General |
| · | Faucet (North), spigot (South) |
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Frying pan (North and South but not Midland), spider (New England), skillet (Midland, Gulf States) |
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Clapboard (Northeast), weatherboard (Midland, South) [siding of a house] |
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Gutter (Northeast, South), eaves trough (in-land North, West), rainspouting (MD, PA) |
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Seed (everywhere), pit (North) |
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Bucket (Midland and South), pail (North, North Midand) |
The North |
| · | Bubbler……..water fountain |
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Davenport……a sofa or couch |
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Hotdish…….similar to a casserole, term is used especially in MN |
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Pop……soft drink, carbonated soda |
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Sack……bag at the grocery store |
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Paczki……..jelly donut |
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Yooper………people who reside in the upper peninsula of Michigan |
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Toboggan…….a ski cap |
New England |
| · | Cabinet (Rhode Island)…….milkshake |
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Grinder……..submarine sandwich |
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Hosey…..to stake a claim or choose sides |
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Necessary……outhouse, privy |
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Packie…..liquor store |
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Rotary……traffic circle |
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Tonic…..(Eastern Massachusetts) soft drink |
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Wicked……very; an intensifier and adverb (ex: wicked cold = very cold) |
Northern New England |
| · | Ayuh…."yes" or affirmative |
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Creemee……soft serve ice cream |
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Muckle….to grasp, hold-fast or tear into |
Mid-Atlantic |
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Hoagie…..submarine sandwich |
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Parlor…..living room |
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Pavement…..sidewalk |
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Shoobie……a visitor to the beach for a day |
New York City area (including adjacent New Jersey and Connecticut) |
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Catty corner…….on an angle to a corner |
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Dungarees……jeans |
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Egg cream……a mixture of cold milk, chocolate syrup and seltzer |
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Hero…..submarine sandwich |
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Stoop…..a small porch or steps in front of a building |
The Midland |
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Barn-burner……an exciting, often high scoring game, especially a basketball game |
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Hoosier….someone from Indiana |
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Mango…..green bell pepper |
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Pop…..soft drink |
The South |
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Alligator pear…..avocado |
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Banquette (Southern Louisiana)……sidewalk, foot-path |
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Billfold…..a man's wallet |
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Cap…..Sir (probably comes from "captain") |
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Chill bumps…..goose bumps |
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Commode……Bathroom, restroom |
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Cut on/off…..turn on/off |
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Directly…..in a minute, soon, momentarily |
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Fais-dodo…..a party |
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Locker….closet |
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Make (age) [Gulf, esp. Louisiana)…..have a birthday, "He's making 16 tomorrow." |
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Put up….put away, put back in its place |
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Yonder…..over there, or a long distance away. |
Pacific Northwest |
| · | Chechaco…..derogatory term for newcomers to the Northwest |
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Crummy…..a vehicle used to transport forest workers |
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Potlatch…..a social gathering |
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Skookum….good; strong; powerful. |
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Spendy…..expensive |
Individual cities and regions also have their own vocabularies. For example: |
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in a large portion of southern and eastern Wisconsin, drinking fountains are known as bubblers |
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in the Chicago area, sneakers are often known as gym shoes and the ATM is known as the "Cash Station". |
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in Michigan, convenience stores are called party stores |
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in Detroit, sliding glass doors may be called doorwalls |
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Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Utica, and Binghamton residents say "sneakers" rather than "tennis shoes" |
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in Cleveland the road verge (grass between the sidewalk and the street) is called a tree lawn, whereas in nearby Akron the same space is called a devilstrip. |
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Automated Teller Machines (ATM) are called Take Your Money Everywhere (TYME) throughout most of Wisconsin, resulting in locals asking, "Where's the nearest Tyme machine?" Used outside of this area people will think they are being asked directions to a time machine. |