The online Dictionary of American Regional English lets readers search entries in full, so a search for donut and doughnut turns up many regional terms. Among them are friedcake, twister, floater, sinker, finger, drop cake, dough ball, dough boy...
The Dictionary of American Regional English has many terms for practical jokes played on newbies, like sending someone out for a bucket of steam, or for pigeon milk, or for a nickel’s worth of dimes. This is part of a complete episode...
Messing and gauming, meaning “dawdling and getting intro trouble,” comes from gaum, a term for something sticky and smeary like axle grease or mud. A baby with schmutz all over his face is all gaumed up. This is part of a complete...
In parts of the American South, a can of creasies is a can of watercress salad, also known as salad greens. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Creasies” Hello, you have A Way with Words. Hi, this is Mary Beth Wood. Hi...
When someone’s fly is down, do you say XYZ for “Examine your zipper”? For a change of pace, you might try another euphemistic expression used the Southern United States and South Midlands: Is your finger sore? As in, Is your finger...
Ruth from Philadelphia asks whether hiya, a greeting she grew up using near Quakertown, Pennsylvania, is a real word or just a local oddity. The form is well attested: the Dictionary of American Regional English records American examples back to...