Regional Differences Idioms...

Fruitbat · Jun 27, 2011

Inspired from the thread on "...another thing coming" vs. "...another think coming:"

http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=217614

How I'm used to hearing a saying sounds like the correct way to me, and a different way sounds mistaken. But maybe it's just regional difference rather than a matter of right and wrong.

So, what about others like it?

Where I was raised, it was "buck naked," and "flip someone off."

In my current location, all I've heard is "butt naked," and "flick someone off."

Whatchu think?

shadowwalker · Jun 27, 2011

Around here (SE MN) it's also "buck naked," and "flip someone off."

I also thought it was "another thing coming"

Sarah Madara · Jun 27, 2011

I was raised hearing buck naked, but both flip and flick someone off (although I thought flick was a kid thing - we just heard it wrong).

I didn't know it was "another think coming" until I was, like, 30. It wasn't regional, though - at least not to my knowledge. I think I'd just been hearing it wrong my whole life.

I also thought people were saying "for all intensive purposes" until very late in life - my twenties, at least. My husband still teases me about that one.

Is there a regional difference between saying route so it rhymes with root and saying route so it rhymes with sprout? I prefer route/root myself. I also prefer to say "I couldn't care less," as opposed to "I could care less," which is what I grew up hearing. Is that common everywhere or is it regional? I don't hear it as much in CA as I did in VA.

The only really obvious regional differences I've noticed so far are (1) In CA we say freeway. No one ever ever refers to the highway. It was the opposite growing up on the East coast. (2) When I lived in Michigan I could never get used to the word pop for soda.

I've heard that British people say "You can't eat your cake and have it, too," which is the only way that makes sense to me. But I believe the common American way is "You can't have your cake and eat it, too."

Sorry to be so random.

Fallen · Jun 27, 2011

Sarah Madara said:
I've heard that British people say "You can't eat your cake and have it, too," which is the only way that makes sense to me. But I believe the common American way is "You can't have your cake and eat it, too."

Sorry to be so random.

Lol, I'm English and I've been used to 'you can't have your cake and eat it.' but then I seem to walk round with hands over my ears anyway. I thought it was 'think' too.

Fruitbat · Jun 27, 2011

I've heard "route" rhyming with "sprout" more often. Another, as far as pronunciation, I say "ENvelope." "Ahnvelope" bugs me. Oh, how about "aunt?" Where I'm from, it is pronounced "ant." When I first heard "ahnt," I cracked up. I thought they were putting a la-dee-dah accent to it to be funny.

I've also noticed the freeway vs. highway difference depending on where you are.

"I could care less" drives me nuts because it doesn't make sense. If you "could care less" then you do care some, when they are obviously trying to say they don't care. Unless maybe it's sarcastic, like "Well, maybe I could possibly somehow care less than I do, but I doubt it."

Sarah Madara · Jun 27, 2011

Fallen said:
Lol, I'm English and I've been used to 'you can't have your cake and eat it.' but then I seem to walk round with hands over my ears anyway. I thought it was 'think' too.

Well now you've gotten me Googling. There is some history of the switch in have/eat order in a NYT article: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/20/magazine/20FOB-onlanguage-t.html

Apparently that's how they caught the Unabomber.

My father told me it was a British vs. American thing when he was working at the British Embassy. Maybe he just worked with very particular people.

Sarah Madara · Jun 27, 2011

Fruitbat said:
I'Oh, how about "aunt?" Where I'm from, it is pronounced "ant." When I first heard "ahnt," I cracked up. I thought they were putting a la-dee-dah accent to it to be funny.

I've always used both pronunciations. I'm more likely to say "ahnt" when just using it as a noun, but I'm "Ant Sarah" to my nephews, for instance. All my aunts are ants to me.

Mr Flibble · Jun 27, 2011

Sarah Madara said:
My father told me it was a British vs. American thing when he was working at the British Embassy. Maybe he just worked with very particular people.

I've heard that British people say "You can't eat your cake and have it, too," which is the only way that makes sense to me. But I believe the common American way is "You can't have your cake and eat it, too."

I've never ever heard it the 'Brit' way you mention it. It's always you can't have your cake and eat it.

So it seems kinda bizarre that they'd use that phrase to catch the unibomber!

ETA I did once have to explain that saying 'If you're going to die, can you do it quietly' isn't actually considered a cruel thing to say - it's just a common jokey way of acknowledging someone has a bad cough...

Snick · Jun 27, 2011

Sarah Madara said:
Is there a regional difference between saying route so it rhymes with root and saying route so it rhymes with sprout? I prefer route/root myself.

I find the "root", "route", and "rout" group of words ve would have no problem with that pronunciation, bt "rout" exists. One way to straighten those words out was done by a teacher in my elementary school; she pronounced "root" so that it rhymed with "foot" She pronounced "route" with a long "ou" (the regular New England way), but I don't recall hearing her say "rout"; but I am sure that she used the short "ou" on it.

I also prefer to say "I couldn't care less," as opposed to "I could care less," which is what I grew up hearing. Is that common everywhere or is it regional? I don't hear it as much in CA as I did in VA.

I think that the "could" version is just used by people who don't pay attention to what they say. I have heard that from people from different regions, but I rarely hear that from intelligent or well educated people.

Sarah Madara · Jun 27, 2011

Snick said:
One way to straighten those words out was done by a teacher in my elementary school; she pronounced "root" so that it rhymed with "foot"

Oh, that bugs me to my core. I can neither explain nor justify it, but I have the same reaction to "roof" rhyming with "hoof." I say it the other way - rhyming with "proof".

mccardey · Jun 27, 2011

Ahem -

I could care less..?

(It's wrong! It's just WRONG!!! But I couldn't care less, any more...)

On the other hand, America has given us more linguistic treats than horrors so all is forgiven...

Mr Flibble · Jun 27, 2011

Here's one I discovered the other day.

'Donkey's years' is a Brit idiomatic way of saying 'A long time', as in 'I haven't seen you for donkey's!' So, I wondered, why donkey's years? Because originally it (very probably) was 'As long as donkey's ears,' and was (also very probably) rhyming slang for 'years'.

Fruitbat · Jun 27, 2011

mccardey said:
Ahem - I could care less.

mccardey said:
(It's wrong! It's just WRONG!!! But I couldn't care less, any more...)

ROFL!

Vespertilion · Jun 27, 2011

Ooh, fun thread!

Can't wait to see what else people post, but here's a pronunciation one from me (Texas regional):

My Grans and mom all say the days of the week so that "day" is pronounced "dee." Mundee, Tuesdee, etc--which I thought was weird until I reread the nursery rhyme "Solomon Grundy" as an adult. It works much better if you pronounce the days of the week in what I suppose is an old-fashioned manner.

Solomon Grundy,
Born on a Monday,
Christened on Tuesday,
Married on Wednesday,
Took ill on Thursday,
Grew worse on Friday,
Died on Saturday,
Buried on Sunday.
This is the end Of Solomon Grundy

absitinvidia · Jun 27, 2011

Sarah Madara said:
The only really obvious regional differences I've noticed so far are (1) In CA we say freeway. No one ever ever refers to the highway. It was the opposite growing up on the East coast.

Aren't there more toll roads on the East Coast than on the West Coast? A freeway never has tolls, whereas a highway might. So, say, the Massachusetts Turnpike is a highway but not a freeway.

Vespertilion · Jun 27, 2011

Thought of another slight variation that pricks my ears up every time.

Standing "on" line versus "in" line. I think the first time I heard someone say waiting "on" line was one of the Godfather movies.

Chase · Jun 27, 2011

mccardey said:
I could care less.

(It's wrong! It's just WRONG!!! But I couldn't care less, any more...)

On the other hand, America has given us more linguistic treats than horrors so all is forgiven...

Not arguing, just surprised, McCardey. A whole boatload of young Aussie (their word, not mine) physical therapists came to our regional hospital in Montana.

They all said "I could care less" and made fun of me for saying the idiom is "I couldn't care less." My revenge was taking them all on a huge all night snipe hunt.

I was certain that particular linguistic treat was imported until I saw your message above. But as you said, the other treats --like learning the meanings of everything in "Waltzin' Matilda" and being scammed that it was really their national anthem -- made up for damage they caused.

Guardian · Jun 27, 2011

My sister-in-law from North Carolina taught me these ones:

To cut on a light - never heard that one before. It was always "turn on" the light. Now I actually use that.

The burner on a stove being called an "eye" - we call it a burner

Orianna2000 · Jun 27, 2011

In the southern US, they refer to shopping carts as "buggies". When I first moved to North Carolina, I was quite annoyed to hear the local term. It's a cart, or maybe it's a basket, but it's not a baby's carriage, so why call it a buggy? Now I'm used to it, but it took a long time.

My Mom is from Kansas, and she pronounces "creek" as if it's "crick".

leon66a · Jun 27, 2011

I dated a girl from Wisconsin who called a drinking fountain a bubbler.

I went up there for a wedding and told the bartender I'd have a draw. He had no idea what I was talking about. I pointed to the keg and ordered a draft.

shadowwalker · Jun 27, 2011

Orianna2000 said:
My Mom is from Kansas, and she pronounces "creek" as if it's "crick".

Rural Minnesota does that too. Don't know whut they calls 'em in the City...

mccardey · Jun 27, 2011

Orianna2000 said:
it's not a baby's carriage, so why call it a buggy? Now I'm used to it, but it took a long time.

Down here, a baby's carriage is a pram.

My all-time favourite tee-shirt was bought by a friend who was in the US in the 70s. It was bright orange, with "I root for The Bears" emblazoned across it...

Lucky old bears, I say...

Xelebes · Jun 27, 2011

Orianna2000 said:
In the southern US, they refer to shopping carts as "buggies". When I first moved to North Carolina, I was quite annoyed to hear the local term. It's a cart, or maybe it's a basket, but it's not a baby's carriage, so why call it a buggy? Now I'm used to it, but it took a long time.

My Mom is from Kansas, and she pronounces "creek" as if it's "crick".

Alberta and maybe Rest of Western Canada:

Shopping cart
(Baby's) Stroller

Flur · Jun 27, 2011

couch / sofa
pop / soda
dinner / supper
water fountain / drinking fountain
bathing suit / swimsuit
basement / cellar
sucker / lollipop
by accident / on accident
out of service / out of order
supermarket / grocery store

(Btw, up until the think vs. thing thread, I'd only ever heard or assumed it was another THING coming. Another THINK coming just sounds wrong. Sarah - up until about 5 years ago I thought it was all intensive purposes, too

)

One thing that drives me up the wall.. "All of THE sudden".. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. All of A sudden!

Purple Rose · Jun 27, 2011

I keep forgetting that in the US, people don't say "queue" (pronounced "q"), they say "line". When visiting, I have to remind myself to say "Is this the line for..." or "I'll go stand in line..." Also, we talk about going back to the "flat" whilst Americans always, without exception, say "apartment". And to get to the flat on the 10th floor, we take the "lift" whereas Americans take the elevator.

Regarding pronunciation, I have one - "herb". I think most people outside America (except the French and Spanish, I suppose) pronounce the "h". People in American supermarkets give me strange looks when I say "herb" instead of "erb".

Regional Differences Idioms...

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empty-nester!

Freeway stomper extraordinaire

Stood at the coalface

.

Freeway stomper extraordinaire

Freeway stomper extraordinaire

They've been very bad, Mr Flibble

Freeway stomper extraordinaire

They've been very bad, Mr Flibble

.

Flying blind on a rocket cycle.

A bit of a wallflower

Flying blind on a rocket cycle.

It Takes All of Us to End Racism

just the worst honestly

Freelance Writer

empty-nester!

Delerium ex Ennui

practical experience, FTW