So now it's Christmas Eve- yay!!! I've got a full slate of present-wrapping, eating, and nephew-playing on my agenda today. You're probably busy too. BUT-- in the event that you have a minute to spare...I have an exciting task for you!
Yesterday I enjoyed doing the Dialect Map quiz/survey thing that everyone was posting on Facebook. I shared the link on the blog FB page and got a kick out of seeing how some of yall scored...and also realizing that there are so many different words/phrases for things! (For the record, my 'personal dialect map' pegged me as Jackson, MS, Birmingham, AL, and Columbus, GA. Pretty close!!) Then I started thinking about the varying demographics of all the people I've met through this blog-- for instance, Candians. I really had no idea there were so many cool people in Canada before I started this thing. My loss for sure-- at least I've remedied that situation now. And now I have friends all over the map! And the globe! And it's pretty fun. So I want everyone to fill out that dialect thing and report back your results, but I really wish I could SEE everyone's answers...especially for some of the questions that are like "what word do you use to describe ______" and there would be like 10 different phrases and I would have to admit that I DON'T EVEN HAVE A WORD FOR THAT THING/SITUATION/PLACE!!! And that's saying something, because I have a lot of words. You may have picked up on that at some point. Anyway. I would love to know who calls a traffic jam around a car accident a Lookie Lou. That's hilarious. I'm definitely going to start calling it that.
SO. I can't see your answers to the dialect map thing. But I CAN make my OWN survey to get the scoop on the demographics 'round here!! Won't that be fun? I just assume everyone's like me...but I bet that there's really more diversity than I think! So if you're bored and/or need an excuse to tune out your family for the next 5 minutes, have fun enlightening me with your personal demographics (and some information about what you like/dislike in blogs...why not? The more info, the better!).
I know that lately I've been terrible at sharing the results of surveys, but I promise to do better this time. This will be fun!! Also, I may share particularly funny 'other' remarks and/or data trends in live time on the blog FB page. You know I can't keep funny stuff to myself. So...GO!
I am SO fascinated by accents and dialects. I am from Southern Connecticut aka most boring accent place EVER... we have no fun sayings or pronunciations. I always wanted a "fun" accent.
ReplyDeleteI tell my husband that I want to move to London so our girls can have British accents, is there anything cuter than little kids asking for help with their "knickers" so they can use the "loo."
I took the dialect survey yesterday. It said I was Little Rock, Memphis, and Columbus, GA. I live in SW Missouri and have for nearly my whole life, minus a year I moved north. Clearly, the results indicate I should move south. That or in my head I speak with an adorable Southern accent while in real life I just talk like a hick. :(
ReplyDeleteThis is going to be so fun! I noticed on the FB account that you had people who knew the name for the grassy part... WEIRD! Can't wait to hear the results of where everyone is from! Also, aren't the "squarish" states just west? Which state would you identify as squarish but not "wild west" or "midwest"?
ReplyDeleteI second this question. South Dakota and Nebraska maybe?
DeleteUhhhh...it was late and I wasn't looking at a map. Those could be pretty much duplicates. Or maybe residents of any of those states wouldn't want to self-identify as Wild West? So they have another option. :) Now you know how the country is set up in MY mind, anyway. Ha.
DeleteMy Facebook friends are not on top of their game because I did not know about this dialect map! Another point for the blog world!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the easy survey this morning :)
Have a wonderful Christmas with your family Erika!!!
I was floored by the concept of drive-through liquor stores. Floored! Wherever those exist, they need to make it to the super duper cold northern states, where people actually have a legitimate reason not to step out of their cars.
ReplyDeleteThey're NOT in the north??! That's appalling!! We have them here (but no cutesy name for them...just a liquor store with a drive thru window) and they seem pretty unnecessary. Maybe you should do some entrepreneuring and open one up there!
DeleteYeah...I had never heard of drive through liquor stores either. People in the south must REALLY need their liquor.
DeleteThere are drive-through coffee huts in Alaska... I think one per every 800 residents, to be exact. But not drive-through liquor stores. I think I will entrepreneur them, that's a brilliant idea!
DeleteOk you made the map thing seem so fun I had to participate too! It pegged me as Houston, Fort Worth, and Irving, Tx. And since I'm from Houston I'll say it was pretty much on its game. I haven't spent a lot of time in the Dallas area but I also haven't been too many places in this lovely state where texans are that different from myself. With the exception of those from very small isolated towns. Which I've found don't vary much from state to state so I'd put them in a class of their own.
ReplyDeleteIt pained me a little bit to chose "I live the south" in your poll. While I AM currently a FL transplant, I am from Tx and we usually have some varying level of pride about that. Not really sure where it comes from. Maybe in Texas history they're really teaching us love of Texas? Or maybe just the fact that we are required to take Texas history for a ridiculous number of years? Hmm
From around Nashville, TN and got Louisville, KY, Huntsville, AL (both close), & Irving, TX (random).
ReplyDeleteSuch a really nice and great informative post.Thanks for share with us.
ReplyDeletePortland IUI
It pegged me as a Californian.
ReplyDeleteMost similar w/: Fremont, San Jose, Santa Clarita.
And since I live in SoCal . . . I say “close enough”!
Sorry I'm tardy to the party, but just did it!!
ReplyDelete