A funny thread----Boston'isms (Haverhill, Billerica, Gloucester: homes, wedding, school)

[BillyPilgrim]

"Dawn breaks over Marblehead." And absolutely "packie!"

[puffle]

Why is it that some people that have lived in Ma. forever have accents and some don't. Does the North differ much from the South? Great thread by the way.

[BillyPilgrim]

And it's R' Dieland.

[puffle]

Originally Posted by BillyPilgrim

And it's R' Dieland.

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[CityGirl52]

Puffle, I always wondered that myself with Mass. accents! Even down on the South Shore there's a little accent change! I grew up in the city and my 2 younger sisters have accents, you'd swear they grew up in the mid-west! Where it came from is beyond me and my parents, because our Boston accent stuck, it'll never leave us! My accent's as thick as can be and you'd swear to God my sisters lived & grew up out in the state of Idaho or something! They were young teenagers when they moved to southern NH from Boston and whatever happened; it definitely stuck for them. Who knows...it's only a matter of 45 miles too! It was always strange to me and my parents and I will NOT be following them down their paths, I'll stick with my "thick Bawston" accent, thank you very much!

Don't forget not only was there a "packie" on every corner in the different towns, but the "paddy wagons" were cruisin' through there too!

Did any one of you out there ever hear of half ball? I was a "fan" with my friends, we'd watch the guys; especially when it was the "big" one every year between different groups of guys in the town. It was played a LOT in the city, especially in the nice weather.

Here's a poem for you, speaking of "accents & traditions; but this one is a real Boston memory, the rest of you out there? Have no idea what you missed not growing up there! Here's also an interesting site to check out half ball:

Streetplay.com: The Games > Halfball

Dorchestah, Charlestown and all through the Hub
Southie and J.P. have many a pub.
Halfballs the game and that is the truth
These fellows all played it during their youth.
Where did it staht, this game of the street.
Hyde Pahk, West Roxbury or down Dudley street?
They all claim it's theirs, this game some don't get.
Like Ruth being sold for "No No Nannette."
The Red line, the Blue line, the Orange line too
Some say it stahted at the Franklin Park Zoo.
Halfball it's said, brings you closer to heaven
Did it staht in Scolly Square, by someone named Kevin?
You may just have your own little notion
How Boston's halfball was set in it's motion.
Wherever it stahted, it stahted a trend
Old timers say it was in the West End.
Boston's the place if you wanted a game
Stickball's for New Yorkers it's just not the same.
Whiffleball's for children, who pitch with an ahk
Halfball's for hitters just like Fenway Pahk.

[CaseyB]

Originally Posted by puffle

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Rhode Island.

The accent is somewhat geographical and also somewhat a class thing.

New Hampshire natives have more of the typical yankee accent. You should hear my uncle.

As bad as the Boston accent is, I think the Rhode Island accent is worse.

[LeavingMA]

Originally Posted by CaseyB

Rhode Island.

The accent is somewhat geographical and also somewhat a class thing.

New Hampshire natives have more of the typical yankee accent. You should hear my uncle.

As bad as the Boston accent is, I think the Rhode Island accent is worse.

I agree, you definitely notice a stronger accent in Rhode Island.

[Rhaven]

Packie is a definite. Having moved down to the south now, no one knows what the heck I mean when I ask where's the closest packie store.

As for accents I noticed this too. I've never had the Bahstahn accent, and was asked repeatedly when I lived there where I came from originally (born in Cambridge, raised in Mass my whole life.) My husband doesn't have one either.

[Lindsey_Mcfarren]

I remember the term "wicked", as in "that was wicked" rather then awesome.

A friend of mine used to live in Carver (South Shore) on a cranberry bog. She said her family were swamp Yankees, sort of like rednecks only the Yankee version.

[findingmesomeday]

Then there are the town names.

PEE-bdy, not Pea-BODY
Wuhstah, not Wor-chester
Swampscitt, not Swampscott
Billricer, not Billerica

and so on!