Regional Slang

[anchor31]

The first thing that comes to mind is more of a difference in spelling and not really slang, but in Louisiana it's "Geaux Tigers!" or "Bama Bleauxs!" haha.

Then depending on where in Louisiana you are, accents differ tremendously.

I'm from Baton Rouge, where the accent isn't all that noticeable (I think)

We say y'all instead of you, you guys, etc.

Not sure if this is regional but many people I know drop the "to" after "going", as in "I'm goin' jog" or "I'm goin' study" (ha!) It drives me crazy when they do this!

In New Orleans, there's the whole "yat" dialect as in "Where y'at?" which is really pronounced through much of New Orleans.

Other southern Louisiana areas have a really heavy Cajun accent, which I love! It's so thick and definitely stands out as a unique accent.

They use "dem" "dere" "dat" etc. They might live "down the bayou" which sounds like "down da bi-yoo"

Sometimes instead of "junior" someone might be "tee". For instance, "Tee Joe" instead of Joe Jr. I have a cousin nicknamed "t-boy"

"Sha" is another way to say "dear" or "aww." As in, "Sha, look at that precious baby" or "Please bring me the ___, sha."

We also say "gah lee" as an expression. "Gah lee, that's a big crawfish!" haha!

Here, they'll use lots of Cajun French phrases too. ("Laissez le bon temps rouler" - which sounds more like "Les lay bon ton roolay" or "Joie de vivre") A lot of the phrases have spellings which differ from actual French also.

My grandmother always says "ca, c'est bon!" (that's good) and "mais jamais!" (well, I never!)

That's all I can think of for now, but I'm sure something else will hit me soon.

I love it! I'm French-Canadian and the Cajun are pretty much our long-lost cousins. I definitely recognize a lot of the things you mention as deriving from French.

Dropping the "to": In French we say "je vais étudier" (I'm going study). So, no "to".

"dem" "dere" "dat": The "th" sound is pretty difficult for French-speakers. The French often end up sounding like "zem" "zere" and "zat", but French-Canadians (and apparently, Cajuns), well, we sound like "dat".

"tee": Derives from "petit", which means small. We also say that, but we write it "ti"and pronounce it "tsee", like "ti-gars" (little boy).

"sha": "cher", which means dear.

"gah lee": Not sure about this one, but it *could* could from "regarde-le" (look at it/him). We say something similar, but it sounds more like "gar luh".

And I'm having way too much fun.

 

[elrohwen]

My grandma lives in northern MI and always says davenport instead of couch or sofa. Love that word!

Of course she also ends every sentence with "eh?"

I've noticed that a lot of people in CT say 'eh' as they do in Canada. I myself am guilty of it. I've been told that I have a Canadian sort of drawl, I guess I say 'aboot' instead of about, for example. I've noticed that many people in VT have a similar accent to parts of Canada.

We should start an accent thread.....

Interesting! I can't say I've noticed people saying that here - I'll have to pay attention. The Michigan accent (at least where my family is from) is a fairly unique combo of a Canadian accent with a Wisconsin/Minnesota type accent - they don't say "aboot" though.

The only accent I've noticed in CT (other than people with recognizable NE or NY type accents) is dropping T's in the middle of words. Like the town Shelton becomes Shel-uhn.

The "eh" thing in Canada is probably regional, because I'm always perplexed when people say that Canadians say "eh" (or "oot and aboot" for that matter). Granted, Québec is a whole other language/accent, but I spend a fair amount of time in Ontario (especially Ottawa) and I have never heard anyone say "eh" or "aboot". Is there a place in particular where you've heard this?

My family is from the Upper Peninsula in Michigan - you can see Ontario from my grandma's house - and everybody there uses eh? constantly. The eh? is pretty regional though - I think it extends across Michigan and into Wisconsin and Minnesota. I've never actually heard a Canadian use it. I have heard plenty of Canadians say oot and aboot - mostly on tv, since it seems like a lot of HGTV shows are filmed in Canada (I think the Toronto area for the shows I've seen). Sometimes it's very subtle though.

 

[LGK]

The only thing I can think of here in China is the word "later" means in the next five minutes not sometime not now maybe hours from now the way we use it. I've come to accept when *I* am told "later" that they will return my call or whatever it is pretty quick... but I have not yet mastered NOT saying "later" when I mean *later* and not in 5 minutes lol. I tell them I'll call them back later and in 5 minutes they're like why have you not called back? It's later now. lol Something in the translation...

... oh and another funny thing in Chinese the future is *behind* and the past is *ahead*. The day after tomorrow is hou tian but hou means behind. The word for the day before yesterday means in front/ahead. The way they see it, you are facing your past because you can see it all clearly and the future is behind you where you cannot see it. Makes things confusing lol

Not really on topic but it's all I've got here lol

Oh - in Ireland they use "dear" for expensive and now I understand the line in "When I'm 64" where he says, "we can rent a cottage on the isle of white if it's not too dear"

Also - gorgeous isn't for people, it's for FOOD which makes sense because you want to gorge on it. And everything there is "grand".

Oh and the funniest thing, how many times the irish say goodbye. I'd say the average is 8.

Alright then, bye. Bye.
Talk to you soon, bye, b-bye, bye. Bye.
Bye, bye-bye-bye, bye.
Right, bye, b-bye, bye-bye.
Bye, bye.
lol

Ha, interesting. My mother does this- getting off the phone with her is a minute or two minute process. Her family is mostly of irish descent so that makes sense I guess!

 

[Glitz]

I've been enjoying this thread, and as a Canadian I would like to clarify the whole "ouut and aboout", I've never heard anyone in real life say that and I HATE when I go to the states and they assume I'll say that. Although a college friend from Thunder Bay may have said that, as she pronounced roof "ruff".

I will admit, I drop tons of "EH" bombs, but its used to form any sentence into a question like "It's cold out eh?" or "Thats some nice bling eh?". We don't just say EH for the fun of it, it's to make a question.

Here are some things that I've noticed in my area (Northern Ontario):

The States = USA
26er or twixer = 26oz. of liquor
Two-Four = a 24 case of beer
May two-four = A long weekend holiday, usually goes well with a two-four lol
Sledding is going for a snowmobile ride
Tobogganing is going to slide down a hill
Toboozaning is when you bring alcohol lol
The rippers = The strip club
What are you saying? = What's up?
Loonies and Twoonies are our $1 and $2 coins
Runners = athletic running shoes
Buggy = baby stoller
Stag and Doe, Buck and Doe or Jack and Jill = fundraising party to help out the bride/groom
Chip wagon or Chip truck = french fry truck
Give-er = try hard
Given-er = trying hard
Git-er-done = Get to work
Lipchap = chapstick
Mickey = flask of alcohol
Texas Mickey = 3 litre bottle of alcohol
POP! = soda
a wee-bit = a little bit
a buck (a buck-fifty) = a dollar ($1.50)
I was doing a buck fifty - I was driving at the speed of 150 (km's)
Elephant ears or beaver tails = fried pastry
Serviette = napkin
touque = hat
A double double = a coffee (most likely from Tim Hortons, with 2 cream 2 sugar)
Brownies = a bunch of $100 bills (our money is colourful, 100's are brown)
Hoodie = a sweater that has a hood
Roughing it = Camping in a tent

 

[elrohwen]

I've been enjoying this thread, and as a Canadian I would like to clarify the whole "ouut and aboout", I've never heard anyone in real life say that and I HATE when I go to the states and they assume I'll say that. Although a college friend from Thunder Bay may have said that, as she pronounced roof "ruff".

I swear I hear oot and aboot constantly on tv shows (Degrassi, HGTV shows filmed in Canada, etc). It's not nearly as strong as people pretend it is, but most Canadians I've talked to say those words subtly but definitely different than Americans (and even different from my almost-Canadian relatives). Maybe you just don't notice because it's subtle and you're surrounded by it?

 

[Glitz]

I've been enjoying this thread, and as a Canadian I would like to clarify the whole "ouut and aboout", I've never heard anyone in real life say that and I HATE when I go to the states and they assume I'll say that. Although a college friend from Thunder Bay may have said that, as she pronounced roof "ruff".

I swear I hear oot and aboot constantly on tv shows (Degrassi, HGTV shows filmed in Canada, etc). It's not nearly as strong as people pretend it is, but most Canadians I've talked to say those words subtly but definitely different than Americans (and even different from my almost-Canadian relatives). Maybe you just don't notice because it's subtle and you're surrounded by it?

LOL I really have never heard "oot and aboot" in real life... living in Canada. I'm thinking the people who do say that are way up north, like my friend from Thunder Bay. Usually if people are out and about we say we're running errands. I love HGTV and usually they film in my area, but I don't notice any accent, so maybe you're right and I'm actually used to it . We do have a lot of french people in my area who speak with an accent and say pack-sack instead of backpack, or close the lights instead of shut the lights off.

 

[elrohwen]

I've been enjoying this thread, and as a Canadian I would like to clarify the whole "ouut and aboout", I've never heard anyone in real life say that and I HATE when I go to the states and they assume I'll say that. Although a college friend from Thunder Bay may have said that, as she pronounced roof "ruff".

I swear I hear oot and aboot constantly on tv shows (Degrassi, HGTV shows filmed in Canada, etc). It's not nearly as strong as people pretend it is, but most Canadians I've talked to say those words subtly but definitely different than Americans (and even different from my almost-Canadian relatives). Maybe you just don't notice because it's subtle and you're surrounded by it?

LOL I really have never heard "oot and aboot" in real life... living in Canada. I'm thinking the people who do say that are way up north, like my friend from Thunder Bay. Usually if people are out and about we say we're running errands. I love HGTV and usually they film in my area, but I don't notice any accent, so maybe you're right and I'm actually used to it . We do have a lot of french people in my area who speak with an accent and say pack-sack instead of backpack, or close the lights instead of shut the lights off.

I should've specified that I don't hear "oot and aboot" as one phrase - just those words individually sound different from the way Americans say them. It's not quite the ooo sound, but when I say it the way I hear on tv my lips are rounder than when I say it the American way.

But then, I grew up in Pittsburgh where people pronounce out as "aht", so what do I know Haha

 

[Prana]

I've been enjoying this thread, and as a Canadian I would like to clarify the whole "ouut and aboout", I've never heard anyone in real life say that and I HATE when I go to the states and they assume I'll say that. Although a college friend from Thunder Bay may have said that, as she pronounced roof "ruff".

I swear I hear oot and aboot constantly on tv shows (Degrassi, HGTV shows filmed in Canada, etc). It's not nearly as strong as people pretend it is, but most Canadians I've talked to say those words subtly but definitely different than Americans (and even different from my almost-Canadian relatives). Maybe you just don't notice because it's subtle and you're surrounded by it?

I'd like to agree and say that it's not as harsh sounding as people might think, and can easily be missed. It's not really 'oot and aboot'.
Where as what I commonly hear here would be 'owt and abowt', what I hear from some Canadians, Vermonters, and some others in Western New England is 'ouut and abouut', but not with the 'uu's' dragged out as they appear in writing, rather, spoken quickly.

If that makes any sense....

 

[Glitz]

This is getting silly, I'm at my desk repeating "out and about" and trying to pronounce it and make sense of the spellings. When I'm saying the word out, it sounds like "ouch", but I don't know if that makes sense since it all has to do with the way it's pronounced/accent

Accents are fun, I love travelling and hearing the way everyone else speaks. Just this month I was on a cruise and a bunch of women could tell SO and I were Canadian because we say EH a lot. After they said that I've been more conscious of when I say it, and it's quite often. It's really fun to try and speak with an accent... especially after a few glasses of wine.

 

[anchor31]

I've been enjoying this thread, and as a Canadian I would like to clarify the whole "ouut and aboout", I've never heard anyone in real life say that and I HATE when I go to the states and they assume I'll say that. Although a college friend from Thunder Bay may have said that, as she pronounced roof "ruff".

I swear I hear oot and aboot constantly on tv shows (Degrassi, HGTV shows filmed in Canada, etc). It's not nearly as strong as people pretend it is, but most Canadians I've talked to say those words subtly but definitely different than Americans (and even different from my almost-Canadian relatives). Maybe you just don't notice because it's subtle and you're surrounded by it?

LOL I really have never heard "oot and aboot" in real life... living in Canada. I'm thinking the people who do say that are way up north, like my friend from Thunder Bay. Usually if people are out and about we say we're running errands. I love HGTV and usually they film in my area, but I don't notice any accent, so maybe you're right and I'm actually used to it . We do have a lot of french people in my area who speak with an accent and say pack-sack instead of backpack, or close the lights instead of shut the lights off.

Haha, DH totally says that.

Elrohwen, you may be right, especially if you say it's subtle.

 

[PumpkinPie]

When I moved to Western Canada I had to get used to people calling hoodies (i., hooded sweatshirts) ""bunny-hugs"
It still perplexes me, but usually it takes me only a few moments to recognise what they're talking about.

 

[monarch64]

It is TOTALLY "oot and aboot!!!!" As a product (child) of a northern Wisconsonite with two sisters, grandparents, etc., every time I answered the phone (remember answering the HOOOOWSE phone?) I would say "hello?" and would be met with this: "Halloooo? Is this Barbara Bush?" or "Hallllooooo?" "Are y'all campaignin' for somethin'?" Dear god, the fun my northern relatives used to make of me for having A BIT of a southern drawl...

I can do a PERFECT Sarah Palin "you betcha" or "you bet" now. Also, I've always been able to do Jimmy's mom "Oh Jimmy, don'tcha know," or a perfect Hank Hill "Large fry, pie, large coffee." You guys would DIE.

 

[elrohwen]

It is TOTALLY "oot and aboot!!!!" As a product (child) of a northern Wisconsonite with two sisters, grandparents, etc., every time I answered the phone (remember answering the HOOOOWSE phone?) I would say "hello?" and would be met with this: "Halloooo? Is this Barbara Bush?" or "Hallllooooo?" "Are y'all campaignin' for somethin'?" Dear god, the fun my northern relatives used to make of me for having A BIT of a southern drawl...

I can do a PERFECT Sarah Palin "you betcha" or "you bet" now. Also, I've always been able to do Jimmy's mom "Oh Jimmy, don'tcha know," or a perfect Hank Hill "Large fry, pie, large coffee." You guys would DIE.

A friend of mine is originally from North Dakota and she does the accent all the time (as a joke, she doesn't have much of an accent herself anymore) - it's the funniest thing! She's always saying "don'tcha know" and "oh for fun!" Hahaha

 

[iugurl]

This is so interesting! I do have a question for those who said "Gah lee", is that pronounced the same as "golly" which is an actual word, to express surprise?

 

[iugurl]

My grandma lives in northern MI and always says davenport instead of couch or sofa. Love that word!

Of course she also ends every sentence with "eh?"

My grandparents always said davenport instead of couches too! I think it used to be a brand of couches. I think it is similar to how I say I need a Kleenex, when that is the brand name and I really need a tissue or I need a Bandaid when I really need a bandage.

 

[Glitz]

When I moved to Western Canada I had to get used to people calling hoodies (i., hooded sweatshirts) ""bunny-hugs"
It still perplexes me, but usually it takes me only a few moments to recognise what they're talking about.

Bunny-hugs? Please explain. I've heard of "Eskimo kisses", when 2 people rub their noses together instead of kissing. My mom told me that this is the way eskimo's have to kiss, because it's so cold where they are that their lips would be stuck together if they actually kissed lol.

iugurl - I haven't heard anybody say davenport, but my SO's grandmother called to ask what colour my Chesterfield was... I didn't know what to tell her I repeated the question, sounding really confused and she said "what colour is your sofa?"

 

[vc10um]

If someone is sort of a stupid person, generally annoying, they may be referred to as a 'Tool'. In my group of friends, said person may also be referred to as a 'tool box' or 'tool bag'. If the person is beyond 'toolish', we refer to them as a 'Champion.' This is mainly my close group of friends and aquaintances.

Prana, I haven't read the whole thread, but I'm from NW Ohio/SE Michigan, and we use "tool" as well. My friends and I have also expanded to "tool box" and "tool bag"...and if someone is ESPECIALLY toolish, we call them a "Craftsman" (their motto is "Tools for life") or a "Home Depot"...

 

[PumpkinPie]

When I moved to Western Canada I had to get used to people calling hoodies (i., hooded sweatshirts) ""bunny-hugs"
It still perplexes me, but usually it takes me only a few moments to recognise what they're talking about.

Bunny-hugs? Please explain. I've heard of "Eskimo kisses", when 2 people rub their noses together instead of kissing. My mom told me that this is the way eskimo's have to kiss, because it's so cold where they are that their lips would be stuck together if they actually kissed lol.

I wish I could explain it but I just have no idea! Maybe some other Western Canadians will chime in. I think it's a Saskatchewan thing actually

 

[packrat]

When we used to go fishing in Minnesota the couple that owned the resort had a bit of the oot and aboot when we'd talk. One of my friends from school moved to Canada and when she came back swore up and down she didn't oot and aboot but oh yeah, she did. I notice it too on the HGTV design shows.

When I was in high school I had a penpal from South Carolina and we used to talk on the phone for hours at a time, laughing at each other. He was always so polite on the phone to mom, she just loved him "As Massi thay're playse?" Our favorite was the word Dog. Dahg, Dawg, etc. Granted we were young and easily amused but it was fun to tease each other about how we pronounced words.

 

[MishB]

I'm just back from the US yesterday so this is fresh in my mind. Not so much slang as different names for common objects.

Australian - US

Bonnet - Hood
Boot - Trunk
Petrol - Gas
Footpath - Sidewalk
Windscreen - Windshield
Biscuit - Cookie
Scone - Biscuit
Chips - Fries
Capsicum - Bell pepper
Entree - Appetiser
Main Course - Entree
Soft drink - Soda/Pop
Soda Water - Club Soda
Lollies - Candy
Jumper - Sweater
Mobile - Cell phone