Ok, I have lived here in Alabama for two years now. I have not lost my “Boston Accent” yet. I know this because when I am speaking to someone for the first time I get a funny look, along with a slightly tilted head and the question, “You’re not from here are ya?”. I am now. So I thought it would be fun to do a little comparing to how the true Bostonians talk as compared to the rest of the world.
Below you will find what Boston is about and how to understand their language. Have fun, and as we say in the South, “Bless Your Hearts!”
How To Say These Massachusetts City Names Correctly:
Worcester: Wuhsta (or Wistah)
Gloucester: Glawsta
Leicester: Lesta
Woburn: Woobun
Dedham : Dead-urn
Revere: Re -vee-ah
Quincy: Quinzee
Tewksbury: Tooks ber ry
Leominster: Le-min-sta
Peabody: Pee-ba-dee
Waltham : Walth-ham
Chatham : Chaddurn
Samoset: Sam-oh-set or Sum-aw-set, but nevah Summerset!
Boston Food & Drink
Frappes are made with ice cream; milkshakes are not.
Soda means CLUB SODA.
Pop refers to DAD.
Tonic is ANY carbonated beverage – except Tonic Water, When we want Tonic WATER, we will ask for TONIC WATER.
The smallest beer is a pint. Order the cold tea in China Town after 2:00 am; you will get a kettle full of beer. Scrod is whatever they tell you it is, usually fish – If you paid more than $7/pound, you got scrod.
It is not a water fountain; it is a bubblah. It is not a spucky, a hero, or a grinder; it is a sub. They are not franks; they are haht dahgs; franks are money used in Switzahland.
North, South, East, West, Getting Around Boston
The geographical center of Boston is in Roxbury. Due north of the center we find the South End. Due East of that is South Boston (Southie). The South End is the South End. East Boston is Eastie. The North End is southwest of East Boston and east of the former West
End. The West End and Scully Square are no more; a guy named Rappaport got rid of them one night. Roxbury is The Burree, Jamaica Plain is J.P.
There is no school on School Street, no court on Court Street, no dock on Dock Square, and no water on Water Street.
Back Bay streets are in alphabetical awddah: Arlington, Berkeley, Clarendon, Dartmouth, etc. So are SouthBoston streets: A, B, C, D, etc.
There are two State Houses, two City Halls, two courthouses, and two Hancock buildings (one is very old; one is relatively new).
If the streets are named after trees (e.g. Walnut, Chestnut, Cedar), you are on Beacon Hill. If they are named after poets, you are in Wellesley. Massachusetts Avenue is Mass Ave. Commonwealth Avenue is Comm
Ave. Route 128 South is 1-95 south. It is also 1-93 North.
The underground train is not a subway. It is the T, and it does not run all night. (This ain’t Noo Yawk). Bostonians think that it is
their God-given right to cut off someone in traffic.
Bostonians always hang a left as soon as the light turns green, and oncoming traffic always expects it. Bostonians believe that using your turn signal is a sign of weakness.
The Weatha
Bostonians think that three straight days of 90+ temperatures is a heat wave. Bostonians refer to six inches of snow as a dusting.
Bostonians think that 63 degree ocean water is warm, and that the colored lights on top of the old Hancock Building predict “the weatha:” Solid blue, clear view.” “Flashing blue, clouds due.” “Solid red, rain ahead.” “Flashing red, snow instead.” (except in summer, flashing red means the Red Sox game was rained out!”)
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