Home » Discussion Forums » Talk » Local Phrases and Sayings
| Re: Local Phrases and Sayings [message #4606 is a reply to message #4599 ] |
Mon, 10 November 2008 20:26   |
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 Julia
Messages: 531
Registered: October 2008
Location: Library School |
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[quote title=Lianne wrote on Mon, 10 November 2008 20:19]| ssshunt wrote on Mon, 10 November 2008 16:56 |
I think the familial references are pretty generic for me. Mom, dad, grandma, granddad, and that was it. I never even call my aunts and uncles anything but their first name.
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My mom's mother and father, my grandmother and grandad, moved here from Germany in 1954 [I believe], so I have always referred to my aunts and uncles on that side of the family as Tante and Onkel.
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| Re: Local Phrases and Sayings [message #4610 is a reply to message #3367 ] |
Mon, 10 November 2008 20:30 |
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Dude! My mother's name is Betty!
"And by the way you look fantastic in your boots of Chinese plastic."
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| Re: Local Phrases and Sayings [message #4648 is a reply to message #3367 ] |
Tue, 11 November 2008 01:01 |
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Just plain Mom and Dad, here. My mom's mom has always been Granny(with the exception of what I call the half-step-grandkids - my mom's half-brother's step-children - who call her "Grandma", even though we've very patiently explained to them that it's not just a title, her name is Granny, there is no option), and mom's grandmother is Grandmother Shelley(or Grandmother, for short). My dad's mom is Grandma Polly, aka Grandma. Her great-grandkids call her Gran' Polly, though. My dad's dad was Grandpa Leslie, and my mom's dad was simply Grandpa. We've talked about what our (hypothetical/someday/future) kids should call Mom and Dad and I think the favourites are Oma and Opa(German names for grandparents). I just don't think I'd be able to refer to my mom as "Grandma"... We've also decided that I should be called "Aunt Gorgo" by my hypothetical nieces and nephews - I think it's fun and quirky!
[Updated on: Tue, 11 November 2008 01:03]
"The center of every man's existence is a dream. Death, disease, insanity, are merely material accidents, like a toothache or a twisted ankle. That these brutal forces always besiege and often capture the citadel does not prove that they are the citadel."
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| Re: Local Phrases and Sayings [message #4696 is a reply to message #3367 ] |
Tue, 11 November 2008 14:40 |
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We were watching the old version of The 300 Spartans(for my Classics class), and in that movie one of the characters is Leonidas & Gorgo's niece and so she kept saying "Aunt Gorgo", and my brother remarked how it would be weird to be called "Aunt Gorgo" and I said "I don't know. I think it would be fun." And so then it was decided, with my consent no less... Now I just have to convince my older brother and my sis-in-law to have some kids and then have their kids call me that...
"The center of every man's existence is a dream. Death, disease, insanity, are merely material accidents, like a toothache or a twisted ankle. That these brutal forces always besiege and often capture the citadel does not prove that they are the citadel."
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| Re: Local Phrases and Sayings [message #4700 is a reply to message #4453 ] |
Tue, 11 November 2008 16:03 |
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SoItGoes31
Messages: 34
Registered: October 2008
Location: Davis |
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| Susan in Melbourne wrote on Mon, 10 November 2008 04:31 |
I was interested that Katherine (from the US) referred to her mother as 'mum'. I always thought that 'mum' was a British/Australian/NZ word, and that in the US, it was universally 'Mom'. No? Is is regional? What do the Canadians use?
Also, I see Charis referring to her father as Papa. Is that a southern states thing?
I know that the way parents are addressed changes over time and place. For example, my father, who was born in 1906 (no that doesn't mean I'm in my 80s - he was nearly 50 when I was born!) always addressed his parents as 'Mother' and 'Father'. Absolutely none of this mum and dad stuff.
This is a really interesting thread. I've been enjoying delving into dialects.
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I call my parents Mom and Dad, but my pennsylvania grandparents say Mum and Pap. My grandfather even still calls my grandmother Mum sometimes. Also, said grandfather goes by Grandpap, although my grandmother is still the traditional Grandma. My other grandparents are Popo and Gunggung, which are (I think) cantonese, since my cousins grew up in Hong Kong. That is to say, the names are cantonese, not the grandparents.
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| Re: Local Phrases and Sayings [message #4710 is a reply to message #4453 ] |
Tue, 11 November 2008 17:00 |
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Katherine
Messages: 72
Registered: October 2008
Location: Michigan, The States |
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| Susan in Melbourne wrote on Mon, 10 November 2008 07:31 |
I was interested that Katherine (from the US) referred to her mother as 'mum'. I always thought that 'mum' was a British/Australian/NZ word, and that in the US, it was universally 'Mom'. No? Is is regional? What do the Canadians use?
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Mum isn't a common title here, no. I'm afraid that's one of my many inadvertant Britishisms. Though that term was probably more on purpose than most of the phrases or words I use. Lots and lots of Brit lit in my formative years. It's usually just Mom, but Mum or "me Mum" (rather than "my Mum") pop out on a fairly regular basis.
My paternal grandparents were always Granny and Papa (pronounced with an almost long intial A sound--Payh-paw), and my maternal grandparents were Granddaddy and Grandmama. Arkansas roots are the culprits there.
My mom, born and raised in Arkansas, doesn't have a drawl, but she always said the word "naked" like "nekkid." I was probably 10 before I realized that WASN'T how it was said. I mean, I read all the time and I'd heard the right pronunciation, I just somehow never put it together. "Warsh" instead of "wash" too.
Every day for the next year, I'm taking and posting at least one picture. Stop by and take a look!
http://project365lummox.blogspot.com
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| Re: Local Phrases and Sayings [message #4712 is a reply to message #4710 ] |
Tue, 11 November 2008 17:06 |
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When I'm talking about my parents to other people (including the other parent, as they're divorced), they're generally Mother and Father, when I'm talking to my parents, I don't usually call them anything. In writing my father signs "Dad" and I'll address him the same way, and my mother calls herself (and is called by me), "Mum". When I -do- address them by parental title, it's generally Mum or Dad. My mother parents (though they're both dead now) were Grandma and Grandpa, my fathers have always been Grandmother and Grandfather. I think the formality there (because it's not what everyone else in the extended family calls them) is because of some of the tense relationship between my mother and my father's parents.
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| Re: Local Phrases and Sayings [message #4713 is a reply to message #3367 ] |
Tue, 11 November 2008 17:19 |
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Hey Reading Angel--glad your great grandmother spelled her name right!
The worst thing for me was my friend's kids, one of which--when she was little--called me Aunt Shitty. She was too little to be making fun--that's just how it came out. Was really fun when we were in public.
"And by the way you look fantastic in your boots of Chinese plastic."
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| Re: Local Phrases and Sayings [message #4741 is a reply to message #4698 ] |
Tue, 11 November 2008 18:35 |
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Well, this particular class is all about reading the literature and then watching the movies and discussing the similarities and the differences and the whys. We are watching 300 next(the discussion is Thursday), which I am kind of squicked out by because I've heard how much gore there is in it..
"The center of every man's existence is a dream. Death, disease, insanity, are merely material accidents, like a toothache or a twisted ankle. That these brutal forces always besiege and often capture the citadel does not prove that they are the citadel."
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| Re: Local Phrases and Sayings [message #4745 is a reply to message #3367 ] |
Tue, 11 November 2008 18:38 |
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Remember to close your eyes through everything but the credits.
"And by the way you look fantastic in your boots of Chinese plastic."
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| Re: Local Phrases and Sayings [message #4748 is a reply to message #4713 ] |
Tue, 11 November 2008 18:41 |
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Actually, Shelley was her last name... Her second husband was Buster Shelley and she was Madge Shelley, so the great grandkids called them Grandpa Buster and Grandmother Shelley of course. It was years before I discovered her first name was actually Madge. Speaking of, my Granny's sister has always been called Annie Mildred - I was probably 18 or so before I realized that was my Mom and aunt saying "Auntie"(without pronouncing the T, of course, like proper Southerners). I could never figure out why they didn't just called her "Annie".
"The center of every man's existence is a dream. Death, disease, insanity, are merely material accidents, like a toothache or a twisted ankle. That these brutal forces always besiege and often capture the citadel does not prove that they are the citadel."
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| Re: Local Phrases and Sayings [message #4750 is a reply to message #4745 ] |
Tue, 11 November 2008 18:43 |
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I plan on hiding behind a blanket with my teddy bear through the whole thing. The worst part is that I have to take notes so I can write up a summary for class.
"The center of every man's existence is a dream. Death, disease, insanity, are merely material accidents, like a toothache or a twisted ankle. That these brutal forces always besiege and often capture the citadel does not prove that they are the citadel."
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| Re: Local Phrases and Sayings [message #4752 is a reply to message #4750 ] |
Tue, 11 November 2008 18:54 |
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Susan from Athens
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Location: Athens, Greece |
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| Reading Angel wrote on Wed, 12 November 2008 01:43 |
I plan on hiding behind a blanket with my teddy bear through the whole thing. The worst part is that I have to take notes so I can write up a summary for class.
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There's gore galore, but also quite a bit of eye candy too!  And gratuitous racism. If you can, read Herodotus before you see this (the description takes a couple of pages at the most, if I remember correctly).
Of course, one has to say, that gore in this instance is probably historically accurate. The battle waged for days. One of the most beautiful epigrammes in Ancient Greek is "Ω ξειν, αγγέλειν Λακεδαιμονίοις, ότι τοίδε κοίμεθα, τοις κείνων ρήμασι πειθόμενοι" (O stranger, inform the Spartans that there we lie, ever obedient to their laws - Simonides of Kea). - I have no idea if the Greek will appear as Greek or as mumbo-jumbo.
“I have always imagined heaven to be a kind of library.” –Jorge Luis Borges
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| Re: Local Phrases and Sayings [message #4754 is a reply to message #4745 ] |
Tue, 11 November 2008 19:08 |
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| ssshunt wrote on Tue, 11 November 2008 18:38 |
Remember to close your eyes through everything but the credits.
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And the parts with David Wenham in nothing but leather underwear. Those parts are okay too.
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| Re: Local Phrases and Sayings [message #4762 is a reply to message #4752 ] |
Tue, 11 November 2008 19:37 |
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Yeah, we read and discussed portions of Herodotus(and the quote from Simonides) all last week and the Thursday of the week before. Today we discussed The 300 Spartans and Thursday we discuss 300.
((it shows up as Greek on my computer))
We certainly get off topic a lot, don't we? I just realised what thread this conversation is in... *sigh* Oh well...
[Updated on: Tue, 11 November 2008 19:40]
"The center of every man's existence is a dream. Death, disease, insanity, are merely material accidents, like a toothache or a twisted ankle. That these brutal forces always besiege and often capture the citadel does not prove that they are the citadel."
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| Re: Local Phrases and Sayings [message #4775 is a reply to message #3367 ] |
Tue, 11 November 2008 20:32 |
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afuzzybird
Messages: 38
Registered: October 2008
Location: Madison, WI |
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Also, 300 is BORING. I found it to be boring, ridiculous, and gory, in that order. It feels like it's all in slow motion, with people shouting "SPARTA" at intervals, and then a lot of hacking and hewing. I watched it with my roommate whose friend had bought her a bootlegged copy in Mexico before it was out. A complete waste of $5 if you ask me...but it's not the kind of thing I would have paid for in the first place.
"He envisioned a world where bears could tell jokes, chickens could sing, pigs could be stars and they all could ride bicycles." -- Frank Oz about Jim Henson
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| Re: Local Phrases and Sayings [message #4797 is a reply to message #3367 ] |
Tue, 11 November 2008 22:17 |
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do you know how many times i was asked where clyde was when i was growing up.
Bonnie Holmes the faster ahead I go, the more behind I get
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| Re: Local Phrases and Sayings [message #4822 is a reply to message #3367 ] |
Wed, 12 November 2008 10:54 |
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I have a question - in our house we tend to use the phrase "off the internet(etc)" to mean from the internet. If I say I ordered something "off of eBay" it means by using eBay. Does anyone else use this and where did it come from? Because it seems like it ought to be "on the internet" and "on eBay" etc, but when I'm talking I tend to say the other.
"The center of every man's existence is a dream. Death, disease, insanity, are merely material accidents, like a toothache or a twisted ankle. That these brutal forces always besiege and often capture the citadel does not prove that they are the citadel."
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| Re: Local Phrases and Sayings [message #4836 is a reply to message #3367 ] |
Wed, 12 November 2008 13:29 |
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I speak that way--I just bought a guitar off eBay. It must be a Texas thing.
And here in Utah they say "up to the." "I'm going up to the store," etc. Sounded so odd when I first moved here. Well, that, and the early morning avalanch (sp) reports. I would listen and think "I'm not in Texas anymore..."
"And by the way you look fantastic in your boots of Chinese plastic."
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| Re: Local Phrases and Sayings [message #4837 is a reply to message #3367 ] |
Wed, 12 November 2008 13:30 |
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Oh, and Bonnie, growing up my best friend was Bonnie, and she got her share of Clyde jokes as well.
"And by the way you look fantastic in your boots of Chinese plastic."
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| Re: Local Phrases and Sayings [message #4842 is a reply to message #4822 ] |
Wed, 12 November 2008 13:41 |
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It's definitely a phrase I use. I have to admit that I have no idea where it comes from though.
Don't worry about the dust bunnies, they're just here to guard the treasure.....
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| Re: Local Phrases and Sayings [message #4875 is a reply to message #4253 ] |
Wed, 12 November 2008 19:37 |
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Blogmom
Messages: 1270
Registered: September 2008 |
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| Kathy_S wrote on Sun, 09 November 2008 01:14 |
This is such an interesting thread!
My own language is a bit mongrelized, between a mother from Virginia, a father from the "y'uns" part of Pennsylvania (short for "you ones" via "you'uns"), and enough time to pick up language in several states.
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Is this a part of Pennsylvania where people haspirate their haitches or not? I always thought that I had the generic American English accent until a linguist friend of mine pointed out that I didn't aspirate the aitch in who, what, when, where and this was a legacy of my father's West Pennsylvania upbringing.
Do you have the construction, "the thing is is that" embedded in your speech?
-- Karen (wot?)
If you have a garden and a library [and cats], you have everything you need. -- Marcus Tullius Cicero
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| Re: Local Phrases and Sayings [message #4877 is a reply to message #3367 ] |
Wed, 12 November 2008 19:56 |
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Something you hear here and there in churches--"fornification." I remember first reading the Bible when I was old enough to understand it, a bit, and I couldn't figure out if my Bible was wrong or where the "fi" had gone...
"And by the way you look fantastic in your boots of Chinese plastic."
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| Re: Local Phrases and Sayings [message #4882 is a reply to message #4837 ] |
Wed, 12 November 2008 20:25 |
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| ssshunt wrote on Wed, 12 November 2008 13:30 |
Oh, and Bonnie, growing up my best friend was Bonnie, and she got her share of Clyde jokes as well.
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did she also get people sing my bonnie lies over the ocean to her also.
Bonnie Holmes the faster ahead I go, the more behind I get
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| Re: Local Phrases and Sayings [message #4897 is a reply to message #3367 ] |
Wed, 12 November 2008 21:14 |
skating librarian
Messages: 570
Registered: October 2008
Location: Vermont |
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Of course New England is rich in localisms of all sorts.
One of my mother's favorites was "It's going to clear, there's a patch of blue (sky) big enough to mend a Dutchman's britches."
The only non familial reference to this saying I've ever heard was in Sweden ... while on a tour of the Town Hall in Stockholm. I highly recommend the tour ... when I took it the guide knew that it was George Washington's birthday that day, and he switched between Swedish, English, and French without missing a beat.
A more modern usage is "wicked" as adjective ... generally meaning "very", as in "It was wicked cold this morning." It also carries a suggestion of "cool". As in this conversation: "Robin will have another book coming out next year." "Wicked!"
And then there's "Ayuh" or "Ayup" with variations in spelling and pronunciation. In Vermont it sometimes sounds more like ay-unh.
One I've found interesting is the reference to the place where one goes shopping, to the library, etc. variously as "downtown", "up town", "down street", "up street" and of course just "town."
"Winning a war is like winning an earthquake" Jeanette Rankin
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I'd seen Spartacus for history-class some years earlier. (That was the second time I watched I Claudius - and what really boggles my mind - now - is how young I must have been the first time I saw it; it wasn't in the '70s, rather the early '80s - but surely I couldn't have been more than - oh, I don't know - 11 maybe?) 
