Travel across the United States, and youâll discover that some words have vastly different meanings by region. Order greens in a restaurant up North, and youâll be served a salad. But in the South, youâll get a side order of cooked collard greens. It’s easy to get confused! Check out this list of perplexing regionalisms before you cross state lines.Ěý
If you tell your Northern friends youâre busy fixing something, theyâll understand youâre working on your car, or mending something thatâs broken.ĚýIn the South, fixingâ or fixin‘âmeans getting prepared for action. You can be fixinâ for trouble, or maybe just fixinâ breakfast with your family. Grits, anyone?
A buggy in the North refers to a horse-drawn cart, like the ones used by the Amish in Pennsylvania. In the South, shopping carts are adorably referred to as buggies.ĚýNationwide, shopping cart is the most common term for a wheeled contraption used for groceries. In the Midwest, though, itâs often called a basket or wagon, and a carriage in New England.
Craving something zesty to mix in with your salad? In the North, simply request dressing from your waitress. But ask for dressing in the South, and youâll get a bread-based side dish, similar to Thanksgiving stuffing.
Southerners will take exception to that description. To them, stuffing is cooked in a bird, and dressing is baked in a pan. To get a topping for your salad in the South, you need to specify âsalad dressing.â Ěý
In the North, bless your heart is a sincere endearment. But be careful when saying this down South, where itâs a condescending way of calling someone an idiot. Itâs also used to soften an insult, such as, âHeâs too dumb for his own good, bless his heart.â Ěý
The term dope refers to getting some inside information on a juicy story. Regionally speaking, in the North, dope typically refers to marijuana, or something really awesome.ĚýBut in parts of the South, asking for dope willĚýget you toppings for your ice cream! It can also mean chocolate syrup to dessert lovers down South.
Most anywhere in the countryâexcept the SouthâBBQ (short for barbecue or barbeque) refers to anything cooked on a grill, even veggies.
Southerners will tell you that BBQ only means slow-cooking meat for several hours. And every Southern state, city, county and town claims it makes the best! (Hint: great tasting BBQ depends on the marinade and wood.)
In the South, tea is considered a quintessential Southern drink. Although there are regional differences, itâs an icy, sweetâvery sweetâbeverage. Ask for unsweetened tea, and everyone will know youâre an out-of-towner.
If you order tea in a Northern restaurant, youâll probably get a hot beverage. However, consumer research indicates that ice-cold sweet tea is quickly gaining popularity nationwide.
In the North, a bet refers to something you wager on. In the South, if you say âbet,â it means âI agree,â short for âyou betâ or âyou betcha.â But donât worry, thereâs no shortage of gambling opportunities in Southern states like Louisiana and Florida.
Ask for sugar in the North, and youâll get a sweetener to put in your coffee or tea, or perhaps a 5-pound bag for baking. Ask for sugar in the South, and you might just get a kiss. Sugar (pronounced without the ârâ sound) is also slang for sweetheart, but can alternatively be used as a codeword for cocaine. Stick to the sweet tea, kids!
Up North, people refers to everyone. Thatâs pretty obvious, right? But in the South, the word is frequently paired with âmyâ as a way of referencing your family, close friends or posse.
While weâre at it, if you address a group of people in the North, youâre likely to say, âhey, guysâ even if the group includes gals. But in the South, itâs âyâall,â which is non-gender-specific. Who knew old-time slang could be so progressive?
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