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&@&."
"Wicked"
Quote from: 1 on September 08, 2019, 08:58:21 PM
"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.
ope
Y'all.
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."
Quote from: csw on September 09, 2019, 08:50:24 AM
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.
"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.
I find "cheers" pretentious. Seems to be propogated amongst those that think they sound more cosmopolitan than you.
I'm going to gas my car.
Quote from: Rothman on September 09, 2019, 10:01:10 PM
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.
Close the light.
Wait "on" line (instead of in)
Yinz (ask a Pittsburghite)
Quote from: jakeroot on September 10, 2019, 01:39:47 AM
Quote from: Rothman on September 09, 2019, 10:01:10 PM
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.
I'm fixin' to post in this thread.
Quote from: Rothman on September 10, 2019, 04:17:11 PM
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.
Quote from: Scott5114 on September 10, 2019, 05:19:34 PM
I'm fixin' to post in this thread.
Say something or bugger off!
Quote from: jakeroot on September 10, 2019, 05:24:08 PM
Quote from: Rothman on September 10, 2019, 04:17:11 PM
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.
Quote from: Scott5114 on September 10, 2019, 05:19:34 PM
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.
Quote from: Rothman on September 10, 2019, 04:17:11 PMI 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 (https://thetab.com/uk/2018/01/12/quiz-are-you-more-of-a-greggs-or-pret-person-57971) 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.
Quote from: Rothman on September 10, 2019, 05:39:58 PM
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.
Quote from: jakeroot on September 11, 2019, 12:18:17 AM
Certainly you've seen Frasier? This has been going on for a while.
Wait, are you saying Frasier is an
accurate portrayal of Seattle?
I'm pretty sure I've said or done everything in this video at least once unironically.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dKtxhuGS5k
Quote from: Scott5114 on September 11, 2019, 02:59:29 AM
Quote from: jakeroot on September 11, 2019, 12:18:17 AM
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.
Quote from: jakeroot on September 11, 2019, 12:18:17 AMIt'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 (https://www.greggs.co.uk/sandwiches/peri-peri-chicken-wrap) is not elite (Peri Peri in general - Nandos, various fast-food small places (eg these two (https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.6567004,-0.3980062,3a,75y,218.22h,95.85t/data=!3m5!1e1!3m3!1sqd5SZqIwFRz0ZzWpg9vSBQ!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo0.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3Dqd5SZqIwFRz0ZzWpg9vSBQ%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D95.4896%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100) 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 (https://www.pret.co.uk/en-gb/532-baguettes-jambon-beurre.aspx) 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.
QuoteCertainly 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. :-D
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).
Quote from: jakeroot on September 11, 2019, 12:18:17 AM
Quote from: Rothman on September 10, 2019, 05:39:58 PM
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.
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...
Quote from: english si on September 11, 2019, 01:48:32 PM
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" (https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/1628/is-there-a-difference-between-cheers-and-thanks-in-colloquial-british-englis). 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?
Quote from: Rothman on September 11, 2019, 03:05:46 PM
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.
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."
Pop (instead of soda or cola)
Quote from: Henry on September 17, 2019, 10:19:07 AM
Pop (instead of soda or cola)
If it is, then "soda" is also slang. Both words have other meanings.
I personally believe that neither one is slang.
Nah. Soda is the way to say it. Pop is for five-year-olds. And, if you call everything a coke, something is wrong with your head and it is stupefying how a brand has that much sway over English in your neck of the woods.
Quote from: Rothman on September 17, 2019, 10:24:46 AM
Nah. Soda is the way to say it. Pop is for five-year-olds. And, if you call everything a coke, something is wrong with your head and it is stupefying how a brand has that much sway over English in your neck of the woods.
Horse crap. Soda is a caustic substance (hence soda lakes). Pop is what you drink.
Quote from: Brandon on September 17, 2019, 10:31:29 AM
Quote from: Rothman on September 17, 2019, 10:24:46 AM
Nah. Soda is the way to say it. Pop is for five-year-olds. And, if you call everything a coke, something is wrong with your head and it is stupefying how a brand has that much sway over English in your neck of the woods.
Horse crap. Soda is a caustic substance (hence soda lakes). Pop is what you drink.
Pop is for balloons, not people.
QuoteSoda is a caustic substance
That pretty much describes most Coca-Cola and Pepsi products.
Quote from: US 89 on September 17, 2019, 11:06:53 AM
Quote from: Brandon on September 17, 2019, 10:31:29 AM
Quote from: Rothman on September 17, 2019, 10:24:46 AM
Nah. Soda is the way to say it. Pop is for five-year-olds. And, if you call everything a coke, something is wrong with your head and it is stupefying how a brand has that much sway over English in your neck of the woods.
Horse crap. Soda is a caustic substance (hence soda lakes). Pop is what you drink.
Pop is for balloons, not people.
Grew up saying "pop" in Michigan but got weird looks the first time I asked for it at a restaurant after moving to Connecticut. I generally ask for what I want by the name brand but use "soda" far more often than I do "pop" nowadays. Pop was pretty much the thing to say throughout the Mid-West.
Despite living (all my life) in the South, I actually say "soda" most often. I don't see why there would be a problem with any of the other soft drink "slang," such as coke or pop. If someone says any of those, I know what they're talking about, and I don't see why any of those terms would be inferior. It's just different slang used in different parts of the country.
Quote from: adventurernumber1 on September 17, 2019, 12:23:23 PM
Despite living (all my life) in the South, I actually say "soda" most often. I don't see why there would be a problem with any of the other soft drink "slang," such as coke or pop. If someone says any of those, I know what they're talking about, and I don't see why any of those terms would be inferior. It's just different slang used in different parts of the country.
It's not slang, though. If it was slang, it would not be used in formal English.
"Soda" just sounds pretentious to me. Around here, it's "pop." Short for "soda pop."
Here's one I'm seeing a lot more often, which really gets on my nerves. "Tryna." Used in a sentence: "Be quiet, I'm tryna talk on the phone."
The words you illiterates are looking for are "trying to."
Quote from: hbelkins on September 17, 2019, 12:29:20 PM
....
Here's one I'm seeing a lot more often, which really gets on my nerves. "Tryna." Used in a sentence: "Be quiet, I'm tryna talk on the phone."
The words you illiterates are looking for are "trying to."
I've seen people typing "jus" instead of "just" (the context makes it clear what was meant). Talk about extreme laziness.
One that really grates on my nerves is when people write "should have" or "would have." Some of those people actually think these forms are correct. (I wonder how said people perform on their high school standardized tests, such as the SAT, where "should have" and "would have" are frequently available as obvious wrong answers to tempt stupid people.) If you want to contract the full form and don't want to write "should've" or "would've," then write "shoulda" or "woulda." I view those as being sort of like "gonna"–not technically correct, and surely inappropriate in a professional or academic situation, but generally acceptable for casual writing in view of the way it's often pronounced when spoken.
I hear both "soda" and "pop" with regularity in the PNW.
Quote from: 1995hoo on September 17, 2019, 12:40:16 PM
One that really grates on my nerves is when people write "should have" or "would have."
Heh, the forum autocorrected what you were trying to say. :-D
Quote from: US 89 on September 17, 2019, 02:34:36 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on September 17, 2019, 12:40:16 PM
One that really grates on my nerves is when people write "should have" or "would have."
Heh, the forum autocorrected what you were trying to say. :-D
Weird, on my screen it did not autocorrect it, regardless of whether I view the forum on my PC or on my phone. I wonder what's going on there?
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190917/9cb8ab499b9de685fac51a2ee772cf77.jpg)
If I recall correctly, it's a forum word filter that you can turn on and off. If you go to the Look and Layout section of your profile, I'm betting you have the "leave words uncensored" box checked.
Heh. And here I was wondering why he was making such a fool of himself. :D
Quote from: US 89 on September 17, 2019, 03:56:56 PM
If I recall correctly, it's a forum word filter that you can turn on and off. If you go to the Look and Layout section of your profile, I'm betting you have the "leave words uncensored" box checked.
I just went and looked and I do indeed have that box checked. Interesting. Those expressions aren't ones I'd have expected to see filtered or changed. Most of the time when I've seen forum word filters, they're used to censor impolite racial expressions, slang terms for homosexuals, and perhaps some profanities. I wonder what this forum's full list of "censored" words/expressions is.
I suppose I could go back and format my prior post to get around the word filter, but that seems sort of pointless now.
Quote from: 1995hoo on September 17, 2019, 04:38:02 PM
Quote from: US 89 on September 17, 2019, 03:56:56 PM
If I recall correctly, it's a forum word filter that you can turn on and off. If you go to the Look and Layout section of your profile, I'm betting you have the "leave words uncensored" box checked.
I just went and looked and I do indeed have that box checked. Interesting. Those expressions aren't ones I'd have expected to see filtered or changed. Most of the time when I've seen forum word filters, they're used to censor impolite racial expressions, slang terms for homosexuals, and perhaps some profanities. I wonder what this forum's full list of "censored" words/expressions is.
I suppose I could go back and format my prior post to get around the word filter, but that seems sort of pointless now.
The only other non-profanity/insult filter on this forum is one that turns auto-generated Tapatalk text to 1-size white font.
Quote from: Rothman on September 09, 2019, 08:57:42 PM
Then again, the people in southern Indiana that called green peppers mangoes are in a sphere all unto themselves.
It's not limited to just southern Indiana, as I recall. I think it (used to?) stretch into the bootheel of Missouri too, for example. At any rate, this particular terminology dates back to when it was fairly common for people to pickle mangoes. Over time, anything that people might pickle came to be referred to as a "mango". Because peppers are a common thing to pickle, they ended up being called mangoes.
Quote from: 1 on September 17, 2019, 04:53:09 PM
The only other non-profanity/insult filter on this forum is one that turns auto-generated Tapatalk text to 1-size white font.
I meant I wonder what the whole list includes–profanities and insults included. It would take way too long to try to come up with a list of every profanity, racist term, anti-homosexual expression, etc., that I can think of in order to test it.
I recall at one point it changed "Alanland" to "Magical Place of Destiny." (In this post I formatted that word to make sure any word filter wouldn't apply, although I think that word is no longer taboo.)
Seattle area slang:
"The mountain is out" - A common saying for when weather is good enough to see Mount Rainier
"Uff da / You betcha" - Holdovers from our Scandinavian heritage, but slowly drowned out now by recent transplants
"Potlach / tolo / Skookum / Tyee" - Holdovers from Chinook Jargon, which was slowly drowned out by less-than-recent transplants
And of course all of these (http://www.nytimes.com/1992/11/15/style/grunge-a-success-story.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm) classic Grunge terms (which were made up by pranksters at Sub Pop).
Quote from: Rothman on September 09, 2019, 08:57:42 PM
Quote from: csw on September 09, 2019, 08:50:24 AM
ope
Meh. The Internet has led Midwesterners to think that they are more unique than they are.
Because in classic MW passive-aggressive nature, we cant accept there is absolutely nothing unique in any form about us like every other region has. No unique foods or chains (except lutefisk, which we disown 11 months of the year except December), especially since Culver's has gone national. Maybe the passive-aggressiveness is our unique quality.
"Uff da" is used in North Dakota as well, at least based on what a client from Fargo told me.
Quote from: 1995hoo on September 17, 2019, 09:22:42 PM
"Uff da" is used in North Dakota as well, at least based on what a client from Fargo told me.
Yep.. at least in spirit! I've found the Dakotas linguistically and culturally to be very similar to Minnesota.
Quote from: webny99 on September 17, 2019, 09:28:38 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on September 17, 2019, 09:22:42 PM
"Uff da" is used in North Dakota as well, at least based on what a client from Fargo told me.
Yep.. at least in spirit! I've found the Dakotas linguistically and culturally to be very similar to Minnesota.
I mean, considering they are right next to it...
Quote from: US 89 on September 17, 2019, 10:03:14 PM
Quote from: webny99 on September 17, 2019, 09:28:38 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on September 17, 2019, 09:22:42 PM
"Uff da" is used in North Dakota as well, at least based on what a client from Fargo told me.
Yep.. at least in spirit! I've found the Dakotas linguistically and culturally to be very similar to Minnesota.
I mean, considering they are right next to it...
My wife watched Fargo for the first time the other day. I've been having the hardest time comparing what my cousins sound like, I finally had a real world analogy she got.
Quote from: webny99 on September 17, 2019, 09:28:38 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on September 17, 2019, 09:22:42 PM
"Uff da" is used in North Dakota as well, at least based on what a client from Fargo told me.
Yep.. at least in spirit! I've found the Dakotas linguistically and culturally to be very similar to Minnesota.
Except it was poster Bruce who mentioned "uff da" in the context of Seattle. I just didn't quote his post because I didn't feel like editing it down.
Quote from: US 89 on September 17, 2019, 10:03:14 PM
Quote from: webny99 on September 17, 2019, 09:28:38 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on September 17, 2019, 09:22:42 PM
"Uff da" is used in North Dakota as well, at least based on what a client from Fargo told me.
Yep.. at least in spirit! I've found the Dakotas linguistically and culturally to be very similar to Minnesota.
I mean, considering they are right next to it...
New York is right next to Vermont, and in many ways they are as different as night and day.
Same with New York and Pennsylvania.
Quote from: 1995hoo on September 18, 2019, 07:53:55 AM
Quote from: webny99 on September 17, 2019, 09:28:38 PM
Quote from: 1995hoo on September 17, 2019, 09:22:42 PM
"Uff da" is used in North Dakota as well, at least based on what a client from Fargo told me.
Yep.. at least in spirit! I've found the Dakotas linguistically and culturally to be very similar to Minnesota.
Except it was poster Bruce who mentioned "uff da" in the context of Seattle. I just didn't quote his post because I didn't feel like editing it down.
Oops. I missed that, and just assumed Minnesota based on my priors (and the fact that a Minnesotan posted directly above you).
Bruce did note Scandinavian heritage as being the cause, though, so it would be applicable to all of the above, given the concentration of Scandinavian roots in the Upper Midwest.
Brooklyn is different from the rest of New York too in that respect. Even the Puerto Ricans, as one old boss of mine was from Brooklyn but of Puerto Rican descent. He told me that he once visited San Juan and spoke his native Spanish while there and was found out by native Puerto Rico residents he was from Brooklyn as even in Spanish they have certain words that differ.
In fact I know another man who claims he is from Brooklyn but lacks the accent as well. Also of Hispanic origin, but has a heavy Spanish accent that usually native Puerto Ricans or South Americans have when he speaks, but insists he is from Brooklyn. I assume he is as phony as the career he wants many to think he had and that was an NYPD Officer. The guy, when you meet him, is flaky to say the least and never stops talking and controls the conversation so you have to sit there and listen to him, especially when he talks about crap you care less about. So the slang is important of people to know where they are from and makes us interesting.
Anyway, NY is made up of many slang in speech.