[EscoLehGo]

I've always been interested in regional linguistics and I find it fascinating how accents, expressions and slang can vary from town to town, state to state and country to country (provided they speak the same language). What are some unique things people say in the particular region of your country? I live in the deep south of America and here are a few examples of what you'd here down here if you stayed long enough:

Lykat: Means 'like that'. ex. "Ya wanna make sure your gas tank is always screwed on tight lykyat right there so can't nobody steal it."

Ratchet: This is kind of mainstream now in "urban" culture but it originated down here, it means trashy or low class, ex. "damn, that nasty ho has on leopard skin jeggings with a moose knuckle hangin out, girl that sh*t is ratchet!"

Muddin: This is an event that the typically southern white youth participate in around here which consists of driving gas guzzling vehicles around in circles in muddy patches of field until either you're to drunk to do so or your vehicle gets stuck, ex. "Aye bubba, wan' pick up a case a natty n' go muddin night?!?!"

Nawm Tawmbawt: Means "Do you know what I'm talking about?". This is basically the southern black (sometimes white) equivalent of the typical "urban" conversation filler "you know what I'm sayin?", ex. "I'm just out here trying to live, trying to survive, NAWM TAWMBAWT?"

Luk hea nah/Luky hur nah: Meant to be "Look here now". This is said by both mainly older blacks and whites down here in moments of anger or expressed warning and it means basically "listen to me!", ex. "Luk hea nah, don't you be drinkin' and drivin' tonight!"

You want the one!?!: This means essentially "would you like to fight?!?!", ex. "Bitch, did you just knock over my cheerios and not apologize? DO YOU WANT THE ONE RIGHT NOW?!?!"

What it hit fo?: Means 'how much does it cost?" is typically used in terms of illegal transactions. ex. "So you got an ounce of purp, I'm willing to move that, what it hit fo?"

Go live Means do you put out or do you at least give head? Typically said by horny youngins round here (including myself at one point) ex. "So before I spend money and take you to the theater tonight, I need to to know if you at least go live."

Share your regional slang, I love that we're all much more connected now but I feel like the more connected we get the more we lose touch with subtle regional nuances like hometown expressions/slangs na'mean?

This post has been edited by EscoLehGo on Saturday, Jun 30 2012, 06:46

[GTA_stu]

I hate to break it to you mate, but most of those aint slang it's just that people from where you live speak in a f*cked up way.

"going shopping" = to fight, or go looking for a fight

"pacing" = running

"butters" = ugly

"eng" = great, amazing

"peng" = same as above

"bare" = lots of, a lot of

"schitso" = to act crazy

"twagging" = skipping school

"knacked" = tired, sleepy

That's all I can think of off the top of my head. I haven't actually used the majority of those for quite some time. I live in Hull, northeast England but I know a few of those are used down south as well.

[Mr.Mister]

A lot of people sound like they got a prarie farmer accent, but we speak pretty general English for the most part. I'm not really sure what a Western Canadian accent sounds like. It's a "mosiac" of different cultures here. People do tend to say eh.

[expressgoalie12]

Haha don't really now what to put for Chicago and I've lived on the North Side for 14 years. My dad and I both have Chicago accents that are real thick

The El (or Da El)
The Loop (or Da Loop)
Tree (as in, "One, Two, Tree")
"The Lake"= Lake Michigan
"Pop"=Soda
"Gym Shoes"=Sneakers
"Ma"= Mom
"LSD"=Lake Shore Drive
"wild wild west" west side(Ghetto area along with South side)
A Chicago Style Hot Dog or Chicago Dog: Vienna all beef hotdog, relish, onion, peppers, tomatos, mustard, preferably on a Mary Ann poppy seed bun and NO KETCHUP. Celery salt is optional.
The "Trib"(Chicago Tribune(Newspaper))
"Brat" and "Polish"--bratwurst and Polish sausage.
Marshall Fields(Now Macy's but we hate Macy's Marshall Fields used to be our Dept store before Macy's bought it)
"Giardinara" pepper mixture with alls orts of spices that are very hot. You can order a sammy with peppers. You can order a sammy with giardinara.
And the Cook County Juvenile Detention Center is "The Audy Home" or "Juvie."

This post has been edited by expressgoalie12 on Saturday, Jun 30 2012, 07:16

[EscoLehGo]

QUOTE (expressgoalie12 @ Saturday, Jun 30 2012, 07:07)

Haha don't really now what to put for Chicago and I've lived on the North Side for 14 years. My dad and I both have Chicago accents that are real thick

Really? Not even "DA BARS!"?

[expressgoalie12]

QUOTE (EscoLehGo @ Saturday, Jun 30 2012, 01:11)

QUOTE (expressgoalie12 @ Saturday, Jun 30 2012, 07:07) Haha don't really now what to put for Chicago and I've lived on the North Side for 14 years. My dad and I both have Chicago accents that are real thick Really? Not even "DA BARS!"?

Haha yes too!Except I am a Blackhawks fan the most but DA Bears are pretty damn awesome

[LazyboyEight]

Around where I am, pretty much everyone in my school speaks terrible english with slang words that sound like the name of a childrens cartoon 'The Adventures of Piff and Peng'

I seriously think I'm the only one who speaks good english..

And what annoys me is when people say 'was' instead of 'were'..

For Example: We was going to the shops...

FOR F*CK SAKE YOU RETARD, IT'S 'WE WERE GOING TO THE F*CKING SHOPS!'

This probably should have gone in the Grumpy Old Forumers thread, but I guess it's kind of suitable here.


This post has been edited by LazyboyEight on Saturday, Jun 30 2012, 08:27

[guyzwitgunz]

People say "you's" (and often spelled "use") to address multiple people.

[lil weasel]

Day problee dun no how 2 spl frm txtin ba day gotta sonds rite

[DeeperRed]

Piff - Good or Weed
Peng- Good or Weed
Wasteman - someone who does very little with there life
Merked- To beat something (whether that be a human or a video game)
Zoot- spliff
Zuggie- spliff
Yes then - Hello or agreeing with something
What you sayin- How are you
Isit ?- To get confirmation on a story

Each one as stupid as the last.

[Robinski]

QUOTE (guyzwitgunz @ Saturday, Jun 30 2012, 08:36)

People say "you's" (and often spelled "use") to address multiple people.

English really does need a distinct, common-use second person plural pronoun though. How did we get this far without one?

[Vercetti27]

gert = big
is it = really?
proper = any possible use of this is accepted
mind = the end of a sentence, "don't do that mind".
where's that to= where is that?
your from hartcliffe? = I have no respect for you

I'll let Alex GTA Gamer fill the rest in, I only use a couple of those

[Fireman]

We actually have our own dialect, Mays.

Nowadays people only use it during Carnaval.

I think there's even a dictionary for it.

This post has been edited by Fireman on Saturday, Jun 30 2012, 12:46

[Tyler]

I've started using the terms 'cash' or 'money' to describe basically any type of situation or object. It's basically an attempt to see if my body language overpowers the verbal message and gets my point across.

[Sanjeem]

Where I live in England not many places I have been to have their own "Dialects" lets say. However in Italy there are a shed load of dialects that all interest me. I don't even know how to speak my regional one but I do know a little bit of Neapolitan dialect. I'll put all the translations to give you an example of what I mean...

I'll put them in this order, English (So you guys know), Italian and then Neapolitan.

On, Sopra, Ncopp

Naples, Napoli, Napule

Slow, Piano, Chiano (CH in Italian in any dialect usually is pronounced like "Cuh")

Inside, Dentro, Rinta

Where?, Dove?, Addo?

Boy, Ragazzo, Guaglione

Tomato, Pomodoro, Pummarola

There's a few for ya...

This post has been edited by Sanjeem on Saturday, Jun 30 2012, 12:12

[Captain VXR]

Well we have a mix of west country and Jamaican Patois slang round here, most of the English slang above is used here
Grade = weed
Zoider = cider
Tra er = tractor
Sket = slutty girl
And most importantly, just to confuse Americans, fag = cigarette, faggot = sort of meatball

[DeeperRed]

QUOTE (Tyler @ Saturday, Jun 30 2012, 11:07)

I've started using the terms 'cash' or 'money' to describe basically any type of situation or object. It's basically an attempt to see if my body language overpowers the verbal message and gets my point across.

So if you ask someone to get you a drink, you say "can you get me a cash" and mimic the drinking motion ?

Or am I completely misinterpreting this

[Tyler]

QUOTE (DeeperRed @ Saturday, Jun 30 2012, 08:04)

So if you ask someone to get you a drink, you say "can you get me a cash" and mimic the drinking motion ?

"'Hey, man, how's about you hand me a cash glass of that money loader, eh?"

Tyler does the drinking motion


For reference, this is best done either: while in a suit, drunk, in the year 1963, if you're bopper.

[zoo3891]

Somewhere between Miami, FL, and Atlanta, GA (The only difference is the number of Cracker Barrels within biking distance), so I get a lot of what OP has.

Ratchet - Urban dictionary agrees with you, but people around here use it for anyone who's African American and follows the stereotypes of 'the ghetto.'

Liberry - Library, a lot of people do this on purpose for whatever reason.

Hit - Cool (That ain't hit)

Swag - How you carry yourself.

Dog/Dawg - This is used unironically.

People speak pretty well around here, especially considering that it's one of those areas with a bunch of cheap motels. Also I haven't been around people that talk like this for a few weeks, I had a friend that was just a goldmine of slang but he moved away.

[trip]

We've collectively destroyed the English language here in Philadelphia. Youz and yuz is a basic example "What youz doin' 'sweeken?" and the past tense "What yuz do yestaday?".

We have the ability to turn complete sentences and phrases into 1 long word too.

As far as slang, I think we just follow the normal slang of the country. The only slang that might be specific to this area might be "steak". "Wanna go for steaks?" doesn't mean go to a restaurant and sit down to a tasty porterhouse - it means walk to the closest food cart for cheesesteaks.