I look for phrases unique to regions of the U.S. Having lived in seven states, I found one phrase unique to north Arkansas (I may have written about this before). When someone in the rest of the country says he wouldn't "care to" do something it means he doesn't want to do it. In fact, it is a polite way of refusing to do it. "I wouldn't care to attend the lecture" means "I won't attend the lecture."
But in north Arkansas "care to" means you're happy to do something. "I don't care to carry you to the Wal-Marts" means "I'd be happy to drive you to Wal-Mart."
The "carry" part sounds odd to many ears as well. But in rural areas the word "carry" is common for "drive." I've heard it from Minnesota to Texas. And "the Wal-Marts" is common, if incorrect, in many places.
Another phrase I've heard only in Arkansas: "That was so good (speaking of someone's cooking) it makes me slap my grandma." Has anyone heard that one elsewhere?
"Fixin'" for "preparing" is common in the South. "I'm fixin' to fry me up a mess of turnip greens." I think "fixin'" is actually growing in popularity and moving into the mainstream.
Know of any other words or phrases unique to a small geographic area? Do you find any regional words or phrases particularly charming? Or grating?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
6 comments:
I hate "agin" for "against." When I hear "agin" used as "against" I see "again" in my mind and it takes me a second to understand.
But I do like saying might could.
Example: I might could carry you to the Wal-Marts if I got enough gas in my car.. :)
And in response to an earlier blog (I don't remember the date) I hate it when people say "bring" instead of "take."
Example: I'll bring this paper to Caroline when I finish reading it.
No you won't you will take it to her.
I'm 31. I seem to be hearing this from people in their 20s. Makes me questions the kids' schoolin'. :)
It took me a very long while to get used to the phrase "I don't care to". When I first moved here I thought people were saying they didn't want to do something. Another phrase that is grating to my Floridian ears is using the term "pack" to mean carry or transport. The first time I heard it my landlord was telling me I would have to "pack water" in order to water my lawn. I had absolutley no idea what he meant.
I had a few errors in my first post. Oops.
Another phrase I like is "tump over." I never heard this until I moved up to Spring River country.
Example: I hope the canoe doesn't tump over. That water is too cold.
Actually, the first time I heard that usage of "don't (or wouldn't) care to" was in West Virginia. the next was someone from Lyon County. It is an interesting way of speaking.
The all-time greatest of all Southern expressions is, "Bless her heart, God love her, she means well." after which you can say anything!
I have always found that the regional differences in names for food & drink are wonderful, too. In New England, what we call a "milk shake" was once called a "frappe". A milk shake was something different.
One of my favorites is the "soda" vs. "pop" vs. "soft drink" vs. a generic "coke" (small c).
Also, the inherent beauty of "countryisms" such as "I'm so poor (usually pronounced pour) I can't even pay attention." add to the richness of our language.
A pox on all those who fill our airwaves with generic, non-descript accents from nowhere. My daughter's speech - raised in Louisville, and a resident, in succession, of Atlanta, Jackson & Birmingham - has gotten more beautiful with the turn of the calendar. We don't have the accent - God talks like this!
Are you gonna go to the store today? Can I tag along?
I'm gonna go as soon as I get the yard mowed.
"gonna"
I don't believe anyone has ever "Fried" up a mess of Turnip Greens. The person who said this apparently knows nothing about cooking. Even I, a non cook who could easily scorch a pot of water, know that turnip greens are always boiled, preferably with a chunk of Ham for seasoning.
Post a Comment