Rallygirl's Dumb Questions About Regional Differences Thread

[z3zep]

I think people in Central/South NJ and maybe Philly call them Jimmies (brand name of Sprinkles). In my part of NJ we call them sprinkles.

[Duncan]

Just FYI - Otter Pops are usually available at the Rite Aid down the street from Mego Meet.

Also, I have a question. During the recent cold snap, the spring over my garage door snapped. The spring is used to store torque which assists in raising the otherwise really heavy door. A few friends had the same thing happen, and a news report mentioned that this failure was not unusual. My question is, how are garage doors rigged in colder parts of the US & Canada? Presumably you wouldn't use the same design as mine.

Thanks!

[ubermanx]

Also, I have a question. During the recent cold snap, the spring over my garage door snapped. The spring is used to store torque which assists in raising the otherwise really heavy door. A few friends had the same thing happen, and a news report mentioned that this failure was not unusual. My question is, how are garage doors rigged in colder parts of the US & Canada? Presumably you wouldn't use the same design as mine.

Thanks!

Don't know Brother. My garage has a huge spring along the top as well and its fine up here in Canada. For two weeks it's been around -2° F (lows at night dipping to -20° Celsius).

I have had the cables snap that wind on the pulleys attached to the spring then onto the bottom of the door. But the spring itself hasn't snapped yet.

- Marty

[ubermanx]

In Canada we have a lot of words influenced by the French.

Clique for me not click, but it is pronounced click.

We spell bank checks as cheques.

Where I am from Portage is pronounced Por-taj (as in Taj Mahal) but in Winnipeg (also in Canada) Portage is pronounced Port-aage.

And for the record it is a hockey sweater not a hockey jersey. This comment will spark debate amongst us Canucks. Its like the toilet paper over or under debate.

I have a couch and go to the bathroom but because of the British influence up here I am familiar with never putting cream in tea, water closets and chesterfields.

Another weird one here in Ontario Canada is having to "hit the bank machine" meaning visit an automated teller machine or ATM. We call them ABM for automated bank machine. Hence the fact that we "hit the bank machine".

But for the record, and I tell my kids this all the time, to know how to properly say something in English you have to ask an Englishman (or Englishwoman) from England. The rest of us Canadians, Americans and Australians are doing it wrong

- Marty

[Rallygirl]

The things on ice cream are sprinkles here in West Michigan. Occasionally, you hear the old folks still refer to them as hagelslag, which is the Dutch word for sprinkles. And they eat them on buttered bread, a taste which I have never acquired.

This came up between my husband and I last night while shopping - I call the big thing on wheels a cart. He grew up five miles away from me and calls them baskets. I think they are called trolleys elsewhere.

Another this morning - I was reading on CNN about Burger King testing chicken and waffle sandwiches. From reading the comment section, that concept must be popular in other parts of the country, but it is completely new to me. In all honesty, the idea of chicken served with waffles is almost stomach churning to me, maybe because I am imagining a syrupy waffle with a chuck of chicken plopped on top. Is it actually served like that or is it different? The whole chicken with syrup idea just about does me in.

[cjefferys]

Where I am from Portage is pronounced Por-taj (as in Taj Mahal) but in Winnipeg (also in Canada) Portage is pronounced Port-aage.

In Niagara Falls, ON, there is a road called Portage Road. The locals always pronounce it "Port-aige", so if someone comes along using the "proper" French pronounciation when referring to the road, we know they must be a tourist.

[samurainoir]

I hate "Twooney" with a passion, almost as much as when people say "I need some Timmies!".

half a decade of road-trips later, this is good information to know!

I think my morning catch-phrase is along the lines of "Hey, stop by Timmies!"

[samurainoir]

do folks drink Pop or do they drink Soda?

We only recently got Mr Pibb, and only in those replicator-like pop machines in movie theatres and Hero Burger.

I only found out about the "ice Tea line" in the United States a few years ago. The ice tea I drink is usually canned/bottled and way pre-sweetened.

[Fitski]

I drink Pop...although when I'm over in Michigan its pronounced Paaap.

[ScottA]

This came up between my husband and I last night while shopping - I call the big thing on wheels a cart. He grew up five miles away from me and calls them baskets. I think they are called trolleys elsewhere.

We call them buggies, although the sign says "return shopping carts here". Baskets are the smaller versions you carry in your hand that hold a smaller amount of items.

[cjefferys]

We call them carts, but most places have the hand held baskets too. So if carts were also called baskets, things could get confusing. I've never heard them called "trolleys". And buggies are what we put babies in.

Maybe it's because I'm kind of a language nerd, but I love topics like this!

[ScottA]

We put babies in strollers. It's interesting how one thing can have 10 different names depending on where you are from.

[cjefferys]

We put babies in strollers.

Oof, brain fart, we call those strollers now too. For a moment I was flashing back to my parents' generation when they were called buggies.

[Brazoo]

According to Wikipedia clique is only pronounced "klick" in the USA: "CanE, AusE, NzE, UK /ˈkliːk/ or US /ˈklɪk/"

And cheque is only spelled "check" in the USA too.

If we get into spelling there are all kinds of variants with US/Canada/England: color/colour, theater/theatre...

[palitoy]

We put babies in strollers.

My grandparents said "pram", only one other kid I knew growing up knew what that word meant.