dialect survey from firecat

[jinian]


Age: 26
Where did you grow up (ages 5-15)? Poulsbo, WA

WHAT DO YOU CALL:
1. A body of water, smaller than a river, contained within relatively narrow banks?
"creek", pronounced crick. I have modified this in adulthood due to mockery.

2. The thing you push around the grocery store?
"shopping cart"

3. A metal container to carry a meal in?
"lunchbox"

4. The thing that you cook bacon and eggs in?
"frying pan"

5. The piece of furniture that seats three people?
"couch"

6. The device on the outside of the house that carries rain off the roof?
"gutters", "rain gutters". Also "downspouts", but those are the part that come down only, while gutters are the system.

7. The covered area outside a house where people sit in the evening?
We didn't have one, nor did anyone else. "porch" now.

8. Carbonated, sweetened, non-alcoholic beverages?
"pop"

9. A flat, round breakfast food served with syrup?
"pancake" (For this one I really wonder what the alternatives are. Must go track this survey back some.)

10. A long sandwich designed to be a whole meal in itself?
I guess "sub" but I have never liked them. I always had to be wary of people offering a "sandwich" because it might be one of these (or just include lunchmeat, which is almost as bad).

11. The piece of clothing worn by men at the beach?
"swimsuit", "swim trunks"

12. Shoes worn for sports?
"tennis shoes", "tennies"

13. Putting a room in order?
"cleaning up"

14. A flying insect that glows in the dark?
We didn't have these either. In literature I mainly encountered "firefly", and would've used it had I ever needed to refer to one.

15. The little insect that curls up into a ball?
"potato bug", which I know is incorrect so no longer use, or "pillbug". The ones that don't curl are called "sowbug".

16. The children's playground equipment where one kid sits on one side and goes up while the other sits on the other side and goes down?
"teeter-totter"

17. How do you eat your pizza?
First, please note that round pizza cut into squares is sick and wrong. I first encountered this at Mt. Holyoke, and even the people from MA thought it was bizarre. Now that's clear: I eat pizza by picking it up and biting off pieces until it's gone. I don't think it's cultural that I intersperse bites of crust with bites of middle sometimes, since I've never caught anyone else doing it.

18. What's it called when private citizens put up signs and sell their used stuff?
"garage sale", "yard sale"

19. What's the evening meal?
"dinner"

20. The thing under a house where the furnace and perhaps a rec room are?
Furnace? I guess where I live now we have one in the "basement", but no one had such a thing when I was growing up.

An unusually heavy rain which does not last long.
"downpour", "pouring rain"

A window covering on rollers that pulls down.
"window shade"

A new, limited access, multi-lane road.
"freeway", but it doesn't have to be new.

Heavy garments worn for work.
"coverall" or "overalls", which are different things.