When you travel do people laugh at your boston accent ? (Cambridge: appointed, live)

[bgrasser]

Originally Posted by ben young

I lived in Charlestown ,Dorchester until 1966 I went in the Service. When on a Recon Team they wouldn't let me get near a radio, they only wanted Mid West guys on the ANPRIC.

I graduated Charlestown High (Electrical) in 1967 while living in DOT...I see you left in '66...Lucky!

[GeePee]

Originally Posted by Steve9999

That's true of most American accents. I think the Baltimore accent is all but dead with people under 30.

I think the internet and social media generalized and homogenized this and the next generations.

[RocketDawg]

Originally Posted by stanley-88888888

i'm guilty of a lot of these and didnt even know they were specific to mass:
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Appen...f_Boston_slang

The first time I flew into Boston, I asked the girl at the car rental counter a question about how to get somewhere, and she said something like "Go to the set of lights and bang a U-ie". She might have said "hang" a U-ie, but she was really hard to understand. It took me a while to figure out what she meant ... which I assume was "Make a U-turn at the traffic light". This was in the days before GPS nav so asking for directions was not unusual.

[RocketDawg]

Originally Posted by The_General

No girls from the South love it, just like New England girls love Southern accents

I suppose I'd better make more trips to New England then. I didn't know they liked it.

I actually don't have much of a Southern accent, but you'd have no trouble telling I'm not a Bostonian.

[RocketDawg]

Originally Posted by bostonguy1960

Not from here, so I don't and won't pronounce "scallops" properly, at least by local standards.

Seems much of the country says "scale-ups" whereas Boston or even a college roommate from West Springfield says "scahhl-ups." It may even be a New England thing? That sounds so educated, so Brahmin -- like Sen. John Kerry may pronounce it.

How do you all pronounce it?

I pronounce it with a short a. Rhymes with 'gallup', as in riding a horse.

[RocketDawg]

I once saw a picture of an information sign over a Boston freeway that said "Use ya blinkah".

And I agree ... in my trips to Boston, I'm not sure I ever saw a turn signal used.

I have a friend who lives somewhere southwest of Boston, I think inside the 485 loop but I can't remember the town. He's not a native, but his wife is from Fall River. Talking to her, she's from "Fall Rivva", and that she once saw a "dee-ah" on the side of the road. Sounded kinda cool.

[GeoffD]

Originally Posted by RocketDawg

The first time I flew into Boston, I asked the girl at the car rental counter a question about how to get somewhere, and she said something like "Go to the set of lights and bang a U-ie". She might have said "hang" a U-ie, but she was really hard to understand. It took me a while to figure out what she meant ... which I assume was "Make a U-turn at the traffic light". This was in the days before GPS nav so asking for directions was not unusual.

"Bang a U-ie" and "Hang a U-ie" are interchangeable. "Bang a U-ie and hang a right at the next light" would be normal slang in eastern Massachusetts or Rhode Island.

Originally Posted by RocketDawg

I once saw a picture of an information sign over a Boston freeway that said "Use ya blinkah".

That's one of 3 or 4 standard displays on the electronic sign boards. Using your turn signal is a sign of weakness just like making eye contact. Nobody yields, ever.

Originally Posted by RocketDawg

I have a friend who lives somewhere southwest of Boston, I think inside the 485 loop but I can't remember the town. He's not a native, but his wife is from Fall River. Talking to her, she's from "Fall Rivva", and that she once saw a "dee-ah" on the side of the road. Sounded kinda cool.

If they were talking to a Fall River native, they'd use "Fall Reeve". Similarly, New Bedford would be "New BehFuh" to you but "New Beige" to a native.

[stanley-88888888]

Originally Posted by RocketDawg

The first time I flew into Boston, I asked the girl at the car rental counter a question about how to get somewhere, and she said something like "Go to the set of lights and bang a U-ie". She might have said "hang" a U-ie, but she was really hard to understand. It took me a while to figure out what she meant ... which I assume was "Make a U-turn at the traffic light". This was in the days before GPS nav so asking for directions was not unusual.

i'm honestly surprised that bang a u-ie is boston slang ?




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLcDQMQ3Urg

[RocketDawg]

Originally Posted by GeoffD

"Bang a U-ie" and "Hang a U-ie" are interchangeable. "Bang a U-ie and hang a right at the next light" would be normal slang in eastern Massachusetts or Rhode Island.

I'm positive she said "set of lights" because at first I thought she'd said "satellites". As I said, it was hard to understand her, and she was young too, not an old time resident.

[G-fused]

I don't have an accent but think most people like it, including me. It adds character.