Over here we have large mosquito-like bugs. I'm from Missouri and call them gallinippers. I mentioned that at church and two other people in my church, from Alabama and Colorado, call them skeeter eaters. Actually, gallinippers bite and skeeter eaters don't, so there is a difference. They look almost the same. I squash them anyway if they get in my house.
There are little bugs that roll up in a ball. I call them rolly pollys but other people call them pillbugs.
I say soda, not pop or coke. Here's a map showing the soda, pop, and coke regions. http://www.popvssoda.com/
The other day my Grandma said that she wouldn't use the fangdangled new self-checkout. If a place was crowded she says "everybody and his brother" was there. The other day she asked me if I was "trying" to get a headache. No, I wasn't trying at all. People do say fixin' more than trying, though.
People here do say "yall" or "youns."
I live an hour north of Arkansas, so if you down into Arkansas or the Bootheel of Missouri they sound a lot more southern.
What we call ladybugs Brits call ladybirds.
Anyway, I ran across this video (it's a few years old) of some regional American terms.
What are your favorite regional terms (British or American)? Which terms really get on your nerves?
Please could you tell me why the state of Arkansas is pronounced Arkansaw and not Arkansas as it is spelt? I've always wondered. Is it to prevent confusion with the state of Kansas?
When I went to the north east of England I noted that they still have two forms of you as in other languages - they still use the familiar form thou. Also in northern England and Scotland they have the word aye to mean yes.
'Awright?' This expression is a form of greeting uttered by both parties when Bristolians pass each other in the street. Curiously, it's also a form of farewell, uttered by both parties when Bristolians pass each other in the street going the other way again five minutes later
la'al for small
yam for home
marra...not sure how to explain that one
lonning - lane
scop - to put place or throw
similar here.. yam for home..I am going home
lonning pad...dirt track or lane
marra..tomorrow
weans...children
goan fer a dander...are you going for a walk
dibs..wages or loose change
bagsee....I want it or it is mine
furst digs... I want first go
....As somebody brought up in leafy green Oxfordshire I once dated this Girl from Nottingham who once asked me why I was a bit "Mardy" I had no idea what she was talking about when she said it.
la'al for small yam for home
marra...not sure how to explain that one
lonning - lane
scop - to put place or throw
In the Black country, Midlands, 'yam' is a slang name for people from that area, specifically 'yam, yam' This is because we.. ahem, they.. say 'yow am' which means, 'you are' which in slang is said as, 'yow am' which then gets shortened to 'Yam'
So for instance, are you going to the shops? becomes, yam going to (the) shops?
Some regions within the midlands would say 'am yow going to the shops?
..but you get the gist.
If someone from the black country with a broad accent was to call someone a 'yam yam' they would say 'yam a yam yam yow am.:D
Which means, 'you are a yam yam you are':D
OK I have gone on enough now, thankfully my accent is slightly out that region, but my gran lived in that area when I was a child, so I heard it alot.
Please could you tell me why the state of Arkansas is pronounced Arkansaw and not Arkansas as it is spelt? I've always wondered. Is it to prevent confusion with the state of Kansas?
When I went to the north east of England I noted that they still have two forms of you as in other languages - they still use the familiar form thou. Also in northern England and Scotland they have the word aye to mean yes.
The spelling comes from early French usage and the precedent set by the Arkansas Gazette. The pronunciation was determined by the General Assembly of 1881 after much investigation. The name is pronounced "Ark-an-saw", not "Ark-an-sas". At one time it was against the law to mispronounce the name, so be careful out there!
similar here.. yam for home..I am going home
lonning pad...dirt track or lane
marra..tomorrow
weans...children
goan fer a dander...are you going for a walk
dibs..wages or loose change
bagsee....I want it or it is mine
furst digs... I want first go
We say dibs when we want to claim something, like when we want the front passenger seat in the car. "first dibs" is the same thing.
I quite often have to explain 'beck' is another word for stream to southerners. People here in the midlands seem to be obsessed with the word 'gambol', which s a kin of stupid cross between a forward roll and a cartwheel and it looks like just falling over.
Comments
It's like I never existed
Hmmm, thought there was someone there for a sec, must have just been the wind.
Please could you tell me why the state of Arkansas is pronounced Arkansaw and not Arkansas as it is spelt? I've always wondered. Is it to prevent confusion with the state of Kansas?
When I went to the north east of England I noted that they still have two forms of you as in other languages - they still use the familiar form thou. Also in northern England and Scotland they have the word aye to mean yes.
TortOIse, strangely enough.
similar here.. yam for home..I am going home
lonning pad...dirt track or lane
marra..tomorrow
weans...children
goan fer a dander...are you going for a walk
dibs..wages or loose change
bagsee....I want it or it is mine
furst digs... I want first go
I've never heard this...
I later found out that it was a word that was specific just to the town I lived in..not region,or county,but one town! How weird is that!
Of course I may be wrong.
Anyone who calls them cheeselogs and didn't grow up in Reading,Berkshire, feel free to put me right.
Of the whinging, moody, sulky variety!
In Liverpool it's "lolly ice"
In the Black country, Midlands, 'yam' is a slang name for people from that area, specifically 'yam, yam' This is because we..
So for instance, are you going to the shops? becomes, yam going to (the) shops?
Some regions within the midlands would say 'am yow going to the shops?
..but you get the gist.
If someone from the black country with a broad accent was to call someone a 'yam yam' they would say 'yam a yam yam yow am.
Which means, 'you are a yam yam you are':D
OK I have gone on enough now, thankfully my accent is slightly out that region, but my gran lived in that area when I was a child, so I heard it alot.
Same for 'yob', also meaning 'to throw'.
That's what lambs to in the spring:D
Where be he to then?
I once threw that out for a laugh when I was teaching EFL in Germany.
Blew their minds.
In London you would say 'lob' for 'throw'.
http://littlerock.about.com/library/weekly/aa051500b.htm
They just decided that's how they wanted to pronounce it.
This site says Arkansas is a french pronunciation of a Native American word.
http://www.netstate.com/states/intro/ar_intro.htm
Illinois also has a silent s at the end.
We say dibs when we want to claim something, like when we want the front passenger seat in the car. "first dibs" is the same thing.
"Down here" being Somerset ?
Pet is a favourite of mine, being a term of endearment