English Slang

Because of the Johnny Come lately reality of English in North America, it simply hasn't had time to set in strong dialects as England has. We have varieties and regional slang, from my Quebec English, full of French, and the many accents and turns of phrase all across the continent. We have a large number of very threatened languages from the first nations that are unconnected to English. But we don't have that level of dialect in English. Quebecois french is kind of in that direction..

It's not just biodiversity we should treasure - it's also human diversity. Language is part of that. Here, television cut the top off a lot of accents. I was taught not to talk like my area talked. I have good friends who emigrated from Yorkshire, and sometimes I have to ask them to switch out of dialect so I can follow them. They assume I know their vocabulary, and I don't. It's great stuff, but I'd look like an idiot walking around spouting Yorkshire English with my Canadian accent. Every once in a while I run over to Quebec street English to make a point, but I'm completely outgunned and I know it.

Treasure all this diversity. Use local English forms. When we talk here, we all adjust. If this were a writing job, I'd even spell American. Since it isn't, I don't. But at home, use English correctly, which is to say, in all its local weirdness.
 
I can't really use Lancashire dialect at home. My husband is Welsh (though he doesn't speak Welsh) and wouldn't understand what I was saying, though maybe that's not a bad thing ;)
 
I once edited a really brilliant technical book written in Lancashire dialect. The author wasn't happy when I turned it mid-Atlantic, for the US market he wanted to tap into. I absolutely loved reading it and wish I could have left it alone. It ended up being half and half, so at least it kept some of the original style without being too odd for the North American market.
 
I'd forgotten about this until I was just looking at something on the site.


Even at just a few miles apart Wigan and St Helens have different accents, and in St Helens we would pronounce some of those words differently.
 
I'd forgotten about this until I was just looking at something on the site.


Even at just a few miles apart Wigan and St Helens have different accents, and in St Helens we would pronounce some of those words differently.
You should all learn to speak English then, the Queen's English if you don't mind :)
 
I am born and bred Isle of Wight, and we have an "interesting" language that usually totally confuddles anyone not an islander.

A gurt mallyshag.....a giant caterpillar
A Caulkhead...someone, like me, who is born on the island
Nammet in a scrag bag...lunch in a lunchbox
Dewbit...bread & cheese
Dayn Cays....going to Cowes (the island's capital town)
Ferkin or to Firk...to fuss about, to search...and a dog that is scratching at something
Wiggle-waggles....the seeds of totter grass
Grockle....someone on the island either resident or tourist who is not born there
Twank...to thrash
Sluttish...wet and miserable weather
Bufflehead....lacking intelligence or common sense
Nipper...a child
Chucky Pigs...the woodlouse
Latter Lammas....slow
Rattletrap...a car thats known better days
Slackumtrance...a slovenly woman
Pinchfart....stingy
Twickered...tired
Gally-Bagger...a scarecrow

And there are many more too...not all printable ;)
I know two words.☹️
 
From the USA - Southern edition. I’m from Virginia. In the ‘60’s, I took a trip with my Aunt and Uncle to Florida by car; there were no interstates then. We passed through every little town on the way. In So. Georgia, we pulled into a drive in restaurant. A young woman walked up to our car and spoke to my uncle. Biting my lips to stop from guffawing, I glanced at my Aunt. She was holding back her own snickers. My uncle BOB took a wild guess and gave her our order. None of us understood a word she ever uttered. We didn’t laugh in her face, but we sure howled when we got back on the road.
 
From the USA - Southern edition. I’m from Virginia. In the ‘60’s, I took a trip with my Aunt and Uncle to Florida by car; there were no interstates then. We passed through every little town on the way. In So. Georgia, we pulled into a drive in restaurant. A young woman walked up to our car and spoke to my uncle. Biting my lips to stop from guffawing, I glanced at my Aunt. She was holding back her own snickers. My uncle BOB took a wild guess and gave her our order. None of us understood a word she ever uttered. We didn’t laugh in her face, but we sure howled when we got back on the road.
This sounds like a comic strip where each party howls after the other departs from the scene.
 
From the USA - Southern edition. I’m from Virginia. In the ‘60’s, I took a trip with my Aunt and Uncle to Florida by car; there were no interstates then. We passed through every little town on the way. In So. Georgia, we pulled into a drive in restaurant. A young woman walked up to our car and spoke to my uncle. Biting my lips to stop from guffawing, I glanced at my Aunt. She was holding back her own snickers. My uncle BOB took a wild guess and gave her our order. None of us understood a word she ever uttered. We didn’t laugh in her face, but we sure howled when we got back on the road.
Never have been to Louisiana but I know I wouldn't understand one word of Cajun.
 
I could pick through a few words I'm sure 😅
 

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