101 ways you know you're from boston

[AnonChick]

Originally Posted by ogre

Thanks to those who filled me in on Andrew and the cookies.

Regarding the smoot, according to this article Smoot - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, "One smoot is equal to Oliver Smoot's height at the time of the prank (five feet and seven inches ~1.70 m).[1] The bridge's length was measured to be 364.4 smoots (620.1 m) plus or minus one ear, with the "plus or minus" intended to express uncertainty of measurement.[2] Over the years the "or minus" portion has gone astray in many citations, including the commemorative plaque and markings at the site itself."

An interesting bit of info I picked up from this article had to do with the desire of various people to see the smoot markings preserved when the bridge was refurbished in the '80's. I remember hearing about the Save-the-Smoot movement at the time, but I never heard about something related in the article, which is that even the Cambridge PD got in on the act of wanting the markings saved. Seems they had gotten accustomed to using smoot markings as a way to identify the locations of accidents on the bridge. Ah, yes, truly a nice bit of quirky local color, with supporters from many quarters.

Old old post I know - I lived at the end of that block on Beacon. The old Fensgate Hotel, which was converted to an Emerson College dorm (I think it's condos now). From the end of the bridge, you'd take a right and pass I think 3 different BU frats and the Church of Scientology mothership (it was really a toll booth - you had to answer a 4000-question survey and be informed that you're suffering from massive depression, in order to pass through). I used to perform every week at the Crossroads open mic night on mondays. And we honored Oliver Smoot on most Saturdays during our foray into Cambridge.

I'm not a native Bostonian, but I could relate to most of those points on post #1, and thought they were funny! Brought back some great memories of living in Boston from 1979-1986. And - is Rileys still there, in Allston? They were a "rival" bar to the place I hung out with - I can't remember its name. It was a nasty little cesspit of a bar with 25-cent drafts and a pool table in the back, where we could smoke pot and no one cared. Some of the Rileys regulars would fight with some of the regulars in the other dive pretty much every other day. The cops didn't even waste their time on them; they probably figured it was just nature, culling her herd.

[ocelotusa]

Radio jingle: "How many cookies did Andrew eat? ANdrew 8-8000!"

[CaseyB]

Originally Posted by ocelotusa

Radio jingle: "How many cookies did Andrew eat? ANdrew 8-8000!"

"How do you keep your carpet clean? Call Andrew 8-8000."

[pikabike]

Haha, great list not to be taken so literally as some sourpusses might be doing.

I was born in the old Lying-In hospital and lived in Boston and around it for thirty years. Yes, I think that constitutes being a native Bostonian though I moved away later. There are one or two items on that list that puzzled me, but even nonsports-fan me recognized the sports idol names and how they were a household term.

Gee, thanks for dredging up Willie Whistle! My brother had that on the TV and every time Willie made that friggin’ sound I wanted to yank the power cord.

But I grew up thinking jimmies were exclusively a Brigham’s Ice Cream thing. Brigham’s itself should be on that list, because their first store was in Newton Highlands. Then it became a second Ice Cream Factory store (the first was in Brookline).

Spuckies? Nope, not a common term even though I heard it a couple of times. But don’t forget “statie”!!! Goes with knowing “packie”.

Some might also remember the name of an infamous slumlord in Boston, Morris (or was it Maurice?) Gordon. The suspicious fires on Symphony Street. Back in the more famous Strangler days.

[BOS2IAD]

My mother, aunt and uncle were all born in the Lying-In Hospital. My brothers and I were born in the long gone Longwood Hospital.

One of my brothers liked to imitate Willie Whistle...haven't thought about that in years.

Years ago, my husband (before I knew him) worked at Brigham's in the Pru.

Yes, the slumlord was Maurice Gordon.

[CaseyB]

My oldest daughter was one of the last babies born at the Lying-In. They were closing that week, so the nurses gave me cases of diapers, formula, bath stuff, etc because it was all going to get tossed anyway.

Coincidentally, her husband was also born there a year earlier and his mother and I had te same doctor.

[BOS2IAD]

Originally Posted by CaseyB

My oldest daughter was one of the last babies born at the Lying-In. They were closing that week, so the nurses gave me cases of diapers, formula, bath stuff, etc because it was all going to get tossed anyway.

Coincidentally, her husband was also born there a year earlier and his mother and I had te same doctor.

Wow! It was like you hit the jackpot when the Lying-In gave you all those supplies! What a nice coincidence discovering that your son-in-law was also born there, too.

[BOS2IAD]

Okay. I know this is an old thread but, IMO, it's a thread that ages well.

Looking again at the list in the OP, I do take issue with #70. Not only did we eat at Durgin Park but so did my parents and grandparents. I recall my Dad taking me there once when I was a kid. He worked on Court Street and would have his lunch there every so often. While he had described what it was like, I was still surprised to see the long tables and bare light bulbs on the ceiling. It was a place to get an inexpensive but filling meal. If I recall correctly, we had the Yankee Pot Roast.

Fast forward many years later, we were in town for a family reunion. Our adult daughter joined us as we had planned a few days in Boston prior to the reunion. We took her to Durgin Park. By then Ark Restaurants had taken it over and did away with the spare decor. I let her know that she was the fourth generation to have dined there.

A few years after that, while in town, my husband and I decided to have lunch there. Our waitress was an older lady who very clearly was a native. When it was time to order, I said to her that we were going to relive our childhoods by having some franks and beans. Then we all got to talking about how every Saturday night that was dinner and comparing how our mothers served it up.

It's a shame that Durgin Park couldn't survive. I read it was that the Millennials didn't want any of the food they served. Too bad. We had hoped to get our grandkids there. Well...at least we can get them to the Swan Boats. They will be the fifth generation to ride them.