The other day I thought I’d start keeping track of some of the interesting colloquialisms and pronunciations I hear from my friends and family. Many are particular to Utah, I’m sure, and I think some go back to small towns like Spanish Fork and Lakeshore 50+ years ago. There are some that drive me nuts-o, and some I find charming and funny. And I’m sure there are plenty more I don’t even hear because I’m just so used to them—or because I say them. I’m probably guilty of some humdingers! So let’s have some fun and make a list. I’d love to hear yours. Here’s a start…
Of course, the obvious heck, gosh, dang, darn… Me? Guilty. Heck, I’m from Utah!
Chimbley—just funny.
Asparagrus—kind of annoying.
Pellow and melk, not pillow and milk. Drives me nuts.
I seen Betty down to the Wal-mart. Yaaaahrr! I hear it all the time.
Irregardless—this one is in the dictionary, but it says “used humorously.” I don’t know if they know it’s funny.
Crens (crayons)
Crick (creek)
An (and)—I’m sure I say this one all the time.
Pedistool (pedestal)—this one makes me laugh.
Ping-kwin (penguin)
Roof or roof—I’m not even sure which one is right.
Doesn’t that make a rabbit slap a bear?—what does this mean?
Git (as in “Git down from there! or “Hey! Go on! Git!”)
Wint (went)
Shmorning—you know, like “The shmorning I wint down to Wal-marts to git some melk an asparagrus an guess what? On the way I seen Harold. He was fixin his chimbley.”
Well, that’s all I got fer now. Ahl be lettin’ ya know whin I heer summore.
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19 comments:
Some of my favorites are: unthaw, acrosst, ignernt (meaning misbehaved), viadock and there is a guy I work with who always says "orientated" we make fun of him all the time but he is undeterred. On a side note that is only slightly related, but pretty funny, I had a Finnish companion on my mission. If you wrote "pig", "big", and "pick" on the chalkboard and asked him to read them, he would say, "peek, peek, peek". It was kind of cruel, but hilarious, and he was a good sport.
As to the Crick vs. Creek ordeal, I advise you read "How to Fish a Crick" by Pat McManus. finefishing.com/1flyfish/humor/
howtofishcrick.htm
Ooooh! Good ones, Otto. And I'm sure you remember, I lived on the other side of that viadock.
Thank you, Mat6t, for that clarification. And all this time I just thought it was a mispronunciation. Fine distinctions. I love McManus.
This makes me think of two more:
mispronounciate--ironic, this one, but I've really heard it used.
carn (corn)--I like this one. It reminds me of my grandma.
HI there, I'm a friend of Lisa Clarks, but I couldn't resist this blog. My Grandma grew up in Spanish Fork, actually I think she always called it Spanish FARK! I also noticed that a lot of folk from Utah, in recalling a conversation, use these phrases, "well, shes says this then I says that." My husband actually served his mission in Utah (yes, believe it or not, exotic, rare Utah!) and used to crack up when people would say, "I'm gonna learn you somethin'" What the HECK is that? I was glad you remembered carn. So now we can git down by the crick and eat our carn with the fark and I'll learn ya somethin' good whiles we're there.
And so I meet this new person on my blog. And I go, "Welcome, WendySue." And she goes, "Hi." And I go, "Glad you came."
Not long ago my son (10 yrs) corrected me on one. I said I borrowed so-and-so a book or something. He told me I loaned it to her. Correcting your mom? How ignernt.
When ding a blog like this you need to remember to be very acrit with your facts.
My husband goes to the BYU and studies in the lie-berry. On Twos-dee I seen him take out the garbeege, but he really wanted to go down to Lake Pawl on them skeedooz. That's sum crawzy crawp!
While living in Utah, I once worked with a girl who (she was serious) said, and I paraphrase, Why is the name Wendy spelled differently than windy like the wind blowing even though they sound the same? I don't remember my response but I still laugh about it today.
Hey, I am also a friend of Lisa's.
My husband is named Derek. My sweet mother (born and bred -- or is it BARN and bred in Utah) always called him Der-eeeek. Also, the first time Der-eeeeek came to Utah he was tickled by the announcement made at the SLC airport. "there is no Par-keeeen or Wait--eeeeeen at the curb".
I miss it. :-)
Holy crud, I gotta get them kids off the TRAMP! One of em's gonna break ee's neck!
Otto please be nice to Finnish people. They lead sad lives. I would know.
Chris, please don't get me wrong. I know you have a soft spot for the Finnish. Jukka-Pekka was one of my favorite companions. To use one of his phrases, "I gotta say he was priddy fresh."
mill dill, anyone? and, lorien, it's irregardlessLY.
one more: goinue. as in, "The first countselor said I might could get my patriarticle blessing, so I think I'm goinue."
hi lorien!! long time, no see :)
when i first moved to the east, people made fun of the way i said the word "both." it never occurred to me that there were better or worse ways to say that word...but apparently i was putting an intrusive L in it, so it ended up sounding like "bolth."
needless to say, i changed the way i said it. but now, when i visit utah, i hear everyone there saying it that way--bolth--and it makes me smile.
I've been self-conscious now for a day and a half about the word "both". I've been testing and practicing saying it to see if I insert the silent L. I may be guilty, so I've been working on how to remove that L from the word. So many things to fret about in life.
oh no! i hope i didn't make you self-conscious.
thanks for your note on my blog. i will be in utah this fall, and i would love to catch up/grab lunch.
have a great day! and re: "both," i think bolth pronunciations are fine :)
Joe--Yay! Be sure to holler when you're here. I need to put my email address in my profile, but until I do, here it is. That might be the easiest way to arrange something like a lunch, eh? Talk to you later!
lorien@guyfrancis.com
I know what I did and I done it!
"Look for the crins in the chester drawers."
"Coolup" Cool Whip (more of a child's thinking rather than a Utah thing... particularly my daughter)
"Oh my Nellie!" True, drives me nuts.
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