I love the way people talk. I love their accents, the way their lips and tongue move when they are forming sounds, the words they say and what's behind the meaning of those words. Colloquial speech is especially remarkable. As a former midwesterner, a current southerner and evidently a linguist in a former life, here are a few of my favorites:
"That smells really loud." Meaning, that has a really strong smell. (North Carolina)
"Searcy." A friendly little gift given for no reason at all. (North and South Carolina, Alabama)
"The Devil is beating his wife." Said when it's raining and the sun is shining simultaneously (North Carolina)
"A Red Bic Lighter." This is terribly bad luck to have and must be disposed of immediately. (Wisconsin)
"How you gonna show?" Meaning, what are you going to do in this situation? (Northern Ohio)
"Don't send a boy...." (to do a man's job). Used to describe when someone is unqualified to do a particular task. (Michigan)
"Szepicsam" (tzay-peecham). If you ask a Hungarian-speaking woman very sweetly, perhaps she'll tell you what it means. And if you're really lucky, she might show you.
"Plumnilly." Meaning, right in between. (North Carolina)
"Tsotski". (chaaats-kee). Meaning, those crappy, dusty brik-a-brak things that covered every shelf in your grandmother's house. (New York City).
"Pa-diddle". What you must say when you see a car on the highway coming toward you with only one headlight. (Michigan)
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