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2018-01-03, 03:47 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Feb 2013
Odd Regional Phases and Expressions
The other day I was talking with my coworker on the direction that self-help books and counseling were steering me and how I wish I could move past going after dreams so I could focus more on doing something useful. He told me that dreams are important and anyone that thinks otherwise "can go butt a stump."
That's a saying that I've never heard before. "Butt a stump." Evidently it's an Okie expression, which I guess explains why I'd never heard it before. I'm still turning that phrase over in my head, wondering what its literal meaning, its origin and why people in Oklahoma use it. (If anyone knows, I'd be very happy if you told me.)
Does anyone else have a story of encountering an unfamiliar expression and being momentarily confused?
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2018-01-03, 04:48 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Apr 2013
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Re: Odd Regional Phases and Expressions
Sounds like the meaning is 'run headfirst into a tree stump'.
Unfamiliar idioms occur all the time. We're just too old to remember how we were exposed to many of them.
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2018-01-03, 05:19 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Nov 2009
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2018-01-03, 06:13 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Oct 2015
- Location
- Berlin
- Gender
Re: Odd Regional Phases and Expressions
That's a pretty common occurrence in german speaking countries. "School German" is relatively new in contrast to "Regional German", with each dialect having some old end deeply rooted connections to neighboring languages and dialects, often importing whole phrases. Half the time, I don't have the faintest clue what someone speaking in a foreign dialect means....
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2018-01-03, 09:04 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2015
- Location
- San Francisco Bay area
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Re: Odd Regional Phases and Expressions
"Jor", for "you're" (I even received a note saying "Jor invited to a party".
When I was around 20 years old and visiting Goleta, California, a young lady pointed out to me and my friends (all from Berkeley, California) one of our idioms, "You guys say hella a lot".
"Hella", being a version of "Hell of", meaning "very" or "many", and until then I never noticed my common use of the term.
We also used "don't harsh my mellow", but always self-mockingly.
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2018-01-03, 11:20 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Oct 2010
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Re: Odd Regional Phases and Expressions
Like to headbutt something.
As a native Oregonian my local dialect is nearly dead. Our population roughly doubled since I was born, almost entirely from Californian migration.
So for instance "the mountain is out" to mean a clear day was common when I was a kid but is becoming less so over time.Last edited by Tvtyrant; 2018-01-03 at 11:25 AM.
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2018-01-03, 12:57 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Feb 2013
Re: Odd Regional Phases and Expressions
I know it might not make any sense to me, because y'know... German slang might not translate into English at all, but could you give a specific example?
Though that does remind me of a time when I was learning Spanish. Someone from my class was watching a Bolivian movie without English subtitles with his cousin who's Mexican. While my classmate isn't comprehending the movie all that well, his cousin is busting up laughing. My classmate assumed that it's because his cousin understands the movie better being fluent in Spanish, so he asked him, "What's so funny about this?"
His cousin replied, "I'm laughing because I can't understand anything they're saying!"
As for me, I don't think I'd say "the mountain is out" unless there were an actual mountain to point to. Though since Mount Hood is easily visible from the middle of Portland on a clear day there usually would be one.
I used to quote Tom Peterson commercials whenever a guy with a crewcut would walk past a window. Though as you mentioned, because of all the transplants, nobody gets stuff like that anymore.
A while ago my friend who was actually born in Salem brought up Tom Peterson. I was stoked that I had finally met someone who remembered him! ("Free is a very good price!")Last edited by The Fury; 2018-01-03 at 01:09 PM.
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2018-01-03, 03:10 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Sep 2013
Re: Odd Regional Phases and Expressions
As a Canadian, I have to mention "eh?". It's part of the contract.
A potentially more obscure one more common in Eastern Canada and in construction: someone who is lazy is called a dog f**ker. Don't ask me how that started, but it's there. Although only a hoser would use such slang in polite company.
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2018-01-03, 03:33 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Jun 2017
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Re: Odd Regional Phases and Expressions
We have plenty of Canadian-isms, many of which are specific to one region. But even here in MB, I've heard the dog one, though in a slightly different form.
Specifically, someone who's goofing off, or not doing what they're supposed to, is said to be off "f***ing the dog". Which I guess got shortened to just calling them a "dog f***er".
I could go on all day with Canadianisms, most of which are just names for things, rather than phrases. Like the "two-four", not to be confused with a "twofer".
Or just how to handle someone leaving their toque on the chesterfield when they went to the co-op down the road.
Although my favourite is the bunnyhug. Do you know what a bunnyhug might be? Guess! It is only called this in Saskatchewan, and some parts of rural Manitoba where the term has spilled over.
Give up?
Spoiler: A Bunnyhug is...
A freaking hoodie.
Yeah. I don't get it either.
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2018-01-03, 03:48 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Dec 2015
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- San Francisco Bay area
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2018-01-03, 06:47 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Feb 2013
Re: Odd Regional Phases and Expressions
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2018-01-03, 07:32 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Jan 2016
Re: Odd Regional Phases and Expressions
Calling hamburgers steamed hams.
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2018-01-03, 07:51 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Oct 2010
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2018-01-03, 07:53 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Feb 2013
Re: Odd Regional Phases and Expressions
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2018-01-03, 08:11 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Sep 2013
Re: Odd Regional Phases and Expressions
Since I am Albertan, I consider Manitoba to be "near East". :P I only gave the example I did because I find that I am always surprised at what phrases are only in Canada. I knew that one seems to be more common in in Canada than elsewhere.
The best thing about bunnyhugs is when you get rabbit hoodies. Then you have a bunny bunnyhug. You then go hug someone to give a bunny bunnyhug hug.
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2018-01-03, 08:27 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Oct 2010
- Gender
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2018-01-03, 08:38 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Sep 2014
Re: Odd Regional Phases and Expressions
Not all hamburgers are grilled. Steamers are a thing. Also a meme.
Last edited by Razade; 2018-01-03 at 08:39 PM.
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2018-01-03, 09:06 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jan 2016
Re: Odd Regional Phases and Expressions
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2018-01-03, 10:18 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Feb 2013
Re: Odd Regional Phases and Expressions
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2018-01-03, 10:42 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Aug 2012
Re: Odd Regional Phases and Expressions
Local Aussie one for you, "I'm not here to f@#k spiders". Basically means you're here to work, not mess around.
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2018-01-03, 11:37 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Dec 2013
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Re: Odd Regional Phases and Expressions
A Pennsylvania-ism I like to share is "red up" meaning to clean something. Presumably its short for "ready up", ie prepare. So someone would go down to the crick to get some wudder so they can red up the winders.
“Evil is evil. Lesser, greater, middling, it's all the same. Proportions are negotiated, boundaries blurred. I'm not a pious hermit, I haven't done only good in my life. But if I'm to choose between one evil and another, then I prefer not to choose at all.”
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2018-01-04, 03:04 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Oct 2015
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- Berlin
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Re: Odd Regional Phases and Expressions
German dialects are nearly untranslatable, often because they have their own grammar and syntax.
Lets use the Bavarian dialect as an example: This is heavily influenced by french grammar and syntax, so instead of using the formal german version of "you" = "Sie", you work more closely with the french "S´il", but attach the "´s" to the main word. The phrase "please come here" would translate to "Kommen Sie bitte her" in german, but "Kommen´s bitte her" in bavarian, or more precisely "Koam´s bittschö hea" or "What do you want?" / "Was wollen Sie?" to "Waos woin´s?". So, quite often, non-bavarians either feel not talked to, or feel disrespected because they expect to hear the formal "Sie" and don't find it.
Another oddity would be the the greater Berlin area. The grammar there makes frequent use of "on" instead of "to", so people wouldn't say "I go to work" (Ich gehe arbeiten), but rather "I go on work" (Ich gehe auf Arbeit), which is not like talking about an activity, but more like announcing a status.
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2018-01-04, 09:19 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2009
- Location
- Washington D.C.
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Re: Odd Regional Phases and Expressions
Last edited by Peelee; 2018-01-04 at 10:53 AM.
Cuthalion's art is the prettiest art of all the art. Like my avatar.
Number of times Roland St. Jude has sworn revenge upon me: 2
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2018-01-04, 10:34 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Jun 2017
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Re: Odd Regional Phases and Expressions
Last edited by ve4grm; 2018-01-04 at 10:34 AM.
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2018-01-05, 12:28 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- May 2010
- Location
- Its Complicated
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Re: Odd Regional Phases and Expressions
Ex-South Carolinian here and I still confuse my friends from elsewhere with the occasional "Blessing his/her/their heart." While it may sound sweet it actually means something closer to "That person is acting like a moron."
I also still reflexively call people in authority "sir" or "ma'am" when I'm stressed out. I know a lot of non-Southerners find it more insulting than respectful but if I'm freaked out enough I forget.
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2018-01-05, 01:07 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- May 2006
- Location
- Wandering in Harrekh
- Gender
Re: Odd Regional Phases and Expressions
"Going to Buffalo by way of Cleveland" was one from my hometown (Erie, PA, located directly between those two cities). It meant, "doing an excessive amount of unnecessary work."
Another one happened to me when I moved to Washington, DC. I'd often hear people talking about going on a day trip to Boston. Confused me completely, until I figured out they were saying Ballston (a city in Virginia with a Metro stop).Last edited by Telonius; 2018-01-05 at 01:10 AM.
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2018-01-05, 02:16 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Mar 2010
Re: Odd Regional Phases and Expressions
I'm in "hon country." "Hon" is a perfectly appropriate, gender-neutral form of address to use for just about anyone.
Hail to the Lord of Death and Destruction!
CATNIP FOR THE CAT GOD! YARN FOR THE YARN THRONE! MILK FOR THE MILK BOWL!
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2018-01-05, 06:53 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Sep 2013
- Location
- In a swamp
- Gender
Re: Odd Regional Phases and Expressions
Cajun English. Some of these I only learned later in life were unusual. I still have a hard time imagining a world in which we don't say "why don't you get down with me?"
"Pass the mop" - mop/sweep the floor
"Come see" - come over here
"Save the plates" - put the dishes away
"Get down" - get out (of the car)
"Make groceries" - buy food
"Couillon" - an idiot
"Emmerder" - someone who's in everyone else's business. This is a verb in every other dialect.
And there are a bunch of extra names for all the animals too.CAELUM NON ANIMUM MUTAT QUI TRANS MARE CURRIT
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2018-01-05, 07:04 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- May 2010
- Location
- Its Complicated
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Re: Odd Regional Phases and Expressions
I also do the "make groceries" or "make shopping" occasionally. I thought it was a rare but more generalized Southernism.
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2018-01-05, 07:14 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2009
- Location
- Washington D.C.
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Re: Odd Regional Phases and Expressions
Cuthalion's art is the prettiest art of all the art. Like my avatar.
Number of times Roland St. Jude has sworn revenge upon me: 2