Kevin's Watch

Most of us have spent enough time living in one location to know its local lingo and customs, and to roll our eyes at the folks who get that stuff wrong. So, how do you tell an out-of-towner from a local or townie?

Dead give-aways in the Maryland/Metro DC area:
-calls DC "Washington"
-calls Silver Spring "Silver Springs"
-leaves the "s" off "Johns" in Johns Hopkins University
-doesn't know what Old Bay is, or has never put it on french fries

-Don't recognise the sovereignty of the nation that is Montgomery Country.
-Think Maryland is pronounced with more than two syllables.

-jay

kevinswatch wrote:-Don't recognise the sovereignty of the nation that is Montgomery Country.
-Think Maryland is pronounced with more than two syllables.

-jay

LOL. The first one is an inside joke... although anyone you encounter outside of MC who claims to like it is not from Maryland , but the second one is totally true!

the big giveaway here in San Francisco is calling it "Frisco"!!

-People wearing giant jackets to keep warm in 55ish degree weather.

-People using umbrellas or raincoats for anything less than a downpour.

-People who refer to Spokane as spo-KANE as opposed to spo-CAN.

-Oh, and anyone who laughs at someone wearing socks with sandals. (It's comfy AND warm!!)

Indianapolis
Locals call it 'Indy', and are always careful to make the distinction between Indianapolis ("I'm from Indy") and anywhere else in Indiana ("Hey y'all, I'm a Hoosier!")

I'm originally from rural southern Indiana, and although I wasn't raised on a farm, that's just a technicality. I've been in Indy for ~12 years, and every time I leave the hometown to return to Indy, I'm cautioned to 'be careful going back to the city,' because a) there's only one city?, and b) any road with more than two lanes is apparently a death-trap.

dw

Not pronouncing it "Bawlmer, Murlan, hon".

Saying "The Orioles" rather than "eOooows"

Cail wrote:Not pronouncing it "Bawlmer, Murlan, hon".

Saying "The Orioles" rather than "eOooows"

Yes! ROTFL!

Also, thanks, Waddley! if I ever end up in Washington, I'll know to call it Spo-CAN.

Montgomery, NY


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I got nuthin'.

Wearing Orange and Blue on days other than when a big sporting event is hapening...

Calling both the city and county Ah-la(as in ladder)-choo-ah, instead of calling the county that, but the town Ah-la-choo-way (both spelled Alachua).

Asking for 'Shands at UF' instead of just 'Shands.'

Knowing nothing about the east side of town.

Only focusing on UF, instead of everything else we got around here. Most who visit have no idea what the Devil's Millhopper is after they leave. And that's a real shame...

I've got a couple more for DC:

* Takes Metro during rush hour for tourist-type purposes.
* Does the above, and then tries to get off at Arlington Cemetery. (A couple of guys got stuck riding to Rosslyn and doubling back this morning because they couldn't wade through the commuters before the doors closed.)
* Stands dumbly in FRONT of the subway door, either outside or inside the train, when the doors open. (How am I supposed to get out? By climbing *over* you?)
* Stands to the left on the Metro escalator, blocking the way for those who want to walk up or down.

</rant>

Doesn't know that "Bel Air Road" is pronounced "Blair Road".

Doesn't know that "Taneytown" is pronounced "Tawneytown".

Has no clue what a PBR is.

Uses a mallet to eat a crab.

Cail wrote: Uses a mallet to eat a crab.

Uh-oh...

Anyone who has no concept of the difference between "Tommorrow, rain with a chance of showers" and "Tommorrow, showers with a chance of rain."

or

100% precipitation, but 0% Humidity.

Cail wrote:Uses a mallet to eat a crab.

Thank. You.

Seriously, people... wtf?!

(Except you, Menolly. You're cool )

Alynna Lis Eachann wrote:So, how do you tell an out-of-towner from a local or townie?

My town is so small you know everyone by sight (if not by name) so...um...the out-of-towners are obvious because you've never seen them before.

Talking about Australia generally, I must admit I have a soft spot for people who think we have kangaroos absolutely everywhere and expect to see them the moment they step off a plane. And I get a buzz out of the quaint way a lot of you people from the USA pronounce emu: you say "e-moo" where as I say "e-mew"

How on earth do you eat crab with a m...

Oh, mallet! I thought you said mullet.
www.ilovemullets.com/

We get a lot of Easties mispronouncing West Oz burbs & towns...

Classics are "MANDURAH" - they say "man-DOO-rah" when it's actually "MAN-joo-rah"

"Albany" - AL-banny, not ALL-banny.

"Yokine" - YO-kyne, not 'yo-KEEN'

And the best? You guys can't pronounce "Australia" - you say "Aws-TRAY-lia" when it's "STRAY-uh"

Elfgirl wrote:And the best? You guys can't pronounce "Australia" - you say "Aws-TRAY-lia" when it's "STRAY-uh"

HAHAHA! Ya bloomin' WA-er! It's pronounced "O-strayl-ya" ("o" pronounced like you do if saying orange)

Oh yeah, East Coast? So what's Eddie McGuire's excuse? HE says it " 'z-traya" - like he says "mi-yuns" for "millions" ...

and we speak "Strine" remember?