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Just curious because I don't have any friends from out of state. I still hang out with the same friends I made in the 60's and 70's.
Like for example: When you want a kiss do you say "give me some sugar" to your kids? Do you call your kids "young'uns"? Do you call everything a coke? If someone asks what kind of coke do you want, you might say sprite or some other soda.
It might be a Raleigh area thing, don't know about the whole state, but it's what we grew up with. Just curious what transplants to NC think of our customs and speech and if they start using the same words after living here a while?
Something tells me people who moved to NC from elsewhere probably didn't pick up on any of those sayings. Come to think of it I never used any of those myself
I guess what is happening is people from out of state move here and form communities and then more move to that area each year and before you know it you have whole communities that live in NC but know nothing about our way of life because they brought their culture with them. It would be sad if the state loses it identity totally. I notice in stores most clerks sound like they have out of state accents yet they were born and raised here. It's crazy.
I grew up in Raleigh in the late 50's - 70's and never said "coke" for anything but a Coca Cola. Not to burst your bubble, but I've always thought of "young'uns" as more of a rural term. Can't think that I heard it much if any from my friends' parents and never from my own.
Yep. There are now many people that are technically natives that are no more Southern than Danny Devito. I travel the state for my job and most of what you are describing is found in the major metro areas. Go to Snow Hill, Wadesboro, Conetoe, Dudley, Rockingham, Beulaville, Spencer etc etc and they are still what they have always been.
Last edited by Sir Walter; 03-23-2013 at 08:32 PM..
Back in my youth I had a summer job at a camp on the coast. One of the guys I worked with was from New Jersey. We had a conversation along these lines. I can't remember everything we talked about, but here's a couple.
Down here we say "crack the window" meaning open the window just a little. He hadn't heard that.
Another was "turn on/off the light". That was new to him too.
My wife tells the story of her mother (who was originally from Iowa and lived in Southern Pines at the time) wrote a letter to her sister, saying that her husband was going to "carry her" to town to go shopping. Of course we all know this means that she and her husband will ride the car into town and he will drive. Her sister writes back and asks "What's wrong with you? Why does Dan have to carry you?
Back in my youth I had a summer job at a camp on the coast. One of the guys I worked with was from New Jersey. We had a conversation along these lines. I can't remember everything we talked about, but here's a couple.
Down here we say "crack the window" meaning open the window just a little. He hadn't heard that.
Another was "turn on/off the light". That was new to him too.
My wife tells the story of her mother (who was originally from Iowa and lived in Southern Pines at the time) wrote a letter to her sister, saying that her husband was going to "carry her" to town to go shopping. Of course we all know this means that she and her husband will ride the car into town and he will drive. Her sister writes back and asks "What's wrong with you? Why does Dan have to carry you?
I grew up in Raleigh in the late 50's - 70's and never said "coke" for anything but a Coca Cola.
I used "Coke" for one thing too...a Coca Cola. I also used "drink" a lot. "Hey, lets go to the store and get a drink" referring to any bottled soft drink...not alcoholic. We never used "pop" or "soda"
Mash the buttons, cut the light out, fixin to, carry me to the store, nervous as a ***** in church, hey y'all, up the road a piece, a country mile, slap funny, happy as a pig in poop, to be sure, the hell you say are a few saying off the top of my head that heard frequently in my youth from friends , relatives, neighbors and my parents.
Another was "turn on/off the light". That was new to him too.
huh?? where was he from Mars? How can that be new to anyone- if you want someone to turn on (or off) the light wtf else can you say but turn on (or off) the light?
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