For all of you who live in Boston, those of you who miss it, and those of
you who've yet to come to Boston:
Going to college in Boston? "Mary--ah-gawd, you gotta be wicked
smaht!"But we bet you don't know some things.
Like, what's a three decka?
A packie?
How about a rotary?
Ever banged a U-ey?
Worn dungarees or ordered a frappe?
Even a Rhodes scholar would have a tough time deciphering the language
Boston calls its own.
**New Englanders have had a long and strong tradition of eccentric ways of
expressing themselves, especially in Boston,"
said Boston University Linguistics professor Michael Feldman. "It's very
distinctive."
Indeed. ~ And we'd have a ah time tryin' to stump ya, then make fun of
ya behind ya back.... but that's wicked mean.
Instead, here's a little primer to take with you on the T, while you're on
the Common or in the Gahden, maybe catchin' a Pats game or sipping a regulah
coffee at Dunkies.
**American Chop Suey ~ Found in school cafeterias, this delightful dish
doesn't resemble anything American or Chinese.
It's macaroni with meat and tomato sauce.
**Bangin' a U-ey ~ This is what you do while driving after you miss a turn
and you have to turn around.
**Book it ~ To high tail someplace, as in, "I better book it to Stah Mahket
before it closes."
**Bubblah ~ Spelled bubbler, it's a water fountain.
**Der ~ An interjection indicating disdain for someone else's stupidity, as
in, "The old Gahden was way betta than the Fleet! Der!"
**Down Cella ~ The basement. As in: "run down the cella and get me a
dishtowel outta the drya." Derived from upstairs.
**Dungarees ~ Jeans. Hardly heard anymore, unless you're at some sort of
senior citizens event.
**Frappe ~ What the rest of the nation calls a milkshake. But in Boston, a
milkshake is just flavored milk- no ice cream allowed.
**Fried and Bizaah ~ Weird. "That dude is wicked fried." "Yah, he's totally
bizaah."
**Fudge-icle ~ To the rest of the world, a frozen chocolate pop is a
Fudgesicle... but in Boston, the 's' is silent.
**Hermits and black and whites ~ Cookies. A hermit is a molasses and raisin
bar. Black and whites, known anywhere else as half moons or half and halfs,
are round, cakelike cookies with chocolate frosting on one half, vanilla on
the other.
**Jimmies ~ Sprinkles you put on ice cream.
**Packie ~ Liquor Store. You'll have to make a packie run if you want a
kegga. (keg party)
**ah ~ Good.
**Rotary ~ traffic circle. And in Massachusetts, those in the rotary have
the right of way.
**Scrod ~ a generic name for white fish. We think it's cod, but no one's
sure. Usually breaded and laden with butter.
**So Don't I/So Aren't I ~ So do I, So am I. "I have tickets to Aerosmith
tonight." "Oh my Gawd, so don't I!" "No Suh!" "Yah huh." "Wicked a!"
**Three Decker ~ Pronounced three decka, it's a three story house in which
each story is a separate apartment.
**A time ~ A party. "We're going to a time for Sully at McGuire's."
**Tonic ~ Soda
**Wicked ~ Extremely. "Nomaaah's a wicked good baseball playa."
**Yah huh and No Suh ~ Yes and no. Usually heard during an intense
conversation. "I saw Mickey at Castle Island and he was with another girl."
"No SUH!" "Yah huh."
~ Other tips:
Don't say COPEly Square, it's COPley.
Worcester isn't WOOster, it's Wisstah.
Say Commonwealth Avenue, Massachusetts Avenue or Dorchester Avenue and
you'll get pinched. It's Comm. Ave, Mass. Ave and Dot. Ave.
(I work on Dot Ave. LOL )
you who've yet to come to Boston:
Going to college in Boston? "Mary--ah-gawd, you gotta be wicked
smaht!"But we bet you don't know some things.
Like, what's a three decka?
A packie?
How about a rotary?
Ever banged a U-ey?
Worn dungarees or ordered a frappe?
Even a Rhodes scholar would have a tough time deciphering the language
Boston calls its own.
**New Englanders have had a long and strong tradition of eccentric ways of
expressing themselves, especially in Boston,"
said Boston University Linguistics professor Michael Feldman. "It's very
distinctive."
Indeed. ~ And we'd have a ah time tryin' to stump ya, then make fun of
ya behind ya back.... but that's wicked mean.
Instead, here's a little primer to take with you on the T, while you're on
the Common or in the Gahden, maybe catchin' a Pats game or sipping a regulah
coffee at Dunkies.
**American Chop Suey ~ Found in school cafeterias, this delightful dish
doesn't resemble anything American or Chinese.
It's macaroni with meat and tomato sauce.
**Bangin' a U-ey ~ This is what you do while driving after you miss a turn
and you have to turn around.
**Book it ~ To high tail someplace, as in, "I better book it to Stah Mahket
before it closes."
**Bubblah ~ Spelled bubbler, it's a water fountain.
**Der ~ An interjection indicating disdain for someone else's stupidity, as
in, "The old Gahden was way betta than the Fleet! Der!"
**Down Cella ~ The basement. As in: "run down the cella and get me a
dishtowel outta the drya." Derived from upstairs.
**Dungarees ~ Jeans. Hardly heard anymore, unless you're at some sort of
senior citizens event.
**Frappe ~ What the rest of the nation calls a milkshake. But in Boston, a
milkshake is just flavored milk- no ice cream allowed.
**Fried and Bizaah ~ Weird. "That dude is wicked fried." "Yah, he's totally
bizaah."
**Fudge-icle ~ To the rest of the world, a frozen chocolate pop is a
Fudgesicle... but in Boston, the 's' is silent.
**Hermits and black and whites ~ Cookies. A hermit is a molasses and raisin
bar. Black and whites, known anywhere else as half moons or half and halfs,
are round, cakelike cookies with chocolate frosting on one half, vanilla on
the other.
**Jimmies ~ Sprinkles you put on ice cream.
**Packie ~ Liquor Store. You'll have to make a packie run if you want a
kegga. (keg party)
**ah ~ Good.
**Rotary ~ traffic circle. And in Massachusetts, those in the rotary have
the right of way.
**Scrod ~ a generic name for white fish. We think it's cod, but no one's
sure. Usually breaded and laden with butter.
**So Don't I/So Aren't I ~ So do I, So am I. "I have tickets to Aerosmith
tonight." "Oh my Gawd, so don't I!" "No Suh!" "Yah huh." "Wicked a!"
**Three Decker ~ Pronounced three decka, it's a three story house in which
each story is a separate apartment.
**A time ~ A party. "We're going to a time for Sully at McGuire's."
**Tonic ~ Soda
**Wicked ~ Extremely. "Nomaaah's a wicked good baseball playa."
**Yah huh and No Suh ~ Yes and no. Usually heard during an intense
conversation. "I saw Mickey at Castle Island and he was with another girl."
"No SUH!" "Yah huh."
~ Other tips:
Don't say COPEly Square, it's COPley.
Worcester isn't WOOster, it's Wisstah.
Say Commonwealth Avenue, Massachusetts Avenue or Dorchester Avenue and
you'll get pinched. It's Comm. Ave, Mass. Ave and Dot. Ave.
(I work on Dot Ave. LOL )
