Definitions/pronunciations

[Guest Gary Hearn]

You say "bewna-vista" and everyone knows it's that little place north of Lynchburg.

I always thought of it as east of Lexington... (especially since it is over the mountains from Lynchburg).

[R Walling]

Marty, your excplamation of "CAR PORCH". makes me now realize why a southern gentelman had gotten his Porsche painted with house paint by a migrant farm worker.

[John_Maine]

My wife's cousin and her husband are from Danville, VA. I've always found the differences in terminology interesting. They refer to grocery bags as "sacks" and they don't take anyone anywhere, they always "carry" someone somewhere as in "I carried daddy to the doctors." That's the other thing, they don't say "Mom and Dad", it's always "Mama and Daddy."

[Shop Rat]

My wife's cousin and her husband are from Danville, VA. I've always found the differences in terminology interesting. They refer to grocery bags as "sacks" and they don't take anyone anywhere, they always "carry" someone somewhere as in "I carried daddy to the doctors." That's the other thing, they don't say "Mom and Dad", it's always "Mama and Daddy."

This reminds me of a family that Bill and I met near Hilton Head Island. They were from Georgia and on vacation like we were. The couple had adopted a beautiful little girl from China when she was an infant and a young boy from Thailand when he was three. She was about eight and the little boy was five.

We were all fishing and out of the mouth of that adorable little girl comes, "Daaddy, can you put a worm on my hoook?" Not a hint of Asian accent.

[Guest Gary Hearn]

That's the other thing, they don't say "Mom and Dad", it's always "Mama and Daddy."

Around here it is "Mumma and Diddy".

Edited November 23, 2010 by Gary Hearn (see edit history)

[rocketraider]

I always thought of it as east of Lexington... (especially since it is over the mountains from Lynchburg).

Well, Gary- it is. But Lexington didn't have a TV station that gave the weathercast for "Bewna Vista". And I'm old enough to remember when Channel 13 was WLVA, long before it became WSET.

I remember Channel 7 WDBJ out of Rohnoke (Roanoke) when they had Irvin Sharp and Pete Apostolou as their weathermen. And "Rohnoke" was the way they pronounced it.

John_Maine- we also "tote" our sacks! And when we go to the grocery store, we push buggies, not carts!

You will also hear "Mama and them" frequently when someone is talking about or going to see family.

[Marty Roth]

Rocketraider,

David will certainly verify,

In New Orleans it is not "Mama and them"

It is "ovah by ya' Mom'n-em", which is a 3-sylable word, meaning the whole family of your mother.

Marty

[Guest Gary Hearn]

Well, Gary- it is. But Lexington didn't have a TV station that gave the weathercast for "Bewna Vista". And I'm old enough to remember when Channel 13 was WLVA, long before it became WSET.

I remember Channel 7 WDBJ out of Rohnoke (Roanoke) when they had Irvin Sharp and Pete Apostolou as their weathermen. And "Rohnoke" was the way they pronounced it.

I grew up north of Charlottesville on the back side (western face) of a mountain and the only station we could get was Channel 3 out of Harrisonburg. It was great if you like Hee Haw, Arthur Smith and thought Dialing for Dollars would contact you (on a rotary phone). This was before Charlottesville had any TV stations (though we could get WVIR when it came on the air). Finally got a better antenna and were able to get the 3 Richmond stations.

[rocketraider]

"Oh lord, won't you buy me a color TV?

Dialing for Dollars is trying to find me...."

We were on a four-party party line back then, so even if they had called the line would have been busy.

My Mama couldn't stand Arthur Smith. She said he always looked like he was smelling s*** when he was playing the mandolin. My Daddy OTOH could sit and watch Arthur Smith and Hee Haw for hours, which drove my rebellious rock-n-roll self up the walls.

[CarlLaFong]

To get back on topic, how about "back windshield"? (usually spelled "windsheild) or "front grille"

Reminds me of the talking heads on TV telling us of an event that happened at 3 AM in the morning.

[Restorer32]

Another pet peeve of mine is the use of "unique" as in "completely unique" or "fairly unique". There are no degrees of unique-ness. Something either is unique or it isn't. I'm sure I make many mistakes in grammar and spelling every day and each of us has our own list of things that grate on our nerves. Unfortunately texting and the internet have made grammar and correct spelling irrelevant it seems. Many elementary schools now don't even bother teaching cursive writing. Who needs it?

[Guest bofusmosby]

I word that my brother always uses is gorn. Like "Where are you gorn"?

[Guest bkazmer]

Amen on "unique!" Listen to the typical ex-jock sportscaster for some inspired butchery of language.

[oldcarfudd]

That kind of useless modifier has been around for a long time. The preamble to the Constitution says ; "- - - in order to form a more perfect union - - -". Maybe if it were more perfect, it would also be more unique!

Gil Fitzhugh, Morristown, NJ

[john2dameron]

A friend told me last night that his neighbor shot an 8-point buck off his house roof. I had to ask how the buck got on the roof. Reminded me of the fellow that came in to work one morning and reported that he saw a big buck coming to work. I still wonder where the buck worked. Also heard a student riding on a school bus yell one afternoon. Raise the winder down! It's hot in here. Also a member of a howitizer crew was told to elevate the tube (the barrel) and inquired, "Which way? Up or down?" My mom was raised in Piedmont Virginia. One night a neighbor stated that she "just loved to hear Mrs. Dameron talk. She sounds like a Virginian." Mom reply was, "What do you expect me to sound like?" The woman then said, "I mean a down-east Virginian and I bet you say tote." Mom said "Yes, we say tote (I never heard her say tote) but we don't fetch."

[Barry Wolk]

You may not fetch, but do you hollar?

[W_Higgins]

That kind of useless modifier has been around for a long time. The preamble to the Constitution says ; "- - - in order to form a more perfect union - - -". Maybe if it were more perfect, it would also be more unique!

Gil Fitzhugh, Morristown, NJ

That's a great example -- or this one (sure to light some on fire):

Things being "over restored". You can't over-restore something when to restore is to return to original condition with that being the gold standard. If it is anything other than what it would have been originally, it is just incorrect.

[Shop Rat]

..... If it is anything other than what it would have been originally, it is just incorrect.

Not according to the AACA rules.

[W_Higgins]

Not according to the AACA rules.

Yeah, I know. Thank God old car judging rules are the only rules the AACA writes!

[Restorer32]

Drives me crazy how some use the word "circa" to mean a specific date rather than a range of possible dates. Every day I pass an old stone house with a sign proclaiming "71 N. Main St. circa 1852". They know this because many old PA Dutch houses have date stones in the wall. Theirs is dated 1852. Have also heard folks ask "What is the circa of that house/antique?.

[stexch]

I mounted a wench on the front of my truck. I don't have to use her very often, but when I need her, she's handy to have!

When you're going through Wichita, KS, you will cross the Arkansas River (pronounced our-Kansas). If you go east, you'll eventually get to Nevada, MO (pronounced ne-VAY-duh).

Oldsmobile made a Holiday Coupe, which was a sedan.

[CarlLaFong]

When I was an apprentice carpenter, one of the journeymen tossed me a 2X6 and said to cut it to a certain length and put a 45 on one end. I carefully measured and marked the 45 degree angle, cut it and tossed it up to him. A few seconds later he tosses it back and says, "Put more of a 45 on it." I wondered if it really would take me 4 years to get as good as he was.

[starfireelvis]

...did I mention the one time I heard something referred to as an "authentic replica"? Yep, that's what I want--a "real fake".

I have a several others, oooh, I wish I could say them here--they drive me up the wall--but they are politically incorrect as anything, and don't want to cause a crap-storm, so I'll just practice that thing about discretion being the better part of valor here.

[trimacar]

Ah, yes, my little chickadee...let's butcher the language....

Groucho Marx stated that, while on safari (and, as a side note, how's it going? Safari, so good...) he shot an elephant in his pajamas. "How he got in my pajamas, I'll never know!"

Read your local paper, and you'll see it constantly...the correct description with the wrong grammar.....hmmm, so, if a guy has a bad grammar, should he ask her to seek help???

I'd shoot deer off my roof too.....

[Dave Mellor NJ]

Could that have been a Pontiac Safari that Groucho shot the elephant while on? Which brings to mind those that say, Ponyac, or Mercry.

[brasscarguy]

We had a older lady working for us from Sweden and she was always borrowing money to her kids, not loaning but borrowing.

My automotive irritation for a misnamed part, "calder pin" have no idea why anyone would mistake cotter pin.

My biggest irratation is watching the morning news on the local television, and the ticker accross the bottom of the screen with misspelled words, for god sake don't they have spell check?

Howard Musolf

1905 Cadillac 1 cylinder

1908 Reo 2 cylinder

1912 Indy Race Car

1913 Reo 4 cylinder

1913 Waverley Electric

1928 Sprint Car

1930 Ford

1981 Ferrari

1982 Ferrari

1987 Lotus Esprit

2009 Maserati Spider

[Shop Rat]

..... My biggest irratation is watching the morning news on the local television, and the ticker accross the bottom of the screen with misspelled words, for god sake don't they have spell check?

I hate those, period. :mad: I think it is rude to run them while the on air person is trying to say something.

[Restorer32]

I keep remembering classics from my ex employee. We use "shrink wrap" plastic to corral wood sub assembleis for doors etc. Ex employee knew it as "shrimp wrap" apparently because the shrimp he bought at the grocery was always wrapped in the stuff.

[rocketraider]

My automotive irritation for a misnamed part, "calder pin" have no idea why anyone would mistake cotter pin.

I always heard it "carter pin or carter key". Guess Mr. Carter invented it.

Family down the road from us were adept at murdalizing the English language too. They didn't own a lawnmower. They had a grass mower. A self service car wash was a "washer" to them. A Laundromat was a clothes washer.

There's a barbecue joint here named "Short Sugar's". These folks would invariably call it "Short and Sugar's".

They put "ray-dial" tires on their car, which was usually a Burick or Pony-ack.

I remember my daddy always called the state-run liquor store "the bootlegger's".

[Marty Roth]

How about "

He "PLEADED" innocent ??

"PLEAD" ??? putting it in the past, grammatically ?

Edited November 25, 2010 by Marty Roth
typo (see edit history)

[Guest De Soto Frank]

I grew up north of Charlottesville on the back side (western face) of a mountain and the only station we could get was Channel 3 out of Harrisonburg. It was great if you like Hee Haw, Arthur Smith and thought Dialing for Dollars would contact you (on a rotary phone). This was before Charlottesville had any TV stations (though we could get WVIR when it came on the air). Finally got a better antenna and were able to get the 3 Richmond stations.

Gary,

My mom's folks were from the east(?) side of the same mountains - around Crozet, Mt. Fair...

I think some of the kin-folk were relocated by the Skyline Drive project in the '30s...

[Guest billybird]

How about these two gems. "That's a nice mammogramed shirt". "My computer is messed up, I think somebody hatched into it". Heard these two Thanksgiving day.

[Shop Rat]

....."That's a nice mammogramed shirt".

Not that strange if it was said to a woman standing in the TSA scanner. :eek:

[Marty Roth]

Susan,

We're still chuckling over the woman in the TSA scanner with the "Mammogrammed shirt"

[Rusty_OToole]

Right now the CBC radio is carrying a lot of news about the cholera outbreak in Haiti. The announcers all call Port au Prince "Port a Prance" or "Port o Pronce" which irritates the hell out of me. Usually the CBC announcers are very literate and correct, I suppose it is their effort at a French accent as a compliment to Haiti.

[28 Chrysler]

A guest last night asked how do you turn up the "HOT WATER HEATER",

My reply was "It might be the same as our cold water heater,turn the dial on the front".

[Shop Rat]

Susan,

We're still chuckling over the woman in the TSA scanner with the "Mammogrammed shirt"

Glad you liked that one. Yes, my mind thinks in weird ways. No, there currently isn't a medication for that.

[Guest bofusmosby]

Glad you liked that one. Yes, my mind thinks in weird ways. No, there currently isn't a medication for that.

The question is Susan, WHY would you want to take something to get rid of that?:confused:

[Marty Roth]

28 CHRYSLER,

I agree per the "HOT WATER HEATER"

Why would you need to heat the hot water when it is already hot?

The water heater is, as you eluded, there to take water, not yet hot, and to heat it!

"Hot Water Heater" is one of those phrases that just remind me of how little, some folks think about what comes out of their mouths.

[keiser31]

28 CHRYSLER,

I agree per the "HOT WATER HEATER"

Why would you need to heat the hot water when it is already hot?

The water heater is, as you eluded, there to take water, not yet hot, and to heat it!

"Hot Water Heater" is one of those phrases that just remind me of how little, some folks think about what comes out of their mouths.

Yep!