I'm going down the shore to eat a hoagie with yous guys.
I'm watching House right now, and House just said "go down the shore". Wow! The writers clearly do their research. You see, New Jersey people don't say "I'm going to the beach" or even "I'm going to the shore." They say "I'm going down the shore." Some claim it comes from New York or Philadelphia tourists who vacation literally "down the shore." New Jersey people, however, use it regardless of which direaction they are actually traveling. For instance, I'd say that I was going down the shore to visit my grandmother, even though she lives further north then I do. The "down" is not a literal concept.
New Jersey English is so much more complex then most people realize, as is the state itself. People always say I don't have a New Jersey accent, because I don't talk like Tony Soprano. I do, actually, it's just a combination of the Philadelphia influenced southwestern Jersey accent and the hickish Piney accent. I do have a few North Jerseyish tendencies, particularly "yous guys" instead of "you guys" and "diju eat?" instead of "did you eat?", but I think they're gross and try to avoid them.
Anyway, this dialect survey I found while contemplating these things is very interesting. Question 118 is my favorite:
What do you call a drive-through liquor store?
I have never heard of such a thing (64.01%)
The 19.62% who said they had these in their area, but no specific name for them are totally lying. New Jersey's liquor laws are draconian. I still find it vaugely scandalous when I see beer for sale in the grocery store.
New Jersey English is so much more complex then most people realize, as is the state itself. People always say I don't have a New Jersey accent, because I don't talk like Tony Soprano. I do, actually, it's just a combination of the Philadelphia influenced southwestern Jersey accent and the hickish Piney accent. I do have a few North Jerseyish tendencies, particularly "yous guys" instead of "you guys" and "diju eat?" instead of "did you eat?", but I think they're gross and try to avoid them.
Anyway, this dialect survey I found while contemplating these things is very interesting. Question 118 is my favorite:
What do you call a drive-through liquor store?
I have never heard of such a thing (64.01%)
The 19.62% who said they had these in their area, but no specific name for them are totally lying. New Jersey's liquor laws are draconian. I still find it vaugely scandalous when I see beer for sale in the grocery store.