Decades ago, Harvard University’s linguistics professor, Bert Vaux, designed a language survey for English-speaking folks. Vaux wanted to see if the words and phrases people use in their everyday language could help identify where they lived. Turns out, there are many, many regional words and phrases that are unique to specific areas of the United States. For example: Do you drink water from a “drinking fountain” or a “water fountain?” Perhaps neither! If you’re from Boston or Milwaukee, you might drink water from a “bubbler.”
Exact same thing but different names
I think Professor Vaux had a fascinating idea. It’s fun learning the different names people give to the items we use every day. That’s why I plan to implement an unofficial survey of my own. (I hope that’s OK with Dr. Vaux.) I think it’ll be interesting and fun to use the following words and phrases as I survey the people we meet while RVing. You might want to try it as well.
A fun conversation starter
What do you call athletic shoes? Sneakers, tennis shoes, or something else?
What do you call a carbonated, sugary drink? Soda, pop, or Coke? (In the South, all varieties are called “Coke.”)
What do you call the miniature lobster-like creatures that live in lakes and streams? Crawfish, crayfish, or crawdads?
Where does water come from? A spigot, the tap, or a faucet?
What do you call a spider with very long legs? A granddaddy, a daddy long legs, or a granddaddy long legs?
What do you call the red liquid that tops your spaghetti? Tomato sauce, gravy, or spaghetti sauce?
What do you call a long sandwich, usually made with cold cuts, cheese, and veggies? A sub, hero, hoagie, or grinder?
What do you call the last slice of bread? The heel, end, or crust?
Take BuzzFeed’s Regional Linguistic Test
After you’ve surveyed your camping neighbors, you might want to try out BuzzFeed’s quiz. It uses keywords and phrases in an attempt to determine where you live. I took the quiz, and it concluded that I must be from Michigan. I do live in the Midwest (Missouri). So, they were pretty close, regionally. You can take the quiz for yourself right here. Have fun!
##RVT1033
The test thought I am a Californian. Nope! I was born and reared in Texas where I have lived for 69 of my 72 years.
Mine said New Jersey, but I’m from NY. Close? Not really, Northern NY (where I live) and Metropolitan NY speak in different languages. I think it was the “you guys” that put me in NJ.
More garbage from Harvard.
Mine was close. It said New York, but I’m on the other side of Lake Ontario in southeast Ontario.
Mine said California. Only missed it by a hair. Born and raised in North Carolina.
Mine said California, too, but I grew up in Ohio and have also lived in Montana, South Dakota, Virginia, and Georgia. 🙂
California? Not a chance! But I can understand the erroneous result; through the end of high school, I’d lived in (in order of residence) Montana, New York, Idaho, Washington, Virginia, Washington, Alaska, Minnesota, and Alabama. Sometimes I get confused about the way I talk!
I’m southern born and bred, and have lived in the South all my life. This silly quiz says I’m from New Jersey! Get real!
Born in Colorado. Left at 18 months. Moved to Calif where I still reside. It said Massachusetts….lol. When I worked I had several people say they thought I was from New York.
It nailed me! Although I was born in WI, I left at age 20 and have lived in CA most of the rest of my life. I think they’re wrong about bubbler though. A bubbler is a drinking fountain that is always on, so it continually bubbles. If you have to turn a metal gizmo to release water, then it’s not a bubbler, it’s a fountain.
I got California from the Linguistic test but I live in Vancouver BC. At least it is the correct coast, although I don’t sound like my relatives who live in W”OR”shington state.
That is funny. I went to California when my son graduated from the Marine Corp but have lived in South Dakota most all my life.
Said I am from Nevada – about 2000 miles off. Just more fake news from BuzzFeed.
This was just for fun! What do you do when something is serious? Lighten up. Life is a party! This test will be really different depending on your education and what you read. Some Texan’s do not sound like Texan’s at all!
so you’re Mexican. that’s ok.😁😜
This quiz is something else! It said I’m from Montana, but I am full blooded Texas born!
Well the test was spot on. I grew up in Michigan but have lived all over and picked up different dialects on the way but the test still said Michigan. I think the dead give away was Devil’s Night.
Uh, I grew up in CA and now live in Utah. The quiz said New Mexico. I’ve only been to NM once LOL!
I’ve been a lifelong Michigan resident until we went fulltime 12 years ago. The test said I’m from California, which I’ve only visited twice for a week each time.
You can’t do much worse than that. That’s five minutes I wish I had back to do something more useful.
It got the right coast for me anyway, but wrong state. Too many questions have more than one answer but you can only pick one.
I got New York…I’m a native Floridian
I live in western Canada and Michigan was the result, so I guess it was close enough.
Way off for me, I was picked as Georgia. I’ve lived my whole life in the Midwest, in Iowa.