You Ain't From Around Here, Are You?
Having lived in several different parts of the country (Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Georgia), my language is filled with a mish-mash of unusual terms and pronunciations. For example, when I moved to Missouri, I was surrounded by a heated debate: Soda or Pop? Sure, it sounds trivial, but folks around that part of the country get very passionate about it.
Or how 'bout this one: Is the word that describes your mom's sister pronounced "Aunt" or "Ant?"
Well, the fine folks at Harvard University have churned out a stellar piece of linguistic research. They asked the tough questions (122 of them in total), and didn't just publish the answers... they published maps to go along with the answers. I won't go into all the gory details, but give you a few highlights:
1. How do you pronounce aunt? (For the record, I say 'ah')
54. Is the word "anymore" acceptable? As in: "He used to nap on the couch, but he sprawls out in that new lounge chair anymore" (This one always drove me nuts in Missouri. There are three other "anymore" questions on the survey.)
75. What do you call the wheeled contraption in which you carry groceries at the supermarket? (I grew up calling it a "carriage," until people teased me about it. Since then, I've called it a cart. Everyone in the South calls it a "buggy.")
105. What is your generic term for a sweetened carbonated beverage? (I've always said "pop" until very recently. I finally got sick of getting funny looks from all the Southerners)
These and other questions (Is it a sub, a hoagie or a grinder(#64)? Is it a shake or a frappe (#63)? Is it a garage sale, a rummage sale, or a yard sale (#58)? And what, exactly, do you call a drive-through party store?) answered.
Having lived in several different parts of the country (Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Georgia), my language is filled with a mish-mash of unusual terms and pronunciations. For example, when I moved to Missouri, I was surrounded by a heated debate: Soda or Pop? Sure, it sounds trivial, but folks around that part of the country get very passionate about it.
Or how 'bout this one: Is the word that describes your mom's sister pronounced "Aunt" or "Ant?"
Well, the fine folks at Harvard University have churned out a stellar piece of linguistic research. They asked the tough questions (122 of them in total), and didn't just publish the answers... they published maps to go along with the answers. I won't go into all the gory details, but give you a few highlights:
1. How do you pronounce aunt? (For the record, I say 'ah')
54. Is the word "anymore" acceptable? As in: "He used to nap on the couch, but he sprawls out in that new lounge chair anymore" (This one always drove me nuts in Missouri. There are three other "anymore" questions on the survey.)
75. What do you call the wheeled contraption in which you carry groceries at the supermarket? (I grew up calling it a "carriage," until people teased me about it. Since then, I've called it a cart. Everyone in the South calls it a "buggy.")
105. What is your generic term for a sweetened carbonated beverage? (I've always said "pop" until very recently. I finally got sick of getting funny looks from all the Southerners)
These and other questions (Is it a sub, a hoagie or a grinder(#64)? Is it a shake or a frappe (#63)? Is it a garage sale, a rummage sale, or a yard sale (#58)? And what, exactly, do you call a drive-through party store?) answered.
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