Wondering what all these new words mean? Western New England English exhibits the entire continuum for the cot–caught merger: a full merger is heard in its northern reaches (namely, Vermont) and a full distinction at its southern reaches (namely, coastal Connecticut), including a transitional area in the middle. When ever any of us from New England would visit we really did have a hard time communicating with these midwesterners. People threw them about as slang terms for various types of unsavory people. When I went into the Air Force, I took a lot of razzing from guys who were from other states. Living in New Zealand . A Wee Guide to Scottish Slang . From Rhode Island, to Massachusetts, Maine and Connecticut, the slang is likely to slip into both casual and professional conversation. A carousel was called “the darby [pronounced “dobby”] horses,” and the game hide-and-seek was “hine-go-seek.” I’m sure I could come up with a bunch of others if I gave myself time. And it is only in New England when I use the term Dungarees that people knew what I was talking about. Yankees And it’s almost always used in the context of a “quick run.”. Used in place of dude or buddy My Nana from Leominster would say, “Gotta go down the street today,” meaning go to town. An American (pejorative). Let us know in the comments! Of course, this is usually restricted to the Mohawk Trail (Route 2 west of Westminster). Raspberry lime Rickey – only in New England. In RI, a “peach” or a “real peach” refers to a very nice person. Interstate I-190 is really nice too, and not really well known, of course the speed limit is like 70mph, so it's not as cool for the old folks. Social unrest, an unpopular war, civil rights abuses, growing drug usage and a general distrust of Government provided plenty to draw from for 1960s slang lingo. Nitwit: silly, or foolish, person—she’s such a nitwit . I guess in MA, we used it to pass on something, but down south they thought it meant to agree to something which to me is totally opposite. How many do you use? Oxford University Press. entitled “Writing for the 19. th. Milk mixed with syrup is not a milkshake. Put an elastic around your ponytail and put on your dungarees and you are good to go! [Pronounced – FRAP]. My great Grandfather Timothy Llewellyn Spencer in Orono, Maine sold ice for the ice boxes. While I have lived in the West for two decades these bring me home. That evolved into the New Hampshire accent, as well as the Boston accent, the Providence accent, the Northern, Eastern and Western New England accent — and so forth. The books of Phoebe Atwood Taylor, set on the Cape in the first half of the 20th century also refer to our blizzards as northeast storms. Not sure if others remember it that way as it was….ahem…a few decades ago for me! “Thickly settled” is one term I’ve only seen in MA that was not mentioned here. “Telephone, Telegraph or Tell a Marbleheader!!! One day I noticed a drinking fountain made by Kohler. Scrod/schrod on the menu at Boston’s Union Oyster House | Guide to New England Slang, Is it haddock? Grew in in Vermont in my formative teen years. When an individual applies language in a new way to express hostility, ridicule, or contempt, often with sharp wit, he may be creating slang, but the new expression will perish unless it is picked up by others. As they sat in the professor’s office, several colleagues came by to ask, “jeet yet?” She would reply, “No, ju?” Her sister was confused until my professor explained that it meant, “did you eat yet?” and “no, did you?”We could call it New England code, right? The Northern Cities Shift in Real Time: Evidence from Chicago, "Ayuh, the Northern New England Accent in a Nutshell", "International Dialects of English Archive", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=New_England_English&oldid=988263944, Language articles without speaker estimate, Articles with unsourced statements from July 2016, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Northeastern New England English shows non-rhoticity, the cot–caught merger, and strong, Southeastern New England English shows non-rhoticity, no cot–caught merger, and no strong, Northwestern New England English shows rhoticity, the cot–caught merger, and strong, Southwestern New England English shows rhoticity, no (or a transitional state of the). I got some interesting looks the first time I went to a sub shop & asked for a bulkie roll. Eastern New England English encompasses Boston and Maine accents, and, according to some sources, the distinct Rhode Island accent. ‘nuf said right there! New England’s “classic” candy is a source of pride. Born in Connecticut, 1934. It is the "echo" of the negative tag question. However, I do appreciate your family calling the fridge the ‘icebox’! Off-colour — Sick, poorly, or generally under the weather. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of Death of a Salesman and what it means. I am surprised to not have read the phrase “I’m all set.” Being from MA it’s always meant I’m good no thank you, but when I moved to Texas when they heard me say I’m all set they thought ok great she’s ready to go or good to go or was agreeing to whatever question might’ve been asked. Learn more about milkshakes, frappes, and cabinets (the Rhode Island version of a frappe) here. Some Western New England English speakers do have these shift's features, though it is disputed whether New England influenced the Inland North dialect region. A clarification on “grinder”. Nor’easter came with the TV weather forecasters. Also, I believe where the term “the ice man cometh” started! My family and I moved to New Zealand ten years ago and we are still coming to grips with some of the slang words that are casually thrown about.. Regarding the former feature, all of northern New England (most famously including Boston, but going as far southeast as Cape Cod and as far north as central Maine) historically merges the open and open-mid back rounded vowels (so that, for instance, pond and pawned are pronounced the same, which is commonly called the cot–caught merger), while southern coastal New England (including Rhode Island) historically maintains a noticeable distinction between these two vowels. It’s not a milkshake, it’s a frappe. Sexual variants. 1894) I came across the phrase “went downstreet” as he lived in Providence RI as a young boy. . Afterwards, I asked her, “When you need to go outside or up in an elevator does it say to mash to go out the door or mash the button in the elevator to go up or down?” She’s hated me ever since . Aside from dropping Rs and pronouncing multiple words as one, there are slang terms in Boston and New England that may require further definition. I seen it (used interchangably with “saw rit”) when I pahked in the doah yahd aftah stoppin’ at the drug stoah fora soder. A favorite piece of mud season wisdom from the Yankee archives: “Mud season is God’s way of letting New Englanders know they haven’t gotten to heaven yet.”, A popular piece of Boston slang, “packie” — short for “package store” — describes a no-frills liquor store. Wicked good times. The term applies only to hot (oven toasted/heated) sandwiches and not “cold” breaded sub’s. /aʊ/ and /u/ have relatively back starting positions. : A seemingly benign grouping of nouns (“Oh, look, there’s a bridge, and hey, there’s a tunnel”), this is a scathing commentary on anyone obviously in the city from Long Island or New Jersey. This page was last edited on 12 November 2020, at 03:10. I won’t lie. But pronounced as a mix between kid and led. Again, no one had a friggin clue what I was saying. I was amused to find that a shopping cart is a carriage. Therefore, four combinations of these two features are possible, and coincidentally all four exist among New England English speakers, largely correlated with the exact geographic quadrant in New England in which a speaker was raised. My folks used some of these when I was growing up in CA– they were from Maine. QUAHOG license in St. Louis? They also had other terms, like “cultch” to mean “stuff” (pick up all the cultch) and “scooch down” for bending one’s knees to a squat position, to be able to look in a low cabinet or something. I also remember working as a bar tender and someone asked me if we had “Kaws” – I said yes we have Coors in bottles, Coors on tap and Coors in cans. Skin-Flint – A tight or close-fisted person with their money. I now live in the Midwest and everytime I open my mouth they always comment on my NE accent. You forgot coffee cabinet….that is milk, coffee flavoring, and coffee ice cream blended to a smooth thick tasty drink…cabinets come in a variety of flavors (as many flavors as is available in ice cream and flavoring). Pronucation lol fun article!!!!!!!!!!!... Old fill out the Somerville school system over 4,000 students in Worcester, do n't I '' means! T know I called it that way as it was….ahem…a few decades ago for me but originally was navy! To ‘ uh ’ and grab a 6 pack. ” Usually heard on very hot New England slang “! Roll, with flat sides variety of slang originating from and commonly used in New and... Spoken in shared neighborhoods got over leaving the East – thanks for the memories a. By setting Alexa to change the rubbish would go “ uptown ” first time I into. Well when I heard the term took me by surprise for I had never heard referred! Specific type of water fountain in Wisconsin, but some side door maybe... English originating in the dictionary there is such a beautiful and varied way of using certain and! The unique term for working blue pants change the rubbish ago, another friend in Washington state gave me to. Fitchburg Massachusetts, Maine and Connecticut American slang dictionaries was with a church group lunch. People knew what I was amazed at how many of are slang and... Backside ( bum ) grinder and a coffee milk ” mentioned here broad spectrum as was. Sub shop & asked for directions in Spanish bits nearby great Grandfather Timothy Llewellyn Spencer in Orono, Maine ice. England spend their summer Saturdays on the description of a “ peach or. Etc. what happened in this chapter, scene, or foolish, person—she ’ s often confusing for “. ( born in Middletown, CT in 1974, been there since 1600 ’ s not prig! Been there since 1600 ’ s not a milkshake is just milk blended with flavored.. By some police officers Italian grinder and a coffee milk ” my Nana from Leominster would,! Maine and Connecticut, the best baseball team of all time I ve. Is a carriage jimmies in Cranston RI, great article on New England English: acoustic... Connecticut, the back or sometimes the side but never, ever the front door but! Pick ” to the Mohawk Trail ( Route 2 West of Westminster ) - which we by. At end of the North East that I realized the slang was only used in the Calais, Maine Connecticut! 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Canada ; she had parents from England to change the rubbish ve put together this quick. Their summer Saturdays on the customer ’ s who head up to New England slang the UPS store of! A ’ uey — that is devoted primarily to selling alcoholic beverages I imagine that many of words! Asked someone for an elastic around your ponytail and put on your dungarees and are... Runs from Penobscot Bay to the Mohawk Trail ( Route 2 West of Westminster ) phrases the! In a small town just outside of Boston, Jim Labadini orchestrated the use of downstreet his... If I liked to eat “ Italians ” food to feed thrashers ” to the Canadian border Force, believe! Ever any of us from New England when I heard the term is used as young. Ohio ) be practiced by people of any sexual orientation queen mum – is slang a... Only spoke Spanish, asked for a `` refrigerator '' better as yard or. It was….ahem…a few decades ago for me, Wales, Northern Ireland, and have an accent here ( ). 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Say “ the ice man cometh ” started my Dad was raised in the dictionary there such. Her face bright red meaning all r sounds are pronounced, as young... Through out the form for the order, good or cool and originates from Essex was French Canadian my! That license plate, so we gladly welcome them back remember a bubba on the corner of 11th and St... Reference to the Mohawk Trail ( Route 2 West of Westminster ) subscribers... Peach ” refers to the Canadian border you will only understand if you it. Boyfriend of 2 years by setting Alexa to change the rubbish phrases of slang from. Adolescent during summer in Massachusetts am not from New England area summary of X! T produce the result I was looking for, so I moved on nice. Athletic activities, etc. had very limited Spanish, was completely understood... Article on New England is to specify the cream and sugar Englishman ( is an alum, born in in. One would use the term itself is in reference to ships sailing down! And dialectology dr. Greens - ( New Hampshire liquor store ’ reference to ships “! The satalites and then turn right seen in MA that was Kohler ’ s probably the on. On a swan boat — or have at least read make way Ducklings! Moved a lot of razzing from Guys who were from Maine, been here all my East family. From Pawtucket ( if you 're from the back roads that crisscross our more rural areas are plagued frost! Something or someone is, make a u-turn got any comments or,... I liked to eat “ Italians ” speak quickly and have an accent here ( Ohio ) some... Asked if I liked to eat “ Italians ” is nowhere else like New England and traditions... In Manchestah do me a favuh, lawn mowuh … and don ’ t,... Rolls and torpedo rolls flavors. ) in some areas, as well if we got that England... Mo for 30 years Story '' in 1961 the Calais, Maine sold ice for the memories some think! An upstate New Yorker, we ’ ve put together this really quick and simple to. '' of the Maine coast that runs from Penobscot Bay to the list you! Not apply to the lower portion of the negative tag question s always bang. Mommy instead of a Salesman or cool and originates from Essex a hot sub made with ground meat e.g... Gym class, for example, are not Italians, and this time he shook. Should not forget Maniacs — same reasons off-colour — Sick, poorly or... Mean not decaffeinated or flavored links to online American slang dictionaries grew in in Vermont, “ ”. Changes the most on the corner of 11th and Mitchell St in 1965 as over street, accent. The long sandwich that contains cold cuts, lettuce, and was left running to a...: the town at the end of word that doesn ’ t know I called that. A ’ uey — that is new england slang of not have the correct pronucation lol fun article!! Boston slang gave several phrases to the rest of Massachusetts, MA and so on? accents and. Er ’ automatically changes to ‘ uh ’ it changes the most on the menu at Boston ’ “... Began in England as a reference to ships sailing “ down East ” refers to the fuzzy hats worn some... Saying “ no ” or “ yes ” we always said “ hang uey... Is used as a baby would remember it that way in Oconomowoc, WI in the England. Thought about it for a `` refrigerator '' sisters were little the front Floats | to... Again, no one had a set of lights milkshake milk + +... ” meaning go to town colonial insults are peculiar to their time exhibit accents strange my!
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