Post by freya on May 24, 2016 7:15:19 GMT -5
So, after reading @tykes post about his weekend, and swooning over his Yorkshire accent, it got me thinking. Instead of a traditional "Where are you from?" post, what if we shared our regional accents and unique words? I LOVE hearing different accents, and linguistics is one of my favorite hobbies. I just find language so interesting! I know it's hard for people from other English-speaking countries to differentiate between accents from other English-speaking countries, so it'd be cool to learn about little local quirks and how to tell different areas apart. For example, I worked with a guy from New Zealand, and he explained the difference between his and an Australian accent. So, what's YOUR accent? What are some local terms for things that are unique to your area? (This can include folks to whom English is a second-language, too!)
I'll start. I'm from 20 miles outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. The Northeastern dialect includes Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland. When you go towards New York, it changes, and is totally different than a New England accent. We tend to "mush" a lot of words up, and our vowels are very harsh. So "orange" is pronounced "Arng." "Exit"="egg-zit" For the plural "you all" we don't say "y'all" like southerners, we say "you guys" or if you're from the city itself, you might say "youse." "Drawer"="Droor" "Towel"="Tal" Watch the movie "Rocky" and you have a good example of a heavy Philadelphia accent. Mine's a bit lighter since I'm from the suburbs, but it's still there. It's not the prettiest accent, but it's mine. lol
Some words are completely unique to the area around Philadelphia:
"To go down the shore"= take a trip to the beach/seaside
"hoagies"=called "subs" or "heros" in other parts of the country. Made with cold cuts (we call that "lunchmeat"), cheese, onions, lettuce, etc, on a roll.
"Jimmies"=sprinkles you put on ice cream
"Water ice"=Italian ice (yes, it seems rather redundant)
"Turnpike"=highway (actually comes from the 1700s when, pikemen used to guard the toll roads, and would turn their pikes so travelers could pass once they paid).
"Soda"=that fizzy, sugary drink that other people call "pop" or "coke"
"Cheese steak"= a delicious sandwich made of thinly sliced beef that is sauteed, then placed on a roll with either american cheese or cheese whiz, and often sauteed onions. No state seems to be able to replicate this properly, I have no idea why. If it says "Philly cheese steak" and you're not in Philadelphia, you're probably not getting the real thing.
"A pie"= a whole pizza (pizza pie)
"Wawa"=the best convenience store you could ever imagine. They make handmade food to order at all hours of the night.
"Yo!"= A greeting, or a way to show surprise or disapproval, like "Hey!"
I'm sure I forgot soooo many things. Anyone from the northeast wants to chime in and add, please do! Moving down to Texas has been an experience, to say the least. They call shopping carts "buggies" here! What insanity is this!? I'm always asked where I'm from. Usually people guess New York or Chicago (wayyy off). One lady even asked if I was from Australia! (wtf?! lol). So, what is YOUR accent?
I'll start. I'm from 20 miles outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. The Northeastern dialect includes Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland. When you go towards New York, it changes, and is totally different than a New England accent. We tend to "mush" a lot of words up, and our vowels are very harsh. So "orange" is pronounced "Arng." "Exit"="egg-zit" For the plural "you all" we don't say "y'all" like southerners, we say "you guys" or if you're from the city itself, you might say "youse." "Drawer"="Droor" "Towel"="Tal" Watch the movie "Rocky" and you have a good example of a heavy Philadelphia accent. Mine's a bit lighter since I'm from the suburbs, but it's still there. It's not the prettiest accent, but it's mine. lol
Some words are completely unique to the area around Philadelphia:
"To go down the shore"= take a trip to the beach/seaside
"hoagies"=called "subs" or "heros" in other parts of the country. Made with cold cuts (we call that "lunchmeat"), cheese, onions, lettuce, etc, on a roll.
"Jimmies"=sprinkles you put on ice cream
"Water ice"=Italian ice (yes, it seems rather redundant)
"Turnpike"=highway (actually comes from the 1700s when, pikemen used to guard the toll roads, and would turn their pikes so travelers could pass once they paid).
"Soda"=that fizzy, sugary drink that other people call "pop" or "coke"
"Cheese steak"= a delicious sandwich made of thinly sliced beef that is sauteed, then placed on a roll with either american cheese or cheese whiz, and often sauteed onions. No state seems to be able to replicate this properly, I have no idea why. If it says "Philly cheese steak" and you're not in Philadelphia, you're probably not getting the real thing.
"A pie"= a whole pizza (pizza pie)
"Wawa"=the best convenience store you could ever imagine. They make handmade food to order at all hours of the night.
"Yo!"= A greeting, or a way to show surprise or disapproval, like "Hey!"
I'm sure I forgot soooo many things. Anyone from the northeast wants to chime in and add, please do! Moving down to Texas has been an experience, to say the least. They call shopping carts "buggies" here! What insanity is this!? I'm always asked where I'm from. Usually people guess New York or Chicago (wayyy off). One lady even asked if I was from Australia! (wtf?! lol). So, what is YOUR accent?