What Kind of English do You Speak?

[glomph]

I seem to remember a comic a few years back making jokes about the phrase "jeat"

 

During my college years I worked at a job one summer with a crew of other collge guys. We'd all take our lunch break at the same time, right after one of us said, "Squeet."

[glomph]

It's a loan translation from French "d

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Your Linguistic Profile:

 

70% General American English

 

20% Dixie

 

5% Yankee

 

0% Midwestern

 

0% Upper Midwestern

 

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?

 

http://www.blogthings.com/whatkindofameric...hdoyouspeakquiz

 

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Very cool topic!

 

I'm from a big city in Texas. In my state, the accent is as much Southern as Southwestern, or even its own distinct accent.

 

I say "y'all," except with formal spoken or written English. I also say, "you guys," though that can include women and girls.

 

A carbonated beverage is a Coke, even if it's a Pepsi or a Sprite or a Dr. Pepper. "Soda" appears to be gaining ground.

 

-- Cherry tomato. If the tomato talked back, I'd be...concerned...for a great many reasons.

 

-- Kurt, I've never heard it called a "bubbler," but I like that, it's neat.

 

-- PiscesRising, Compaq, and other Louisianans -- hey, neighbors!

-- get down / d

[AFriendlyFace]

One expression I've seen in stories, but never heard anyone actually say, is "go with" used as a verb, IOW with no object of the preposition. I assume that is a regional thing based on the immigrants who settled there and translates something literally, maybe a compound German verb.

 

 

glomph, do you mean the expression, "Do you want to go with?" minus any object, as in "Do you want to go with (me/us/...)?" I *think* that's Northern (Yankee) or Midwestern. I've seen it in writing and heard it rarely, but not from someone native to here.

 

Do you guys mean like this:

 

"Hey, I'm going to The Lounge now to read the language thread. You guys wanna come with?"

 

Or

 

"Tomorrow I'm going to the announcement forum to see if there are any updates. You want to go with?"

 

Yes, I think this originally began in the midwest or North too. However, I've had a couple of friends who were extremely fond of the expression and used it frequently (and seemingly naturally). I believe it was also a common part of the dilect of a character on a popular television series (though I don't remember which one); that could explain why it's growing in popularity. It annoyed me a little at first, but it's growing on me. Now I think it's kind of cute.

[knotme]

55% General American English

 

15% Upper Midwestern

 

10% Dixie

 

10% Yankee

 

0% Midwestern

 

but, the 4-wheeled thing you push in a grocery store is a wagon.

[glomph]

-- "Voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir?" -- Well, I would hope you'd be on a basis to say "Veux-tu coucher avec moi ce soir?" before you thought of asking that. (Vous is the formal or plural you. Tu is the familiar or singular you. Veux / Voulez are two forms of the verb.)

 

I'm aware of all that. I was quoting from a song, "Lady Marmalade." You obviously don't know "Call Any Vegetable," either. They don't make songs like they used to.

 

Anyhow, why did you assume I was using the singular?

 

glomph, do you mean the expression, "Do you want to go with?" minus any object, as in "Do you want to go with (me/us/...)?" I *think* that's Northern (Yankee) or Midwestern. I've seen it in writing and heard it rarely, but not from someone native to here.

 

Yes, and "come with" as per Kevin. I would have guessed maybe Pennsylvania Dutch, but Scandanavian Minnesotan would make sense, too.

 

Oh, and pardon my mentioning that whenever I see the Upper Midwestern category in these listings, I think of the awful old joke that goes,

 

"Hey, Tony, where are the Great Lakes?"

 

"Uppa US."

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:grins: Yes, I know "Lady Marmalade"...er, the song, the song! -- Aw, and I was just filling in for anybody who might *not* know.

 

Hmm, but I'm sadly uninformed regarding "Call Any Vegetable," though I may have heard it and just don't recall. But I will find it. Heheh, I'm in the mood for something in the weird and funky vein of Frank Zappa.

 

:grins: at the other comments. ...And for those who don't get it, that last bit can be read as "US" = "youse." :laughs:

[glomph]

that last bit can be read as

 

Just read the letters.

 

 

"Absolutely Free" is my all-time favorite Zappa album, even if it doesn't have a song about moving to Montana to raise dental floss. As an album, the whole is somewhat more than the sum of its parts.

[Bill W]

55% General American English

 

25% Yankee

 

10% Upper Midwestern

 

5% Dixie

 

0% Midwestern

 

 

But that's only 95% - so what's the other 5%????

[glomph]

But that's only 95% - so what's the other 5%????

 

Maybe that comes in when you don't have anything to say.

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^ what he said. :chuckles: good answer.

[JasonCalme]

50% General American English

30% Yankee

15% Dixie

0% Midwestern

0% Upper Midwestern

 

 

I guess living in Boston has rubbed off on me...but for at least one of them (the easy class) I had to just pick one as I didn't have an answer....