So how's the Maine "Language?" (Presque Isle, Yarmouth: live, shoppers)

[TheCaptain]

Since I expect to be up there soon, I was curious as to what all of you fabulous Maine residents call little things here and there that might be different from elsewhere. I grew up in Pennsylvania, and even though I've been here in Florida for the past 7 years, I still get teased over some of the things I say.

I call it "pop" instead of "soda."

I say "porch," not "lanai" or "florida room"

I ask for my ham to be "chipped" instead of "sliced"

...and the one that usually gets me the eye-roll, is when I catch myself saying I'm going to go "upstreet" instead of "downtown."

[Canada_Dave]

Originally Posted by TheCaptain

Since I expect to be up there soon, I was curious as to what all of you fabulous Maine residents call little things here and there that might be different from elsewhere. I grew up in Pennsylvania, and even though I've been here in Florida for the past 7 years, I still get teased over some of the things I say.

I call it "pop" instead of "soda."

I say "porch," not "lanai" or "florida room"

I ask for my ham to be "chipped" instead of "sliced"

...and the one that usually gets me the eye-roll, is when I catch myself saying I'm going to go "upstreet" instead of "downtown."

Especially in Northern Maine if you call "soda" "pop" they will know what you mean, but they might think your Canadian from NB hah... I travel in Maine on a weekly basis for shopping, etc and never had an issue with my Canadian Dialect ;p At least once every grocery trip we will be stopped by a random person and have a converation about something- these are just random grocery shoppers... its funny though... anyways point is I guess I Have never had an issue communicating with anyone from Maine

[Maineah]

Look for a thread called Maine Lingo. It's pretty long and covers a ton of Maine sayings and speech. It really is a good one. It's funny the downtown thing. When I was growing up in Yarmouth we called it going "downstreet". Kids who lived past the boatyards in town called it going "uptown" as there were hills below main street. Freeport kids always called it Uptown. Just depends on where you live and your perspective I guess. Relativity as Einstein called it.

[TheCaptain]

Originally Posted by Maineah

Look for a thread called Maine Lingo. It's pretty long and covers a ton of Maine sayings and speech. It really is a good one. It's funny the downtown thing. When I was growing up in Yarmouth we called it going "downstreet". Kids who lived past the boatyards in town called it going "uptown" as there were hills below main street. Freeport kids always called it Uptown. Just depends on where you live and your perspective I guess. Relativity as Einstein called it.

I'll look for it, thank you! I tried looking up one word strings, like "pop" and such, but got so many unrelated hits I figured I'd better just ask. But I'll check out the Maine Lingo thread, thank you!

[Bydand]

Originally Posted by Canada_Dave

Especially in Northern Maine if you call "soda" "pop" they will know what you mean, but they might think your Canadian from NB hah... I travel in Maine on a weekly basis for shopping, etc and never had an issue with my Canadian Dialect ;p At least once every grocery trip we will be stopped by a random person and have a converation about something- these are just random grocery shoppers... its funny though... anyways point is I guess I Have never had an issue communicating with anyone from Maine

Yeah, but in Royalton, you speak the same as we do in Presque Isle.

[Canada_Dave]

Originally Posted by Bydand

Yeah, but in Royalton, you speak the same as we do in Presque Isle.

Well I am almost in Maine.. another .9 miles hah.. but you are right, the lingo is very similar except for stuff like soda/pop and a few others

[Maineah]

Originally Posted by TheCaptain

I'll look for it, thank you! I tried looking up one word strings, like "pop" and such, but got so many unrelated hits I figured I'd better just ask. But I'll check out the Maine Lingo thread, thank you!

Hi , It's on page five.

[Northern Maine Land Man]

The Maine language is just fine. I have a theory. Old time Mainers, (I mean the original settlers) did not have rain gear. They were cold and wet a lot. I believe they had head colds and chest colds most of the time. Children learned to talk from people with colds. If you think about it, the so called Maine accent sounds a lot like somebody with a bad cold. Some linguist should do a study on this.

[TheCaptain]

Originally Posted by Maineah

Hi , It's on page five.

Yup, just found it, and I'm buried in it. Great thread, too.

People from all over always seem to end up in Florida, so nearly all of the expressions we have here didn't originate here. It's more of a hodge-podge sampling from around the country. In my office alone I've heard six different expressions from six different parts of the country, all from where my coworkers each originated.

[Nor'Eastah]

Originally Posted by Northern Maine Land Man

The Maine language is just fine. I have a theory. Old time Mainers, (I mean the original settlers) did not have rain gear. They were cold and wet a lot. I believe they had head colds and chest colds most of the time. Children learned to talk from people with colds. If you think about it, the so called Maine accent sounds a lot like somebody with a bad cold. Some linguist should do a study on this.

That is so funny! Oftimes when we travel out of RI, people ask, "Are you from Maine?" as we tend to drop the R's the same way. A Rhode Islandah would pronounce nor'easter just the way my forum name is spelled - nor'eastah. Years ago we bought a record called "Bert and I" which was a comic take-off on both the Maine 'accent' and what people "from away" thought Maine old-timers and hay-seeds would talk about. A gazillion laughs! A friend of ours from Ohio claimed it was "pretty lame stuff". But come to think of it, it DOES sound a little like someone who has a cold. I think the whole "ayuh" thing is way overdone, though. The only folks who really say that are probably trying to sound like Mainers, and are probably from away.