Home » Discussion Forum—A Way with Words, a fun radio show and podcast about language

Discussion Forum—A Way with Words, a fun radio show and podcast about language

A Way with Words, a radio show and podcast about language and linguistics.

Discussion Forum (Archived)

Please consider registering
Guest
Forum Scope


Match



Forum Options



Min search length: 3 characters / Max search length: 84 characters
The forums are currently locked and only available for read only access
sp_TopicIcon
Southern expression? "The freeze"
Guest
1
2009/05/14 - 10:49pm

I grew up in Louisana and now live in Dallas, Texas. I was wondering if anyone else has noticed that in the South, at least among my family and extended friends, any cold/snow/ice event in the prior year is generally referred to as "The Freeze."

Example usage... "Last year, during the freeze, the kids missed two days of school and it took me 6 hours to drive home because of all the ice."

At least for Dallas and my childhood home in N. Louisiana, temperatures fell below freezing several times each winter, but those icy days were remembered as "The Freeze" since snow or ice usually only fell once or twice a year.

Is this a widespread usage? Is it southern or do people in other mild climates like California use it as well? How about the Northeast?

Another usage: "You need to bring that hibiscus in during the freeze or it will die."

Thanks...

Guest
2
2009/05/15 - 11:10am

I can safely say that "the freeze" wouldn't be specific enough in the Northeast.

EmmettRedd
859 Posts
(Offline)
3
2009/05/15 - 2:58pm

In southwest Missouri, The Ice Storm refers to January 2007 because so many people were without electricity for a week or more. It does not refer to those in December 1987 or December 1972 or others. While they were bad enough, they did not compare the most recent one.

In northeast Arkansas and points east, they probably use the same phrase to refer to the one in 2009 (I am not sure of the month).

Emmett

Ron Draney
721 Posts
(Offline)
4
2009/05/18 - 11:26pm

This isn't the same thing, but my former employer used to institute a "freeze" starting every year in mid-November and lasting until after New Year's Day. No software could be loaded or changed on the system during that time without very special permission indeed because the risk of breaking something right before the Christmas shopping season was too great.

It seems odd to talk about "the freeze" in Phoenix, but there it was.

Forum Timezone: UTC -7
Show Stats
Administrators:
Martha Barnette
Grant Barrett
Moderators:
Grant Barrett
Top Posters:
Newest Members:
A Conversation with Dr Astein Osei
Forum Stats:
Groups: 1
Forums: 1
Topics: 3647
Posts: 18912

 

Member Stats:
Guest Posters: 618
Members: 1268
Moderators: 1
Admins: 2
Most Users Ever Online: 1147
Currently Online:
Guest(s) 102
Currently Browsing this Page:
1 Guest(s)

Recent posts