Language Is Funny Thing, Yes?

Hi folks -- I'll get this week's Guest Editor's Picks up a little later today. I was also going to try to roll out the next edition of the Six-Pack Picks today, but let's just wait until next week, instead.

In the meantime, here are a few links relating to regional vocabulary and dialects in the U.S. It came up after an odd confluence of Web-surfing and lunch-eating (cheese steak with onion rings again; sorry, I didn't think it was picture-worthy.)

Now, Blogger John has touched on the whole Pop vs. Soda vs. Coke debate before; we move into food territory with a survey map of what people call "...a long sandwich that contains cold cuts, lettuce, and so on."

Out of 10,708 respondents to this (now-closed) survey, the results were:
a. sub (77.15%)
b. grinder (2.87%)
c. hoagie (6.98%)
d. hero (5.18%)
e. poor boy (1.77%)
f. bomber (0.01%)
g. Italian sandwich (0.46%)
h. baguette (0.25%)
i. sarney (0.03%)
j. I have no word for this (0.91%)
k. other (4.41%)

As per usual, the most interesting part of anything like this is reading the comments and posts by people who talk about how what they say is right and why people who call it something else are morons (like in this Fark thread, where I got the link.)

You can easily kill an afternoon going through the other survey map results -- they say it's a survey, but between you and me, it's actually a quiz -- the correct answers include:
* Water Fountain
* You stand in line
* Pill bug
* No, "might could" does not makes a bit of sense, please stop that immediately.

Then again, even those of you who speak your crazy moon languages can take comfort in the fact that at least you didn't answer "I have no word for this" for the sandwich question. How frustrating the lives of those folks must be.

Thanks -- Joe


Tag: crazy moon language