Whatcha-ma-call-it

[tatsxxx11]

When I moved to Mass., I noticed New Englanders call "spinkles" on ice cream cones "jimmies," a milkshake is a "frappe" and a Danish pastry is a "sweet roll" and a hero or sub is a bulkie!

[ParNone]

I have a friend from Vietnam, that I was always having
to explain our neverending American expressions to. You
just don't realize how much slang you use, until you're
continuely defining it to someone, who's first language is
not English.

We were having a discussion about politicians one day
and I used the expression "Greasing some palms". I
of course had to explain what I meant by that. When
she got home that night, she was telling her husband,
about the new phrase she had learned that day, "Glue
Stuck in the Hand".

Par...

[babolaypo65]

Yep. It's coke here too. I love when you go to a take out place and you say: I'll have a coke, they say "what kind", and you say: sprite.

Originally posted by ParNone
Okay here's a few from Texas

Fixing to instead of just about

katty corner not kitty corner

Coke not Soda or Pop, even if what you
want is a Dr. Pepper

bejabbers not bejebbers

And I use doo-bobber for something I don't know
the name of.

Par...

[tatsxxx11]

When Logan visited last summer, we went out to dinner and she ordered a "sweet tea." HUH??? Neither the waitress nor I knew that was "Southern" for ice tea! There, their ice tea comes with sugar already added!

[ParNone]

When we were visiting Australia, they had on the menu,
"Hamburger with the lot". We just assumed that meant
the standard "Hamburger all the way" here with normal
hamburger fixings like lettuce, tomato, pickles, onions and mustard.

We were quite surprised when we got a burger with things
like beets, eggs and ketchup on it. uh yuck! They even had
a similar monstrosity at McDonald's, the Aussie burger.

Par...

[tatsxxx11]

Eggs???

[Crikit]

hmmm let's see I'm sure I can think up a few.

Gazingus-pin...apparently it's something that you want but don't need.

Hoser
toque
chesterfield
bogus
hanous
non hanous

I'll probably think of more but I'll end this post with the proper usage of the word EH!

Here it is when it's used solo...for a question or a repetiton.

"I'm giving up smoking." "eh?" (a cross between what? and oh yeah?)
"Could you loan me two bucks?" "Eh?" (are you kidding?)
"Here's the two bucks I owe you." "eh?" (I don't believe this!)

Here it is when it's used in terminal position...offering a running commentary on the speaker's narrative.

"I'm walking down the street, eh?" (like this, see?)
"I'd hadda few beers en I was feeling priddy good, eh?" (you know how it is.)
"Well all of a sudden I saw this big guy, eh?" (ya see.)
"He musta weighted all of 220 pounds, eh?" (believe me)
"I could see him from a long ways off en he was a real big guy, eh?" (I'm not fooling)
"I'm minding my own business, eh? (you can bet I was.)
"But this guy was taking up the whole sidewalk, eh?" (like I mean he really was.)
"So when he came up to me I jess stepped into the gudder, eh?" (I'm not crazy, ya know)
"en he went on by, eh?" (just like that)
"I gave up, eh?" (what else could I do?)
"whattud you a done, eh?" (I'd like to know since you're so smart.)

and finally eh in less common usages.

"We're driving to miami, eh?, for our holidays." (like where else?)
"There aren't many people, eh?, that can find their way around ottawa like he can." (you know as well as I do.)

most of the time however you will hear me use the word eh in simple phrases like "No doubt eh?"

[babolaypo65]

crikit!
Wow! Great analysis of the Ehs! It's funny, because if you take the Ehs out, it sounds a lot like my sister's family in northern wisconsin.

In your canadian dialect do you have "wonky"?

I've always wondered how to spell toque! thanks!

[Crikit]

oh yeah I totally use wonky, it's such a handy word.

[babolaypo65]

It's the best! It's one of my best acquisitions from Canada!

Originally posted by Crikit
oh yeah I totally use wonky, it's such a handy word.

[Crikit]

Well if you want another Canadian word...actually I guess it would be an Albertan word.

Chinook is always a good one, as well as Flapjacks.

[babolaypo65]

both good!
Its funny, another word I "learned" in Canada isn't a "Canadian" word per se, but isn't used in my area. Till. First time I hear till (as in cash register) was in Winnipeg. Years later when the family moved to Wisconsin I heard till used there too.

[andrea_NMAggie]

how about a doomaflotchy ...kinda like a thingie...

or if you'd only like a tichie-swatt (just a little bit)

[jenluckenbach]

I personally like Diddly-squat, for not knowing much.

[gini]

Originally posted by jenluckenbach
I personally like Diddly-squat, for not knowing much.

I went out to dinner with two friends and they were engaged in a lively discussion.

I was looking at the menu when the waitress approached and asked if we were ready to order. We knew the waitress very well, so I said "no, you can't get the two of them to say squat".

With that they both simultaneously turned to me and said, "yes you can, SQUAT SQUAT SQUAT".

Over the years, I have forgotten the diddly part.

I noticed that here in the USA we have a tendency to say
NO PROBLEM.

But in Australia I heard NO WORRIES.