Differences between the north and the south.

I live in NEPA and can tell you first hand that even in the NE there is much variation. For example:

red up . . . . . as in "i'm gonna red up the house before company comes"
potpie . . . .made w/noodles
meatpie . . . . made w/crust
warsh (not just for the south anymore)
daresn't . . . . as in "you daresn't do that"
Pittsburgs . . . . salads w/french fries, cheese, and sometimes meat or not, but always the fries and cheese
yins . . . . . .kinda like ya'll (Pittsburg lingo)

and my personal fave
squares . . . . . another Pittsburg term form cigarretts

EDIT: to clarify, I mean the Northeast, not the whole north :laugh:

Things I never heard/heard of growing up in the south:
Grinders
Package store or packie
Friendly's
Trader Joe's
Leafers
Johnny cake
Jimmies or shots
Paczki

To those of you that are going, HUH?!, that is, respectively
A sub or a po' boy
Liquor store
A restaurant
A grocery store
Tourists that come to New England to see the leaves in the fall
Like a cornmeal cake
Sprinkles
A jelly doughnut

Here are some southern terms/places that I grew up hearing/going to that I don't hear or find up here:
Catty cornered or kitty cornered (Diagonally)
Alligator pear (Avocado)
Sub (Grinder)
Chunk (Toss or throw)
Fix (not to repair, but as in "I'm fixin' to go to the store." Meaning, "about to.)
Coke (refers to pretty much any soda, or pop lol)
"I reckon" (I suppose.)
Hissy fit (temper tantrum)
Ain't
and my personal favorite, Well, bless your heart! Contrary to how it may sound, this is an INSULT! lol

Any others?

Are you sure we only lived 2 towns apart? Haha. Because I have NEVER heard of some of those Southern ones. I do use variations of 2 of those, though--I don't say "catty corner," but "cat-a-corner" (and that's how I've always heard it, as well), and I say "chuck" not "chunk." I've never heard chunk being used that way before, haha. As for the Coke being used as any soda, that's a new one to me, as well, and I've lived most of my life here in the South. They usually just say "Coke products" or "Pepsi products" and then go into the list of exactly what those are, usually followed by "sweet tea," if sweet tea wasn't mentioned first.

I lived in Michigan during the winter of 2008-2009, and I worked at a coffee shop, and it used to annoy me like crazy when people would ask "Got pop?" I couldn't understand them. They said it so fast, "GOTPOP!" I had to have a coworker explain to me that they were trying to ask if we sold soda. To this day, I hate hearing people say "pop" instead of "soda."

My family is from Baltimore originally, and they all say "warsh." I'm glad I didn't get into that habit.

A lot of my friend who are originally from New England say "wicked." But I like that one. It's different from what I hear here in Florida. I also love "Hella" because, again, I don't hear it often here!

One thing I have definitely also noticed between the north and south, having lived in both, are what I call "fashion mannerisms." Girls here in Florida will wear Ugg boots and sweaters in 80+ temps, and then complain nonstop that they're so hot, while girls up north will wear mini-skirts in below freezing temps and complain that they're so cold. I have to hand it to the North, though--it seems like here in the South, people wear their trashyness with pride...racist bumper stickers, signs, and t-shirts abound, while I didn't see any of that when I lived up North. I'm sure there's trashy racist people up north, too, but at least it wasn't encouraged behavior, like it is down here.

EDIT: to clarify, I mean the Northeast, not the whole north :laugh:

Things I never heard/heard of growing up in the south:
Grinders
Package store or packie
Friendly's
Trader Joe's
Leafers
Johnny cake
Jimmies or shots
Paczki

To those of you that are going, HUH?!, that is, respectively
A sub or a po' boy
Liquor store
A restaurant
A grocery store
Tourists that come to New England to see the leaves in the fall
Like a cornmeal cake
Sprinkles
A jelly doughnut

Here are some southern terms/places that I grew up hearing/going to that I don't hear or find up here:
Catty cornered or kitty cornered (Diagonally)
Alligator pear (Avocado)
Sub (Grinder)
Chunk (Toss or throw)
Fix (not to repair, but as in "I'm fixin' to go to the store." Meaning, "about to.)
Coke (refers to pretty much any soda, or pop lol)
"I reckon" (I suppose.)
Hissy fit (temper tantrum)
Ain't
and my personal favorite, Well, bless your heart! Contrary to how it may sound, this is an INSULT! lol

Any others?

Are you sure we only lived 2 towns apart? Haha. Because I have NEVER heard of some of those Southern ones. I do use variations of 2 of those, though--I don't say "catty corner," but "cat-a-corner" (and that's how I've always heard it, as well), and I say "chuck" not "chunk." I've never heard chunk being used that way before, haha. As for the Coke being used as any soda, that's a new one to me, as well, and I've lived most of my life here in the South. They usually just say "Coke products" or "Pepsi products" and then go into the list of exactly what those are, usually followed by "sweet tea," if sweet tea wasn't mentioned first.

I lived in Michigan during the winter of 2008-2009, and I worked at a coffee shop, and it used to annoy me like crazy when people would ask "Got pop?" I couldn't understand them. They said it so fast, "GOTPOP!" I had to have a coworker explain to me that they were trying to ask if we sold soda. To this day, I hate hearing people say "pop" instead of "soda."

My family is from Baltimore originally, and they all say "warsh." I'm glad I didn't get into that habit.

A lot of my friend who are originally from New England say "wicked." But I like that one. It's different from what I hear here in Florida. I also love "Hella" because, again, I don't hear it often here!

One thing I have definitely also noticed between the north and south, having lived in both, are what I call "fashion mannerisms." Girls here in Florida will wear Ugg boots and sweaters in 80+ temps, and then complain nonstop that they're so hot, while girls up north will wear mini-skirts in below freezing temps and complain that they're so cold. I have to hand it to the North, though--it seems like here in the South, people wear their trashyness with pride...racist bumper stickers, signs, and t-shirts abound, while I didn't see any of that when I lived up North. I'm sure there's trashy racist people up north, too, but at least it wasn't encouraged behavior, like it is down here.

Haha, maybe it's because my mom grew up in Texas? IDK. And I totally know what you mean, like those stupid *kitten* "heritage, not hate" stickers and shirts. No, racist, it's hate. I hate rednecks :grumble: lol

Yeah, me too. And for many reasons!

Haha, the talking really fast thing definitely applies to me. My dad used to yell at me if I talked "too fast" when I was a kid. Though I never noticed if certain regions did it or not...

I have to add this:

When my son was little I would tell him to go in "yonder", meaning other room...got that one from my grandma.

I grew up in the city, but we moved to the country when my daughter was a year old. A few years ago, we were at my mom's house (in the city) helping her do yard work. Grandma told her to sweep the grass off the "curb" - she had no idea what a "curb" was - we don't have curbs on rural country roads. Then she asked Grandma where I had gone & grandma told her that I was in the "Alley" (easement behind houses) & my daughter was "the Bowling Alley"??? :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

Gotta love us country people!

I'm a Hella girl here.


Lived in northern Minnesota for 8 years and innevitably adopted the regionalism of "borrow me".

Example

"Hey, can you borrow me $5"

other regionalisms include: dontcha know and you betcha

How about being courteous or polite?

I was shocked when I was up in PA once (I'm from TX) and the person in front of me (we were going to the mall) just let the door close right in my face. It happened several times while I was up there. Here, people will usually hold the door for you and say thank you if you hold it for them. Up in PA, I didn't get any of that sort of politeness from people. Not even from the person I'd gone to visit. And the whole time, I was thinking, WTF, RUDE! :laugh:

See, I'm the opposite. I find people up north, at least the areas I've been, to be much nicer. Honestly, some of the nicest, most polite people I've encountered, especially in hospitality places, were in New Jersey! haha. Down south, the whole "southern hospitality" thing is completely lost on me...the most "southern" people who claim to be all about their "hospitality" only seem to offer it if you look like you've just went "muddin'" or "wrassled" a few pigs, or participated in a rodeo.

I never did understand the supper thing, either. "Supper" to me is non-existant. I eat breakfast, then lunch, then dinner. Anything in-between or after those is a snack.

How about being courteous or polite?

I was shocked when I was up in PA once (I'm from TX) and the person in front of me (we were going to the mall) just let the door close right in my face. It happened several times while I was up there. Here, people will usually hold the door for you and say thank you if you hold it for them. Up in PA, I didn't get any of that sort of politeness from people. Not even from the person I'd gone to visit. And the whole time, I was thinking, WTF, RUDE! :laugh:

See, I'm the opposite. I find people up north, at least the areas I've been, to be much nicer. Honestly, some of the nicest, most polite people I've encountered, especially in hospitality places, were in New Jersey! haha. Down south, the whole "southern hospitality" thing is completely lost on me...the most "southern" people who claim to be all about their "hospitality" only seem to offer it if you look like you've just went "muddin'" or "wrassled" a few pigs, or participated in a rodeo.

I never did understand the supper thing, either. "Supper" to me is non-existant. I eat breakfast, then lunch, then dinner. Anything in-between or after those is a snack.

i loved the people i have encountered up north and I need you to come back down to the south! dont let a few jerks be the poster children for southerners. Fort Worth Texas has some of the nicest people you have ever met and if they treat you like crap let me know! lol