Rallygirl's Dumb Questions About Regional Differences Thread

[HardyGirl]

Well, it wouldn't be the first time Wikipedia got something wrong!

Wikipedia sez Italian Ice is made with juice or fruit purée so I am guessing there is more difference than just names for stuff.

We have snow cones but the ice isn't as fine as what you describe.

[z3zep]

What about Polish Water Ice? I saw that when I was in Ocean City, MD. Is that the same as Italian Ice?

[z3zep]

>> Why would you need to reseal it? It's in the fridge, it stays fresh.

I close everything in the fridge, or else it starts tasting weird, or like onions lol.

[LadyZod]

Okay, I was born in Queens, NY and lived as a happy native New Yorker until the ripe old age of 10, when my folks kidnapped me and dragged me kicking and screaming to Miami. I lived in Boston during college, and now I live in redneck heck, FL.

My folks are from South America and their English skills were gained in NY and watching TV at the same time as mine... so given that background, this is where I stand on the age old dialect debate:1.bag vs sack

Bag, unless it's burlap, then it's a sack.

2. sneakers vs tennis shoes vs runners

Sneakers to describe everyday sneakers. Running shoes to describe my super expensive Newton or Mizuno running shoes. "Kicks" to describe fancy party sneakers, like my limited edition KISS Vans or Chuck Taylors.

3. hot cakes vs pancakes vs griddle cakes

Pancakes unless I'm at McDonalds, then I ask for hot cakes.

4. rubber band vs gum band

Rubberband

5. soda vs pop vs calling everything "coke"

Soda.

6. sub vs grinder vs hoagie

Sandwich, or usually just Sammich.

7. yard sale vs tag sale

Garage sale, regardless of there being a garage or not.

8. Italian ice vs water ice

Italian Ice.

9. convenience store, corner store, or corner shop

Candystore when I was little, or Apu's now, cause I'm a geek.

10. purse, handbag, or pocketbook

purse.

11. washroom, or bathroom

Bathroom

12. "when I was in grade 2" or "when I was in first grade"

"When I was in first grade." growing up... and now as an adult having been mindwiped by the BBC and being addicted to Degrassi Jr High, "When I was in grade 2." I've also been known to call someone a "broomhead."

[cjefferys]

Question for our Brit members, what the bloody hell are "O-levels"?

[Brazoo]

Question for our Brit members, what the bloody hell are "O-levels"?

You mean like OT level 1?

Sorry - I couldn't resist the reference. I have no idea what O-levels are.

Has anyone ever made a L. Ron Hubbard Mego?

[piecemaker]

What about Polish Water Ice? I saw that when I was in Ocean City, MD. Is that the same as Italian Ice?

Never heard of that either but it sounds good.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish_Water_Ice

There's also a Canadian Ice.

[img]http://piecemaker.smugmug.com/photos/i-Grh6cpL/0/M/i-Grh6cpL-M.jpg[/img]

An American Ice.

[img]http://piecemaker.smugmug.com/photos/i-Dg2MLsG/0/M/i-Dg2MLsG-M.jpg[/img]

And of course Vanilla Ice.

[img]http://piecemaker.smugmug.com/photos/i-ZmrmKFd/0/M/i-ZmrmKFd-M.jpg[/img]

[Random Axe]

This may have spread out to other regions and may have even become a standard, but I swear it started around here. Distance is measured in time, not miles. How far do you live away from work? Twenty minutes. Not twenty miles. Maybe I'm the only one who finds that strange. Guess it's from our modern society becoming obsessed with time and not having enough hours in the day to get stuff done.

[jwyblejr]

If we do buy bagged milk, we just put a little plastic clip on the corner of the bag that's open.

And nope, we don't put butter in the fridge either. Nothing worse than trying to spread cold hard butter on your toast! Nice and soft at room temperature is the way to go. I've heard that about eggs too, but we throw them in the fridge anyway.

Can't do that with butter down here. It'll turn into soup from being out in the heat.

[Brazoo]

Well, it wouldn't be the first time Wikipedia got something wrong!

This isn't a challenge or anything! Just wanted to point out that the Wikipedia entry does site the Food and Drug Administration's code of federal regulations for it's definition. It's not about challenging what you said - I just think it's interesting and kind of mind boggling how deep you can go with these things!

Here's the Wikipedia entry with footnotes that link to the FDA site, and an article from the International Dairy Food Association:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_ice

Italian ice, also known as water ice, is a sweetened frozen dessert made with fruit (often from concentrates, juices or purées) or other natural or artificial food flavorings, similar to sorbet.[1][2] Italian ice is not shaved ice that is flavored; rather, it is made by the same process by which ice cream is made: freezing the ingredients while mixing them. Italian ice differs from sherbet in that it does not contain dairy or egg ingredients, though it may contain egg white.[1] Common flavors include blue raspberry, cherry, lemon, mango, orange, strawberry, and watermelon, with numerous other flavors available.

Here's a quote from the FDA's Frozen Desserts, Water Ices sub-section:

http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?fr=135.160

PART 135 -- FROZEN DESSERTS

Subpart B--Requirements for Specific Standardized Frozen Desserts:

Sec. 135.160 Water ices.
(a)Description. Water ices are the foods each of which is prepared from the same ingredients and in the same manner prescribed in 135.140 for sherbets, except that the mix need not be pasteurized, and complies with all the provisions of 135.140 (including the requirements for label statement of ingredients), except that no milk or milk-derived ingredient and no egg ingredient, other than egg white, is used.

(b)Nomenclature. The name of the food is "___ ice", the blank being filled in, in the same manner as specified in 135.140(f)(1) (i) and (ii), as appropriate.

On one hand I find it sort of comforting that an official list like this exists - on the other hand it's kind of absurd!

[HardyGirl]

^Yeah, it's cool...but thanks for the info. And you're right, it is kinda absurd.

[Earth 2 Chris]

This may have spread out to other regions and may have even become a standard, but I swear it started around here. Distance is measured in time, not miles. How far do you live away from work? Twenty minutes. Not twenty miles. Maybe I'm the only one who finds that strange. Guess it's from our modern society becoming obsessed with time and not having enough hours in the day to get stuff done.

Yeah, I guess that is kind of odd. I tend to think that way myself. I don't pay as much attention to the miles as the time it takes to drive somewhere. For instance I know it takes about 14 hours for me to get to Disneyworld from here, but I couldn't be bothered to remember the mileage.

Chris

[Tyme2tyme]

Just curious, The little colorful things you can put on top of ice cream are called "sprinkles" in my part of the south but northern friends refer to them as "jimmies" Any other regions have words to describe these?

JOHN

[LadyZod]

They are sprinkles.

They are sprinkles here in Florida, and they were sprinkles when I was chasing down the Mr Softee truck up north.

[Tyme2tyme]

I have inlaws from New Jersey and they are the ones that call them Jimmies. They drink their tea hot too... without sugar