Southernisms
I had a Southern moment the other day. I was picking up a few grocery items for a friend who wasn't feeling well. One of the items on the list she gave me was "Coke". I asked her if by "Coke" she meant that she actually wanted a Coke, or if she wanted a different carbonated beverage. Because, you see, where I grew up (South Carolina), "coke" is used as a generic term for all carbonated drinks. Been living in the mid-west 15 years, and I had a flashback to high school. Weird.
Other Southernisms that don't translate to Ohio:
- People either laugh at me or look at me funny when I call lunch "dinner". I grew up thinking that any large non-breakfast meal can rightly be called "dinner".
-When it is raining and the sun is shining, the kids on the playground used to say "The devil is beating his wife". I always thought that this was a cute folksy saying, but Ohioans seem to find it offensive.
-Saying "hey" when you pass someone in the hall, instead of "hi". Ohioans don't seem to notice when I say "hey", but I strongly noticed the lack of the word when I first moved here.
-"Y'all", of course, unless you are African-American. I still regularly say this, and will always say it. I feel the need for a good plural "you". I often will substitute "you guys" in conversation, but that's not nearly as satisfying. Besides, some women will take umbrage at being called a guy.
-"Ain't". I almost never use this word, and then only for effect. It was common in South Carolina, but it is never used here.
For your amusement, here's a link to a Harvard dialect study about this very thing.
Edit: I thought of another one. The word "permit", used as a noun, meaning a piece of paper that allows one to do something. I pronounce the word with the accent on the first syllable: per'mit. Most people in Ohio pronounce it with the accent on the second syllable: per mit'. For some reason I find this pronuncation sets my teath on edge.
Other Southernisms that don't translate to Ohio:
- People either laugh at me or look at me funny when I call lunch "dinner". I grew up thinking that any large non-breakfast meal can rightly be called "dinner".
-When it is raining and the sun is shining, the kids on the playground used to say "The devil is beating his wife". I always thought that this was a cute folksy saying, but Ohioans seem to find it offensive.
-Saying "hey" when you pass someone in the hall, instead of "hi". Ohioans don't seem to notice when I say "hey", but I strongly noticed the lack of the word when I first moved here.
-"Y'all", of course, unless you are African-American. I still regularly say this, and will always say it. I feel the need for a good plural "you". I often will substitute "you guys" in conversation, but that's not nearly as satisfying. Besides, some women will take umbrage at being called a guy.
-"Ain't". I almost never use this word, and then only for effect. It was common in South Carolina, but it is never used here.
For your amusement, here's a link to a Harvard dialect study about this very thing.
Edit: I thought of another one. The word "permit", used as a noun, meaning a piece of paper that allows one to do something. I pronounce the word with the accent on the first syllable: per'mit. Most people in Ohio pronounce it with the accent on the second syllable: per mit'. For some reason I find this pronuncation sets my teath on edge.