[graciegirl]

When we moved here I began to hear words foreign to me, but everyday words in other parts of this country. Because we are a mix here in The Villages, we have different words for some things.

I had to look it up when someone called someone "fresh" and I found that "wicked good" was as very, very, very good as you could get if you are from Massachusetts.

I am from Ohio where we call kinda not important accessories and a lot of them "knick knacks". My neighbor calls them "Tchochkes". We gather people together in Ohio a lot with a potluck which means that you just bring what you want to a dinner or are divided by the alphabet into desserts, salads and main dishes. Here I have seen Potlucks where you are directed exactly what to bring....takes the "luck" out of it for me....or some people have never been to a potluck and that leaves me speechless. I frequently bring a dish called Johnny Marzetti that people from Ohio recognize at once.

People pause when I say "please" which in Ohio means "huh" or "what?" and there are even certain ways of proununciation different from mine. Pittsburgh people say "dontahn" for down town and we all know that Boston folks Pahk their cahs.

What words, customs, attitudes or ways that are different or new to you have you encountered here in this mini melting pot?