Originally Posted By trekkeruss The UK-US Dictionary thread got me thinking about differences in regional language here in America. I was born in 1961 in California, so that is my reference point for many of the words that I use. Here are just a couple that I know have different names across the country: I call a long sandwich a sub. I drink sodas.
Originally Posted By EdisYoda In California, I drink: Soda Milk Shakes Ice Tea In Massachusetts, I drank: Pop Frappes Iced Tea In Georgia, I drank: Pop Shakes Sweet Tea (or Unsweet Tea)
Originally Posted By alexbook I think there aren't as many regional differences as there were pre-WWII. Accents and attitudes still vary somewhat ("Yankee" is an insult in NC, but not in CA), but vocabulary seems to be pretty consistent, aside from food. Why is that, I wonder? ----- Second person plural: "you" according to the dictionary "y'all" in the South "youse" in parts of the Northeast "you guys" in parts of the West In California, you rent an apartment or buy a condominium. In New York, you can buy an apartment. In Northern California, an apartment that has a separate entrance to the street may be called a flat. In Southern California, it's just an apartment. Garbanzo beans in California are chickpeas in North Carolina. [I grew up in Southern California, and have lived in North Carolina and Northern and Southern California as an adult.]
Originally Posted By LacyBelle Second person plural: "you" according to the dictionary And it's "yuns" in Western Pennsylvania
Originally Posted By friendofdd I think the differences are mostly going away. The universality of media casts has our youngsters sounding more and more alike. And even the long standing variations such as soda/pop/coke are understood by most folk now. It is sad to hear it happening. There was/is a charming quality in reflecting your region by speech patterns.
Originally Posted By alexbook >>I think the differences are mostly going away. The universality of media casts has our youngsters sounding more and more alike.<< I think transportation has a lot to do with it, too. It seems like people are more likely to meet people from other parts of the country than they were a couple of generations ago.
Originally Posted By CrouchingTigger I don't know if it's still like this, but in California we go to the beach. In Oregon, they go to the coast.
Originally Posted By friendofdd Czlifornia, I think, tends to refer to sandy areas as beaches. They also refer to the "central" and "north" coasts.
Originally Posted By Goofyernmost >>>I drink sodas<<< I'm sure you do but if you were in Boston it would be a tonic! Go figure.
Originally Posted By TALL Disney Guy <In Georgia, I drank: Pop> Well no wonder you moved...they musta been ready to tar 'n feather ya, cause here in The South we drink "cokes", none o' this "pop" or "soda" business. ;-)
Originally Posted By peeaanuut but coke is a specific given to a generic. Sort of like kleenex. that just makes no sense.
Originally Posted By TALL Disney Guy I know, but it's southern. We drink cokes, and some may use Kleenex, but I use tissues (I don't say Kleenex csue it's a brand name. I know, that makes me a hypocrite on "cokes"---but I was raised on the "cokes" thang, lol).
Originally Posted By CrouchingTigger Ah-ha! I see a source of confusion. Thar in th' South, y'all must call *all* condiments "ketchup", whether they're red, green, or yeller, made with pickles, or made with tamaters. ;-)
Originally Posted By TALL Disney Guy I understand your native tongue, ;-P, but no, I actually respect condiment names, lol.
Originally Posted By stagemomx3 Here in the NW we drink pop, though I prefer to call it soda it sounds better to me. When I visited relatives in Texas I was always confused when they would ask me if I wanted a coke and when I said yes they would ask what kind. Uh duh-- COKE!
Originally Posted By knightnfrees <<I understand your native tongue, ;-P, but no, I actually respect condiment names, lol.>> ROFL. So, do you call a Pepsi...Coke, TDG?
Originally Posted By officerminnie My nephew in Texas says "y'all" even if he is only talking to one person . He's 11 - it's kinda cute.
Originally Posted By TALL Disney Guy ^^^Age is indeed wisdom. And I call Pepsi "Pepsi" when using its proper name ("I'll take Pepsi"), but call it a "coke" generically. ("Y'all got any cokes?" "Yeah, whaddya want? We got Coke, Pepsi, Sprite, Dr. Pepper..." "I'll take Pepsi" "Shore thang, buddy")
