The new national divide... In my high school town of Davis CA. it was "Coke". In the rest of California it seemed to be "Soda". Until I moved to the Northwest I always had an extreme hick-ish image of folks who say "Pop" and to a certain extent still do.
When I was little, it used to bug me when people said "couch" instead of "sofa." posted by donkeyschlong at 1:38 PM on September 12, 2002
In Chicago, it's "pop" all the way. Anybody says any different gets "popped". Dems da breaks. posted by KevinSkomsvold at 1:40 PM on September 12, 2002
chesterfield not sofa...pop always posted by riley370 at 1:40 PM on September 12, 2002
The words "trousers" and "slacks", and the pronounciation of coupon as "cue-pon" really bug me. But I'm just an oversensitive jerk. posted by interrobang at 1:41 PM on September 12, 2002
Also, I agree with the woman in the CNN article that described the word "pop" as "creepy". posted by interrobang at 1:42 PM on September 12, 2002
Southerners say "egg" like "ayg" and "lawyer" like "liar".
This caused me some problems when I went west, young man. posted by WolfDaddy at 1:42 PM on September 12, 2002
Coke and sofa. It always wound me up as a barman the number of stupid, unintelligible names punters came up with for drinks. A pint of 'Tortoise'? Get out of my pub! posted by RokkitNite at 1:44 PM on September 12, 2002
Not sure what its locally, but in Windsor ON it was called pop. There was even the Pop Shoppe, which had inexpensive knock offs of popular brands. They even had a Golden Gingerale which was a knockoff of Vernor's posted by substrate at 1:44 PM on September 12, 2002
My parents are both New Yorkers, accent and all, and I grew up my whole life in Mass. I always called it "soda", and alot of kids at school talked about drinking something called "tonic". For the longest time I wondered why they were putting something in their mouths that was supposed to go into your hair...
I can't stand the anomaly of calling everything "Coke" in the South, though... "What kind of Coke do you want?" "Pepsi". Uh? posted by jozxyqk at 1:44 PM on September 12, 2002
I say "soda pop".
Actually, I say "Coke", but that's because that's all I drink, soda pop-wise. posted by mr_crash_davis at 1:45 PM on September 12, 2002
Well, if we're going off on a pronunciation tangent, let me just register my objection to ask=axe and nuclear=nukiller. posted by donkeyschlong at 1:45 PM on September 12, 2002
"Davenport" is the worst. I hated that as a kid. My babysitter always said it.
Oh, and pop. Definitely.
Minneapolis in da house. posted by triggerfinger at 1:45 PM on September 12, 2002
I can never decide if it's Fark or MetaFilter, myself. posted by yhbc at 1:45 PM on September 12, 2002
For me pants and trousers are the same thing. For most of the UK 'pants' are underpants. This was a serious bar on understanding a lot of BBC comedy. posted by vbfg at 1:46 PM on September 12, 2002
I can't stand the anomaly of calling everything "Coke" in the South, though... "What kind of Coke do you want?" "Pepsi". Uh?
It's like they've all been hypnotized into permanent, unconscious brand-loyalty, or something. Strikes me as kind of grody. posted by interrobang at 1:47 PM on September 12, 2002
Flashbacks of freshman linguistics here... Practicing linguists take note of these regional differences and mark them on maps with lines called "isoglosses" (like the isotherms on weather maps). There are a lot more of these than just soda/pop (I say "soda", being Californian) - bucket/pail, dragonfly/darning needle... There's a book out there consisting of nothing but isogloss maps, but I can't recall its name offhand.
(On preview, I agree that ask="axe" is utterly abominable.) posted by wanderingmind at 1:48 PM on September 12, 2002
When my kids come to the midwest from Long (with a hard 'g') Island and call for pizza and try to order a "pie with a soda" they get the "we don't sell pie, we sell pizza and what kind of pop you want." posted by mss at 1:49 PM on September 12, 2002
Growing up in Bakersfield and environs, it was "Coke." "Soda" seems to be taking over, tho; is it possible that "Coke" was imported to the Central Valley along with so many other southern/southwestern cultural bits during the depression? posted by hob at 1:50 PM on September 12, 2002
Born in NJ, raised in PA , now in DC - and it's soda all the way.
I am still somewhat humiliated when my father refers to "jeans" as "dungarees" in public. posted by JoanArkham at 1:50 PM on September 12, 2002
"darning needle" would be a great metafilter handle. posted by interrobang at 1:51 PM on September 12, 2002
Wow. I can't believe you actually found a link for this thread.
More pernicious, to me, is this little-known enclave of Minnesota racism: That game in which children sit on the floor in a circle while one of them touches each other participant on the head before instigating a vigorous lap of tag? Everyone out there is thinking, "Yeah, Duck Duck Goose," except for those misbegotten Minnesotans, who know it as "Duck Duck Gray Duck." A childhood game grounded in celebrating the diversity of Earth species -- because we value ducks and geese pretty equally -- becomes a whirling dervish of racism (picking on ducks because of their color) or sexism (because gray ducks are female ducks; the brightly colored males are designed to draw predators away from the camouflaged mom and the 'lings).
The "Gray Duck" thing seems to end at the Minnesota state line; I used to live on the Wisconsin side, and the natives knew the goose version (as do most everyone else in every other state), but cross the border and "Guy Guy Black G..." -- I mean, "Duck Duck Gray Duck" prevailed.
On preview: triggerfinger, can I get a witness? posted by blueshammer at 1:52 PM on September 12, 2002
This was a serious bar on understanding a lot of BBC comedy.
I had trouble with little cultural things like why Scotsmen and Blancmanges were so funny. posted by vacapinta at 1:54 PM on September 12, 2002
Coke out here in the middle of the Pacific. There's almost a sense of ritual when I go, "Can I have a coke?" And the server asks, "Sure. Is Pepsi all right?" Of course, since I love Coke, if I feel like being a smartass, I get to say, "No, that's why I asked for a Coke." (As if the server could hear the capitalization.)
We also say "couch" in my family, but I hear a lot of "sofa." My wife, from Florida, is definitely from a "sofa" region, and for a while we'd jokingly argue about it. Then we got a futon. posted by pzarquon at 1:55 PM on September 12, 2002
How about "eggspecially" in place of "especially"? Ughh.
Seems to be indigenous to sports talk radio hosts. posted by KevinSkomsvold at 1:56 PM on September 12, 2002
I generally ask for a Cola when I'm out eating. Not out of a random choice or habit, but a conscious decision to be clear.
I want a cola, doesn't really matter Coke or Pepsi, whatever their brand loyalty is. I say it hoping to avoid the, "Is (the alternative to what I've asked for) okay?" questions, though invariably I end up getting a confused look anyway.
Hopefully with any luck after this survey they'll do the followup, "Hoagie, grinder, sub, hero, wedge" debate. posted by KnitWit at 1:57 PM on September 12, 2002
Here in Pittsburgh, it's pop. We also say gumbands (rubber bands), hoagies (submarine sandwiches), yunz (you all), Stillers (NFL Team), cubbard (store things in), aht (opposite of in), dahntahn (opposite of uptown), Hauscome (way to ask why?), and jimmies (sprinkles). Most of the time no one has any idea what we're talking about. posted by ALongDecember at 1:57 PM on September 12, 2002
Here in Portland they also say 'acrosst', as in, "You can buy pop acrosst the street." That and 'tooken' will drive me to an early grave. posted by Tacodog at 1:57 PM on September 12, 2002
is it possible that "Coke" was imported to the Central Valley
And here I thought crank was the drug of choice there ;-) posted by WolfDaddy at 1:58 PM on September 12, 2002
Me, I like to sit on the divan and have tonic with my sub. posted by madamjujujive at 1:58 PM on September 12, 2002
triggerfinger, can I get a witness?
Please tell me that you also have relatives who eat "hotdish" and add "so" to the beginning and "then" to the end of every sentence.
"So, you like your hotdish then?"
Oh, and "supposably". Though I don't think that's just a Minnesota thing. posted by triggerfinger at 1:58 PM on September 12, 2002
Here in Memphis, TN we generally use the terms soda and coke. The latter I've only heard to describe the cola beverages (i.e. Coke, Pepsi, Dr. Pepper, never anything fruity.) Soda is the more usual term to hear.
The word "pop" happens to be one of my pet peeves. I think it has to do with those times when my cousins from Chicago would come down to visit. Remembering the way that they say pop still sends chills down my spine. With the northern accent, it sounds like the quack a duck would produce if it were being beaten to death with a broken red brick. posted by bunnytricks at 1:59 PM on September 12, 2002
darning needle and dragon fly are the same thing?! Actually, the last time, the only time I've ever heard darning need was in the late 1960's at age six or so, from a neighbor with a Bronx accent. I thought it was "Dining Needle." posted by ParisParamus at 2:01 PM on September 12, 2002
It really comes down to: is it argle-bargle? Or foofarah? posted by interrobang at 2:01 PM on September 12, 2002
I just want to point out that Metafilter spellchecked my "supposebly" to "supposably".
Administrator, hope me! posted by triggerfinger at 2:01 PM on September 12, 2002
Growing up in Arkansas, like the rest of the South, everything was a "coke." As in:
Person 1: I'm going to the break room; do you want a coke?
Person 2: Yeah, a coke sounds good right now.
Person 1: What kind?
Person 2: I'll take a 7 Up.
My mom always called them "soft drinks," the black kids would call them "pop," and nobody used the term "soda." posted by mbd1mbd1 at 2:02 PM on September 12, 2002
All I wanted was a pepsi and they wouldn't give me one... posted by thomcatspike at 2:04 PM on September 12, 2002
It's soda and anyone who say differently is a deviant and should be arrested and flogged. posted by xmutex at 2:05 PM on September 12, 2002
A lot of older folks around Ontario call 'em soft drinks... guess that durn must be from da old days when everything but pop was hard... ?? I got nothing... posted by FiveFrozenFish at 2:05 PM on September 12, 2002
What a great thread! POP, of course, in southern Ohio. When I first moved east I was flabbergasted by people using the term reserved for an ice-cream drink to refer to soft drinks. I would try to explain to my new friends that our (Ohio's) system was obviously superior, because we had two clearly delineated words for two different things, whereas they had one word (pop) that meant nothing, and another (soda) that could mean one of two different things. Later I realized I was just intellectualizing a meaningless regionalism, so I've stopped ... until NOW! POP all the way, just as the conclusion of the survey says! posted by soyjoy at 2:08 PM on September 12, 2002
In Wisconsin, we refer to water fountains as "bubblers." I don't think bubbler is used anywhere else. Always thought it had a nice onomatopoetic sound to it and wondered why it never caught on elsewhere. posted by rtimmel at 2:08 PM on September 12, 2002
It's not generically "coke" ALL over the south -- I grew up in VA and NC, and my relatives are all in NW Florida, and all I ever heard was "soda" or "cola." "coke" meant "Coke."
Does anybody else say "might could"? As in "Would you lend me 5 bucks?" "Yeah, I might could do that." I also hear myself say "used to could" when discussing something I used to be able to do. Oh, and the one I really get laughed at about is "fixin' to" as in "I was just fixin' to go upstairs." Oh well, at least I don't say "pop." posted by JanetLand at 2:08 PM on September 12, 2002
A childhood game grounded in celebrating the diversity of Earth species -- because we value ducks and geese pretty equally -- becomes a whirling dervish of racism (picking on ducks because of their color) or sexism (because gray ducks are female ducks; the brightly colored males are designed to draw predators away from the camouflaged mom and the 'lings).
Folks, I think we have a winner for "Most Strained Example of Racism/Sexism"!
In Michigan it's "pop." And for me it's "couch." A "sofa" is the formal thing in the living room that nobody's supposed to sit on. posted by pardonyou? at 2:09 PM on September 12, 2002
As far as "Coke" being predominant in the South, I always thought it might be due to the fact that Coca-Cola has been headquartered in Atlanta since 1886. Haven't come up with any support for that yet, but still looking. posted by whatzit at 2:09 PM on September 12, 2002
When I grew up in the Philadelphia area people "went to the shore" for a seaside vacation. Here in the Baltimore area they go "down the ocean" but its pronounced (of course) "downy ocean".
"We're goin' downy ocean, hon!" posted by krtzmrk at 2:09 PM on September 12, 2002
It surprises me that aaronscool said "Coke" in Davis; I'm just next door, in Sacramento, and around here everyone says "soda." Years ago I knew a family of transplanted Southerners who always asked for Coke at my grandmother's house, when they knew the only carbonated beverage she ever purchased was 7-Up. Bugged the heck out of me. I always tried to correct them, and they always looked at me like I was crazy. Oh--and "pop" just sounds dorky, to my ears.
Another pet peeve: my mother is a real estate broker (no, wait, that's not the peeve), and my stepfather consistently pronounces "realtor" as "real-a-tor." And of course he also says "nuke-yoo-ler." posted by Acetylene at 2:10 PM on September 12, 2002
I can't stand the anomaly of calling everything "Coke" in the South
Speaking from over a decade of experience, this has been blown a little bit out of proportion. People do refer to specific brand names when ordering a drink. If it comes up in a restaurant, the server asks "would you like something to drink," and patron responds, 7-Up, Sprite, Coke, etc. No one ever asks "What kind of Coke would you like."
On the other hand, "coke" is the generic term for soda, pop, what have you, in most of the south. But again, I don't see what the big deal is. Coke vs "carbonated soft drink," Hi-Liter vs "flourescent referrence marker," Wite-Out vs "liquid correction fluid," Band-Aid vs "adhesive bandage" . . . see what I'm getting at? posted by mikrophon at 2:10 PM on September 12, 2002
You people in the midwest are freaks. posted by xmutex at 2:12 PM on September 12, 2002
I'm from Nashville, and it was nice to see in the survey results that, statistically, the entire South says "Coke" as a generic. I'd never even heard "pop," outside of vintage 50s TV, until I started travelling to Chicago and Iowa for debate in high school. The divide became a big topic of discussion at those tournaments (what else ya gonna talk about; "jeez, I don't play football, so theater and debate were kinda it for me").
Then I went to Europe and all my English friends laughed when I talked about wearing pants and suspenders (a garter belt, over here). Now there's a way to get yourself into trouble real quick - go ask a sales lady in Britain if she has pants and suspenders. posted by risenc at 2:14 PM on September 12, 2002
New York to Seattle 20 months ago, now downtown Bellevue
Soda and couch for me, pop and whatever for everyone else around Seattle from what I can tell. Definitely keeping my pants on, though. posted by Ryvar at 2:14 PM on September 12, 2002
Ohio here. Pop all the way. In college there was a big debate over cap & hat, sneakers & tennis shoes. A sofa is nicer than a couch, and a davenport is in the sun room.
I could never figure out the difference between nylons and hose (alas, there is no difference). I've always hated it when someone called a vacuum cleaner a "sweeper". You sweep with a broom and vacuum with a vacuum cleaner. posted by sadie01221975 at 2:15 PM on September 12, 2002
Growing up in Maine, it was always soda, but when I moved to Mass, it became tonic. Also, the Italian people here refer to their spaghetti sauce as "gravy". I always thought gravy was brown. Who knew? posted by reidfleming at 2:16 PM on September 12, 2002
growing up in Chicago and later northern Wisconsin, it was always pop. when i moved to NYC it was soda; in NY, a Pop was considered an alcoholic beverage (as in "i could use a pop"), at least among my circle of friends. i'm now in northern california, where it's also called soda. i've noticed here that some will call any kind of carbonated water a "Calistoga", which is similar to having a "Coke" in the south (and sooo wrong imo) i suppose.
also: davenport, duck-duck-goose, and pants (growing up).
Slacks, Panties, and Hotdish are all embarassingly bad words.
oh, and i had never heard the term "wedgie" until i moved to the east coast. we proudly called this grand rite of childhood a "grundy pull". posted by modge at 2:17 PM on September 12, 2002
wanderingmind: Such books are usually called "linguistic atlases"; a bunch of them are listed here. But if you've taken linguistics you should know that axe for ask isn't abominable, it's dialect. posted by languagehat at 2:17 PM on September 12, 2002
Coke vs "carbonated soft drink," Hi-Liter vs "flourescent referrence marker," Wite-Out vs "liquid correction fluid," Band-Aid vs "adhesive bandage" . . .
Yes, but companies don't like that when that happens, because they become subject to losing their trademark. For example, Xerox wants you to buy ONLY Xerox copiers. But if "xerox" becomes the generic term for photocopying, then somebody could make a very good case for calling THEIR machine a Xerox, and suddenly Xerox is screwed. This happened early in the century with "escalator." And this is why waitresses ask you if Pepsi is okay -- the Pepsi distributers often require it. posted by JanetLand at 2:17 PM on September 12, 2002
One of my freshman comp classes called me on this one. I'm from Southern California, so I say "soda." I was informed firmly that here in Western NY, it's "pop," thank you very much. To make matters worse, when drinking my soda (pop!) out of a can, I use...gasp...a straw. Apparently, that's a major breach of etiquette. Or something. posted by thomas j wise at 2:18 PM on September 12, 2002
So is it only in Northern New York that people say 'Geesem Crow' as an exclamation,
"Geesem crow! That's one big tractor!" posted by KnitWit at 2:22 PM on September 12, 2002
Soda. Always soda. My roommate last year was from Iowa and kept asking me to fix her computer after she'd spilled "diet pop" on the keyboard. Maybe it was augmented by my intense dislike of her, but nothing ever grated worse on ears than her "pop".
The other main linguistic irritation around here is "where you at?" posted by casarkos at 2:22 PM on September 12, 2002
Even areas that share the same general terms have weird anomalies. In Wisconsin its soda, unless you are ordering a drink. Scotch and Soda is scotch and carbonated water. I was in Boston where the general term was also soda, but when I ordered a Scotch and Soda I received scotch and 7-UP. I was told that the "proper" order was scotch and seltzer.
Unless, of course, the bartender was just screwing with me. posted by rtimmel at 2:22 PM on September 12, 2002
Oh, forgot: South Florida. posted by casarkos at 2:25 PM on September 12, 2002
As long as you still call it vodka, it's ok with me, linguists. posted by Kafkaesque at 2:26 PM on September 12, 2002
Don't be fooled by rtimmel. The water-fountain-as-bubbler thing is not a Wisconsin thing; it's a Milwaukee-and-surrounding-area thing. And, OK, so that's the most populous part of the state, but if you travel out of that rarified atmosphere and start talking about bubblers, you'll get nothing but funny looks except from those folks who have already had to school some brewers on proper terminology. posted by blueshammer at 2:28 PM on September 12, 2002
Does anybody else say "might could"?
I do, Janetland. But I have no idea where I picked it up. I don't think it came from Michigan, where I grew up. I think I started using it as an affectation and it took root. Now it just comes right out. posted by ursus_comiter at 2:29 PM on September 12, 2002
Yep. Called it soda growin' up in St. Louis, moved to Denver and started calling it pop so's I could fit in with the natives.
But I'll tell you what bugs the shit out of me...when traffic copter guys get on the radio and tell me they're "working an accident" on the highway, or, almost even worse about "an accident working on the corner of..." ?!?! How did that usage get off the ground? posted by kozad at 2:33 PM on September 12, 2002
I mapped this phenomenon a couple years ago for my old weblog, apparently because I had nothing else to do. posted by iceberg273 at 2:33 PM on September 12, 2002
I have used all three -- soda, pop, coke -- interchangeably here in Chicago. Nobody has ever looked at me strangely for using any of them. We must just be more cultured than y'all.
Back in college, I stumbled into the middle of a conversation comparing the pronounciation of the words "don" and "dawn" -- a group of Appalachians didn't distinguish between the two, while the citified among us did...but that's a whole different thread. posted by me3dia at 2:36 PM on September 12, 2002
I grew up in Augusta, Illinois (a thousand points to anyone who's even heard of Augusta, Illinois) and said pop for years and years. Interstingly enough, I heard all three (pop, soda, Coke) used on a regular basis there - we used to get into fights about it as kids. Now for some reason I always say "soda". It's probably my husband's fault - he's from Chicago.
On preview: Does anybody else say "might could"?
I do, on occasion - learned it from my grandparents, along with "crick" (creek) and "pertnear" (pretty near, used in place of "almost"). posted by ctartchick at 2:37 PM on September 12, 2002
start talking about bubblers, you'll get nothing but funny looks
My teachers in the early mid 70's & early 80's called it that in Los Angeles, yet I have no clue where they grew up, as most adults I met were not native. Maybe a generation thing...
and Bubble Up, was a soda pop ;P posted by thomcatspike at 2:39 PM on September 12, 2002
In Russia and the former Soviet Union all carbonated beverages are called "Lemon Aid". posted by filchyboy at 2:39 PM on September 12, 2002
Raised in NH, I drink soda, I sit on a couch (unless it's really nice, then it's a sofa), and I eat subs.
Also, my mother's sister is my aunt, not my "ant". posted by Miss Beth at 2:41 PM on September 12, 2002
Oddly enough, where I am in the South, I never hear "Coke" used as a generic for soda.
[lame humor attempt]
Friend of mine from the Midwest was down here being touristy, asked me where the "pop machine" was. My response was, "Down the hall, turn left, go out the west entrance, go to the garage, get in your car, turn left on Church Street, pick up the Interstate and drive back to Ohio, you freak. And bring me back a soda."
[/lame humor attempt] posted by ebarker at 2:43 PM on September 12, 2002
Also, said friend from Ohio looked askance at me for putting peanuts in my Coke.
Damn foreigners, I swear. posted by ebarker at 2:48 PM on September 12, 2002
I spent my childhood thinking what my friend's family called the davenport was their word for tv room. Duh, the thing we were sitting on to watch tv was the davenport!
SHEDule instead of SKEDule always gets my goat. posted by Woolcott'sKindredGal at 2:52 PM on September 12, 2002
We are from New Mexico and say "soda" but here in Texas most say "coke." Even though most are drinking Dr. Pepper.
This was a serious bar on understanding a lot of BBC comedy.
I had serious issues with all the "fag" references until my mother pulled me out of my adolescent indignation by explaining it was another word for "cigarette." And then there's "pissed" for "drunk," too. duh.
Which reminds me: is it "duh," "der," or "doi"? posted by whatnot at 2:53 PM on September 12, 2002
Upstait Noo Yawk: when I was in college, back in the days of punk rock, the bubbly stuff was known as finish. posted by Smart Dalek at 2:53 PM on September 12, 2002
It's pop for most of us in Madison, Wis. But we also say "bubbler" when we're talking about a drinking fountain. posted by schmedeman at 2:53 PM on September 12, 2002
Just so we are clear, servers likely don't ask you if Pepsi is okay instead of Coke, or if Mr. Pibb is acceptable over Dr. Pepper, because they have to. Smart servers work smart, not hard--if they don't ask the patron will undoubtedly notice the difference in taste and send it back. posted by brittney at 2:56 PM on September 12, 2002
You're right whatnot, most texans do say "coke". Me, I'm a pop guy. And according to my central american girlfriend, it's "doi". posted by Ufez Jones at 2:57 PM on September 12, 2002
Another New Hampshire-ite here! I grew up saying soda, but my grandmother said tonic (and she was from Massachusetts so I guess it's peculiar to that state). We also had sofas and not couches, cellars, never basements, and we went "downstreet" instead of downtown. Another great thing you'll hear in NH (at least among the older residents) is people saying "yonder" in all seriousness. Only it's "yawn-dah," of course. "Dahnstreet? It's yawn-dah a mile ah so..."
And word on "aunt" vs. "ant." I myself have two aunties. posted by hilatron at 2:58 PM on September 12, 2002
Another word for the record..ambulance. In Washington, DC, they emphasize the first and last syllables: "AM-byoo-LANCE." It makes the person sound like Felix did on "The Odd Couple," when he had a sinus problem. posted by datawrangler at 2:59 PM on September 12, 2002
just one pepsi! posted by adampsyche at 3:00 PM on September 12, 2002
NYC: soda, couch, wedge when I was little in The Bronx, but hero now....i wonder about the foyer-entryway-hallway thing too...
My relatives in Atlanta call every soda a co-cola (i was surprised that didn't come up here) posted by amberglow at 3:01 PM on September 12, 2002
Ebarker, try (shelled and skinned) peanuts in a cup of hot tea. Happiness incarnate. posted by datawrangler at 3:01 PM on September 12, 2002
knit wit - i can vouch for its use as far downstate as dutchess county and as far west as tompkins, but I assumed that it was shpelt jeesum crow.
a texan goes to harvard - and axes a fellow student "d' y'all know where the library's at" the student looks down his nose, and says, "at haaavard we don't end a sentance with a preposition" the texan says, "huh", and thinks, and then says: "d'yall know where the library's at, asshole" posted by goneill at 3:02 PM on September 12, 2002
Er...Coke is Coke...7 Up is 7 Up...etc. In England we like to keep things simple ;) posted by Orange Goblin at 3:05 PM on September 12, 2002
I just wish all you American waiting staff would learn how to hear the 'T' in water ;-) posted by i_cola at 3:07 PM on September 12, 2002
Orange Goblin: Irn Bru would cause problems over there... posted by i_cola at 3:09 PM on September 12, 2002
I grew up in Wichita, KS, where I grew up hearing "pop." Interestingly enough, in high school I noticed more and more kids saying "soda." They'd all been raised saying pop, but rejected it in favor of the more intellectual soda.
Yeah, really.
When I was in Texas a couple years ago, the old ladies in a state park gift shop called it "soda water." posted by katieinshoes at 3:13 PM on September 12, 2002
I use...gasp...a straw. Apparently, that's a major breach of etiquette. Or something.
no, it's a freakin' anachronism.
anyhow, i hope it's a bendy.
but if you travel out of that rarified atmosphere and start talking about bubblers, you'll get nothing but funny looks
around here i think you'd have people looking around for the bong. ah, CA.
also: we hella rule. posted by fishfucker at 3:16 PM on September 12, 2002
madamjujujive: I sat on the "divan" as a child, as well. I didn't realize for a while that everyone else had sofas. I suppose I just chalked it up to the same ominous powers that supplied us with a "bidet" and "patio". Also, I am very lucky to have been able to exile the word "warsh" from my vocabulary. Nothing reeks of slovenly pronounciation skills to me quite as much as extra r's in the middle of words where they have no business appearing. posted by redsparkler at 3:18 PM on September 12, 2002
Since many people mentioned Minnesota, I'll mention the little study (about 100 people) I did in college. I suspected that Minnesotans used the word "borrow" to mean both loan and borrow. So, we would say: "I borrowed him my book" instead of "I loaned him my book." (I was an English major and did it all the time...I had to do the study to get my self-respect back.) I found that the Minneosta-native students at my college couldn't distinguish when to use borrow or loan. In sharp contrast the people from other states and countries had no problem picking out the improper uses of borrow. I then did some digging and found that in Swedish (a prominent ancestry in MN) there is one word (lanar) for both borrow and loan. Same thing for German (ausleihen)...also a prominent ancestry in MN. posted by cholstro at 3:24 PM on September 12, 2002
in elementary school, one of my teachers, mr. mccutcheon, had a couch in the classroom and he'd just loose it at you if you didn't call it a davenport. later, in high school in a different city (but not very far away), my football coach was mr. davenport. i used to call him "coach couch" and just laugh and laugh; everybody else thought i was on drugs. well, i mean, i was, but... posted by hob at 3:25 PM on September 12, 2002
"Down the hall, turn left, go out the west entrance, go to the garage, get in your car, turn left on Church Street, pick up the Interstate and drive back to Ohio, you freak. And bring me back a soda."
I almost spewed my soda on the keyboard...
To Acetylene:
Yeah I noticed really small strip of "Coke" people down the central valley in California. Like I said it was in High School and for all I know could have just be a school thing. I just remember it due to the fact that my school served no Coke but had Pepsi products.
On a similar note I've heard this twice now and am completely at a loss to it's meaning: "Pissah" as some kind of exclamation as to your state of being. I think it's some kind of Boston slang maybe even British but I don't think it means the same as "Pissed" which other than meaning mad also means drunk. posted by aaronscool at 3:26 PM on September 12, 2002
In Wisconsin, we refer to water fountains as "bubblers."
So don't we ova heah in Boston! I've always wondered about that weird Wisconsin/Boston connection.
But back on topic, Bostonians spit on both "soda" and "pop." We drink tawnic, um, tonic, and we like it, dammit! posted by agaffin at 3:26 PM on September 12, 2002
he'd just loose it at you if you didn't call it a davenport
also, "loose" for "lose". posted by interrobang at 3:30 PM on September 12, 2002
"Soda" here in Milwaukee.
rtimmel: If I remember correctly, the reason people around here started calling drinking fountains "bubblers" was because the word "bubbler" was actually on them somewhere. The fountains were essentially just a bowl with water that bubbled up from the middle. My guess is that it was a brand.
(Yeah. I'm just a wealth of useless information about this town.) posted by aine42 at 3:31 PM on September 12, 2002
Cincinnati, Ohio here.
Redsparkler's right, but the truth hurts. "Warsh" is the hardest Cincinnati imprint to banish. Number 2 is ceasing to begin every conversation with either "Excuse me" or "I'm sorry." posted by merlinmann at 3:32 PM on September 12, 2002
Er...I should say Cincinnati, emeritus; in San Francisco hissing is the preferred form of communication. ;-) posted by merlinmann at 3:34 PM on September 12, 2002
I think the saddest part is that I used to say "Warshington". You know, the state right above Oregon. I blame my parents. posted by redsparkler at 3:35 PM on September 12, 2002
aaronscool, "pissah" is pisser and means excellent (or "wicked good" --another boston term)
"I went to the springsteen concert last night--It was a pisser!" posted by amberglow at 3:36 PM on September 12, 2002
Another NH-ite (who just moved back after living in Mass. for a couple years) and I call it soda... well, actually, sod-er with the accent. posted by MediaMan at 3:38 PM on September 12, 2002
I wrote about this site when I did a Weblog for the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and the next day, the poll had totally slanted towards the "pop" side. Heh.
I find it hilarious that people around Coke's headquarters call everything a Coke. I'm from Minnesota but I don't call all cities Minneapolis. posted by GaelFC at 3:40 PM on September 12, 2002
a college friend of mine from Indianapolis calls vacuums "sweepers." and though i initially scoffed at the overuse of the construction "where's so-and-so at?" at said school, i eventually incorporated it into my own vernacular, first jokingly then unconsciously.
it wasn't until a year or two ago that i became religious about not ending a sentence with a preposition, only to find out that it's really notasbad as grammarians used to think. posted by brigita at 3:41 PM on September 12, 2002
I just say soda. But for beer, I say Frosty! My friends and I used to call them "Frosty Millenniums" when we'd drink Bud. How bout just... "a cold one".
BTW... Where's the survey(study) for beer?? posted by Gargantuan at 3:42 PM on September 12, 2002
I'm from Michigan where Faygo is the local drink and it's labeled "Pop" posted by MaddCutty at 3:43 PM on September 12, 2002
Oh, plus that MSNBC link in the original post? I was the producer who grabbed that off the wire and put it up, and added the poll. Wild to see it turn up here. (And how insulting are the anti-pop quotes AP found? Who calls the word pop creepy? Golly gee whilikers yourself, girl!) posted by GaelFC at 3:44 PM on September 12, 2002
OK, and Bostonians who really want to proclaim something ne plus ultra call it "wicked pissa." posted by agaffin at 3:44 PM on September 12, 2002
amberglow: How old are your relatives? Co-Cola is what my grandmother (who died in her '90s almost a decade ago) used? Seemed to pass on with her generation, mostly. It's something I still use in a joking, intentionally ridiculous retro way on occasion. A friend from Michigan used this with me in a jocular way at a restaurant recently. I wondered if he'd been hanging out in Birmingham (where he lives) nursing homes, or other people who use it for retro fun, or if he heard it from me in an unguarded moment, or what, exactly. I never heard a clear answer. posted by raysmj at 3:46 PM on September 12, 2002
Buffalo, NY is a pop city. We also stick to "couch," "sub" (instead of hoagie, etc), and "hockey" (what's that basketball' thing that everyone else keeps talking about?).
But I'll be the first to admit we talk funny here. Our strange patterns of speech combine with the fact that we have one of the most unpleasant accents in the Northeast.
Everyone sounds like they have a cold, all the time, and everything-is-said-as-fast-as-you-can-without-passing-out-from-lack-of-air.
I really feel bad for people from out of town who've had to listen to me talk. It must be horrifying. Nearly every phone call I get at work from someone out of the area involves them saying "what? can you slow down? wow, you must be looking forward to the end of allergy season."
On preview: Fago rocks! I'll pick that over most major brands any day (well, other than Dr. Pepper). I think when I move my family will be forced to mail me Fago, vernors, and Aunt Rosie's Loganberry since they seem to be rare out of this area. posted by Kellydamnit at 3:50 PM on September 12, 2002
I'll stop obsessing now. posted by aine42 at 3:51 PM on September 12, 2002
On a similar note I've heard this twice now and am completely at a loss to it's meaning: "Pissah" as some kind of exclamation as to your state of being
aaronscool, "pissah" is pisser and means excellent (or "wicked good" --another boston term)
"I went to the springsteen concert last night--It was a pisser!"
In Illinois/Indiana, I frequently hear it used to mean the exact opposite, something or someone that is annoying, inconvenient or obnoxious:
"Oh, man, I can't believe your car died - that's a real pisser!" OR
"I hate that kid, he's a real little pisser!" posted by ctartchick at 3:51 PM on September 12, 2002
How about "turn signals" vs. "blinkers." The latter implies you know what it does but not what it's for.
And when did people start calling remote controls "clickers"? That's even worse, because they don't click! posted by kindall at 3:51 PM on September 12, 2002
my aunt and uncle are in their early 70s (they're transplants from NY 30+ years ago, so maybe they adopted it to try to fit in--they never picked up southern accents though)...I kinda like it--has a nice rhythm! And from reading all these responses, it's much better than just "coke" for every soda... posted by amberglow at 3:52 PM on September 12, 2002
In Austin, "Coke" is predominately used to refer to a soft drink. The term "soda" is also common.
I miss Orange Crush. posted by quam at 3:53 PM on September 12, 2002
ctartchick--that's so funny--it's like Indiana uses it to mean someone or something they want to piss on, and Boston uses it to talk about something so good it made them want to piss! posted by amberglow at 3:56 PM on September 12, 2002
In Illinois/Indiana, I frequently hear it used to mean the exact opposite, something or someone that is annoying, inconvenient or obnoxious:
Same here. A quick office poll confirms that pisser means "bad." posted by hob at 3:57 PM on September 12, 2002
I won't name any names, but my girlfriend from Vermont (who grew up somewhere in New York) uses "wagon" instead of "shopping cart" and "standing on line" instead of "standing in line." I'm also amused by the different words for a large sandwich. Regionally, I've heard "hoagie," "sub," and "grinder." Finally, I've noticed people from the West say "I went to prom" instead of "I went to the prom." That last one drives me nuts. As a New Mexican who has lived in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and New York, I think I've lost any regional flavor. posted by hyperizer at 4:00 PM on September 12, 2002
cholstro: Hey, cool. Also: Får jag låna telefonen? - May I use your telephone?
Yes, one day you will all speak swedish. Spreading like wildfire; smörgåsbord, ombudsman... lånar.
So, the swedish word for "soda" and "pop" is läsk. Feel free to use it in everyday conversation.
My family calls the remote control "the muter". It took me a while to break that habit, as well. My mother always called horses "haybags", and deer are perpetually referred to as "Bambis". Unfortunately, since they lived in several parts of the country before settling down and raising me, I have no way to tell if the words are colloquialisms or just verbal tics of some sort. I might have to go with verbal tics, though, since they also quote Jar Jar Binks on a near daily basis, and reference an old beer commercial quite often. "Bad Doggie". (used to denote something that's very good, but in a decadent or forbidden way.) posted by redsparkler at 4:03 PM on September 12, 2002
I've lived in a variety of places--spent my childhood in Virginia, my adolescence in Michigan, moved to Nebraska in my 20's, and I've just moved to Delaware. I say soda or pop interchangebly, depending on who I'm talking to. Either couch or sofa is fine, my grandma calls it a davenport. She also says "warsh" (and she has lived her entire life in northern Michigan). My mother was from Boston, and while she used to tell us that they called carbonated beverages "tonic", I have never heard a Bostonite call it that (I still have family in the area; and my mother never lost her acent, despite not livingi n Boston for the last 20 years of her life). I have managed to pick up the use of "wicked" as an intensifier from my cousins, though.
And I'm having a hell of a time understanding the accents of people native to this area I'm now living in. I'm not sure what the issue is there. And what is UP with calling the beach the shore? I so don't get it. posted by eilatan at 4:04 PM on September 12, 2002
In California, "Pisser" means good and bad, depending on the usage and inflection. If you are about to be set upon by thugs, for example, you would cry "Pis-SER!" meaning, "Please do not bust my chops, wicked thugs! I am but a humble drinkers of bubbly sugar water! Let us eschew the imminent beating for good natured quaffing!"
If they agreed, you could all then go to your local soda vending machine for pop. If the soda vending machine gave you extra double pop, you would yell "PIS-ser!" meaning "Yay! Free carbonated liquid! I am enthused, my brothers!"
Besides regional differences, generational differences can be fascinating. My mom calls high school yearboooks "annuals," and you'll find that reference all over books and newspapers from her era. posted by GaelFC at 4:06 PM on September 12, 2002
My girlfriend's family is from Chicago; she came here young enough to now speak like a proper Californian, but her parents still have the Chicago accents and occasionally lapse into Chicago slang--especially soon after they've gone there to visit relatives. One quirk they've never managed to lose, however, is "the show" for what I'd call a movie. Around here, you go to the theater (or theatre) to see a movie (or film, if you're in an arty mood). A show, to me, is what you watch on TV--more specifically, it implies a recurring, episodic sort of thing, not a one-off production.
I don't know why that grates on my nerves so much.
Oh yeah--and it's always "sub." Not hoagie, grinder, hero, or--shudder--"spuckie."
"A pisser," while infrequently used, is definitely something bad here. As in, "I just got laid off." "Damn, that's a pisser."
Most of these observations were prompted by a browse of MediaMan's Boston English link, which also reminded me of the following joke:
A man visiting Boston for the first time asked his cabbie, "Excuse me, but do you know where I can get scrod around here?"
The cabbie replied, "I musta heard that question a thousand times, but never before in the pluperfect subjunctive."
And when did people start calling remote controls "clickers"? That's even worse, because they don't click!
I am personally on a one-woman crusade to change the common term to "buttons." So far my husband is the only person who understands when I say "hey, pass me the buttons, I want to watch the Simpsons now."
I miss Orange Crush.
Is it no longer available in some areas? Still seems pretty common here. Grape isn't quite as easy to find, but that's around, too. posted by Kellydamnit at 4:07 PM on September 12, 2002
soundof: I can't believe you guys still have Tab! cool! You can make Mary Tyler Moores--rum and Tab!
hyperizer: I've been standing on line my whole life--everyone who grew up here does... posted by amberglow at 4:08 PM on September 12, 2002
A quick office poll confirms that pisser means "bad."
Did you mean bad meaning bad or bad or bad meaning good? posted by aaronscool at 4:10 PM on September 12, 2002
New Mexico here - unlike whatnot's experience above, I've noticed that people around here (Socorro) generally say "Coke", as in:
"Can you get me a Coke?"
"Sure, what kind?"
People always said "Coke" where I grew up, too (Las Vegas, NV).
And it's couch, pants, tennis shoes, dragonfly, bucket, pizza, rubber bands, Duck Duck Goose, and a sub sandwich.
The only major New Mexican English anomaly I've found is that those asking for "chili" at a restaurant will be asked, "Red or Green?" or simply get green chile (either in stew form or alone). The beans-and-meat-soup stuff that's "chili" elsewhere is "Texas-style chili" or "Tex-Mex chili" here.
Someone could write a dissertation on New Mexican Spanish dialect, though ^__^ posted by vorfeed at 4:12 PM on September 12, 2002
Also, I agree with the woman in the CNN article that described the word "pop" as "creepy".
Agreed -- "pop" sounds like the sort of thing they'd drink in Pleasantville, not out here in the real world with us soda drinkers. However, are we floowing the lead of our Southern coke-drinking friends and now using "CNN" to refer to any news site?
From the article: "We're learning that half of Florida is a Southern state and the other half is people who moved in from the North." This, of course, is common knowledge among those who live there; north Florida is the South, south Florida is the North. posted by jjg at 4:13 PM on September 12, 2002
"my grandma calls it a davenport"
Clearly she's insane and needs to be committed. posted by mr_crash_davis at 4:15 PM on September 12, 2002
Hysterical thread! :-D
risenc: try asking a salesperson stateside for a garter belt to hold up your pants...
:-)
Soda, couch, sub, pants, Western Mass.
Dubbya on Saddam Hussein, rebroadcast on NPR this morning (quoted verbatim): "The first time we may be completely certain he has a noo-kyoo-ler weapons is when...God forbids, he uses one."
But my pet peeve is the heinous misuse of the various flavors of the English past tense -- people are beginning to think this is proper grammar, as even news anchors have begun to employ same or similar phrases:
"I had went to... [finish as you will]" posted by mirla at 4:16 PM on September 12, 2002
I've always said soda, in Rhode Island and Pennsylvania.... I'm surprised no one has mentioned "cabinets", a weird Rhode Island way of saying milkshake (although we're moving towards Awful Awfuls now, thanks to Newport Creamery).
I've also heard both water fountain and bubbler in RI, and I can remember a time when some friends labelled one "the bubblah" when we were at a conference in Detroit.
Oh, and for anyone who's looking for Vernors, I've found that looking in Beer/Soda shops (that's what they're called in PA, at least) will normally carry at least a few cases worth... posted by Syrinx at 4:20 PM on September 12, 2002
Are ice cream sodas the same as floats? (as in coke floats?)
or shakes? posted by amberglow at 4:24 PM on September 12, 2002
I'm with you on the past tense issue, mirla. People around have a very strong tendency to overuse "would have." As in, "Well, if I would have known that . . . " posted by Acetylene at 4:25 PM on September 12, 2002
Davenport ... Soda ... Milwaukee
Aparently Milwaukee is isolated amongst the Midwest "pop" heads.
We also call a water fountain a "bubbler". posted by Dillenger69 at 4:32 PM on September 12, 2002
Something else odd I remember... my grandmother and mother (and occasionally my younger sister) say "sanG-wich" instead of "sandwich," and it drives me up the wall. But, I think that may be because my family is insane more than anything, as I don't recall ever hearing anyone else say that. What can you expect from a bunch of people who cover their new couch with old bedsheets "so it will stay nice." posted by Kellydamnit at 4:33 PM on September 12, 2002
How about "turn signals" vs. "blinkers." The latter implies you know what it does but not what it's for.
Good point kindall. That sure explains a lot about how many people drive.
And when did people start calling remote controls "clickers"? That's even worse, because they don't click!
Apparently, remote controls were commonly referred to as "clickers" because "the noise made by these early mechanical remotes also lent the device its enduring nickname - 'the clicker'." posted by crystalblue at 4:34 PM on September 12, 2002
Growing up in New Britain, Conn., the word for a sub sandwich was "grinder". Where the heck did that come from?? posted by entrustNoOne at 4:35 PM on September 12, 2002
my grandmother and mother (and occasionally my younger sister) say "sanG-wich" instead of "sandwich"
They are vampires, and quite possibly wish to sample your tasty flesh. posted by Kafkaesque at 4:35 PM on September 12, 2002
And when did people start calling remote controls "clickers"? That's even worse, because they don't click!
They don't now, but they used to. One of the original wireless remotes was called the Zenith Space Command, it used a percussion device to strike a small piece of metal that emitted an ultrasonic chirp that would tell the TV to change channels.
They discontinued it after discovering that the chirp irritated animals and some people, and that other noises like clinking glass or dog tags could cause the TV to change spontaneously.
So to sum up, the click was caused by the hammer hitting the piece of metal.
And in Milwaukee it is indeed called soda. posted by quin at 4:36 PM on September 12, 2002
I moved from "pop" to "rc cola" when I was a young'un. The spouse said the correct term is: "liqueur." posted by ?! at 4:38 PM on September 12, 2002
I drink soda in Chicago, but I think that's an oddity.
So what is, a cran or a cray-on? posted by MeetMegan at 4:40 PM on September 12, 2002
iowa, and I used to say pop, but I kind of think it sounds silly. I try to refer to a specific brand.
couch.
i hate casserole.
has anyone ever heard of 'chipped beef on toast' ? mmmmm-mmmm. posted by trioperative at 4:41 PM on September 12, 2002
you mean $#+! on a Shingle, trio? i have many less-than-fond memories of said dish, prepared by my midwestern born 'n bred mother. bleh. posted by brigita at 4:43 PM on September 12, 2002
Growing up in New Britain, Conn., the word for a sub sandwich was "grinder". Where the heck did that come from??
Ack. I can't even stand seeing that on the mult-regional bags some places around here put their subs into. It seems like using a word meaning "something that will reduce to powder or small fragments" for a food item is bad planning. posted by Kellydamnit at 4:45 PM on September 12, 2002
brigita: i don't know why, but I love the stuff. I just remembered eating it as a kid and made some for myself today. I like it extra salty.
My wife is from NW Indiana. I'm a native Californian. We frequently have a discussion involving the pronunciation of root, roof and route. I say, "you don't get your kicks on Raowt 66". She says "You don't administer a Cisco rooter" or, "A dog, when queried, doesn't indicate the exterior topside of a house is a roof (pronounced with the same sound as in kanga-roo), he says 'ruff'". When it comes down to it, Californians use more of the "u" vowel sound in those three words, while folks from NW Indiana tend to use a sound more akin to the "u" in "rut". These interesting regional variations amuse us for good- natured-yet-argumentative hours. posted by gnz2001 at 4:51 PM on September 12, 2002
Tsk, tsk. Obviously, soda ain't tonic unless it contains quinine.
And people in this thread who are chafed by 'pop' would just flip at Fizzy Drink.
And worse than "would have" is the ubiquitous "would of". That's almost as annoying as folks who don't appreciate the difference between "bought" and "brought". posted by Catch at 4:52 PM on September 12, 2002
The only thing that bothers me--and it does upset me even to the point of violence--is when I hear people from the east coast pronounce the state directly south of Washington "Ore-Gone". GAAAAAHHH! Shutupshutupshutup! posted by Hildago at 4:57 PM on September 12, 2002
"Warshington" is worse. posted by GaelFC at 5:00 PM on September 12, 2002
Hildalgo, how's it pronounced? (I say "ora-ghin") posted by amberglow at 5:07 PM on September 12, 2002
Heh. In Portuguese any flavoured, carbonated non-alcoholic drinks are refrigerantes, because they're supposed to cool you down. It would make a good name for a band of ice-cold vigilantes. Which is OK because refrigerator is frigorífico. Magnífico, right?
I remember older English friends of my parents referring to "soda" (i.e. carbonated water; seltzer; "club soda") as "charged water". posted by MiguelCardoso at 5:14 PM on September 12, 2002
Jackson, Mississippi: Coke. Example: "What kind of Coke do you want?" "I'll take a Dr. Pepper." posted by broomeman at 5:14 PM on September 12, 2002
So, how *do* you pronounce the name of the largest city in Louisiana (or, for that matter, Louisiana)?
Somebody mentioned cabinets in Rhode Island (not to be confused with coffee milk), so I feel compelled to bring up Boston frappes. posted by agaffin at 5:18 PM on September 12, 2002
For whiskey a lot of us here use exactly this Austrian siphon bottle. They last several lifetimes and work out much cheaper than Perrier, which is nothing but carbonated mineral water. The carbonation is almost equal. They're also a lot of fun and great to make spritzers, etc. posted by MiguelCardoso at 5:19 PM on September 12, 2002
agaffin reminded me we forgot po-boys and muffalettas!
And muffalettas kick po-boys in the ass anyday. posted by justgary at 5:29 PM on September 12, 2002
thanks, Acetylene! my veggie compatriots and i salute you! posted by brigita at 5:31 PM on September 12, 2002
If you liked that article, you'll love the quiz!
Take a dialect survey from the folks who brought you the pop-coke-soda report. It's good beans although ya'll mentioned a lot of stuff that's not on there.
Potato bugs my ass! They're rolly-pollies! posted by jengod at 5:31 PM on September 12, 2002
I move around a lot, so I can't remember just where I picked up most of the choices presented here. However, I can pinpoint (and curse):
"couple three" as in "give me a couple three bars" from South Dakota (probably leaked across the border from Minnesota along with the bars)
"everwho" as in "Everwho took my football better give it back" from south Texas.
From a pretentious headmaster in England: "Skedjool" is the piece of paper with the dates and times; "shedyule" is that abstract something you're running ahead of or behind. (I still use both in that manner. That and "soda pop" gets me beaten up everywhere in the lower 48.)
For some reason, a drinking fountain is the box-shaped metal thing while a water fountain is just the bowl-with-handle.
I have bathrooms (with toilets) in my house but I use a commode in a restroom while out in public.
If your mom kept it covered in plastic until guests arrived, it was a divan. Otherwise it was a sofa unless you could lay down with your feet up on it, in which case it was a couch.
Trashcans are made out of metal. They are wastepaper baskets if they are made of anything else unless you put garbage in them in which case they become trashcans (or garbagecans) again.
If it has a door, it's a cupboard above the counter and a cabinet below. Without a door, it's a kitchen shelf.
Kindall: I've never heard "clicker" for remote control, but I imagine they're called that for the same reason people "dial" a number on their cellphone posted by joaquim at 5:58 PM on September 12, 2002
Ottawa's a pop kinda town. It's also the only place I know of where you can order a "combination" pizza, which I believe has pepperoni, green olives, and mushrooms.
If we're still griping, I hate:
"expresso"
"yoos"
"ki-LAW-mitters" instead of "kilo-MEETERS". There is no such unit of measure as a "mitter". It's a "metre". Although we're all guilty of this one. posted by Succa at 5:58 PM on September 12, 2002
my grandmother and mother (and occasionally my younger sister) say "sanG-wich" instead of "sandwich"
Well, if we're going into odd family eccentricities, then I have to mention that my very own father pronounces breakfast "brekwist." I'm not sure where that comes from.
Dad is also, I gather, the reason I was unfamiliar with the fact that early remote controls did in fact click. "We already have a remote control. Watch. Jerry, get up and change the TV to channel 4." The parents didn't get their first TV with real remote until both my sister and I had moved out -- ditto for a dishwasher. posted by kindall at 6:03 PM on September 12, 2002
In my high school town of Davis CA. it was "soda". You'd probably use "Coke" as a generic for "cola", but not as a generic for "sugary carbonated-water product". At least my mid-to-late-80's peers and I didn't. posted by Guy Smiley at 6:03 PM on September 12, 2002
Born, raised and currently live in Hawaii. Nothing but soda out here...and I grew up sitting on the sofa watching tv.
Do people anywhere else say "shut the light" when speaking about turning off a light fixture? We always got scoldings when leaving the house: "EH! Try shut da light! No waste da electricity!"
That and always griping about the rubbish (not garbage or trash).
My grandma in Wisconsin always said pop though... posted by Blaze_01 at 6:03 PM on September 12, 2002
Is "hot dago" (any kind of Italian sausage sandwich served hot) a usage limited to Minnesota? I always wondered if only frostbitten Scandinavian-Americans who subsist on lutefisk and lefse could come up with a term like that.
I grew up in California with parents from Chicago and very close neighbors from St. Paul...so you could say I had multi-lingual upbringing. The one expression of my mother's that horrified me as a child was calling Brazil nuts "nigger toes".
Now that I've moved to the South, I have a lot of trouble remembering to call the patio "the porch". And I have to make sure I don't get "sweet tea" when I ask for ice tea.
As for the British confusion, I could never understand why Bertie Wooster always got in trouble for sneaking downstairs to steal biscuits...until I found out they were actually cookies.
On Preview: Now wait! Potato bugs and rolly pollies are two different critters. Potato Bugs are fierce, ugly beetles of white and purple the size of a quarter while rolly pollies are gentle, little wood lice beloved by by children. posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 6:12 PM on September 12, 2002
When I was a pre-teen, growing up in Chicago and Indianapolis, I always used to call it soda or pop. When we moved to Delaware when I hit my teens, I asked for pop and got looked at strangely. I asked for a soda and I was informed that sodas are something with seltzer and ice cream.
When I asked for a Coke, I was asked what kind, Coke or Pepsi. Now I just drink Black Cherry Wishniak.
On another topic. Down in Delaware, we call them sub sandwiches. Up in Philly they are sometimes called hoagies (supposedly named that because they were the sandwiches of choice for workers on Hog Island). Up in New York they're called Heros. What do you call them? posted by MAYORBOB at 6:14 PM on September 12, 2002
Subs, and are there any areas that still refer to a midday meal as "dinner" and an evening one as "supper"? posted by casarkos at 6:21 PM on September 12, 2002
And what is UP with calling the beach the shore? I so don't get it.
We don't call all beaches the "shore", just the ones in the mid-atlantic area, mainly NJ and Delaware, and I've also heard it in Maryland. When growing up in Jersey, the "shore" meant just the Jersey shore, if I were going to Cape Cod or out to the west coast, I'd be going to the "beach". Beats me as to why.
Now here in Boston I lay awake trying to figure out how to keep my future children from talking as if they'd grown up in Boston. posted by jalexei at 6:23 PM on September 12, 2002
Please tell me that you also have relatives who eat "hotdish" and add "so" to the beginning and "then" to the end of every sentence.
"So, you like your hotdish then?"
i know what hotdish is! but we called it "hotplate" when i was little.
my grandma calls it a davenport"
as does mine, but that's because we're norwegian (and therefore, obviously from minnesota, lol)
a college friend of mine from Indianapolis calls vacuums "sweepers." and though i initially scoffed at the overuse of the construction "where's so-and-so at?" at said school, i eventually incorporated it into my own vernacular, first jokingly then unconsciously.
i live in southern indiana now and i despise the people that say "sweeper". also the parents that teach their children to call their grandparents "mamaw" and "papaw". that is a HUGE pet peeve of mine.
i definitely end a lot of my sentences with "at" and stuff like that.
i also pronounce the word "both" like "bolth"
and it's POP! :) posted by mabelcolby at 6:28 PM on September 12, 2002
Where do people fall on the bag vs. sack debate? posted by turaho at 6:29 PM on September 12, 2002
Definitely bag, not sack, around here. This may be partly due to the fact that "Sac" is the abbreviation for Sacramento. The two blocks alongside the river are referred to--with a straight face, mind you--as "Old Sac." No one seems to mind. posted by Acetylene at 6:34 PM on September 12, 2002
Since I'm from Atlanta anything carbonated is a Coke.
And I'd like to know why grits aren't served at any restaurants above the Mason-Dixon line? And why in the world can't I get sweet ice tea in New York, St Louis, or Los Angeles? posted by oh posey at 6:36 PM on September 12, 2002
I've found that looking in Beer/Soda shops (that's what they're called in PA, at least)
In Michigan, they're called Party Stores.
And you put something in a bag. If you're tough and brazen, you've got sack. posted by ursus_comiter at 6:36 PM on September 12, 2002
Portland, Maine here (although I grew up in the rural northern part of the state):
Soda; Couch; Cellar; Italian Sandwich; Elastics, Frappe or {milk}Shake (depending on the thickness); Bag (Paper or Plastic?) and we eat Breakfast, Dinner, and Supper ....
Also, in the town where I grew up "Basement" was the word for "Bathroom" Hey! Mrs. Cote! I gotta go t'the Basement!! Has anyone else ever heard of that?
I'm saddened but not surprised to find that our Boston-area friends are trying to appropriate "Wicked" ("Whicked Good") and "Pissah" as their own ... everyone knows those are Yankee Mainer words. They even wrote a book about it. posted by anastasiav at 6:40 PM on September 12, 2002
We always called rolly pollies 'pill bugs' which, upon doing some research, i just discovered are not actually bugs at all but crustaceans.
That, my friends, is just weird. posted by quin at 6:43 PM on September 12, 2002
Speaking of bags....in California I carried a purse, but here in NC it's my pocketbook. posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 6:45 PM on September 12, 2002
I agree with mikrophon. The southern coke/soda thing is a little exaggerated. I always say "soda" and that's mostly what I hear, too. In my experience, at least in South Carolina, only older or more rural southerners (like my grandmother) use the words "coke" or "co-cola" generically. I lived in the northeast as a kid though, and I remember my friends asking for "pop." I also thought "beef-on-wicks" were hilariously funny.
And note to South Carolina visitors: those huge disgusting roach-like creatures aren't cockroaches, they're palmetto bugs ... posted by octobersurprise at 6:47 PM on September 12, 2002
I grew up pretty much everywhere in the US except the northern central states. From Hawaii to California to Mississippi to Boston, and several in-between. "Coke," "pop," and "soda" all sound okay to me (pop slightly less so, but I don't find it creepy), but soda is the way I say it. I lived in Boston and never heard "tonic." Between the west, south and Hawaii I got "sub," "poboy," "grinder," "hoagie," and "gyro," but I just say "sandwich." A straw in a can of soda is wrong.
"sofa"/"couch," "sneakers"/"tennis shoes," and "hat"/"cap" have always been interchangable to me.
My favorit from Hawaii is "stink eye," which is a dirty look. posted by Nothing at 6:48 PM on September 12, 2002
On the bag v. sack tip, I recall a grade school English textbook saying "poke" was a popular regional synonym for "bag."
Have you ever heard anyone use "poke" other than in the caveat emptor cliche about pigs? If so, where's the region in question?
Seems sort of old-timey, like calling the radio a "wireless" or pot "tea." posted by merlinmann at 6:54 PM on September 12, 2002
brendan fraser said "stink eye" in the movie monkeybone. damn near ruined the phrase for me. posted by adampsyche at 6:58 PM on September 12, 2002
"My favorit from Hawaii is "stink eye," which is a dirty look."
I have to go with Dave Letterman on this one, and call it "skunk-eye", as in "I shot him the skunk-eye." posted by mr_crash_davis at 6:59 PM on September 12, 2002
I went a little haphazard with the quote marks, didn't I? Oh well. Another Hawaii one: chanty = toilet. posted by Nothing at 7:01 PM on September 12, 2002
I had to hit my dad the other day for saying "rucksack" in public. posted by Succa at 7:03 PM on September 12, 2002
I think most people say "soft drink" here in Australia, or use the name of their poison of choice (7-up, Coke, etc.). "Soda" would get you tonic water (with quinine), "pop" would get you a funny look unless you said it in an American accent ("pARp"), in which case "Oh, you mean soft drink? What flavour?".
Offtopic, sorta: Catch, why in hell can't I get L&P over here? posted by sennoma at 7:03 PM on September 12, 2002
A divan, when I was growing up, was what we now call a sofa bed. If I want to drink dissolved sugar in water with bubbles, I would be craving a soft drink but, if I wanted just water, I might go to a bubbler if one was nearby. If I ask for a Coke that is exactly what I get (unless I get told "sorry, we only carry Pepsi"). If I added icecream to my soft drink, I would end up with a spider, not an ice cream soda.
A couch and a sofa are different things and I am always getting in trouble at home for mixing up the two. When I sit on either, I use the zapper to change the TV channels. I wear my pants over my underpants and runners on my feet, not sneakers or tennis shoes (although some people refer to shoes made specifically for tennis as 'tennies"). Slacks are something that your father would wear if he was really uncool.
When I want to tell someone which way I am turning while driving, I use my indicators. I wish everyone did. If I have too much to drink, I end up pissed (or even pissed as a fart, or maybe legless). posted by dg at 7:04 PM on September 12, 2002
For future reference, Florida stops being the South just south of New Smyrna Beach, I think. There are no signs, you just know. :)
As far as getting grits and sweet tea in "foreign lands": Trip 3 years ago to NYC, I wish I could remember the name of this place, small hole in the wall in TriBeCa. I had been away from home for a week, and as much a second home as Manhanttan is, I was feeling homesick. Walked in and the place had shrimp and grits, cornbread, and sweet tea that was The Nectar Of The Gods.
Turns out the chef was a transplant from Charleston as well, and did this a couple times a week. Manna, sheer manna. posted by ebarker at 7:05 PM on September 12, 2002
But apparently manna doesn't teach you to spell. :) posted by ebarker at 7:07 PM on September 12, 2002
this thread is so interesting...
grew up in various parts of eastern and southern Ontario
Pop, couch, sub...sometimes pop and couch get substituted with soda and sofa, but not often. A sub is a sub is a sub.
My grandma called it a chesterfield so I figured chesterfields were old and usually have crocheted afghan blankets on them (like hers)
Succa, I hear you on the kilometers and youse pronunciations in the Ottawa area - drove me crazy too.
My parents called going to the movies "going to the show"
Pisser is bad, wicked is good.
bag not sack (unless it's a knapsack and even then it's iffy) posted by melissa at 7:10 PM on September 12, 2002
That and "soda pop" gets me beaten up everywhere in the lower 48.)
At least I'm not the only one. Growing up in Alaska, it was mostly pop with the occasional soda. My dad's from upstate New York and always referred to it as pop and my mom's from Missouri (Missoura!) and always called it sodie. Eventually a compromise was reached and we became a "sodie pop" household. I've lived in Colorado the past three years and despite the prevalence of pop and Coke, I still call it sodie pop.
And it was slacks (in this awful duck-quacking accent), duffel bag
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posted by donkeyschlong at 1:38 PM on September 12, 2002