Words and expressions from "back home".

[graciegirl]

In Columbus, Ohio most children of my age were taught to say "please?" instead of "what?" or "pardon?" or "huh?. Probably, because there were so many German speaking people there and I think they used the word "bitte" which I THINK means please, or pardon or what or huh.

I have several different groups of friends here and one uses words like wicked good and ****er and pronounces all words ending in er with the "R" silent.

I have one friend who uses the term, "He ain't right" meaning that he most assuredly is delusional.

Share some terms, words and phrases that draw a blank from new friends who came from different places. Or words that you don't understand.

If you hear me say; I haven't had this much fun since the hogs ate my half brother, please don't believe we had hogs or I have/had a half brother.

Oh come on. This might be fun.

[Paddygirl]

"She was some ugly"
meaning:
"She was so angry"
MAINE

[retiredguy123]

What does it mean when someone makes a statement, and then says, "if you will"?

[retiredguy123]

Two phrases that mean nothing and should be banned are "at the end of the day" and "I'll be honest with you".

[Mudder]

In New England wicked = extremely good or bad, usually good. And many words that end with er we usually substitute the er with an a. Lobster, we say lobsta. Gloucester we just say Glousta.

[geofitz13]

I have a friend who is "dumb as a box of hammers."

[Taltarzac725]

Stories of Old Nevada: How early American sayings originated | Lifestyles | elkodaily.com (https://elkodaily.com/lifestyles/stories-of-old-nevada-how-early-american-sayings-originated/article_30b88811-8839-54c7-b954-b25d206b90a6.html)

This is educational. :popcorn::coolsmiley::mademyday:

In small towns and villages, it was found that when reopening coffins, about 1 in 25 had scratch marks on the inside indicating the person had been buried alive. People concerned about this sometimes tied a string to the wrist of a corpse, led it up through the coffin to the surface and tied it to a bell. Someone then had to sit out in the cemetery all night to listen for the bell. Thus, someone could either be “saved by the bell” or was considered a “dead ringer.”

[fw102807]

In New England wicked = extremely good or bad, usually good. And many words that end with er we usually substitute the er with an a. Lobster, we say lobsta. Gloucester we just say Glousta.

Which is of course the correct pronunciation :icon_wink:

[LI SNOWBIRD]

"Not for nothing" should be banned in all 50.


All things weigh differently, many have no scale.

here,here

[Taltarzac725]

Which is of course the correct pronunciation :icon_wink:

And they seem to stick "r"s on to words like idea. What is the idear?

[js1624]

"You guys" in New Jersey is the equivalent of "Y'All" in the south

[js1624]

Going "Down the shore" means going to the beach in NJ.
"Ordering a pie", means getting a pizza

[BK001]

"I couldn't care less", and the misunderstood "I could care less".

[BK001]

"Take a picture it lasts longer" -- usually said to a stranger or another who has been rudely staring.

[manaboutown]

And they seem to stick "r"s on to words like idea. What is the idear?

My father who largely grew up in the NYC area used to pronounce idea as idear. While in grade school I imagined that idear was an alternative word for idea and I wrote it in an essay. The teacher treated it as a misspelling of course.

My torts professor was an Irishman from Boston and in the first class he announced "I am here to teach you the lawr of tots." as he had quite a strong accent. lol

[eweissenbach]

Missouri: Over yonder; Down by the crick (creek); Yupper

North Dakota/Minnesota: Hot dish (casserole); Do you want to go with? (us); You betcha! Oh for cute!

[perrjojo]

Texans are always “fixin to” do something.

[BK001]

"That was a real Fugazy move".

Fugazy: Not on the up and up....if someone pulled a con....a fugazy was pulled.

[CFrance]

Yunz, jagoff, gumband, 'n-at, warsh, Arn City Beer. Dahntahn. J'eatyet? Slippy, 'SLiberty. Stillers. All in a crazy, unique accent only found in the metropolitan area, that studies have shown transcends all educational and financial levels.
Pittsburgh

[fw102807]

And they seem to stick "r"s on to words like idea. What is the idear?

Well we have to use them someplace

[BK001]

Hook you up: To give to someone a good deal or take care of them.

"Come by the bar tonight and I'll hook you up." or "Let me know when you are ready to buy, I'll hook you up".

[cypress]

I have a friend who is "dumb as a box of hammers."

We say a "box of rocks"

[Nucky]

"That was a real Fugazy move".

Fugazy: Not on the up and up....if someone pulled a con....a fugazy was pulled.

Ha, Yous call that a Diamond, You are a Stunad and the ring is a Fugazy! Capishe! :1rotfl:

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Disagree with everyone who keeps talking about how people in "New England" talk, as though we all talk the same! I'm in Connecticut. WE don't add an "r" to our vowel-ended words. WE don't say paahk the kaah in haavahd yaahd. Those are Bostonisms, heard in Boston and surrounding areas (of which Connecticut is not one). If you really want to hear hard-core "New England" accents go to Newport, Rhode Island. We in CT actually pronounce the R exactly where it appears in the word, and rarely anywhere else.

Some of us have an odd affectation, mostly people who are from the Valley area of the state:

We get super-nasal. So instead of the name "Nancy" being pronounced "nan" (as in cat) cy.. it's more like "Neee-ehn" (as in knee-high sox) cy. "And" becomes "eee-end" and can't becomes "keee-en" - with a little cough sound at the end of the word since that's how we pronounce words that end in the letter T for some reason.

I'm from and live in New Haven county, home to a whole lot of Italians (we're very diverse, but Italians are a HUGE culture here)

Pizza = abeetz
Mozzarella = mutz
The Joey Tribiani "how YOU dooin" is not uncommonly heard.
We have adopted a lot of New Yorkisms, since as everyone knows, Connecticut is a suburb of New York City :)

Our curses are vulgar and unapologetic. We don't substitute (the words represented by the acronym stfu) for "hush yo mouth" or "shut the front door" unless we're trying to be funny. Some of us keep our vulgarity to ourselves, and of course there are times when our speech -should- be a little more refined (in church, in front of elementary school kids, in front of our grandmothers) but the rest of us pepper our conversations generously with them, and don't really give it much thought.

[js1624]

For the record....I have NEVER heard anyone from New Jersey pronounce it as "JOISEY" It doesn't happen!

[Ecuadog]

I thought this thread was about "words and expressions," not pronunciation.

[thelegges]

Not the sharpest knife in the drawer.

Bless her heart

Yes Ma’am

[Fraugoofy]

Many people in the Green Bay area say "yous" which is the plural or you. So instead of saying "y'all" we say "yous"...

Yous want to grab a beer?

Sent from my SM-N920R4 using Tapatalk

[fw102807]

Tonic, not soda, not pop

[EdFNJ]

fugetaboutit
The way New yawka's say forget about it. Esp around Nyc,Queens,Brooklyn,Bronx,Staten Isle,and Lawn Guyland and NNJ.
No I aint doin it, "fugetaboutit"!

(c) Urban Dictionary :D

[BK001]

Skeeve : To totally dislike something, to be disgusted. From the Italian "mi fa schifo" meaning "it makes me sick" and/or "schifoso", meaning "disgusting".


"I skeeve Sushi" or "I'm skeeved by him".

[BobnBev]

Hook you up: To give to someone a good deal or take care of them.

"Come by the bar tonight and I'll hook you up." or "Let me know when you are ready to buy, I'll hook you up".

Told by my partner before I put handcuffs on a prisoner,
"Hook em up":police:

[Boomer]

I could never buy a house without seeing it.

(Yeah Yeah. I know. I know. Do not come after me. I know it happens all the time in TV real estate. Works out fine, mostly, I guess.)

I could never (again) buy a car without driving it. Even when I have had a car sent to a dealer from another dealer, it is with the understanding that I will have to drive it before I buy it. (Many years ago, my first new car buy, I got the color I wanted sent in, but it came with an annoying squeak that could never be located. Never happened since.)

I just won’t take a chance on buying “a pig in a poke.”

[Boomer]

What if it were wearing lipstick?


All things weigh differently, many have no scale.

Nope. Never ever. (But hey, you almost had me with your use of the subjunctive.)

[dillywho]

Wall-eyed hissy fit; fixin to; that dog don't hunt; don'tcha know; hang it over your nose and snap at it; gunna do; cuter'n a speckled pup; I reckon; down/up/over yonder; bust your britches; set a spell; howdy; and then some; too pooped to pop; boy howdy; raisin' cane; jack up hell and put a chuk under it; hotter'n Hades; stinks to high heaven; nervous as a whore in church; nervous as a long-tail tomcat in a room full of rocking' chairs; frog strangler; cattywompus; dumber than dirt; nail-biter, dunno. Lots more where these come from.

[Ecuadog]

Wall-eyed hissy fit; fixin to; that dog don't hunt; don'tcha know; hang it over your nose and snap at it; gunna do; cuter'n a speckled pup; I reckon; down/up/over yonder; bust your britches; set a spell; howdy; and then some; too pooped to pop; boy howdy; raisin' cane; jack up hell and put a chuk under it; hotter'n Hades; stinks to high heaven; nervous as a whore in church; nervous as a long-tail tomcat in a room full of rocking' chairs; frog strangler; cattywompus; dumber than dirt; nail-biter, dunno. Lots more where these come from.

Where the heck is all that from?

[Two Bills]

He/she knows where the pies are hidden. (about a larger person)
Well I'll go to the foot of our stairs. (amazed)
If it's full of gas, ice cold, and has bubbles, it aint beer.

[aninjamom]

When my aunt in Georgia was really tired, she'd say she "wasn't worth killing". My dad called all his girls "sugar lambs".

[DeanFL]

not really an 'expression', but many folk used to/still end a statement with "you know". Or "like". Or "no problem".

But recently I've noticed - mainly Millenials - begin a sentence with "So...". It has become the latest "filler word".

More worrisome...I hear that I do that as well... So, that's my input. So, have a good day on ToTV.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

I picked up the "I'm like" and "So he goes" and "y'know?" stuff from the kids I worked with. It's a bad habit but I don't think it's a local thing. So, y'know, I'm like thinking it might be like some kid thing, cause they go "oh yeah y'know so he's like I'm sure!" all the time, no matter where I am. So like, y'know?

[graciegirl]

Wall-eyed hissy fit; fixin to; that dog don't hunt; don'tcha know; hang it over your nose and snap at it; gunna do; cuter'n a speckled pup; I reckon; down/up/over yonder; bust your britches; set a spell; howdy; and then some; too pooped to pop; boy howdy; raisin' cane; jack up hell and put a chuk under it; hotter'n Hades; stinks to high heaven; nervous as a whore in church; nervous as a long-tail tomcat in a room full of rocking' chairs; frog strangler; cattywompus; dumber than dirt; nail-biter, dunno. Lots more where these come from.

I understand all this clear as a bell, and I'm not even from TEXAS. I like the way you talk, girl.

[Vladimir]

Yuhs guys'
ga' 'head and smile. Noo Yawk dialect.

I sawr it, the sofer in the living room is green and FDR...we have nothing to feee-uh but fe-ah itself.

Hey, yoo tawwkin' ta may'...well, fuggedaboutit!

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

In New England wicked = extremely good or bad, usually good. And many words that end with er we usually substitute the er with an a. Lobster, we say lobsta. Gloucester we just say Glousta.

More specifically, "wicked" means "extremely". such as, "It is wicked good." or "It is wicked bad". "It is wicked cold outside."

The dropping of the R is a very common Boston/New England trait of the regional accent. It's not only words that end in er. In pretty much every case where an R is used after a vowel, it is replaced with an H. Pahk the cah. In Gloucester, the u is also dropped so it becomes Glostah. Worcester is Woostah. I grew up in the city of Reveah. See if you can figure that one out.

When I was growing up in the Boston area soda, was called tonic. I lived in a city heavily populated with Italian Americans. All pasta was referred to as macaroni. "What kind of macaroni are we having today Ma?" "Spaghetti"

[Rapscallion St Croix]

Papaw used to threaten to slap me naked and hide my clothes.
Pert near.
"Nary"....I still let that one slip out sometimes to say "none" or "not any".

[dillywho]

Where the heck is all that from?

Texas! My daddy used to always say when we got a scrape or some other minor injury, "Ah, I've had worse places than that on my eyeball". We got to "cuttin' up (misbehaving)" too much, Mother or Granny would threaten with "I'm gonna stomp a mudhole in ya if you don't straighten up". We always referred to soft drinks, no matter what they were, as Cokes (Teen slang, "Momma, can I go get a coke with xxx?). Clobber was another word for punching someone or something. Then there's "WFCOL (well for crying out loud) when something is totally unbelievable. "Fine" = good looking. I still carry a "purse", not a pocketbook, too.

[Boomer]

I wonder if mothers still warn their teenage daughters to never forget that old adage, “Why buy a cow when milk is so cheap.”

[Nucky]

I'm gonna tell you a Couple or Three Things!

Anthony, it's Prince Spaghetti Day!

[Buffalo Jim]

I grew up in a small town along the Canadian US Border . Here are a couple of local expressions :

1 ] When a task went easier than expected : " That was just like the Potsdam Fair .... noth`n to it " . [ There was no Potsdam Fair ] .
2] In the midst of a below zero cold wave : " Its colder than a Witch`s ......... " [ fill in the blank usually began with T ] .
3] " Their play`n Katie bar the door " ! : When a hockey team holding a very slim lead goes into a pure defensive mode late in a game " .
4] " Up high where MaMa hides the cookie jar " ! : When a hockey player scores a goal by shooting into the upper corner .

[BobnBev]

Texas! My daddy used to always say when we got a scrape or some other minor injury, "Ah, I've had worse places than that on my eyeball". We got to "cuttin' up (misbehaving)" too much, Mother or Granny would threaten with "I'm gonna stomp a mudhole in ya if you don't straighten up". We always referred to soft drinks, no matter what they were, as Cokes (Teen slang, "Momma, can I go get a coke with xxx?). Clobber was another word for punching someone or something. Then there's "WFCOL (well for crying out loud) when something is totally unbelievable. "Fine" = good looking. I still carry a "purse", not a pocketbook, too.

I keep referring to the refrigerator as an ice box. "Did you put the milk in the ice box?"

Does that make me old? hehehe

[Kahuna32162]

Walking side by each, yeah sure eh. (Yooper Talk)

[eweissenbach]

When doing a quick and not too craftmanslike job - We ain't takin' it to the fair!

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

Texas! My daddy used to always say when we got a scrape or some other minor injury, "Ah, I've had worse places than that on my eyeball".

I refereed youth ice hockey back in the day. There was a severe penalty if a player committed a penalty that drew blood from the opposing player.

One day two little kids got tangled up and we put them both in the penalty box. One kid had this little scratch on his forehead and called my partner over, yelling, "blood, blood, he drew blood, he's out of the game." My partner took a look and said, "You've got to be kidding. I see more blood when I brush my teeth on the morning."

[BK001]

"She Thinks Who She Is.....": She's got a very high opinion of herself.

"Did you see the attitude I got from her? She really thinks who she is, that one."

[Henryk]

Which is of course the correct pronunciation :icon_wink:

Sure is. Just ask my husband Bawb.

[fw102807]

Sure is. Just ask my husband Bawb.

:1rotfl::1rotfl: Roger that!

[fw102807]

I'm gonna tell you a Couple or Three Things!

Anthony, it's Prince Spaghetti Day!

Six of one or a half dozen of the other.

[marianne237]

My Chicago cousins always asked "wanna come with?" And, any carbonated drink is pop.

[Henryk]

I was so busy today that I felt like a one-armed paper hanger.

[dewilson58]

Knee high by the 4th of July

[dewilson58]

What if it were wearing lipstick?



.


A pig with lipstick is still a pig.

[dewilson58]

Big hat, no cattle.

[BobnBev]

Wanna go check out a "flick"====Movie

[BK001]

Gumare: A longtime mistress. From the Italian "comare", which means "second mother" or "godmother". Used in slang to denote a mistress who is like a second wife.

"I took my wife out for dinner but I had dessert up with my gumar."

[redwitch]

I mean like, really Dude. You know that is just totally bitchen. ... Yup, the California girl is hidden in me somewhere.

[ColdNoMore]

I mean like, really Dude. You know that is just totally bitchen. ... Yup, the California girl is hidden in me somewhere.

"Don't harsh my mellow."




:D

[rustyp]

Bless his heart.

[Fredman]

Yunz, jagoff, gumband, 'n-at, warsh, Arn City Beer. Dahntahn. J'eatyet? Slippy, 'SLiberty. Stillers. All in a crazy, unique accent only found in the metropolitan area, that studies have shown transcends all educational and financial levels.
Pittsburgh

You forgot "red up" which means clean up the house. Incidentally a gumband is a rubber band.

[Buffalo Jim]

" Ya gotta make hay while the sun shines " . Meaning : When conditions are right you must act .

[Doro22]

Two phrases that mean nothing and should be banned are "at the end of the day" and "I'll be honest with you".

I totally agree...100%. How about “twenty four/seven.” It’s used way too much.

[zmarkp]

"Well, I swan!"
NC

[Doro22]

Love this thread: funny, interesting and educational. My husband’s family...Italian from Boston use the term “gunawatsoo”. (Sp. - ?). When referring to a tea towel or dish towel. “Hand me that gunawatsoo so I can wipe down the counter.” Has anyone else ever heard this term.

[fw102807]

Love this thread: funny, interesting and educational. My husband’s family...Italian from Boston use the term “gunawatsoo”. (Sp. - ?). When referring to a tea towel or dish towel. “Hand me that gunawatsoo so I can wipe down the counter.” Has anyone else ever heard this term.

Must be the Italian part because I come from up that way and have never heard this.

[BK001]

Love this thread: funny, interesting and educational. My husband’s family...Italian from Boston use the term “gunawatsoo”. (Sp. - ?). When referring to a tea towel or dish towel. “Hand me that gunawatsoo so I can wipe down the counter.” Has anyone else ever heard this term.


I'm from Brooklyn with a very heavy Italian influence via ex-in-laws, but that's a new one on me. You reminded me of another that I heard frequently:

"Scolapasta" but pronounced skoolabast -- It was Italian for colander.

[Doro22]

Uhmn'. interesting. Oh BTW his Grandparents came over from Sicily. Maybe it was local dialect.

[Lindaketchup]

Yunz, jagoff, gumband, 'n-at, warsh, Arn City Beer. Dahntahn. J'eatyet? Slippy, 'SLiberty. Stillers. All in a crazy, unique accent only found in the metropolitan area, that studies have shown transcends all educational and financial levels.
Pittsburgh

You forgot "red up" which means clean up the house. Incidentally a gumband is a rubber band.

In addition, Pittsburghers pronouce out as "aht"
Pennsylvania is pronouced "Penns-ah-vania"
Jaggers are thorns, any type of shrubbery with thorns are "jagger-bushes".
Clodhoppers are work boots or any type of large heavy shoe.
Creek is prounounced "crick".
House coat, pronounced "haus coat" is a type of terry cloth or light cotton coverup worn around the house by grandma to do her "haus work".
A "jag-off" is a jerk.
Northside is prounouced "Nor-side, Southside is pronouced sah-side"
Telling someone "Kennywood's open" means the zipper on their pants is down.
"Nebby" means nosy. "Yinz are bein' nebby"
"Jumbo" is bologna.

There are quite a few more. Pittsburghers tend to drop letters, slur their words together and not annunciate. The dialect is called "Pittsburghese" and there is a site called pittsburghese dot com that has audio files to listen to the dialect.

[ColdNoMore]

Not from "back home," but one from down here...that always leaves me shaking my head.


"Have a good'n." (sp?) :ohdear:

[graciegirl]

As a little girl in the forties, I remember men greeting each other with this phrase;

Work steady????

Because many times back then it wasn't and you couldn't have a good'n.

[Nucky]

How about....Don't get your Boob in a Wringer. (Old School Washing Machine)

[graciegirl]

How about....Don't get your Boob in a Wringer. (Old School Washing Machine)

That would put you in a bad mood like a cork inserted in a certain body orifice.

[BK001]

I remember overhearing my mom telling her friend that she was mad at my dad for coming home "Three Sheets to the Wind"*. Although I couldn't figure it out, I never asked her what that meant. LOL

__________________
* Drunk

[BK001]

Not from "back home," but one from down here...that always leaves me shaking my head.


"Have a good'n." (sp?) :ohdear:

I'm not sure if it's the same, but what I've heard is "Have a good One" -- as a substitute for have a good day or have a good whatever.

[ColdNoMore]

I'm not sure if it's the same, but what I've heard is "Have a good One" -- as a substitute for have a good day or have a good whatever.

I don't see anything wrong with that...and have probably used it myself.

It's the lazy version of 'good'n/gooten'...that cracks me up. :D

[BK001]

Wow - they seem to be pouring back to me -- other phrases my mom used:

"Out of the frying pan and into the fire"

"The pot calling the kettle black"

"Give her a finger, she'll want the whole arm"

[ColdNoMore]

My Mom used to tease me with "the roads are slickery" and "read the constructions." :D

[BK001]

Here is a more recent one that I have gotten tired of hearing:

"Not my Circus; Not my Monkey" meaning not my problem.

[Buffalo Jim]

" R ya work`n hard or hardly work`n " ?

[zmarkp]

"Like the monkey said when they cut off its tail -- it won't be long now!"

[Carla B]

"Don't let the screen door swat ya in the ass," meaning, get on with what you said you were going to do.
He, she, it, is "tits in the ditch," or "belly up," (no longer functions).

[Polar Bear]

Pop.

Instead of soda.

[BK001]

Grow Legs: Something that's likely to be stolen.

"Keep an eye on your suitcase. It's liable to grow legs".

[dillywho]

We also had breakfast, dinner, and supper; not breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

[Aloha1]

"Whaduya want, an engraved invitation?" (get a move on already)

Gracie, you might recall this one: "Clean your plate, people are starving in Europe"

[eweissenbach]

"Whaduya want, an engraved invitation?" (get a move on already)

Gracie, you might recall this one: "Clean your plate, people are starving in Europe"

Oh my God, Europe too! I was told they were in China!

[NotGolfer]

In Wisconsin (or parts there-of)---"youse guys" or "what do youse all say....." instead of "you".

In Minnesota...."UFFDA" which is Scandanavian for "wow", "oh my". Minnesotans might say "fer cute" (no explanation there). Potluck is for bringing a dish to pass to a get together. But you can use "potluck" as descriptive too---meaning you get what you get out of something.

Also---"slicker than snot on a door-knob"; "finer than frog-hair" (if asked how one is) are some sayings.

[Aloha1]

Oh my God, Europe too! I was told they were in China!

:1rotfl: