Regional Dialects/Odd Sayings - Page 63

myrosiedog · 04-21-2006, 09:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gabriel

Well I work in a large retirement community/independent living/alzheimers/nursing care campus and it seems like I call everyone HON... I'm 48 and a guy. maybe my being a gay guy has something to do with it?

Gabriel, one of my dearest and oldest friends is a gay guy and he and all his friends call me Hon. I love it. Coming from them it sounds so sincere and funny. And I'm sure all your clients or patients love it too. I think it does make you feel a little more special to be called Hon, then Mr. Smith or Mrs. Jones, or ma'am or sir.

Keep on doing it. It's endearing.

Google · Sponsored Links

Rattus · 04-22-2006, 03:27 PM

I heard this phrase the other day and it is apparently really regional - to Orangeville, Ontario. You know those girls in the really tight pants with the flesh bulging out over top? That bulging flesh and/or the girls are referred to a muffin-tops. Very descriptive.

CantGetNuf · 04-22-2006, 09:19 PM

I've heard that term before. Just recently on the radio. I think the station is based out of South Carolina.

geek the girl · 04-23-2006, 05:18 AM

I've heard people in the U.K. use the term muffin-top, too, so I don't think it's that regional. Still, very funny and apt description.

julitta · 04-25-2006, 10:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gabriel

IS there anywhere other than Milwaukee Wi where I live that calls a drinking fountain a BUBBLER????

No not really. We Wisconsinites call it a bubbler because the first water fountain ever made was from Kohler Wisconsin. They called it a bubbler, and trademarked the name. So when other companies started to make them, they could not use bubbler. They came up with names like The Gusher, or The Gyser. Eventually the generic term water fountain became the standard. Except for us, who still call it a bubbler! And i have no idea why i know this.

I am 24% dixie. I am a Yankee Doodle Dandy!

famita · 04-26-2006, 02:43 PM

My family used the term "flout" for the butt cheek portions that come out partially from the bottom of the bathing suit. We would warn each other at the swimming pool "flout" and that let us know to pull it down. We were 11-12 yrs old.

Lucy · 07-03-2006, 09:21 AM

I just wanted to share this -- yesterday on the phone with my mother, she said she had used a word she hadn't thought of since childhood -- "quiled." As in, "There's a snake quiled up in the hedge." She said everyone used that instead of "coiled" when she was growing up in Appalachia. I just Googled it and apparently it was an Elizabethan pronunciation of coiled or curled. It's just so interesting to me to hear remnants of old language crop up like that.

myrosiedog · 07-03-2006, 10:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lucy

I just wanted to share this -- yesterday on the phone with my mother, she said she had used a word she hadn't thought of since childhood -- "quiled." As in, "There's a snake quiled up in the hedge." She said everyone used that instead of "coiled" when she was growing up in Appalachia. I just Googled it and apparently it was an Elizabethan pronunciation of coiled or curled. It's just so interesting to me to hear remnants of old language crop up like that.

I am always fascinated by word origins and meanings.

I read an interesting article several years ago (wish I still had it now) about the settling of Appalachia in the 1700's and how many of the people were Scottish Highlanders and also of English descent as well and especially the Scottish wanted to be isolated in the mountains and that a lot of the language and word usage in the Appalachias today still comes from the English and Scottish influence 200 or so years ago and the "clanishness" of the Appalacian people sticking to themselves, not liking outsiders, etc. is all part of that heritage. It also went on to say that the Ku Klux Klan appropriated a lot of the Scottish traditions when they formed. Cross burning was something the Scottish did before a big battle back in Scotland. It was designed to strike fear in the hearts of their enemies. Very interesting article, but again, I am always interested in where customs or words come from. (And no, I'm not saying I agree with the KKK, just it was interesting to know where they got some of their actions)
I would like to take a word or phrase history class.I think that would be very interesting.

Lucy · 07-03-2006, 11:11 AM

Well, I don't know about the Klan part, but the origins of language and culture in the Appalachians is pretty accurate.Parts of the Appalachians mountains are very isolated, even now -- my mother grew up in a county that still doesn't have any four-lane roads -- and as recently as my grandfather's generation, with no television and all, it was much more so. Many settlers there were Scottish or English, and local language still reflects that, as do musical traditions.
PBS has a great documentary called "The Appalachians" that traces the evolution of settlement and culture in the mountains. It's not focused on language, but it's very interesting.
Also, I took a linguistics class in college, and it wasn't nearly as fascinating as you'd think.

giz · 07-03-2006, 11:54 AM

Did anyone watch The Story of English? That was a great old series on PBS. It spent more time than I wanted on American English (cause it meant they missed out lots of other English-speaking countries), but it was really good. I remember part that they did on the people off the coast of the Carolina's. The whole series could have been twice as long and I would have been happy.

04-22-2006, 03:27 PM	#622
Rattus Wild thang Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: In the trees Age: 49 Posts: 4,648	I heard this phrase the other day and it is apparently really regional - to Orangeville, Ontario. You know those girls in the really tight pants with the flesh bulging out over top? That bulging flesh and/or the girls are referred to a muffin-tops. Very descriptive. __________________ I like to pigeonhole people, and then judge them. - Stephen Colbert.

04-23-2006, 05:18 AM	#624
geek the girl Culture slut Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Maternal bliss Age: 29 Posts: 1,852	I've heard people in the U.K. use the term muffin-top, too, so I don't think it's that regional. Still, very funny and apt description. __________________ "There's more to life than books, you know, but not much more" (Morrissey)

07-03-2006, 09:21 AM	#627
Lucy Wonky snarkmistress Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Playing kickball for the beer Age: 33 Posts: 8,862	I just wanted to share this -- yesterday on the phone with my mother, she said she had used a word she hadn't thought of since childhood -- "quiled." As in, "There's a snake quiled up in the hedge." She said everyone used that instead of "coiled" when she was growing up in Appalachia. I just Googled it and apparently it was an Elizabethan pronunciation of coiled or curled. It's just so interesting to me to hear remnants of old language crop up like that. __________________ It's such a fine line between stupid, and clever. -- David St. Hubbins

07-03-2006, 11:11 AM	#629
Lucy Wonky snarkmistress Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Playing kickball for the beer Age: 33 Posts: 8,862	Well, I don't know about the Klan part, but the origins of language and culture in the Appalachians is pretty accurate.Parts of the Appalachians mountains are very isolated, even now -- my mother grew up in a county that still doesn't have any four-lane roads -- and as recently as my grandfather's generation, with no television and all, it was much more so. Many settlers there were Scottish or English, and local language still reflects that, as do musical traditions. PBS has a great documentary called "The Appalachians" that traces the evolution of settlement and culture in the mountains. It's not focused on language, but it's very interesting. Also, I took a linguistics class in college, and it wasn't nearly as fascinating as you'd think. __________________ It's such a fine line between stupid, and clever. -- David St. Hubbins

04-22-2006, 09:19 PM	#623
CantGetNuf FORT Fogey Join Date: Apr 2003 Age: 40 Posts: 1,070	I've heard that term before. Just recently on the radio. I think the station is based out of South Carolina.

04-26-2006, 02:43 PM	#626
famita FORT Fogey Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 3,202	My family used the term "flout" for the butt cheek portions that come out partially from the bottom of the bathing suit. We would warn each other at the swimming pool "flout" and that let us know to pull it down. We were 11-12 yrs old.

07-03-2006, 11:54 AM	#630
giz FORT Fogey Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 1,895	Did anyone watch The Story of English? That was a great old series on PBS. It spent more time than I wanted on American English (cause it meant they missed out lots of other English-speaking countries), but it was really good. I remember part that they did on the people off the coast of the Carolina's. The whole series could have been twice as long and I would have been happy.