I love finding local word usages and thought that people here might want to share some.
When I first moved to Troy NY from downstate, I found that people used the word “bold” in the same way that I was used to using “bad” or “naughty”, usually to children who are acting up:
“Tommy, stop pulling the cat’s tail. You’re being bold!” When I pointed out to people that this was unfamiliar to me, they looked at me like I had two heads. This appears to be VERY local usage-- I haven’t heard people in nearby Albany or Schenectady use bold in this way.
An older usage was told to me by a Troy native, although I haven’t heard it in modern use. People in South Troy apparently would say of a person with an overly inflated opinion of himself that “he thinks who he is”. Doesn’t make any linguistic sense at all, but I find it surprisingly descriptive for some reason. My wife and I are doing our utmost to revive this expression
I spent a summer in western North Carolina in the mountains and when people would refer to their kids in the third person they would use ‘hee’its’ regardless of gender. Like ‘hee’its five’ or ‘hee’its starting school next year.’ So if you couldn’t tell the gender by looking they gave you no help. I don’t know how widespread that useage is.
Also, they would use the term ‘right smart’ to mean a significant number, like 'He lives right smart up the road."
I believe they use it this way in Ireland as well…I wonder if there is a concentration of Irish immigrants in that area?
Up here in the North Country of NY, when I moved from the Plattsburgh area to the other side of the Northern Tier, I noticed they used the word “ignorant” strangely. If you were being rude or obnoxious, you would be met with something like “Stop being ignorant!!” Me, with my exceedingly sarcastic nature, couldn’t figure out for the longest time why people kept telling me to stop being uninformed and uneducated (and me being the sarcastic person that I am would ask them why they were accusing me of being uneducated…I was always met with a blank stare ) It took a bit of time to understand they were telling me that I was being obnoxious. And despite living here for the amount of time that I did (before moving all over creation, and then coming back), I never got used to the word being used in that way. I had forgotten about it’s usage in that way until we came back here a little over a year ago and I heard someone say it…it still struck me as odd.
In Cincinnati, if someone doesn’t hear or understand what you have just said, they may ask “Please?”. Supposedly it comes from the strong German heritage in the area.
The use of the word “ignorant” to mean “badly-mannered” also sounds Irish to my ears. It’s probably just archaic English, but the usage is only preserved in places in Ireland. And, clearly, some places in the U.S.
There’s this segment in Boondock Saints I just love.
Illustrates the diversity of one of my favorite words…
I’ve made it one of my endeavors to use this word according to the rules laid out in the film.
pretty bold behavior
When I lived in Pittsburgh, PA, a group of people were “yinz” as in “Where yinz goin’?” Then I moved to Northeast North Carolina, were it’s “y’all”. “Y’all” makes more sense to me. Here, in NC, they also talk of “funeralizing” a deceased loved one. I’d never heard that before.
I grew up just below Pittsburg, you mispelled younse and younses. When I moved to southern West Virginia, I broke myself from saying those words because folks would laugh way too much. I couldn’t bear to say y’all, so I say folks alot. When I go home, my family laughs way too much at that. One of my brothers swears we have no accent and talk just like the newscasters on TV.
Ooops, I forget the possessive forms of younse’s and younses’. Try saying that naturally you foreigners.
Try telling Mr Izz that one…he’s totally convinced that it’s REEDing, rather than REDing. In fact, it’s his favorite railroad on Monopoly. But then he’s weird
It makes me think there must have been quite a few Irish immigrants in this area (and apparently around Albany). More than I had known about, anyway. Thanks for that information, IB
And thanks for that lovely piece of verse…I think I’ll learn it so I can recite it to the children
You’ll hear that one in my neck o’ the woods, too. It’s not universal, but it’s not altogether exotic, either. I’ve used it myself, although when I say it, it’s with an “ie” instead of a “y”.
People make fun of Minnesotans for saying, “Are you coming with?”, or “I wanna come with,” or “Hey, she’s gonna come with, dontcha know.” Stuff like that.
) It took a bit of time to understand they were telling me that I was being obnoxious. And despite living here for the amount of time that I did (before moving all over creation, and then coming back), I never got used to the word being used in that way. I had forgotten about it’s usage in that way until we came back here a little over a year ago and I heard someone say it…it still struck me as odd.
