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I'm from NY. I say sneakers not tennis shoes. Beach slippers not flip flops. Hero not grinder. Soda or Coke not pop. I say ga head instead of go a head. Stoop instead of steps.
Some people here (mostly the older generation) refer to flip flops as thongs. I'm like "please don't call it that."
I'm about to lower the level of discourse here. When I was growing up in the early 60's, a woman's privates were called "c*ck. This was in southern WV. (PS The software here wouldn't let me spell it out.)
When I was in Western PA I told them that I got a tobaggan for Christmas. They said, "How big is it?" I said, "Big enough to fit on my head." They said, "What???" I was talking about a winter hat, but they thought it was a sled. That's okay, I didn't know what they meant by "red up" "nebby" and "gum band". (I do now.)
Also when I was in CT someone said, "What's the big idear drinking all of our soder?" I guess I consumed too many soft drinks.
Although I have lived in the South most of my life, I will occasionally catch me or someone saying "Soda Pop". But these two words are always together when we call a soft drink something besides a coke. Never soda or pop but soda pop. Most of the time we just use coke although many people aren't coke drinks (I personally love coke).
In Oklahoma it's always been "coke"....period. Occasionally, you will hear someone say "soft drink." I had never heard "soda" until I live on the East/West Coast as well as when I spent some time in the Midwest.
LOL, well as if sneakers is better? When I hear the term sneakers, I envision someone sneaking around, walking on their tippy toes, trying not to make a sound
Absolutely. "Sneakers" just sounds plain wierd. How can that refer to the things we put on our feet?! "Tennis shoes" is much more descriptive and accurate IMO.
This thread is great! NYC here, I'd be really confused if someone told me to put on my tennis shoes, as I have no special shoes for playing tennis. Sneakers definitely.
So if coke is used for soda in the south, what if you actually want a Coke? Do you have to specify Coca Cola?
Funny about the coke map. It shows Ca, as saying "soda". I'm from San Diego and never used the term soda before. We always said "coke". My friends and I thought "soda" or "pop" was just too dorky for us to say,lol.
When we moved to Missouri, that's when my husband started using the word "soda". I still cringe everytime he says it,lol.
We also have switched from "bag" to "sack" and more times than not, I'll use the term "buggy" now instead of "cart". My little ones ALWAYS refer to it as "buggy" now since that's all they know so I try to sound more like them I guess,lol.
Also, tennies vs sneakers. Again, sneakers was just too dorky to say. It's either tennies or "tennAshoes". Funny, I know they are tennis shoes, but I never actually say "tennis" it's more tenna? Maybe that's just me,lol.
I say freeway instead of interstate
I say flip flops instead of thongs. Which now thongs are a whole new meaning. I always thought "thongs" (the flip flop kind) to be more of the cheapy flip flops that you get for a dollar.
Oh, and about "prawns". I never actually heard people call them prawns except at restaurants. Alot of times they would be on the menu as prawns so we'd order them that way, but more people just say "shrimp". I always used to wonder if a prawn was something different than just a regular shrimp,lol
And the term "grinder". I never heard that term, except we did have a sub shop called "grinder" so that's the only place it was used! We called them subs.
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it's more tenna? Maybe that's just me,lol.
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No that's actually how most Southerners I know pronounce it.....even though it's obviously spelled t-e-n-n-i-s shoes.
Absolutely. "Sneakers" just sounds plain wierd. How can that refer to the things we put on our feet?! "Tennis shoes" is much more descriptive and accurate IMO.
Quite simple. Sneakers is a term that goes back to 100 years and refers to rubber/synthetic sole shoes, as opposed to the old-fashioned leather-sole shoes which make a clip-clap sound when you walk down the street. The rubber sole shoes don't make such noises, and therefore are shoes you could "sneak around in." I don't play tennis in my sneakers
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