[Boomer]

I have had a long love affair with words. Bet you did not know that. One of the things that fascinates me is regional language. I think those English teacher types may refer to this kind of language as colloquial.

We live in a great big glorious land and this group represents so many different regions. So who, more perfect, to ask about this.

I have lived in or near Cincinnati all my life When I went away to school, it was up the road to Miami U. (If I had lived a little farther south, I would have said, "Up the road a piece to Miami U.")

Around here, we have our regional language just like everybody else. One of the most obvious is the use of the word "please." (graciegirl says it and I do, too.) What we mean is, "Pardon me, I did not hear what you said." I guess you could say that we are saying, "HUH?" Or, "WHAT?" But around Cincinnati, we say, "Please."

I have a specific question about this to somebody here who speaks some German. And I think maybe Muncle does so I hope he or somebody can clear this up for me.

Cincinnati is heavily of German heritage. Someone once told me that the German word for "please" is "bitta" (I have no idea if I am spelling or saying that right.) Anyway, is whatever the German word for "please" is used interchangeably for saying, "Huh?" and for saying, "Please pass the salt." I hope to find the answer here on TOTV.

Another question I have is for Rockinronda, from RI. Ronda, just last night we were visiting some friends and we started to talk about this topic. (They had a visitor there from Australia so we were talking with her about the differences in our English words.) Anyway, back to RI. Someone in our group last night said that in RI, a milkshake is called a "cabinet." I kept thinking I was not hearing him right. So I said, "Please," a couple of times, but he kept saying if he wanted a milkshake in RI, he would order a chocolate cabinet. Ronda, is that right? He is from Indiana. I need to verify this with you, Ronda.

Many years ago, a neighbor who was from Boston would order a frappe at the local "Creamy Whip" where we took our kids. She wanted a milkshake.

Around Cincinnati, when we want a soda, we want ice cream with a hit of the fizzy stuff. When we want a Coke or Pepsi or something, we want a pop.

So anyway, I hope some of you will throw in some of your own regional words. And I hope I get my answers to the questions I asked here.

Thanks.

Boomer

[Russ_Boston]

Cabinet is exactly correct for a RI milkshake. (milk and ice cream). In MA we use frappe for the same item.

Another RI slang is 'gagger'. This is a name for a particular type of wiener which is also referred to as a NY system wiener. It's basically a skinless hot dog with a meat sauce, mustard, diced onions and celery salt on a steamed bun.

We (I grew up in RI) use 'soda' for all types of pop (Pepsi etc.).

We also have a type of pizza that is served cold with just sauce. It has a relatively thick crust. Some people call it party pizza or also bakery pizza. It's kind of an appetizer type thing.

I'm sure I can think of more - It's a strange little state!

[redwitch]

I don't know if it's a Western thing or just me, but when I don't understand, I say, "Excuse me?" I know that when we lived in Germany, it was, "Entschuldigung, bitte." (Excuse me, please.) This was also used when crossing in front of someone, etc.

To me, pop is what you call your old man. You drink soda, preferably out of a can. A milkshake is a shake. A malted is what we think midwesterners call a shake. Californians don't seem to know a malted is thicker and different from a shake.

When I was in England, I used to wonder at some of their usage. You didn't go to THE hospital. You simply went to hospital. You didn't drive in a direction, that is, you didn't "go north," you went "the north." This was even on the highway signs. I actually have a picture of it somewhere.

[graciegirl]

Boomer.

Excellent as always.

We also have foods here in Cincinnati such as Goetta pronounced GET-uh and it is a wonderful sorta sausage-like breakfast meat, in fact they are having the "Goettafest right now.

My grandmother would ask me to "rid up the table" and we used to have "pitch-ins" instead of pot luck suppers. Over the river in Kentucky people "carry" people to places when they drive them in their car. People have different accents even from one side of Cincinnati to the other and you can "hear" the difference between a west sider and an east sider.

Personally since I don't live there, I think all East coast people sound similar except for those who are from Bah-ston and those from De Bronx. I can't detect a California accent, they all sound like unaccented radio announcers to me.

Come on Y'all. (Yes we say that in Cincinnati too. We ARE on the Mason Dixon line.)

I want to hear MORE.

GracieGirl

[Sidney Lanier]

New York State is big enough for regionalisms within the state. If you're out in western NY (Buffalo and environs), you can have 'beef on weck,' which is a sliced roast beef sandwich on a particular kind of roll. And if you're in central NY in the Southern Tier area (in and around Binghamton), you can have a 'spiedie,' which is made of marinated chunks of meat (beef? pork?) on a skewer and barbecued. Neither of these concoctions exist in the Hudson Valley (southeastern NYS) where we live. Both delicious--go figure....

[Rokinronda]

You want more???? Ok.....RI iz do tok funny....


Antnee, Bvenda, Richit, Shevl
Names for children in Rhode Island's Italian-American neighborhoods.


Beah
An alcoholic beverage.


Beef Stew
In New York System parlance, "beef stew" is an order of French fries loaded with salt, vinegar, and ketchup.


Bubbla
Drinking fountain. The word is apparently also used in parts of the upper Midwest and Australia. We've read in a couple of places that the usage may be related to the Wisconsin-based manufacturer, Kohler, which marketed a fountain under the Bubbler name around 1914.


Bullrake
A tool for harvesting shellfish. It has a long handle and tines that curl around to form a wide basket.


Cabinet
A drink made from milk, flavored syrup, and ice cream. In other parts of the country it's called a milk shake or a frappe. A liberal interpretation of the entry for cabinet in the Oxford English Dictionary might suggest that the term originated from the English Newcastle or cabinet pudding, "a pudding made of bread or cake, dried fruit, eggs and milk, usually served hot with a sauce." Or it might not.


Camavo
A member of the holy muscle car trinity, along with the Firebird and the Iroc. Popular with mullet-headed men who have girlfriends named Shevl and who wear black t-shirts with the sleeves cut off.


Chariho
A district made up of the towns of Charlestown, Richmond, and Hopkinton.


Chourico
Pronounced shuh-reese. A smoked Portuguese sausage that is dense and spicy. There's also Linguica (leeng-gwee-sa), which is less spicy, as it's made with less chili pepper.


Comatta
Depending on your point of view, comatta is either Italian slang for godmother, girlfriend, or mistress, as in "I can bring [Governor Don] Carcieri down. I got stuff. If nothing else, I've got the names of the past comattas. I just gotta throw them out there." These words were spoken by Democratic lobbyist Guy Dufault on his political chat show The Real Deal, which aired Sunday, November 6, 2005, on UPN 28.

The following day local news outlets scrambled to figure out how to spell the unfamiliar word. WJAR Channel 10 and WPRI Channel 12 decided on "goumada." The Providence Phoenix was considering "cumada" until the Providence Journal went on record with "comatta."

So where does "godmother" come in? Reportedly, an Italian man would tell his wife he was going to visit his godmother, or "comare," when in fact he was off to engage in illicit extramarital activites. Somehow, the theory goes, "comare" became "comatta" over time.

However it's spelled, the use of the word cost Dufault pretty much every financial relationship he had, including his TV show. Pretty powerful word, eh?


Cveaanstin
The municipality south of Providence and north of Wa'wik.


De boatayuz
More than one, less than three.


De klenzaz
The local dry-cleaning establishment.



Downcity
Some people think Downcity is just another name for Providence's downtown, but it actually specifically refers to the Downcity Arts and Entertainment District, established in 1996. The district is bounded by Dorrance, Sabin, Empire, and Pine Streets.

The word (with a small "d") can be traced back to the mid-twentieth century when it actually was a colloquial synonym for downtown Providence. It was resurrected (with a big "d") during a design charrette run by Andres Duany in the early 1990s, when a rebranding of the old commercial district into an arts district was proposed. Beginning in the 1930s, Providence's downtown declined as businesses left and residents moved to the suburbs. The Downcity Arts and Entertainment District was part of a larger scheme to revitalize downtown through preservation, renovation, investment, tax credits, and increased security and access.


Downsella
Where you keep that treadmill that you used for about a week back in '93.


Eas' (or Wes') Grennich
Witches may live there, but they're not pronounced.


Fuggeddaboudit!
Literally "forget about it," this phrase can mean anything from "yes" to "no" and everything in between, depending upon context and inflection. Donnie Brasco (as played by Johnny Depp), in the film by the same name, explains some of the subtleties:

"Forget about it" is like if you agree with someone, you know, like "Raquel Welsh is one great piece of ass, forget about it." But then, if you disagree, like, "A Lincoln is better than a Cadillac? Forget about it!" you know? But then, it's also like if something's the greatest thing in the world, like Mingrio's Peppers, "forget about it." But it's also like saying "Go to hell!" too. Like, you know, like, "Hey Paulie, you got a one inch pecker?" and Paulie says, "Forget about it!" Sometimes it just means forget about it.
Gagga
Otherwise known as a destroyer, bellybuster, or hot weiner. A small hot dog with a natural casing, slathered in mustard, meat sauce, chopped onions, and celery salt, and served in a steamed bun.


God
v. 1. To protect from harm; watch over. 2. To watch over to prevent escape. 3. To keep watch at (a door or gate). 4. To take precautions: god against infection. --n. 1. One that gods. 2. Watchful care: under close god. 3. Defensive posture or stance. 4. Football. One of the two players on either side of the center. 5. Basketball. Either of the two players stationed near the middle of the court. 6. A device that prevents injury, damage, or loss. (American Heritage Dictionary, sort of)


Gravy
In most places, you would get whiplash trying to get a good look at the person you overheard asking for more gravy for their paster. In Rhode island they're just asking for more tomato sauce. According to Bartlett's Dictionary of Americanisms, it has also been used to denote the filling in a pie.


Grinda
Otherwise known as a hoagie, po' boy, or sub. It's a sangwidge.


Hot
The thing in your chest that pumps blood and keeps you alive.


Idear
All those dropped Rs have to go somewhere. They end up tacked onto the ends of words ending in "A," like idear, bananner, paster, and vaniller.


I'm all set
While not a strictly Rhode Island phrase, this declaration that you require no assistance may still get you quizzical looks in some other parts of the country.


Jeet?
Have you eaten yet? The appropriate response (assuming you haven't eaten) is "No, joo?"


Jimmies
A liberal sprinkling of these can brighten up a dull, dreary ice cream cone. We hear they're also called Ants in the Woonsocket area.


Lore
Don't break it or they'll put you in the ACI.


Natty Lite
This is a term that seems to be something of an inside joke at AM630 WPRO, as in, "You sound like you've had one too many Natty Lites." It actually refers to a brand of beer called Natural Lite. It's not local and has nothing to do with Rhode Island.


NiRoPe
Usually heard as part of the phrase, "NiRoPe Pricing," the word comes from the names of the three Cardi Brothers, Nick, Ron, and Pete, whose furniture store commercials are ubiquitous on Southern New England television and radio stations.


No school Fosta-Glosta
A catchphrase (much like "Whatchootalkin'boutWillis?"), uttered by much-beloved media personality Salty Brine during winter snow-day reports. Foster and Glocester are two abutting communities in the northwest of the state that are completely snowbound during months containing an "r." Salty always lumped the two together when making no-school announcements; most Rhode Islanders believe there's a town out there called Fosta-Glosta.

Salty's been gone from the radio for a few years now, but the phrase refuses to die. A sure way to find out if someone is lying about having spent time in the state (as though one would), is to challenge him with the phrase "No school..." A real Rhode Islander knows the rest.


No suh!
I believe you are pulling my leg, my friend.


On Special
On sale.


Packy
Short for package store, which is what they call liquor stores around here. Decades of boozeless Sundays ended in Rhode Island on June 28, 2004, when Governor Carcieri signed a bill into law allowing cities and towns to issue licenses to liquor stores that want to open on Sundays.


Please?
This is not a plea for more porridge, but a polite way of saying, "What the hell did you just say?"


Potty
A celebration.


PSDS
What you hang earrings from. Think about it.


P'tuckit
The municipality north of Providence and south of Attleboro.


Quahog
A kind of ocean clam, or bivalve mollusk, found in the waters of the North Atlantic. They come in two varieties: Arctica islandica, the ocean quahog; and Mercenaria mercenaria, the bay quahog. They make handy ashtrays.

The common name, poquauhock, is taken from the languages of the Narragansett and Wampanoag Indians, and it's thought that today's pronunciation can be traced to those origins. The Narragansetts, from the west side of Narragansett Bay, probably pronounced the word "po-kwa-hok." Today's western Rhode Islanders thus pronounce it "kwa-hog." The Wampanoags of the East Bay called it "po-ko-hok," and today, eastern Rhode Islanders likewise say "ko-hog."


Regluh kawfee
Be careful how you order your coffee in Rhode Island, because if you like it black, requesting a "regular coffee" is not the way to go. Such a request will more often than not get you a cup with cream and sugar added.


Rhode Island handshake
A little extra gratuity for services rendered.


Sachem
A sachem is a chief or leader of a Native American tribe or confederation, especially those of the Algonquian language group, which includes the Narragansett and Gay Head, Mashpee, and Seakonke Wampanoag tribes. The common usage of "chief sachem" to describe the top leader of a tribe is thus redundant. "Grand sachem" might be more appropriate.


Sangwidge
A meal served between two pieces of bread. Also Sammich.


Saugy
A particular brand of hot dog, made with natural casings, that cuts loose with a distinctive "snap" when bitten into.


Scrod
No, "scrod" is not the pluperfect subjunctive of "screwed." It's a fillet made from any one of a number of kinds of young whitefish (under 2.5 pounds), including Atlantic cod, haddock, and pollock. Any Rhode Island seafood restaurant that left scrod off its menu would do so at its own peril.




Side by each
You'll hear this one mainly around Woonsocket. It comes from the French "côté par chacun" and would be translated by most people as "side by side." Other Woonsocketisms include the use of double pronouns, as in, "I'm going to the supermarket, me," and the misplacement of phrases or modifiers, as in, "Throw me down the stairs my bag," or "Drive slow your car."


South County
A mythical area that roughly includes Washington and Kent Counties. The name goes back to the Revolutionary War era when sentiment against the British King led rebel sympathizers to come up with an alternative name for Kings County (much as anti-French sentiment led many to call French fries "freedom fries" in recent times). The name was officially changed to Washington County in 1781, but the old appellation of South County still persists.


Spa
Walk into a spa in Rhode Island expecting a nice relaxing soak in a hot tub and you may be disappointed. Oh, you can find that kind of spa in Little Rhody, but you're almost as likely to have wandered into a kind of independent mom 'n' pop convenience store or soda fountain. The use of the word may relate to the carbonated or "mineral" water that was used in the preparation of many fountain drinks.


Stuffie
Clam stuffing baked in a clam shell. Also known as a stuffed clam.

David Steinbrick, a producer at Cox Communications, sent us this tidbit: "Over the years, I have heard the best way to describe a 'stuffie' to an outsider. A stuffie is 'a clam meatloaf in an ashtray.' Succinct and to the point. Except the non-native may wonder why we cook food in ashtrays."


Swamp Yankee or Swampuh
A term, specific to eastern Connecticut and South County Rhode Island, used to describe an umpteenth-generation farm-bred denizen of that area who is fiercely independent, stubborn, obstinate, and either ignorant or wily (depending on the prejudices of the source). The origin of the name is said to go back to 1776 when almost the entire town of Thompson, Connecticut, hid out in a swamp overnight to escape a British raid that never came. These days the term is generally less derisive.


Wandi
Wandi are a flaky, deep-fried Italian pastry, sprinkled with powdered sugar. According to Linda Beaulieu in her Providence and Rhode Island Cookbook, the name comes from the way in which the dough wriggles in the hot oil, looking like the waving fingers of a glove, or guanti, which in a Neapolitan accent sounds like "wandi."


Wa'wik
The municipality south of Cvaanstin and north of Eas' Grennich. Also pronounced Warrik.


Wikkit
An intensifier that's interchangeable with "very," as in, "We was drivin' wikkit fast." Also used to mean "extremely good" or "spectacular," as in, "Them forttajuly fyahworks was wikkit!" MY favorite is jeet. I do find myself saying it just like that!!!!

[Russ_Boston]

Thanks Rhonda. Now all my TOTV friends that i met will understand why they didn't hear I word that I was saying. I noticed that you and I didn't have to translate to each other when we talked!

[Rokinronda]

Russ, Yes..... no translation needed amongst uz. We juz unastand ebry wurd so ezlee.

[Avista]

While in high school I worked the soda fountain at our corner drug store. There is a difference between a milk shake and a malted milk. A malted milk is a milk shake with malt added. I like malted milk much better than milk shakes.

[mfp509]

rokinronda - you are speakin' my language. I enjoyed reading your post - WPRO and Salty - oh what memories. I'm from CT. Listened to those no school announcements, watched Salty Brine's Shack and ate grinda's. Thanks for the memories.

[another Linda]

Hey Ronder, youse from RI could be from da Bronx. bet youse would say you "sore a caw" (translation:saw a car).

from your friend Linder

[swrinfla]

Ronda, you should write a book!

I grew up (eons ago, you know) in Boston and on The Cape (summers). Some of your Rhode Island words sounded vaguely familiar to me! But, these old ears lived in St. Louis for nearly 45 years, so much of that Massachusetts lingo has long since been forgotten!
SWR

[sschuler1]

Avista-I agree....a "shake" has only ice cream and milk, but a "malt" has malt flavor added to it. I can't stand the taste of malt, it makes me gag. My mother used to put malt balls (or Whoppers) in my Easter basket every year because she knew I wouldn't eat them and would give them to her.

Michiganders are the only people that I would consider don't have an accent. I know that sounds conceited, but everyone that you hear on the news or on national tv sounds like everyone around here. If you strip away their accent so they can be understood by everyone in the nation, they would sound like we do in Michigan. If you go south of Toledo you will start to hear a southern accent creep into the vocabulary. If you go west past Chicago you start to hear that western twang. If you go east past Cleveland you start to hear the New Yawk accent. You start to hear the Canadian "eh?" creeping into the language when you hit the UP in Michigan though!

You know you're a true MICHIGANDER when...

1. "Vacation" means going up north on I-75.

2. You measure distance in hours.

3. You know several people who have hit a deer more than once.

4. You often switch from "heat" to "A/C" in the same day.

5. You can drive 65 mph through 2 feet of snow during a raging blizzard, without flinching.

6. You see people wearing fall formal wear = camouflage at social events (including weddings).

7. You install security lights on your house and garage and leave both unlocked.

8. You carry jumper cables in your car and your girlfriend knows how to use them.

9. You design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit.

10. Driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow.

11. You know all 4 seasons: almost winter, winter, still winter and road construction.

12. You can identify a southern or eastern accent.

13. Your idea of creative landscaping is a deer 'bow target' next to your blue spruce.

14. You were unaware that there is a legal drinking age.

15. Down South to you means Ohio

16. A Muskrat is something you can eat.

17. Your neighbor throws a party to celebrate his new pole barn,

18. You go out to fishfry every Friday.

19. Your 4th of July picnic was moved indoors due to frost.

20. You have more miles on your snow blower than your car.

21. You find 0 degrees "a little chilly."

22. You drink pop and bake with soda.

23. Your doctor tells you to drink Vernors and you know it's not medicine.

24. You know what a Yooper is.

25. You think owning a Honda is UnAmerican.

26. You know that UP is a place not a direction

27. You know it's possible to live in a thumb.

28. You understand that when visiting Detroit, the best thing to wear is a Kevlar vest.

29. You know what a "Michigan left" is...

30. If you know that a "fudgie" is not a piece of candy.

31. If you know that a "party store" is where you go to buy alcohol.

32. If the trees in your backyard have spigots.

33. If you know how to play Euchre.

34. If you know what a pasty is..

35. If you have ever worn a winter coat with shorts.

36. If you know stores don't have "bags" they have "sacks".

[Casino]

Rondaaaa,
Do we actually speak like that???

But I will agree with another Linda... people have actually asked me if I come from New York because of the pronunciation of my RI words.

As long as my fellow Rhodes Islander's understand me,,,,,I am happy.

[barb1191]

Originally Posted by Boomer BeBack

I have had a long love affair with words. Bet you did not know that. One of the things that fascinates me is regional language. I think those English teacher types may refer to this kind of language as colloquial.


Many years ago, a neighbor who was from Boston would order a frappe at the local "Creamy Whip" where we took our kids. She wanted a milkshake.

Around Cincinnati, when we want a soda, we want ice cream with a hit of the fizzy stuff. When we want a Coke or Pepsi or something, we want a pop.

So anyway, I hope some of you will throw in some of your own regional words. And I hope I get my answers to the questions I asked here.

Thanks. Boomer

frappe in New England is a milkshake with ice cream mixed in a blender; a yummy thick shake. A frappe in New York (at least when I lived there eons ago) was an ice cream sundae.

A soda in NE is soda water with syrup of choice whipped and scoops of ice cream.

We called gingerale and carbonated drinks tonic. I've been told that tonic in other areas is referred to as medicine.

I lived in NY in the early 50's for about a year and recall ordering a sandwich and a frappe and the waitstaff asked me, "and what would you like to drink?" I responded, the frappe and laughed. It was then that I learned a frappe was a sundae! I imagine that we all know what a sundae is, yes? LOL

barb