Sayings gone wild

getut · Jun 1, 2005

Ok.. I've seen quite a few location specific sayings pop up on the boards in the past few days. Some of them were quite humerous and I figured it would be neat to start a thread on them. Oh.. and if I or someone else lists one of yours don't be offended. I think most of the time, these things start because someone hears a person use a phrase but doesn't quite understand what they said. Kind of like people singing along with songs but not having an inkling of what the singer is actually saying. I would post my own weird sayings since I'm from the south and have plenty of them. The thing is that I don't KNOW their weird unless someone points them out. I definitely speak with a southern twang, but usually type in at least somewhat decent english, so catch me red handed if you can and post mine!!! /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

1) "old wise tales" in place of what I think was supposed to be "old wives tales"

2) "next store neighbor". I don't know whether the poster was making a funny or if it was really meant to be "next door neighbor"

3) My wife used to copy her dad but had no idea what he was ACTUALLY saying. He is a real old timer. My wife would say tirekly. I finally heard her one day and asked her. She never understood her dad when he said he would be there "directly".

And the kicker for me that confuses the heck out of me when talking to someone from up north. Down in these parts BBQ refers to the stuff you eat, or the stuff you put ON what you eat, not the thing you MAKE what you eat with. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif If I wanted to diverge, I could go into the makings of a good BBQ sauce. Around these parts sugar and tomatoes aren't allowed. hehehehehe

JazzDad · Jun 1, 2005

"not the thing you MAKE what you eat with"

I make a mess when I eat BBQ! /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

beenthere · Jun 1, 2005

Interesting, but the other day my wife said we were going to have BBQ for dinner that night, if it was okay with me.
I had to ask "Are we eating it, or am I cooking?" We are both up north, and we were eating it.
I like to refer to the cooking as "grilling".

jeffinsgf · Jun 1, 2005

Grilling is what you do to a steak. Barbecue is made by slow cooking.

At least, that's what several of both my grilling and BBQ cookbooks say.

I have seen several of the aforementioned gaffs. I chalked them up to bad keyboards /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif , but some of them do come up pretty funny.

BTW, Getut -- on the subject of people in glass houses....

Humerus is a bone, humorous is funny, as far as I know, humerous is not a word.

Gatorboy · Jun 1, 2005

And the kicker for me that confuses the heck out of me when talking to someone from up north. Down in these parts BBQ refers to the stuff you eat, or the stuff you put ON what you eat, not the thing you MAKE what you eat with. 

barbecue:

1. A grill, pit, or outdoor fireplace for roasting meat.

2a. A whole animal carcass or section thereof roasted or broiled over an open fire or on a spit.
2b. A social gathering, usually held outdoors, at which food is cooked over an open flame.

Marine1 · Jun 1, 2005

getut,
My wifes Grandmother always says " It just is and that's a why". Seems fairly logical to me.
My Mother always said "You don't know what's good". I would always respond "Maybe so ,but I know what I like". /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
The one I like the best was my Granfathers. When it came to food he would always say" It's good for you, it makes you poop". Of course he used the "S" word. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

hazmat · Jun 1, 2005

Looks like us yankees control the dicitonary.... it must be a conspiracy /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

getut · Jun 1, 2005

( BTW, Getut -- on the subject of people in glass houses....
Humerus is a bone, humorous is funny, as far as I know, humerous is not a word. )

Great... Never said I was perfect. You ought to hear me when I talk... I am from NC after all. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

As far as the BBQ thing. IT ***IS*** a conspiracy. heheh I don't know how all you yankees got them to call a grill a BBQ, but let me know. I have a few other words that I need to get changed to the proper SOUTHERN usage of the word. Turnabout is fair play heheh.

a Poke = a paper bag as well as that thing my wife does with her elbow to my rib cage when I talk to loud in a restaurant.

Ah.. theres more but I can't remember them right now. I'll put more in later.

I'm sure there are many regional sayings that all of us can let loose. Take for instance this one for fizzy liquid refreshment, here they all are called just "drinks". Other places they are pop or soda.

Indydirtfarmer · Jun 1, 2005

I'm originally from "Southern Indiana". (A Northern State....) My wifes family is from (the hills of) Kentucky. A truely "southern state". I see it as being the best of both worlds. People who try to understand me when I'm speaking tell you otherwise.

Throw in the "local slang", and I've invented a totally new language.

All that aside, one of the biggest differences I see in the American language is pop/soft drink/cola. Everyone calls 'em all "cokes", but the more generic term around here is soft drink. I go up north to Central Michigan to visit a buddy of mine, and call them soft drinks, and they all look at me l ike I have two heads.

Pop is SOMEONE who raised me. Cola is what my college room-mate got booted out of school for using.

I just don't understand /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

PitbullMidwest · Jun 1, 2005

( Other places they are pop or soda. )

I'm in SE Iowa and it's always been "pop" or "Coke" regardless of the brand. Now if you travel 45 miles south to the Missouri border it quickly becomes "soda". The only exception is if you are drinking 7 Up or Sprite then they call it "white pop".

I once worked with a woman that mixed her metaphors, her most well know motaphor was 'Let's get this boat on the road".