Dialect Quiz

[ExiledInIllinois]

 

 

So I answered this thing as I say things now...soda not pop, interstate not thruway etc, still had me Bufalo as primary. Interesting ad it Said sneakers was the big tell!

 

BTW, I say crick for some reason, not creek.

 

I say route with a ow sound

 

I will say crick but say root. My family nails me on the root thing. YET, isn't the song "root" 66? What is the correct way? Is there a correct way?

 

I took the test again and it pegged me even deeper from Buffalo! The map was astonishing. They did ask a few different questions though. Had me from Buffalo, Rochester, then Aurora, Illinois. I didn't realize that we say "sneakers" and that was a dead give away... Most people here in Illinois say "gym shoes." Huh?

 

I wonder if they analyzed the "sprinkles" (as on a donut or other bakegood) vs. "jimmies." LoL The whole jimmy thing, I think, stretches from Milwaukee, WI across to NYC.

[dhg]

It picked me #1 buffalo, #2 rochester #3 grand rapids.... Pretty cool

 

Same here...

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

I found it cool for the highway/freeway/thruway question, that when you answer thruway, there's a kind-of highlighted path right where the New York Thruway runs.

 

That is strange to me. I used to only call the NY State Thruway a "Thruway"-- everything else is a highway.

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

I finally got Rochester/Buffalo on the quiz. Who knew that "sneakers" was a WNY thing??

[Just Jack]

Got Rochester, Buffalo and Washington DC. Some of the questions, like the Service Road/Access Road, even though I knew what they meant, I had to think about what we'd call them here for my answer.

[Matt in KC]

This had me pegged at Buffalo/Rochester as well.

 

After taking the quiz, this article cracked me up!

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/shouts/2014/01/what-do-yall-yinz-and-yix-call-stretchy-office-supplies.html

[ExiledInIllinois]

 

 

That is strange to me. I used to only call the NY State Thruway a "Thruway"-- everything else is a highway.

 

Yet, agree a little... Highway is like a US route... Limited access roads w/ramps, divided, etc... ARE: Expressways. That I think is a northern thing?

 

I finally got Rochester/Buffalo on the quiz. Who knew that "sneakers" was a WNY thing??

 

Older people around here, Chicago, (especially older people) call them gym shoes... I thought WTF when I first moved here.

 

They do give different questions when you take it multiple times... I got some different questions w/my mobile device (on it now).

 

They should ask:

 

Road stop

Rest area

 

or Wayside

 

I noticed some questions are dead give aways to an area. Like water fountain. They call them "bubblers" up in Wisconsin... I was in Kohler, WI visting the Kohler Museum... I didn't know that that is where (and company) that invented the water fountain... They called them bubblers when they first came out.

 

Got Rochester, Buffalo and Washington DC. Some of the questions, like the Service Road/Access Road, even though I knew what they meant, I had to think about what we'd call them here for my answer.

 

I noticed that too... I had to answer: "never heard of that." So that pegged me back to BFLO I guess... BUT when I first came to the midwest, they call them "frontage roads." I was like WTF is a "frontage road."

 

So... I could have gone either way, yet, I pulled myself back closer to WNY.

 

Great thread!

Edited January 3, 2014 by ExiledInIllinois

[boyst]

That is strange to me. I used to only call the NY State Thruway a "Thruway"-- everything else is a highway.

That is something that bothered me because that is exactly what I thought of - NYS Thruway and Ohio Turnpike. They're both the names of the actual pieces.

 

Highway 109 is different then US64. Here a lot of people just call them by the #'s and not even highways or anything else. That's maybe because NC has more highways then anything else.

 

Got Rochester, Buffalo and Washington DC. Some of the questions, like the Service Road/Access Road, even though I knew what they meant, I had to think about what we'd call them here for my answer.

Again, like above. It drove me nuts. I had to think of what I would tell someone if I was talking to them, but depending on the road I'd use different names. Some I would call a path, log road or trail but in other places I might call it a service road or access road. If it was to a water pump station - service road. A path to no where in the woods - path. A road for loggers to get in and out, logging road.

 

I guess I've just learned to be literal in all my locations of residency.

[ExiledInIllinois]

 

That is something that bothered me because that is exactly what I thought of - NYS Thruway and Ohio Turnpike. They're both the names of the actual pieces.

 

Highway 109 is different then US64. Here a lot of people just call them by the #'s and not even highways or anything else. That's maybe because NC has more highways then anything else.

 

Again, like above. It drove me nuts. I had to think of what I would tell someone if I was talking to them, but depending on the road I'd use different names. Some I would call a path, log road or trail but in other places I might call it a service road or access road. If it was to a water pump station - service road. A path to no where in the woods - path. A road for loggers to get in and out, logging road.

 

I guess I've just learned to be literal in all my locations of residency.

 

Did you ever hear of: Frontage Road?

 

I think they use that term in Ohio?

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

I guess I've just learned to be literal in all my locations of residency.

 

Speaking of being literal, I do not use either soda or pop. I just call the drink by it's actual name-- i.e., "coke," sprite," "root beer."

[HamSandwhich]

That is something that bothered me because that is exactly what I thought of - NYS Thruway and Ohio Turnpike. They're both the names of the actual pieces.

 

Highway 109 is different then US64. Here a lot of people just call them by the #'s and not even highways or anything else. That's maybe because NC has more highways then anything else.

 

Again, like above. It drove me nuts. I had to think of what I would tell someone if I was talking to them, but depending on the road I'd use different names. Some I would call a path, log road or trail but in other places I might call it a service road or access road. If it was to a water pump station - service road. A path to no where in the woods - path. A road for loggers to get in and out, logging road.

 

I guess I've just learned to be literal in all my locations of residency.

 

I know what you're saying about calling highways etc by the numbers. Always 64, or 1, or 540 etc in Raleigh

[boyst]

Did you ever hear of: Frontage Road?

 

I think they use that term in Ohio?

Yeah, those are like service roads that run between points in a highway to highway, or highway to canal/river. So, if you were on the highway then got off to a smaller road then instead of using that road you chose a road that ran parallel to the canal, river, rail, that's what you'd call them - usually it'd be hilly, rougher, not refined. A service road, to me, is a legit road even if small and crap.

 

Speaking of being literal, I do not use either soda or pop. I just call the drink by it's actual name-- i.e., "coke," sprite," "root beer."

I did that once while in Charlotte. I asked if they had Pepsi, they said no. So, I just asked for a Coke. Funny thing, too. I had to get a glass of water to mix it myself and it didn't look like coke at all. Some sort of white syrup you mix in to the water. I figured it was like Pepsi Clear or something.

 

I know what you're saying about calling highways etc by the numbers. Always 64, or 1, or 540 etc in Raleigh

oh yeah, and the best part, they do this in big cities out West, too.

 

THE 540, THE Beltway, THE 1, THE THE THE THE

[ExiledInIllinois]

 

 

Speaking of being literal, I do not use either soda or pop. I just call the drink by it's actual name-- i.e., "coke," sprite," "root beer."

 

My sister worked w/a gal from Atlanta when they both worked up in Rochester, MN. My sister was going to the pop (soda) machine and asked the southern lady if she wanted something... She said: " A Coke." My sister brought her back a Coke. Her co-worker then said: "A Coke? I wanted an Orange Crush!"

 

WTF!

 

Frontage roads actually have addresses. Must be gridded off via the township?

 

 

Yeah, those are like service roads that run between points in a highway to highway, or highway to canal/river. So, if you were on the highway then got off to a smaller road then instead of using that road you chose a road that ran parallel to the canal, river, rail, that's what you'd call them - usually it'd be hilly, rougher, not refined. A service road, to me, is a legit road even if small and crap.

 

I did that once while in Charlotte. I asked if they had Pepsi, they said no. So, I just asked for a Coke. Funny thing, too. I had to get a glass of water to mix it myself and it didn't look like coke at all. Some sort of white syrup you mix in to the water. I figured it was like Pepsi Clear or something.

 

oh yeah, and the best part, they do this in big cities out West, too.

 

THE 540, THE Beltway, THE 1, THE THE THE THE

 

Gotta figure... Last mass migration out west came from more of The South.

Edited January 3, 2014 by ExiledInIllinois

[HamSandwhich]

Rochester, Buffalo, Madison. I'm from Binghamton but live in Raleigh right now. Its very dark red over where Binghamton is. Pretty accurate.

[Realist]

Had me pegged for Buffalo, the next two closest were Milwaukee and Aurora. Been in Raleigh for 17 years now and that's entirely blue.

[ExiledInIllinois]

I assume there is a question specific to each city. Say bubbler for water fountain and they will peg you from Milwaukee or Wisconsin. Our sneakers and thruway gave us away from BFLO. Same with other for day befor Halloween (Beggar's Night).

[Pete]

had me pegged for Worcester Springfield. I took it again- Springfield, Newark, Fort Lauderdale

[dib]

I've been in So. Florida for 34 years and my most similar cities were Buffalo and Rochester.

[ExiledInIllinois]

I've been in So. Florida for 34 years and my most similar cities were Buffalo and Rochester.

 

You sir need a cigar! You didn't give in to that God awful southern speak! It is even worse when they talk so slow and lazy and it sounds like they have marbles in their mouths! Your axis is still firmly planted west to east along the hard working north!

 

And yes, I meant to tease (the southerners)!