there's NO line to stand ON, you're physically part of a line. A line of people. You're IN line, not ON it!!"
LOL!
 
#11
shoegalalabama said:
I know Im from England so its not exactly regional but I have so many problems being understood here in the USA. The first time I went into a bar i ordered a "jug of larger" and the bartender was like? what??? Now I know its "pitcher of beer".
And I "queue" up in the "shops" when I want to pay for my "tinned Tomaaaaartos"

No one understands me... :sad:
Click to expand...

I hear ya! I have the same challenge when I go to England. I was telling my colleagues a story of lost luggage and how the stupid airline would only give me $50 US. Except everything I was wearing I had nothing. I had a client meeting so I had to go buy a pair of dress pants, and I went on telling them how I couldn't find a nice pair of pants for less than $50 in London, and how was I going to meet my client without nice pants? Until one of them stopped me and said 'just to clarify, by pants you mean these (he pointed to his jeans), and I was like, of course! They all laughed and told me in England pants mean panties, underwear! My face turned bright red and I was laughing hysterically.
 
#13
The first time I was in the midwest I remember our shuttle driver asked if I wanted a pop. I was like what the heck is a pop. My friend had to explain to me that's what they call soda.

The biggest difference I've noticed is how a group of people is referred to as 'yall' in the South and 'you guys' elsewhere.
 
#15
As a Swede coming to a University in the US with people from both the North and the South, I was pretty darn confused at times. Also, there were so many things my english textbooks never covered. Expressions, sayings, slang.. And then I had already been with my fiancé for 2 years (he's an american) and he had taught me a bunch of things. Oh it was hard. I wish I could remember all the funny situations I ended up in, but I really can't :P
 
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