A funny thread----Boston'isms (Cambridge, Gloucester, Hingham: house, weddings, live in)

[CityGirl52]

Originally Posted by holden125

This is not so much about murdering the accent, but I just had an argument with someone at work in NYC about Boston Legal. She loves the show; I said I have no issues with it except that there's nothing particularly Boston about it. When you watch Law & Order, or Seinfeld, there's a more obvious NY vibe that is incorporated into the show. They recognize that NYC has a unique accent/attitude/culture, and that is reflected. Boston Legal, on the other hand, could be set just about anywhere and really shouldn't be set in Boston, since the antics of the characters strike me as particulary un-Boston.

Maybe Hollywood can't win, since Boston people don't like it when they mess up trying to re-create local flavor, and I don't like it when they fail even to make the effort. My colleague thinks I'm being too sensitive, but that strikes me as hollow coming from a New Yorker who can take for granted that Hollywood respects her city's uniqueness. It just bothers me since Boston is arguably the most local-centric and unique city in the US, above and beyond "pahking cahs," but you wouldn't know it watching David E. Kelley's shows.

Am I reading too much into this?

NO you're NOT reading too much into it at all. You hit the nail right on the head! I can't take that Boston Legal show, it drives my family & I CRAZY whenever it comes on! We have a couple of attorneys in my family and trust me, NONE of them behave that way, or act that way like they do on that foolish show! They never did act that way and they never will! They don't have to, because they have a style of their own that's unique to just each one of them. Yet, isn't it funny, the show wins award after award, year after year. Left and right! So obviously it must be just us in the Boston area that doesn't like the show! I don't know where these people in Hollywood lived all their lives. Under rocks? They're definitely clueless when it comes to Boston and the people in it! Yet, like I said and will always say about Ben Affleck, he had it down to a science! He was the only only one that had the Bahston accent down really well in "Gone Baby Gone"; but that's about IT when it comes to Hollywood! As far as the rest of the characters in Ben's movie? Oh a few of the characters in the movie were definitely right from Boston as we all know. Yet quite a few of them came from the "Jerry Springer Show" according to the clipping at the end of his movie, we couldn't stop laughing when we read that! Some of those jokers in the movie certainly did NOT come from Southie OR for that matter any where IN the Boston area, because they looked like they came from the hills or back woods some where, that's for damn sure! Where Hollywood got them is another story ALL together!

So there you go, even in Ben's movie? Hollywood was at it again!

[DanBosCalTex]

with my kids and when I am abysitting for a friend or something I always do this:
You place the kid on your knee and you bounce them saying...
Trot trot to Boston
Trot Trot to Lynn
Trot trot baby because
you
might
fall
IIIIINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!
and then you you pretend that they fall of your knee

also

Daddy goes to work
in his little car
to make lots of money
FOR WHO?
Emily his honey!

Everyone busts up when I do it.

One other Bostonianism
"Irish Twins"-siblings born less than one year apart

I grew up on the South Shore, joined the Marines for 8 years and came back home. I ended up getting laid off after 3 years and the company offered me 2 positions 1 in California and one in Boston, My dumb now ex-wife wanted to come back to Cali, 6 months later we were divorced. I never should have come back here. I hate it. But I am moving to Texas now cause i need a big cheap house for me and all mine and my girlfriends kids(we got 5!!!!). Eventually I am going to get back to Mass it just won't be till I retire probably.

I figure I'll buy a place on the Cape or maybe I'll go up north to NH or Maine.

BTW remember that old battleship they use to use for target practice?
and the Christmas tree shop. I bought a bunch of buoys there for like a buck each and I wanted to get some more to decorate my office but everywhere I look they want like 50 bucks thats crazy!!!!

[DanBosCalTex]

Just thought of 2 more:
the pitts-a place to ride an off-road vehicle
the dump-a landfill or other place to dispose of trash

[CityGirl52]

I remember those songs too, like it was yesterday! This one was said like this in the town, "Want to go to Boston, Want to go to Lynn?" Watch out little baby that you don't fall INNNN!"

Those "Christmas Tree Shops are all over the place around here. It used to be that we'd go down "the Cape" to there's and that was a treat just being at that one, now they're ALL over the place. New Hampshire has one in Nashua, Salem & No. Conway. Every one's patiently waiting for the Portsmouth, NH one to open at the end of this year, so if you move up at this neck of the woods some day you'll have to make sure you're near one of them! There's 16 Christmas Tree Shops in Massachusetts alone, ALL over the state. They're also in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont & Connecticut now too.

We still love the ones down the Cape, there's just something about them there!

You could email the Christmas Tree Shops webmaster or call their # to find out if they have any more of those buoys. They'd probably be able to tell you how to get them:

888 287-3232 or email them at webmaster@christmastreeshops.com

Christmas Tree Shops - Don't You Just Love a Bargain

Click on FLYER and you'll see all the numbered pages of ads. I don't think you can order online with them though. That's the thing that surprised me. They want you to go right to their stores I guess instead...

Another thought for you is to check out BIG LOTS. They're all over the place now too AND I think you can order online from them evidently.

BigLots.com, Brand Names. Closeout Prices.

One last place that's good too for bargains around New England and one of those buoys could be in their store, one never knows. I guess you can order online too with these people. It's called the "Ocean State Job Lot", they're springing up every where, it's the type of place that you never know what you're going to find in them once you walk in! They're kind of neat!

Ocean State Job Lot - Home

Good luck with your move to Texas! I always look online at property there myself! WOW, the prices are awesome compared to up here!!! You'll probably find a McMansion for sure as opposed to what you'd be living in up here in New England or out in California!!!

My cat just decided to walk across the key board so "gotta run" which is a Bahston saying now isn't it!!! Also these...."See ya later" "Talk to you later" "Later" "God Speed" "God Bless!!"

[Valerie C]

That's because Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are really FROM Boston (Cambridge, actually) So yeah, I guess they've got the accent down to a science like anyone else who grew up in the city

Originally Posted by CityGirl52

Yet, like I said and will always say about Ben Affleck, he had it down to a science! He was the only only one that had the Bahston accent down really well in "Gone Baby Gone"; but that's about IT when it comes to Hollywood!

[neil0311]

Originally Posted by Patapsco

I grew up in Maryland, with parents from Indiana, and they were always sneakers.

I grew up in NYC, and they were always sneakers. In the northeast, people say sneakers, but where I live now in Atlanta, a lot of natives call them "tennis shoes", even though they are not exclusively for tennis.

[goyguy]

Lynn, Lynn
City o' sin
Ya don't go out
The way ya went in

Hey Johnny, it's summah, tell ya Mar it's time you get a wiffle! Or maybe ya Nana could take you to the bahba fa rit.

[Rhaven]

Originally Posted by DanBosCalTex

with my kids and when I am abysitting for a friend or something I always do this:
You place the kid on your knee and you bounce them saying...
Trot trot to Boston
Trot Trot to Lynn
Trot trot baby because
you
might
fall
IIIIINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!
and then you you pretend that they fall of your knee

I do this as well, just a touch different:

trot trot to Boston
trot trot to Lynn
Watch out (say babys name)
you might fall in!

No one here in NC has any idea wth Im talking about, but my 1 yr old loves it =)

[davfar]

Originally Posted by holden125

There are lots of them but I can start it off. My uncle used to ask us, writing out the letters on paper, what these meant:

T.S.
E.S.
C.S.
P.S.D.S.


T.S. = when (or what?) you cry
E.S. = what you hear with
C.S. = a department store started with Roebuck
P.S.D.S. = what you have if you can wear earrings

Too funny...saying those really makes me feel like I have a Boston accent...which I love by the way.

We use the term package store in CT too.

[BillyPilgrim]

"What dialect did the Boston accent actually come from? Was it the Irish or English, originally? It is so unique, the way North Dakota or Wisconsin takes after the original settlers accents too. "

Lincolnshire/East Anglia