Obscure english slang...

[emilyb]

As I grew up on an island in the Atlantic, I missed out on most of the slang they were using on the continent. We had our own, strange small island version of slang. Here are a few examples...
Turk= truck
Mud bogging= off roading
Off island= getting out of town
Chowda= girl
WICKED, however, did make it to our small world, and I will be the first to say I am proud to be a Massachusetts resident every time I use it.

[Veronica]

Chowda? Sounds funny....I've never heard it, not even on TV series haha

[robander]

philadelphia-"jawn" for that thing over there. woody ice=snow cone. row home,city block of homes connected together. gum band-rubber band

sack-they always say "bag" weisenheimer-person who thinks they know everthing

jerzo-for a native from NEW JERSEY youse-you all stoop ball-children playing with a soccer ball on steps of a row home

[elmeromero]

thanks for the philly stuff. does jerzo have a negative connotation? if it doesn't, it should! jawn is an interesting one that i've never heard before.

[robander]

Where I got these slang terms was from the philadelphia football team message board,after checking with wikipedia some of it showed up.but the people I asked said "no" people from NEW JERSEY do not find it offensive(althought I agree with you,it does not sound pleasant)the city itself lies very close to new jersey state border,so I imagine you have large numbers of people from New Jersey living in the city.

[emilyb]

Hey guys,
not sure if people from Jersey take jerzo offensively, but I am from Mass and believe me, anything said about jersey is usually offensive.

[Hebe]

Small world Emily..... I lived in Boston Mass for about five years

How is New England weather? I hope not too cold, although spring is still a month away. I miss Boston like crazy though. . Hope I get the chance to visit that city again some day.

[emilyb]

Oh! Boston is a great city! Very fun. Actually, I am missing out on the brutal New England weather, (last week it was -6, -10 degrees Fahrenheit!) because I live in Buenos Aires. Nice and hot! But sometimes I do miss the city in the snow!

[Thomas]

What are you doing in Argentina, Emily?

I was in BA in November 2006. Loved it! I've never seen better movie theaters (Caballito, Abastos). Great food. I went to a "pena" in Lomas de Zamora and the street fair in Mataderos. As a long time fan of Argentine folk music, it was fantastic to see people dancing to the music. I stayed in a "pension de mala muerte" in San Telmo. Interesting area. At the street fair there, a man said he thought he recognized me. I didn't take him seriously until he told me my name. It turned out that I had bought a "facon" from him a few years earlier. He had done some favors for me, and I for him. When he saw an American looking at military knives, he suspected that somehow he knew me. When I replied in Spanish, then he was sure. I was bowled over. Max took me to a nearby restaurant where he introduced me to a group of his friends, all collectors of antiques and militaria. It was a very pleasant afternoon. What a small world. I spent a few days in Mendoza too. Great place. Maybe later this year or early next year I'll go to Southern Argentina. I'd love to see Bariloche, cross the Andes into Chile, etc.

I'm retired and living in Costa Rica. I've applied for a permanent resident visa, but they take months to get. There is a big need for English teachers here. (I have a TESOL certificate from UC-Riverside.) Central America is home to lots of call centers. I read that CR is getting over one million visitors per year. I believe it. Lots of people speak at least a little English. I'd love to teach a few days each week.

In Brazil I lived in the "Serra Gaucha" area of Rio Grande do Sul, eventually moving to Porto Alegre. The Serra is a pretty place for a weekend, but I thought it sucked rocks as a place to live. Boring. People can spend 10-15 years there and still be considered newcomers.