I am up to my elbows in elephants and alligators. In other words, I’m in the middle of several large projects. Large projects with lots of words, whoopensocker words.
Words and phrases are fascinating, aren’t they? When you add in regional influences, phases that may be familiar to you confuse someone new to your area.
The word potluck can be covered dish supper, or a pitch in depending upon where you are in the United States. In Canada it’s a washroom, not a restroom or a bathroom. It’s a loo in England. Coffee in South America is expresso in the U.S.
Interested in learning more quirky words? The Regional Dialect Challenge is a meme that has been floating around on the internet for a few years. People who participated in the challenge recorded themselves reading a list of words and answering several questions. Go to Youtube and search for Regional Dialect to get a list of videos done all over the world. If you have time for only one, check out this young man from South Wales:
Folks in Wisconsin use Whoopensocker. It means something that is wonderfully unique. Check out mentalfloss.com to learn more about whoopensocker and other fun regional American words.
“Whoopensocker” is one I hadn’t heard before! I thought it was funny when a friend from northeast Ohio called a shopping cart a “buggy.” To me, a buggy is what Amish people drive, or what you take a sleeping baby for a walk in.
Oh, good one, Jennette. Buggy means the same thing to me as it does you. Regional words are so much fun! Thanks for sharing.
Fun post! Words and dialects are fascinating and hilarious. This video was pretty funny, too.
The words “oil” and “foil” sound more like “oal” and “foal” when my family gets together. Cracks me up when my mom, sister, or aunt ask for the “aluminum foal”! And, no, I don’t say it that way. 😉
Thanks, Diana. Oh my, I think I’d be cracking up if someone asked me for the aluminum foal, too. How did you escape that particular way of speaking?
Hi Lynette! Whoopensocker? That’s a new one for me too. Sounds a bit German. It’s interesting how certain words or things have different meaning according to where you live. Funny what Jennette said about the buggy. When hubby and I married, he was from Cleveland and I’m from southern California. He called a shopping cart “buggy” and I looked at him like, “What are you talking about?” If that was the worst of our problems, so be it. He can call it anything he wants. Although he drop “buggy” from his vocabulary a long time ago. LOL! We all want to fit in, don’t we? 🙂
You are so right, Karen. Sometimes wanting to fit in means we change word usage so that it doesn’t stick out as different which is kind of a shame. I love these words.