Slang

[Max Rockatansky]

I've noticed over the years that different states and regions tend to have some strange oddities when it comes to slang.  Some of the more common I hear in California are the following:

-  "The"  is used as a descriptive phrase before the name or number of a highway.  Example; "Take the 5 over the Grapevine"  is used to denote taking Interstate 5 over the Ridge Route.
-  I need to "put"  gas instead of "get."
-  I need to "take stuff down"  instead of "take stuff out"  of the car. 

What are some the localized slangs in your areas?  One I recall many people saying all frequently in Michigan was "Geeze oh Pete's"  instead of "Jesus Christ"  or "what the f&@&."  

[hotdogPi]

"Wicked"

[Rothman]

"Wicked"

I grew up saying it every now and then in western MA.  It's very overdone nowadays, though, since people now are more aware of it's unique place in Boston, especially.

[csw]

ope

[TBKS1]

Y'all.

[hbelkins]

In what seems to be something said more often by folks from Owsley County, Ky., than any other place, "you'uns" for "you all."

Used in a sentence: "You'uns ought to come to my next road meet."

[Rothman]

ope

Meh.  The Internet has led Midwesterners to think that they are more unique than they are.

Then again, the people in southern Indiana that called green peppers mangoes are in a sphere all unto themselves.

[jakeroot]

"Cheers" has become incredibly popular in the Seattle area, in place of, or in addition to, "thanks". Many of my Lyft passengers seem to use the term when exiting.

Disclaimer: I use the term myself quite a bit too.

[Rothman]

I find "cheers" pretentious.  Seems to be propogated amongst those that think they sound more cosmopolitan than you.

[tolbs17]

I'm going to gas my car.

[jakeroot]

I find "cheers" pretentious.  Seems to be propogated amongst those that think they sound more cosmopolitan than you.

That's kind of my point, actually. "Cheers" is more popular in cities where the population is more diverse because it's a term that is generally not used by Americans. It will be relegated to "cosmopolitan" areas until less-diverse areas accept the term. I'm guessing you find it pretentious because you don't live in an area that is as-diverse.

A couple more "cosmopolitan" city-specific terms include asking for a "pint", or saying "mate" instead of "friend". "How ya goin'?" is another one that I use relatively often. Australian in origin.

[jp the roadgeek]

Close the light.
Wait "on"  line (instead of in)
Yinz (ask a Pittsburghite)

[Rothman]

I find "cheers" pretentious.  Seems to be propogated amongst those that think they sound more cosmopolitan than you.

That's kind of my point, actually. "Cheers" is more popular in cities where the population is more diverse because it's a term that is generally not used by Americans. It will be relegated to "cosmopolitan" areas until less-diverse areas accept the term. I'm guessing you find it pretentious because you don't live in an area that is as-diverse.

A couple more "cosmopolitan" city-specific terms include asking for a "pint", or saying "mate" instead of "friend". "How ya goin'?" is another one that I use relatively often. Australian in origin.

I don't think diversity has as much to do with it as elitism.

[Scott5114]

I'm fixin' to post in this thread.

[jakeroot]

I don't think diversity has as much to do with it as elitism.

You're telling yourself that to justify not liking the term. Just say you don't like British English, and we can be done.

EDIT: doing some research, it's considered an adopted Britishism. I can understand why that might appear elitist. Doesn't change that it is an accepted term.

I'm fixin' to post in this thread.

Say something or bugger off!

[Rothman]

I don't think diversity has as much to do with it as elitism.

You're telling yourself that to justify not liking the term. Just say you don't like British English, and we can be done.

EDIT: doing some research, it's considered an adopted Britishism. I can understand why that might appear elitist. Doesn't change that it is an accepted term.

I'm fixin' to post in this thread.

Say something or bugger off!

I don't mind British English.  I mind American hipsters using British English to put on airs. 

[english si]

I don't think diversity has as much to do with it as elitism.

Coca Cola and McDonalds are cosmopolitan (though neither give the appearance of being so due to being somewhat low class), as they are worldwide, global and universal. Cosmopolitan stuff is similar anywhere, rather than actually being diverse, because that's what the word means. London is cosmopolitan, NYC is cosmopolitan, etc - and while there are considerable differences between the two, they are less than the differences between London and Stoke-on-Trent, and NYC and Scranton, despite latter pairs being 110-170 miles between the places, rather than 3000.

And, to a large extent (such as in the culture wars in the UK right now), cosmopolitanism is treated as high-status, high-class, elite. Or, rather the appearance of certain bits of cosmopolity is treated as high status.

Pret-a-manger is just a sandwich shop offering nothing special or fancy, but it's fashionable (and can charge as such), unlike its competitor Greggs. Why? Because Greggs is from the north, sounds English and is no-nonsense. Pret is from London, sounds French and is pretentious. The two are polar opposites apparently, but really they offer pretty similar ranges of sandwiches. Greggs seems to be aimed at the yokel (despite actually offering more diversity, and more nationalities, of flavours than Pret), and Pret aimed at the yuppie (OK, alliteration aside, hipsters. Especially given the amount of avocado they use to make basic stuff seem exotic and cool! It's like a one trick pony to be down with the cool kids - wack some avo in your sandwich!). Most of the foreign-sounding sandwiches at Pret are actually just ham or ham and cheese, but French or Italian - basically no difference to bog-standard British stuff you could have got in a pub in the 1970s, only priced as if they are fancy pants due to being a jambon sandwich, rather than a ham, and thus sounding more international and diverse than it actually is.

[jakeroot]

I don't mind British English.  I mind American hipsters using British English to put on airs.

All linguistic changes have to start somewhere. May I suggest not visiting Washington if you're so bothered by it?

For the record, I doubt most Seattleites care much about what the average New-Yorker thinks of them. It's not trying to sound elite...it's trying to sound cosmopolitan, as you said earlier. Certainly you've seen Frasier? This has been going on for a while.

[Scott5114]

Certainly you've seen Frasier? This has been going on for a while.

Wait, are you saying Frasier is an accurate portrayal of Seattle?

[MNHighwayMan]

I'm pretty sure I've said or done everything in this video at least once unironically.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dKtxhuGS5k

[jakeroot]

Certainly you've seen Frasier? This has been going on for a while.

Wait, are you saying Frasier is an accurate portrayal of Seattle?

Well of course it's just a TV show. But it's an accurate portrayal of the cosmopolitan feel of the city that was especially obvious in the 90s and early 2000s, and even now. People don't talk like Frasier (in terms of his accent), but his mannerisms are relatively accurate.

[english si]

It's not trying to sound elite...it's trying to sound cosmopolitan, as you said earlier.

The appearance of cosmopolity is high-status, elite...

Actual cosmopolity is pretty meh wrt to status, but the appearance of it is about status. A Greggs Peri Peri Chicken Wrap is not elite (Peri Peri in general - Nandos, various fast-food small places (eg these two next to each other), is something really common in diverse and cosmopolitan areas of Britain, but really low-status, despite being Portuguese-African, based off South Asian cuisine, using a plant from the Americas, and thus ought to tick the boxes). However, a Pret Jambon-Beurre sandwich is elite despite being a ham sandwich little different to what the English have eaten for years. Why - because the latter seeks to appear cosmopolitan with the French name of the sandwich and the shop, whereas the former doesn't care about those airs.

Certainly you've seen Frasier?

That's your example? The Crane brothers are massively elite and snobby, caring about social status and appearing like some high class appreciators of the finer things. Especially Niles - of whom Daphne (who's Manchester accent is not cosmopolitan (though it is diverse), and she is treated as the working class foil to their upper-class snobbery) says "he'd eat a worm if I gave it a French name" because he cares about looking upper-class (despite very much being so) and thus caring about the appearance of cosmopolity.

Of course, the show is a spinoff of Cheers, which is about a not very diverse Boston bog-standard bar (that made Frasier a bit more down to earth than his brother), making the idea that the word that spun off this whole thing is cosmopolitan a total joke.

Now if you had talked about getting the lingo from the telly (which is where US-English has entered the UK, and why it is seen as rather low-status to use US-slang in the UK), or something else similar, then you wouldn't be accused of putting on airs. Instead you suggest that you use the word because you live in a more diverse area - that has the subtext of "you country bumpkin, I'm better than you". Nah, that ain't right fam: places is different innit! (he says in a bunch of slang to pretend he's much more lower class than he is).

[Rothman]

I don't mind British English.  I mind American hipsters using British English to put on airs.

All linguistic changes have to start somewhere. May I suggest not visiting Washington if you're so bothered by it?

For the record, I doubt most Seattleites care much about what the average New-Yorker thinks of them. It's not trying to sound elite...it's trying to sound cosmopolitan, as you said earlier. Certainly you've seen Frasier? This has been going on for a while.

Nah.  I will continue to visit Washington frequently as I have in the past -- I was just out there earlier this summer to visit family again, as a matter of fact.

Certainly you know Frasier's entire premise was to mock people who thought they were better than others due to their alleged intellectual superiority.  Using Frasier as an example furthers my point rather than attacks it.

Besides, it isn't really a Seattle thing.  The cheers thing is creeping in with hipsters and self-acclaimed intellectuals everywhere.  They're quite welcome to keep using it and I am quite welcome to keep rolling my eyes when they do.

[jakeroot]

Credit where credit's due...you're both right with regards to Frasier. I guess I didn't give it much thought. It's just something that came to mind when I was trying to think of examples I've seen from TV. Indeed, the subtext of Frasier is that high-class snobbery, not at all indicative of the average Seattleite (don't ask me why this wasn't obvious to me earlier...I've seen basically every episode of the show, though it was a while ago).

Every city has their upper-class snobs, yeah. And, in my defense, it also isn't those people who are adopting terms like "cheers". It's basically the average everyday hipster adopting the term, although please read below for a more thorough explanation...

Now if you had talked about getting the lingo from the telly (which is where US-English has entered the UK, and why it is seen as rather low-status to use US-slang in the UK), or something else similar, then you wouldn't be accused of putting on airs. Instead you suggest that you use the word because you live in a more diverse area - that has the subtext of "you country bumpkin, I'm better than you". Nah, that ain't right fam: places is different innit! (he says in a bunch of slang to pretend he's much more lower class than he is).

That's obviously not my intent. There is a relatively strong divide in this area between "urban" and "rural" or even "suburban". A term like "cheers" means pretty much one thing in most Seattle suburbs: it's something you do when clinking glasses, to celebrate this or that, not "thanks" as it might mean elsewhere. You can get away with it in Seattle because of the larger diaspora of non-American-English speakers; Australians (in particular), British, Kiwi, etc. The average Seattleite is far more likely to run into someone who uses "cheers" in place of, or in addition to, "thanks" compared to someone from the suburbs. That's basically what I mean when I say "diverse". Immigrants from other English-speaking countries are generally locating in King County (particularly Seattle), and those visiting from other English-speaking countries are, again, generally going to King County, and almost exclusively Seattle. Seattleites are literally more exposed to other variants of English than non-Seattleites. It makes sense, then, that we might adopt terms used by those from other places.

This is hardly concrete evidence, but I did find this comment on the English Language Stack-Exchange website, under a question asking about "cheers". One of the respondents (thesunneversets...near the bottom of the page) says that they're originally from the UK, and didn't use "cheers" much, but started using it a lot more when they moved to Canada and Seattle because the locals enjoyed it. Is it possible that non-American-English speakers are intentionally using the slangy-bits of their original language more often, because it makes them sound more interesting?

Besides, it isn't really a Seattle thing.  The cheers thing is creeping in with hipsters and self-acclaimed intellectuals everywhere.  They're quite welcome to keep using it and I am quite welcome to keep rolling my eyes when they do.

I'm surprised you're not more accepting of the term, then, if it's becoming more common. Hopefully my thought-out explanation above makes it a bit easier to understand its popularity, and why it's not necessarily a bad thing.

[Max Rockatansky]

Here's a couple pieces of California slang from times long past:

Beyond the Tules

-  Apparently this is old time San Joaquin Valley speak to denote a large measure of distances.  I'm to understand this was a reference to the dried up Tulare Lake and its large distance across.

Dog Town

-  Apparently this was slang used to describe mining shanties during the Gold Rush.  The way the stories go a lot of mining camps consists of muddy shacks and feral dogs having the run of the place.  Over a dozen communities in California were once known or are presently known as "Dog Town."