Hey Youse Guys

     Last week I saw reference to several dialect tests on Slate Magazine. I've taken a few in the past, and the results usually aren't surprising. Of course my results indicate a Boston, Providence, Maine dialect. (See the dark red area?)

     I always think it's fun to take the quiz anyway. I remember kids saying "youse guys" when I was young. I never used that phrase, but other words are deeply embedded like 'rotary' and 'firefly' and 'highway.' Mainly I still use these words because I wasn't aware of alternatives. I never heard 'roundabout' or 'traffic circle' or 'freeway' until adulthood.

Interestingly, my dialect is least like Detroit and New Orleans.

     Other words I did use as a kid, mainly 'tonic,' for 'soda,' but I don't use them anymore. I would never call 'soda' 'pop' though! Also, I would NEVER say 'ant' for 'aunt.' (I think Bostonians are correct about this pronunciation). Other curious Bostonian words are 'spa' and 'packie.'