"The devil is beating his wife": Dialect maps document U.S.'s many linguistic divides

[tlcya]

When we lived in Louisiana when I was young the neighbor asked my mom if she'd 'carry her to the store'. Mom said she drive her to the store and was not going to carry her.

tlcya if you're fixin' to run to the store, are you going to use a 'buggy' or a 'cart' to put your items in?

I'll be using a car to "run" over there and a cart to carry my purchases to checkout.

 

[wfgodot]

Would like to see some regional usage swearing maps. While the general stock of one-word obscenities in standard usage crosses over most geographical, racial, ethnic, and class divides, I'm sure that pungent phrases vary from place to place.

 

[Show Me]

I've seen those captions too, lol.

My Memfus-born and Miss-sip-ee-influenced son and his Ohio-born wife have been living south of Dallus for five years; they are in the process of moving to NWA. I've noticed we our heads and say, "wuh?" and "wah?" to each other a lot!!!

And...thank yew! Having lived in "Lul-vul" KY at one time, it should be "Faytvul" or something similar. When I hear someone pronounce it Fay-et-veele or some such, I always wanna say, "Yew ain't from around he-ah, r yew?" (And yes, I guess I say "r" instead of "are" a lot).

My personal pet peeve: People who say "close" instead of "clothes." You close a dang door; you put on clothes, for goodness sakes! (Try it and see where your tongue "lands" in your mouth when you say each one....there is a decided difference! urgh!)

I have a friend who is sweet, meek, and mild until she hears someone say "fixin", as in "I'm fixin to go to the stoh." She then gets red glowing eyes, and steam comes out of her ears. "Fixin'! What the heck are you fixin'? Are you fixin' your truck?! Are you fixin' dinner!?" Drives her frickin bonkers.

I don't like hearing 'fer' or 'fur' for 'for'. Makes me think of hair. Don't hear people say 'befur' for before. And people say 'four' for 4, so why 'fer'?

I don't mind y'all once in a while, but I SWEAR Paula Deen must get paid by the 'yall. Every other word on her show is 'yall. Drives me nuts. I think I counted 20 some 'yalls in less that five minutes. Can't watch her cooking show as each 'yall irritates me more and more.

 

[Dewey2Me1MoThyme]

I've seen those captions too, lol.

Close ad at bottom of youtube screen to get the full effect

[video=youtube;CN666q3ptAU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CN666q3ptAU[/video]

 

[my_tee_mouse]

Would like to see some regional usage swearing maps. While the general stock of one-word obscenities in standard usage crosses over most geographical, racial, ethnic, and class divides, I'm sure that pungent phrases vary from place to place.

Many of "ours" are aimed at swearing without swearing:

Lawd to avoid using "the Lord's name in vain," Law, just to be on the safe side

Gawd, same reasoning as Lawd; Gaw, same reasoning as Law

Shoot or she-et as in, "Well, she-et! I thought I could jump that crick with my mud buggy!"

Heck far instead of hell fire

Day-um for damn...and for emphasis

Fawk, as in, "Well fawk a duck!" or "Well, I'll be fawked!"

"Well, she was pur-dee-oh peee-issed!"

By the way....That dog don' hunt, and that duck don' fly if a thought/idea/theory is beyond reason.

 

[my_tee_mouse]

Close ad at bottom of youtube screen to get the full effect

Why do I need subtitles?!? - YouTube

:floorlaugh::floorlaugh::floorlaugh::floorlaugh:

 

[Show Me]

Would like to see some regional usage swearing maps. While the general stock of one-word obscenities in standard usage crosses over most geographical, racial, ethnic, and class divides, I'm sure that pungent phrases vary from place to place.

Most people here say 'Thanks' or 'Thank you', or 'Thank you so much' if you hold the door open.

Effin' swear words eh wfgodot?

Well not sure if any *ing words will show up unedited on thread. lol

Some semi swear words, like '' 'a hole' '' 'b*ttwipe' 'bastages' might make it through auto-no-swear.

 

[wfgodot]

All 105 of the regional dialect maps here:

http://spark-1590165977.us-west-2.elb.amazonaws.com/jkatz/SurveyMaps/

 

[wfgodot]

Most people here say 'Thanks' or 'Thank you', or 'Thank you so much' if you hold the door open.

Effin' swear words eh wfgodot?

Well not sure if any *ing words will show up unedited on thread. lol

Some semi swear words, like '' 'a hole' '' 'b*ttwipe' 'bastages' might make it through auto-no-swear.

I've always wondered if "piss up a rope" (one of my favorites; don't know from which geographic area it derives) would make it.

ETA

Yup, it did.

 

[tlcya]

Not sure if this is regional or something generational but when thanking someone my husband and several others I have noticed are in the habit of saying "I thank you" rather than simply thanks or thank you

 

[Show Me]

Many of "ours" are aimed at swearing without swearing:

Lawd to avoid using "the Lord's name in vain," Law, just to be on the safe side

Gawd, same reasoning as Lawd; Gaw, same reasoning as Law

Shoot or she-et as in, "Well, she-et! I thought I could jump that crick with my mud buggy!"

Heck far instead of hell fire

Day-um for damn...and for emphasis

Fawk, as in, "Well fawk a duck!" or "Well, I'll be fawked!"

"Well, she was pur-dee-oh peee-issed!"

By the way....That dog don' hunt, and that duck don' fly if a thought/idea/theory is beyond reason.

I think Dayum is catching on nationwide. Really a great word, can drawl it out for emphasis....as in Dayyyummm!

Someone pizzed can also be pee-ohed.

Freakin' A for the 'f' word.

Beotch for the 'b' word.

is a good general semi swear word.

 

[tlcya]

bastages, fargin and sumunabeetches lol

those came from the movie "Johnny Dangerously"

Now I will have to rent that

 

[Dewey2Me1MoThyme]

I've always wondered if "piss up a rope" (one of my favorites; don't know from which geographic area it derives) would make it.

ETA

Yup, it did.

Fudging icehole bastids, they killed Kenny! :floorlaugh: :blushing:

 

[Dewey2Me1MoThyme]

bastages, fargin and sumunabeetches lol

those came from the movie "Johnny Dangerously"

Now I will have to rent that

My best friend's late uncle that we called Uncle Hatchet, would say "Get in your sumbi+chin truck and bagass down the road" when he wanted you to leave him alone.

 

[my_tee_mouse]

"I think Dayum is catching on nationwide. Really a great word, can drawl it out for emphasis....as in Dayyyummm!":rockon:

Forgot about "bastids," forgot about "sumbeeches."

Having keyed in all the cities and close-to-cities I've lived in on the map, all I can say is, "Oh my Gawd, my ak-ce-ent is fawked!"

 

[Show Me]

You guys are making me laugh so hard I'm almost pissing in my pants.

Or y'all's makin' me piahzz mah pants.

This is such a fun thread. Gotta go look at counter tops for minor kitchen redo.

 

[STEADFAST]

For about $750.00 you can buy the 6-volume (so far) Dictionary of American Regional English. This book is the Holy Grail to me and many others. It has been in production at the University of Wisconsin -- Madison since 1962. You can read about its history here: http://dare.wisc.edu/?q=node/244

Want to check out more links to DARE in the news? Want to find out some DARE words specific to your state? Want to hear audio samples of speakers from different parts of the United States? Take quizzes? Get media contact info? Please check out the University Communications/DARE website.

Fairly recently they were asking for submissions about what people call that strip of grass between the sidewalk and the street. I call it the easement. (Then again, I was a military brat and I'm a military wife and have lived for at least 3 years in 15 different states. My dialect is pretty mixed.) My husband, from St. Louis, said he never heard it called anything in particular.

 

[my_tee_mouse]

Re the grass between the sidewalk and the street: Well, it's that grass right they-ah. As in, "Look out for that dawg poop in that grass right they-ah."

Friendly warnings for folks not used to dealing with G.R.I.T.S.:

"I tell you nay" means, "Look out....I'm about to tear you a new one, and you will just sit they-ah, 'yes ma'am-in' me all ovah the place' the whole time I'm doin' it!"

"You best" means that it doesn't matter who you are, how much money you have, how old you are, what office you hold, if you don't want to have the world come crashing down around your ears, you best be doin' whatevah follows that "you best!"

And if a G.R.I.T.S. ends a sentence, with "Buddy Bubbah!": Run, run like the wind, ducking and weaving the whole time.

 

[tlcya]

For about $750.00 you can buy the 6-volume (so far) American Dictionary of Regional English. This book is the Holy Grail to me and many others. It has been in production at the University of Wisconsin -- Madison since 1962. You can read about its history here: http://dare.wisc.edu/?q=node/244



Fairly recently they were asking for submissions about what people call that strip of grass between the sidewalk and the street. I call it the easement. (Then again, I was a military brat and I'm a military wife and have lived for at least 3 years in 15 different states. My dialect is pretty mixed.) My husband, from St. Louis, said he never heard it called anything in particular.

we just call it yard, along with the rest of the green patch in front of or behind one's house. Technically it is an easement but we have never really distinguished between that strip and the rest of the yard (note it is not a lawn, it is a yard) lol

 

[Confusion]

I guess some people I know really are as weird as I suspected. A couple fake swearing I hear are "Got dandruff, some of it itches!" & "Cheese and crackers, got all muddy." My mother always said "Son of a bit my finger."