Vocabulary meme!

[altivo]

Borrowed from corelog:

Where did you grow up: Southeastern Michigan, outside Detroit (Wayne and Oakland Counties) but relocated to Northeastern Illinois (Cook, Lake, McHenry Counties) in 1977 at age 27.

WHAT DO YOU CALL:

1. A body of water, smaller than a river, contained within relatively narrow banks.
Creek. Pronounced to rhyme with "seek" rather than "sick".

2. What the thing you push around the grocery store is called.
Cart but back in Michigan we often said "buggy."

3. A metal container to carry a meal in.
Lunch box. My father called it a "lunch pail." But I haven't seen a metal one in more than 20 years.

4. The thing that you cook bacon and eggs in.
Skillet, but in Michigan we said "frying pan."

5. The piece of furniture that seats three people.
Sofa, but in Michigan we said "couch."

6. The device on the outside of the house that carries rain off the roof.
Gutter, but in Michigan we said "eaves trough."

7. The covered area outside a house where people sit in the evening.
Porch. Front, back or side, it's still a porch. Verandas are for snooty people.

8. Carbonated, sweetened, non-alcoholic beverages.
Soda, but in Michigan we said "pop."

9. A flat, round breakfast food served with syrup.
Pancakes.

10. A long sandwich designed to be a whole meal in itself.
Sub or submarine.

11. The piece of clothing worn by men at the beach.
Swimsuit, swimming suit but in Michigan it was "swim trunks."

12. Shoes worn for sports.
Sneakers I guess. Or tennis shoes, though no one says that any more.

13. Putting a room in order.
Straightening up, unless you are removing dirt, in which case it becomes cleaning.

14. A flying insect that glows in the dark.
Wah-wah-tay-see. Little shining white fire insect. (Sorry, I couldn't resist. Firefly, of course.)

15. The little insect that curls up into a ball.
Sow bug now, "pill bug" in Michigan. (Not a "millipede" which is quite a different critter.)

16.The children's playground equipment where one kid sits on one side and goes up while the other sits on the other side and goes down.
See-saw here, "teeter-totter" there. Not that you can find either one these days, what with lawsuits and fear of injuries and all that. They've all been removed from the playgrounds.

17. How do you eat your pizza?
With a fork if at all possible, because I'm picky about getting my hands messy.

18. What's it called when private citizens put up signs and sell their used stuff?
Yard sale.

19. What's the evening meal?
Dinner now, but "supper" back in Michigan. Midday meal was a "dinner" in Michigan if it was hot food, but "lunch" if it was cold stuff like sandwiches or salad.

20. The thing under a house where the furnace and perhaps a rec room are?
Cellar now, but "basement" in Michigan.

21. What do you call the thing that you can get water out of to drink in public places?
Drinking fountain.

Aren't regional variants interesting? There are some significant differences here in a distance of just 300 miles or so.

Comments

[corelog.livejournal.com]

You fork your pizza? *snickers*

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I'm a fastidious horsey, yes.

Yukk.

[goldenstallion.livejournal.com]

Whinnyhi.

Where did you grow up: Montrose, Manitou Springs, Greely and Colorado Springs, CO, downtown Los Angeles, La Brea, Redondo Beach, CA, Washington DC, Penn Yan, NY, Tachikawa, Japan and La Paz, Bolivia.
WHAT DO YOU CALL:

1. A body of water, smaller than a river, contained within relatively narrow banks.
Creek. Pronounced to rhyme with "seek" rather than "sick".

2. What the thing you push around the grocery store is called.
Shopping cart.

3. A metal container to carry a meal in.
Lunch Pail

4. The thing that you cook bacon and eggs in.
Skillet.

5. The piece of furniture that seats three people.
Couch

6. The device on the outside of the house that carries rain off the roof.
Gutter. Same with the side of the road where it meets the sidewalk.

7. The covered area outside a house where people sit in the evening.
Porch. Screened-in in NY.

8. Carbonated, sweetened, non-alcoholic beverages.
Soda pop.

9. A flat, round breakfast food served with syrup.
Pancakes. Not to be confused with the silverdollar-size ones I got once in Japan which are actually called "French pancakes". Flapjacks.

10. A long sandwich designed to be a whole meal in itself.
Grinder, hoagie.

11. The piece of clothing worn by men at the beach.
Swim trunks.

12. Shoes worn for sports.
Sneakers I guess. Or tennis shoes, though no one says that any more.

13. Putting a room in order.
Straightening up, unless you are removing dirt, in which case it becomes cleaning.

14. A flying insect that glows in the dark.
Firefly

15. The little insect that curls up into a ball.
Pill bug.

16.The children's playground equipment where one kid sits on one side and goes up while the other sits on the other side and goes down.
See-saw.

17. How do you eat your pizza?
With your hands of course. What are you crazy?

18. What's it called when private citizens put up signs and sell their used stuff?
Yard sale or garage sale. Was always funny they called that a flea market in NY, although that usually involves multiple families at, say, a church or park.

19. What's the evening meal?
Dinner.

20. The thing under a house where the furnace and perhaps a rec room are?
Basement.

21. What do you call the thing that you can get water out of to drink in public places?
Drinking fountain.

Aren't regional variants interesting? There are some significant differences here in a distance of just 300 miles or so.

Since I grew up all over the world it is hard to figure out. Mostly from parental units but they also came from very different places. Kind of a combination of CO, CA and NY.

Impers

Re: Yukk.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Your choices are mostly good for anywhere in the US west of Chicago and north or west of Texas and Oklahoma. The variations are much thinner after you cross the Mississippi, for lots of historical reasons. California, Arizona, and New Mexico have some Spanish influence though that isn't found in the central states.

"Hoagie" and "Grinder" are easternisms, the only clear ones you show.

The how to eat pizza question is probably less a geographic one than a generational one, I think. For regional specifics in pizza, I'd ask about preferred toppings, how it should be sliced, and crust styles. ;p

Thin crust cut in diamonds = east
Thicker crust cut in wedges = midwest
Anchovies = Michigan or points east
Pineapple = California

and so forth...

Point first

[goldenstallion.livejournal.com]

Whinnyhaha.

When I asked Bear about how he eats his pizza, he replied "Point first."

AND neither Bear nor I EVER get our hands messy eating pizza slices by picking them up and eating them with our hands.

You must just be a messy eater. Typical equine. Grin.

Impers

Re: Point first

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I can eat my home made pizza with my hands, but usually I don't except for the crust edge (which I love, though many people throw it away.) Commercial pizza is usually much too runny and sticky with grease or oil though. I really dislike eating it with my fingers. Eeew.

See why I was never any good at mechanics?

[chibiabos.livejournal.com]

1. A body of water, smaller than a river, contained within relatively narrow banks.
The description is too vague, actually. I presume they mean a moving body of water, in which case it could be creek (which we pronounce either way), brook or stream. A pond or puddle would fit the bill as well, however.

2. What the thing you push around the grocery store is called.
Cart, definitely.

3. A metal container to carry a meal in.
I've used both lunch box and lunch pail to describe it.


4. The thing that you cook bacon and eggs in.
Frying pan

5. The piece of furniture that seats three people.
Usually couch, but I've used sofa as well.

6. The device on the outside of the house that carries rain off the roof.
Gutter

7. The covered area outside a house where people sit in the evening.
Deck if its planked, patio if its bricked or concrete. Porch is generally reserved for a smaller deck at the front or main entrance to a house.

8. Carbonated, sweetened, non-alcoholic beverages.
Soda, but have also referred to them as pop or even a "coke" (even when it wasn't Coca-Cola) when I was little.

9. A flat, round breakfast food served with syrup.
Pancakes, or when I'm being playful, flapjacks.

10. A long sandwich designed to be a whole meal in itself.
Sub or Submarine Sandwich.

11. The piece of clothing worn by men at the beach.
Swim trunks or shorts.

12. Shoes worn for sports.
Tennis shoes ... err, I still say that, sorry, 'Tivo. I rarely say sneakers.

13. Putting a room in order.
Picking up, cleaning up, organizing ... I've used all three.

14. A flying insect that glows in the dark.
Used to use lightning bug, now call 'em fireflies more. We don't have them around here, regardless, but did see some when I was living in Mississippi.

15. The little insect that curls up into a ball.
Potato bug

16.The children's playground equipment where one kid sits on one side and goes up while the other sits on the other side and goes down.
Teeter-totter ... there are some around here, and I have to chuckle at the yellow caution signs on the streets that show a teeter-totter ... if someone is in the car with me, I usually remark "watch out for teeter-totters on the street!"

17. How do you eat your pizza?
I hold it at the crust end and eat it from the point back, and yes I always eat the crust. I sometimes gently curl back the point and/or allow the center of the slice to sag to help hold the toppings on.

18. What's it called when private citizens put up signs and sell their used stuff?
Garage sale if it is in a garage, yard sale if in a yard, sidewalk sale if its on the sidewalk. We're more specific here. :P

19. What's the evening meal?
I've used dinner or supper, supper more often when I'm tired.

20. The thing under a house where the furnace and perhaps a rec room are?
Basement.

21. What do you call the thing that you can get water out of to drink in public places?
Drinking fountain here as well.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

"Lightning bug" is a southernism, and fits Missouri just right.

"Potato bug"? Really? Now to me a potato bug is a beetle. The Colorado Potato Beetle, to be specific, and it's a garden pest. The pill bug or sow bug is an armored isopod and not really a bug or insect at all. They were very common in Michigan, where you found them in damp dark places, like under rocks or in the corners of the basement. ;p When disturbed they roll up into a tight ball, hence the "pill" name. At least, that's what the description immediately brought to mind.

[chibiabos.livejournal.com]

... err I missed the where did I grow up part: Tacoma and Graham, WA.

[silver-kiden.livejournal.com]

Take me out to the black, tell them i ain't comin' back.
Burn the land and boil the sea, you can't take the sky from me.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

O.o

[calydor.livejournal.com]

Why isn't 21) 'bottle'? :-)

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Because it would never occur to me to pay $3 for eight ounces of water. That, my friend, is definitely a generational thing of the sort that makes geezers like me shake their heads in disgust.

[dogteam.livejournal.com]

Interesting.
Most of your Michigan responses work in Canada. The only variation (that's less common now that we've pretty much become Americans) is that a couch, when I was a kid, was a "chesterfield". Even old geezers like me don't use that anymore...

Under "do you remember"...how about the special device that the store guy would use to split your popsicle in half so that you could share? Or being able to buy either 10 or 25 cent bags of peas...for your pea shooter? The ground in my neighborhood was always white with peas in the summer...

Are there pea shooters any more? Or are they classified as WMD's?

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Whee! I'd have recognized "chesterfield" in context, but only from reading books written by British Commonwealth authors. I don't think I've ever heard someone use the term live.

Michigan responses should work in Canada. It's a peculiarity of Michigan/Ontario history. Michigan was part of the old Northwest Territory under the early US land acts, but when the surveyors went out to map the land and divide it into parcels, they backed out of Michigan. Apparently the Huron Indians were too hostile and frightened them off. They reported that Michigan was an insect-infested swamp unsuitable for settlement. Consequently, surveying and settlement in Michigan was delayed by about three decades, and the area got a very slow start on settlement. Around the time of the US Civil War, though, Canadians from Ontario began to flow into Michigan. I think by then, southern Ontario was well-populated and the cheaper land in Michigan probably beckoned.

Anyway, the lower penninsula of Michigan is chock full of folks descended from Canadian stock (myself included) who still have Canadian speech mannerisms and cultural habits even 150 years later. For instance, we played Euchre in my family, a card game well-known in Canada but unheard of in much of the US.

We weren't allowed to eat popsicles when I was a kid. My mom considered them to be "junk food". ;D So I never knew there was a special splitter for them. There were pea shooters all right, both home made and store-bought, though I don't remember buying peas for them specially. We just got dry peas or navy beans from the grocery, and my grandmother complained about "wasting food" and "planting beans all over the yard."

I don't think there are pea shooters any more. In an age of lawsuits and liability claims, anyone encouraging kids to hit each other in the eye with peas, or put them up their nose or whatever would be deluged by lawyers in shark-skin suits. (Or is that sharks in lawyer suits?)

Glow worm

[gabrielhorse.livejournal.com]

I saw fireflies when I lived in the Carolinas breifly... I thought they were pretty cool. We've got plenty of pill bugs down in FL :P

Re: Glow worm

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Fireflies have a destinct territory all right. I think Florida may be too warm for them. When I was a little kid in the 50s, we never saw them in Michigan either, but if we went maybe a hundred miles south to my uncle's house in Indiana they were common for most of the summer. I was fascinated with them, and he made a big point of catching them in a jar for me when I was maybe 5 or 6 years old and not yet coordinated enough to do it myself. About the time I was in college, I began to notice fireflies in Michigan. There are lots of them there now. I wonder if that's a sign of warming temperatures farther north? I really don't know. We have lots of them here in Illinois most summers. July is the peak time for them, and just after dark the yard and pastures are brilliant with their glittering little lights.

I guess folks who live west of the Rocky Mountains never see them at all. That would be sad.

[kakoukorakos.livejournal.com]

Pretty much all those terms are common in CO, but that's just because it's a pretty heterogeneous place.

10. Both of those things, also hoagie.

15. Also roly-poly bugs and potato bugs. Or, if Dan Quayle was from around here, potatoe bugs.

21. Canteen, as in the ubiquitous Nalgene bottles that pretty much everyone around here, myself included, carries around. Or water fountain if we need a refill and/or forgot the bottle. Dontcha know, those of us who have great well water can't stand chemically-treated nasty city water, and those who live in the city often like to get those charcoal filters to pull out the chlorine.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

So what do you call a real potato beetle out there? I thought the pests originated in Colorado, since their official name is Colorado potato beetle, but I suppose it might just be a reference to their colorful wing covers...

Roly-poly bug I have heard occasionally.

I really thought "hoagie" was primarily a New York/Pennsylvania word. I'll have to do some more research on that one.

# 7

[gabrielhorse.livejournal.com]

A joke I once read:

Woman: Come outside and you can kiss me on the Veranda.
Man: On the lips will be fine.

# 8

[gabrielhorse.livejournal.com]

I've always been cruious about this, Alt... from your personal experience, how would you say soda has changed over the course of time- feel free go to off on any tangent you like ^_^ this is one of those questions anything a person can relate would be useful.

Re: # 8

[altivo.livejournal.com]

The big change has been the substitution of corn syrup, now high fructose corn sweeteners, for cane sugar. It made a tremendous difference in the taste and mouth feel to the point that I no longer care for sweetened sodas at all. In the US, corn syrup sweetening is much, much cheaper than cane or even beet sugar, so once Coca-Cola made the switch, all their competitors quickly followed suit.

There also seems to have been a sort of "sweetness war" where various products increased their sugar content and reduced the flavoring ingredients, especially the acidic ones like citric acids, perhaps to appeal to children's less sophisticated palates. The end result is that nearly all soda in the US today is sickly sweet and brightly colored, but lacks the flavors I remember from years ago.

The health claims against the various artificial sweeteners, first saccharine, then cyclamate, then aspartame haven't done much to help either. Now they are largely shifting to Splenda(tm) which doesn't yet have any health accusations lodged against it but tastes even blander than the corn syrup.

All of this is largely a result of the usual corporate stuff... keep cutting costs and making the product as cheaply as possible, while trying to grab your competitor's market share in any way you can. Like so many things in the US, it reduces everything to a sort of mushy mediocrity. Sort of like politics. ;p

[cabcat.livejournal.com]

I notice some similarities. *rubs your nose*

Where did you grow up: NW Brisbane, Capital of Queensland Australia

WHAT DO YOU CALL:

1. A body of water, smaller than a river, contained within relatively narrow banks.
Creek. Pronounced as "creak"

2. What the thing you push around the grocery store is called.
Shopping Trolley....which oddly enough often end up in number 1. :)

3. A metal container to carry a meal in.
Lunch Box, but I haven't seen a metal one in my lifetime.

4. The thing that you cook bacon and eggs in.
Frying pan,

5. The piece of furniture that seats three people.
3 seater sofa.

6. The device on the outside of the house that carries rain off the roof.
Guttering or Gutter

7. The covered area outside a house where people sit in the evening.
Patio if the floor is hard and at ground level. If its wooden and above ground like many "Queenslander" style houses its a Verandah.

8. Carbonated, sweetened, non-alcoholic beverages.
Soft Drink,

9. A flat, round breakfast food served with syrup.
I assume you mean pancakes, but we also have a smaller version we have for morning tea called Pikelets. Crumpets are often served with honey for breakfast.

10. A long sandwich designed to be a whole meal in itself.
A sandwich, unless you're in a Subway franchise.

11. The piece of clothing worn by men at the beach.
Togs, board shorts, or for the speedo style, DTs (Dick togs) or Budgie smugglers ;)

12. Shoes worn for sports.
Shoes, if its for a specific sport what ever that sport is plus shoes. Cross trainers, Trainers, Sneakers, Runners.

13. Putting a room in order.
Tidying up, cleaning up.

14. A flying insect that glows in the dark.
We don't have any, though there are "Glow worms" in many New Zealand caves.

15. The little insect that curls up into a ball.
A Slater.

16.The children's playground equipment where one kid sits on one side and goes up while the other sits on the other side and goes down.
A See-saw, and they were always incredibly dangerous, one kid would always get off before the other one did.

17. How do you eat your pizza?
By holding the crust as you're supposed to >:(

18. What's it called when private citizens put up signs and sell their used stuff?
A Garage sale? Or a for sale sign on a house or car XD

19. What's the evening meal?
Dinner, but dad always used to say "Tea"

20. The thing under a house where the furnace and perhaps a rec room are?
Basement's are extremely rare here, normally the garage and "rumpus" room are on the same level. The word Cellar is often used more for a room where wine is stored rather than Basement. Many houses are on stumps and hence the space under the house is just classified as "Under the house".

21. What do you call the thing that you can get water out of to drink in public places?
Bubbler or tap.

Michigan sounds like it's closer to the traditional English.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Michigan shares a long border with Canada, and had heavy immigration from Canada about 150 years ago, so there's a definite influence both in the English and with some Quebecois words and mannerisms.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

*ROFLs number 11*

You Aussies are sometimes so blunt. I love it. American's would be horrified at such expressions. Or at least publicly horrified, and they'd want to pass a law against using them. Privately they'd be horrified at the suggestion that their precious cargo was only as big as a budgie. Never mind the fact that it usually IS just that. ;p