The Lexicon

[hazel]

As the membership of this forum has such a wide demographic, we're in a perfect position to be able to advise on how characters from various parts of the world would speak.
Some years ago, I began compiling a Lexicon - a collection of words and phrases, mostly from the UK and US, together with equivalents from the opposite side of the Atlantic. The document still exists in the Headquarters Archive (http://uk.msnusers.com/SpectrumHeadquartersForum/Documents/lexicon.htm) but needs revision. I also understand that some people can't get in to the Archive to see it. So, until it can be updated and migrated to the main site, I suggest that we have a thread for the purpose.

If you're contributing a word or phrase, please state:

- the region where the word or phrase comes from
- the context in which it's used
- what it means

If you want to know how a character would say something, please state:

- where your character comes from
- what you want him/her to say
- the context in which they're saying it

We can also include pet hates as well, and I'll kick off with this one, which I've seen all too often:
"mighty", meaning "very", spoken by Scarlet, or even worse, Rhapsody. This is not used in the South of England. We say "very" or "extremely".

[Sage]

This is such a great idea.
I saw this little quiz/survey on livejournal a while ago, and thought it might help to get the ball rolling ...

Dialect Meme

Your location; Hampshire, England

1. A body of water, smaller than a river, contained within relatively narrow banks.
Stream
2. What the thing you push around the grocery store is called.
Trolley (which incidentally you push round a supermarket and filled with shopping)
3. A metal container to carry a meal in.
Lunchboxes (but they're made of plastic).
4. The thing that you cook bacon and eggs in.
Frying pan
5. The piece of furniture that seats three people.
Sofa or settee
6. The device on the outside of the house that carries rain off the roof.
Guttering/drain pipe
7. The covered area outside a house where people sit in the evening.
Patio [paved], or decking [wooden slatted thingy].
Not that they're covered or we generally do sit on them at night because yeah it's England.
8. Carbonated, sweetened, non-alcoholic beverage.
Fizzy drinks, soft drinks, or closest approximation of flavour or brand name (e.g 'coke' could mean coca cola/pepsi/supermarket own brand cola).
9. A flat, round breakfast food served with syrup.
Pancakes
10. A long sandwich designed to be a whole meal in itself.
Baugette, panini, subway
11. The piece of clothing worn by men at the beach.
[Swimming] trunks/speedos - depending on modesty of said garment.
12. Shoes worn for sports.
Trainers.
13. Putting a room in order.
Tidy/tidying up/clean up/clear up
14. A flying insect that glows in the dark.
gloworm/firefly
15. The little insect that curls up into a ball.
woodlouse
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.
see-saw
17. How do you eat your pizza?
with my hands, or cutlery - depending on the company and how robust the base is.
18. What's it called when private citizens put up signs and sell their used stuff?
car boot sale/bring & buy [which here is generally an organised group event in a public place, rather than just one person selling stuff in their garden].
19. What's the evening meal?
Dinner/tea
20. The thing under a house where the furnace and perhaps a rec room are?
basement/cellar (which almost nobody has here)
21. What do you call the thing that you can get water out of to drink in public places?
Fountain, tap (or cooler/dispenser if it's not plumbed in)
22. If something is diagonally located, where is it in relation to you?
Uh 'over there' (vauge pointing optional), adjacent, diagonally
23. What do you call the place where the water comes out of the sink?
Tap

[Sage]

And here's the blank version, for copy & pasting purposes ...

Dialect Meme

Your location;

1. A body of water, smaller than a river, contained within relatively narrow banks.
2. What the thing you push around the grocery store is called.
3. A metal container to carry a meal in.
4. The thing that you cook bacon and eggs in.
5. The piece of furniture that seats three people.
6. The device on the outside of the house that carries rain off the roof.
7. The covered area outside a house where people sit in the evening.
8. Carbonated, sweetened, non-alcoholic beverage.
9. A flat, round breakfast food served with syrup.
10. A long sandwich designed to be a whole meal in itself.
11. The piece of clothing worn by men at the beach.
12. Shoes worn for sports.
13. Putting a room in order.
14. A flying insect that glows in the dark.
15. The little insect that curls up into a ball.
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.
17. How do you eat your pizza?
18. What's it called when private citizens put up signs and sell their used stuff?
19. What's the evening meal?
20. The thing under a house where the furnace and perhaps a rec room are?
21. What do you call the thing that you can get water out of to drink in public places?
22. If something is diagonally located, where is it in relation to you?
23. What do you call the place where the water comes out of the sink?

[Marion]

Dialect Meme

Your location: Currently Berkshire, via Staffordshire, Cornwall and Yorkshire.

1. A body of water, smaller than a river, contained within relatively narrow banks.
Stream or brook
2. What the thing you push around the grocery store is called.
Supermarket trolley or just a trolley. A trolley is also something kids make out of pram wheels and cardboard boxes to go joyriding in…
3. A metal container to carry a meal in.
Tiffin box? Lunchboxes are generally plastic.
4. The thing that you cook bacon and eggs in.
Frying pan
5. The piece of furniture that seats three people.
Sofa. Have been known to say settee as well.
6. The device on the outside of the house that carries rain off the roof.
Guttering and drainpipes
7. The covered area outside a house where people sit in the evening.
A veranda – but few places have one. We have patios and gardens, but these are not generally covered. Some people have conservatories built as extensions into their gardens.
8. Carbonated, sweetened, non-alcoholic beverage.
Pop. (Unless it has a trade name or flavour: e.g.: Vimto, or dandelion and burdock.)
9. A flat, round breakfast food served with syrup.
We don’t have them for breakfast and we don’t serve them with syrup, (by ‘we’ I mean my family) but I assume you mean pancakes. In the part of the world I come from, we have ‘oatcakes’ which are round, pancake-like savouries and they are eaten with fried bacon and – if you like the stuff – cheese. I’ve had them for breakfast – and very nice they are too.
10. A long sandwich designed to be a whole meal in itself.
A roll – baguette is a relatively new term and I never heard it before I came to work in the Posh South-East.
11. The piece of clothing worn by men at the beach.
(swimming) trunks or bathers.
12. Shoes worn for sports.
Pumps (indoors) or trainers (outdoors)
13. Putting a room in order.
Tidying up.
14. A flying insect that glows in the dark.
I’ve never seen one to my knowledge, but I would call them a firefly.
15. The little insect that curls up into a ball.
A creepy-crawly!
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.
See-saw
17. How do you eat your pizza?
Without cheese and with a knife and fork, generally.
18. What's it called when private citizens put up signs and sell their used stuff?
Desperation… or maybe a car-boot sale
19. What's the evening meal?
Tea-time or dinner.
20. The thing under a house where the furnace and perhaps a rec room are?
It’s a basement and I’ve never seen an English house with one.
21. What do you call the thing that you can get water out of to drink in public places?
Fountain.
22. If something is diagonally located, where is it in relation to you?
‘Across from me’, or ‘over there’ (with gestures).
23. What do you call the place where the water comes out of the sink?
A tap if you mean filling the sink, and a plughole if you mean emptying the sink.

[Captain Indigo]

8. Carbonated, sweetened, non-alcoholic beverage.
Pop. (Unless it has a trade name or flavour: e.g.: Vimto, or dandelion and burdock.)

I'll do my one later, but whilst I'm thinking about this, I thought I should mention that in Lancashire (where I spent most of my life) 'Vimto' comes as a cordial, not as a fizzy drink unlike in the rest of the country.

[Marion]

You can get cordial in the south too - my daughter likes it and doesn't always make it up with lemonade either.

[hazel]

Dialect Meme

Your location: South West London, originating in East London, and living in just about every part of London since then.

1. A body of water, smaller than a river, contained within relatively narrow banks.
Stream.
2. What the thing you push around the grocery store is called.
Trolley.
3. A metal container to carry a meal in.
Lunchbox. I agree with the plastic thing.
4. The thing that you cook bacon and eggs in.
Frying pan.
5. The piece of furniture that seats three people.
Sofa.
6. The device on the outside of the house that carries rain off the roof.
Gutter / drainpipe
7. The covered area outside a house where people sit in the evening.
Patio (uncovered). British houses will sometimes have a small enclosed area outside the front door, where outdoor shoes and coats are sometimes kept. These are called "porches" but are nothing like the porches on American houses.
8. Carbonated, sweetened, non-alcoholic beverage.
Soft drink, but more usually, its generic or brand name.
9. A flat, round breakfast food served with syrup.
Pancakes.
10. A long sandwich designed to be a whole meal in itself.
Torpedo, roll or baguette. I was calling them "baguettes" back in the early 1970s, after a school trip to France, and "torpedoes" in the 80s. A 'roll' to me is quite small.
11. The piece of clothing worn by men at the beach.
Swimming trunks / cozzie.
12. Shoes worn for sports.
Plimsolls (indoors) or trainers (outdoors)
13. Putting a room in order.
Tidying up.
14. A flying insect that glows in the dark.
Firefly.
15. The little insect that curls up into a ball.
Wood-louse.
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.
See-saw.
17. How do you eat your pizza?
I rarely eat pizza, but if I do, it's usually with my fingers.
18. What's it called when private citizens put up signs and sell their used stuff?
Car boot sale / garage sale.
19. What's the evening meal?
Dinner.
20. The thing under a house where the furnace and perhaps a rec room are?
Basement. Usually only found in commercial buildings in Britain these days, although seriously big houses like Buckingham Palace and Lady P's mansion would have one.
21. What do you call the thing that you can get water out of to drink in public places?
Fountain.
22. If something is diagonally located, where is it in relation to you?
Over there / diagonally opposite.
23. What do you call the place where the water comes out of the sink?
A tap to fill the sink, a plughole to drain the sink, and an overflow if the water level is too high.

[Captain Indigo]

Your location; Glasgow, and I'll try to keep it as Weegie as possible (Weegie = Glaswegian)

1. A body of water, smaller than a river, contained within relatively narrow banks.
Burn
2. What the thing you push around the grocery store is called.
Trolley, and it's a supermarket.
3. A metal container to carry a meal in.
Lunchbox or piece box (piece is a 'sandwich'). And they're generally plastic here, too.
4. The thing that you cook bacon and eggs in.
Frying pan
5. The piece of furniture that seats three people.
Sofa. Settee is also accepted.
6. The device on the outside of the house that carries rain off the roof.
Gutter, flows into a drainpipe, then into a drain
7. The covered area outside a house where people sit in the evening.
You can sit outside in the evening?
8. Carbonated, sweetened, non-alcoholic beverage.
Juice. 'Pop' is permitted, as is 'fizzy drink' or the brand name (Irn Bru being the most popular)
9. A flat, round breakfast food served with syrup.
You mean an American Pancake. We have pancakes that are served fried with a full breakfast, but not with syrup. They're sweeter and than a US version. Most people in the UK call them a 'drop scone' or a 'Scottish pancake'.
10. A long sandwich designed to be a whole meal in itself.
Sub. We have round or square sandwiches typically. See (3) for terminology
11. The piece of clothing worn by men at the beach.
Trunks or swim shorts
12. Shoes worn for sports.
Trainers or plimsols, depending on the 'weight' of them
13. Putting a room in order.
Tidying
14. A flying insect that glows in the dark.
We don't have them. I'd call them 'fireflies', but that's borrowed from American. Tell you what, we'll have them, and you can take the midgies.
15. The little insect that curls up into a ball.
A catterpiller? One of those things that turns into a butterfly, or do you mean something else?
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.
See-saw
17. How do you eat your pizza?
Hot. Knife and fork out of preference, but I'll eat a Dominos one with my hands because I can't be bothered to put it on a plate
18. What's it called when private citizens put up signs and sell their used stuff?
It isn't done as a rule of thumb - we don't have the weather for it. Anyone wanting to do this goes to a car boot sale if they're making money, or a jumble sale for charity (bring-and-buy if it's a Blue Peter event)
19. What's the evening meal?
You know, I'm not sure. I call it 'tea', since that can't be confused with 'lunch' - 'dinner' is used in different parts of the UK to mean one or the other. I think it's 'dinner' here.
20. The thing under a house where the furnace and perhaps a rec room are?
Cellar. They're uncommon, but I have lived in a house with one. And it's a 'boiler', not a 'furnace'.
21. What do you call the thing that you can get water out of to drink in public places?
Fountain
22. If something is diagonally located, where is it in relation to you?
"Over there," with added pointing
23. What do you call the place where the water comes out of the sink?
Tap/plughole


And one little extra - 'sausage' is generally square and made with beef and a few mild spices.

[Marion]

Captain Indigo wrote:

piece is a 'sandwich'

I remember calling a sandwich a 'piece' when I was small. You could have a 'jam piece' or have 'a piece' with your tea - especially if it was chips, so you could make a chip butty!
Incidently, I have been thinking about evening meals and 'tea' is what you have when it is just the family and you're back from work - whatever time it is (I used to work until 7pm 2 nights a week) but 'dinner' is what you have when you're playing 'grown-ups' and have people coming to eat with you of an evening.

[Captain Indigo]

You could have a 'jam piece'

Now that you mention it, we go the Yankee way on this one - it's a 'jeely piece' (think 'jelly', but with a Scottish accent).

Incidently, I have been thinking about evening meals and 'tea' is what you have when it is just the family and you're back from work - whatever time it is (I used to work until 7pm 2 nights a week) but 'dinner' is what you have when you're playing 'grown-ups' and have people coming to eat with you of an evening.

Quite right, Marion - I would use 'dinner' if I was doing the whole nine yards (three courses, wine etc), but mostly my friends just invade for 'tea' because I can cook! It depends on how formal you are being with the occasion.

[Lt Topaz]

Your location; Alberta, Canada

1. A body of water, smaller than a river, contained within relatively narrow banks. creek, I've also seen brook and stream used as well.
2. What the thing you push around the grocery store is called.shopping cart
3. A metal container to carry a meal in. lunch box; we have both metal and plastic ones here. Most of our plastic lunch boxes are made for school kids though.
4. The thing that you cook bacon and eggs in. Skillet, fry pan
5. The piece of furniture that seats three people. Couch, chesterfield, sofa
6. The device on the outside of the house that carries rain off the roof. gutters
7. The covered area outside a house where people sit in the evening. veranda, patio, or balcony; just depends which story it's attached to.
8. Carbonated, sweetened, non-alcoholic beverage. cola, soda pop, or pop
9. A flat, round breakfast food served with syrup. pancake or crepe, depending on how thick it is. Crepes tend to be paper-thin and are sometimes used for dessert as well.
10. A long sandwich designed to be a whole meal in itself.sub
11. The piece of clothing worn by men at the beach. Swim trunks. I've also heard speedos used here as well, but as a brand name instead
12. Shoes worn for sports. running shoes, sneakers
13. Putting a room in order. clean up, tidy up
14. A flying insect that glows in the dark. firefly
15. The little insect that curls up into a ball. centipedes, caterpillars (especially the fuzzy ones)
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. see-saw, teeter-totter
17. How do you eat your pizza? with my hands and a napkin
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? supper, dinner
20. The thing under a house where the furnace and perhaps a rec room are? A basement, if it has cement walls, or a cellar if it doesn't. Almost every house over here has one.
21. What do you call the thing that you can get water out of to drink in public places? drinking fountain or water cooler, depending on whether or not it's connected to the plumbing.
22. If something is diagonally located, where is it in relation to you? kitty-corner
23. What do you call the place where the water comes out of the sink? tap or faucet

[Captain Indigo]

22. If something is diagonally located, where is it in relation to you? kitty-corner

That's cute! In the interests of the lexicon, how would you use 'kitty-corner' in a sentence?

[Mary]

22. If something is diagonally located, where is it in relation to you? kitty-corner

That's cute! In the interests of the lexicon, how would you use 'kitty-corner' in a sentence?

In giving directions.

Since in MY area we say "catty-corner," I'll use it thusly:

"The bank is catty-corner from my office."

[Lt Topaz]

I'd also use it to describe the position of an item.
"Wasn't my pawn kitty-corner to that knight?"

[Captain Indigo]

Thanks to both of you. Now that I understand the question a little better, I would say 'diagonally opposite', i.e.

My bed is diagonally opposite from my door.

I still like your phrase better.