A funny thread----Boston'isms (Quincy, Haverhill: sale, houses, neighborhoods)

[BillyPilgrim]

Wicked pissa!

[surfingatwork]

packie, wicked, tonic I've said (still say) them all. Now I think this one is a north of boston thing, a jack 'n jill and no a jack 'n jill is NOT the same as a wedding shower.

[Valerie C]

Actually I never heard it referred to as "packie store", just Packie, as in:

Where's the nearest packie?
Didja need anything at the packie?
Who's making a packie run?

Originally Posted by 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.

Haverhill= Have (rymes with pave) + rill, not Hav-er-hill
Gloucester= Gloss-tah, not Glow-ces-ter
Salisbury= Salz-berry, not Sal-is-bury

Just over the Haverhill border in NH is Plaistow= Plas-toe (last syllable doesn't rhyme with cow)

Originally Posted by NChomesomeday

Then there are the town names.

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

and so on!

[Phouchg]

I haven't lived in Mass since 1994, but in my mind I still think of it as "Tonic" instead of "Soda" - in fact I was in my boss's office and I asked him if I could grab a tonic from his fridge - he gave me a funny stare and said "Oh, you mean pop?" (he's from Iowa). I said "Yeah, a soda!"

Oddly enough here in the Inland Empire of Southern California, I have seen "Grinder" for sub quite frequently on signs and in restaurants.

And of course, the things you sprinkle on ice cream are Jimmies, NOT SPRINKLES! But again, that term may have some usage - when I was in Las Vegas a couple of weeks ago a frozen custard stand referred to them as "Jimmies".

Luv-It Menu

Let's see...the side of the road is the "Breakdown Lane" not the "Shoulder", the thing that signals your lane change is a "Directional" not a "turn signal", Nobody in california "Bangs a U-ie" either.

The thing you push around the supermarket is the "Carriage" (my southern wife calls it a "buggy").

I don't drink coffee, but if you ask for a "regular" coffee in So Cal, they give you a black coffee. If you want "cream and sugar" you apparently have to ask for it that way. Of course everybody here goes to get their $5 Mocha-frappa-latta-chinos at Starbucks instead of Dunkin Donuts like true Americans. (There are no fewer than 6 Starbucks within a mile of my house, including one inside Target and one inside Albertson's (supermarket owned by the same people who own Shaw's)).

Nobody out here has heard of "American Chop Suey" or the game "45s" or "Candlepin Bowling".

On the other hand, yesterday it was sunny and 82 here in Redlands, and it was snowing wicked hard in my hometown of Haverhill. I'll take California!

BTW, I think I am Valerie C.'s brother...

[mobster75]

I was born and raised in the Boston area and never picked up much of a local accent. Although, I thought I *never* had it and last year happened to rummage through some old videos from when I was 15 or so and I was shocked and horrified to find I did actually have a somewhat obvious Boston-accent. My wife had a field day with that one "Never had the accent, huh?" Nowadays, it only seems to come out when I'm really really tired or playing craps.

So what's the deal w/ the packie? Why the heck is it called "the package store"? The only thing I could ever come up with was that it's a holdover from Prohibition: "We're going to pick up a 'package' on the way home from work".

[tamiznluv]

I always go to the "packie". I eat subs. I love chocolate frappes. I drink tonic.

In Rhode Island they eat grinders and drink "cabinets" (frappes)! I used to waitress at the old HoJos across from the Blue Hills (anyone remember that place?) and I learned what people wanted when they ordered cabinets! The first time I heard that I had no clue as to what they wanted! We didn't even have any Home Depots or Lowes back then so I couldn't be a smartass and tell them to go there!

[2KidsforMe]

What about "pocketbook" instead of purse? And the other day, my little boy and I were at the mall. He asked for a drink from the "bubbler". I said, what do you want honey? His answer-"wattah". From a born and raised SoCal girl, I was suprised. He must have got it at school.

[BillyPilgrim]

What about "pocketbook" instead of purse?

Pokkabook

[Valerie C]

It WAS snowing wicked hard in Haverhill yesterday, and in Londonderry NH too. Good to see you here Phouchg Did Acadia mention city-data to you? In any case, glad you came aboard!!

Ok, keeping on topic...

It's not a trash can, it's a barrel

They're not suckers, they're lollypops

They're not tennis shoes, they're sneakers

Originally Posted by Phouchg

On the other hand, yesterday it was sunny and 82 here in Redlands, and it was snowing wicked hard in my hometown of Haverhill. I'll take California!

BTW, I think I am Valerie C.'s brother...

[Valerie C]

I don't get it... is it a *bad* thing to have a Boston accent?

Originally Posted by mobster75

I was shocked and horrified to find I did actually have a somewhat obvious Boston-accent.