lavenderblue said:

Like mommafox, as the years went by our davenport changed to a couch and our pocketbooks into purses. We went from icebox to 'fridge, spigot to faucet (on the sink), but it was years after my husband and I were married that my "broadshelf" changed into his "counter" (he's a city kid) and I still quite often go down to the cellar for something rather than the basement.

We are both from around the Buffalo area though and drink too much "pop".

We did the same except for the "broadshelf"…never heard that before.  I'm originally from central Ill. but now living in way S.W. Ga.  Don't look for Houston county down here (like Tx.), they call it House Ton!  There is no Jordan Rd., it is Jur don Rd.  Doerun (small town) is door un.   They also "carry" people places…give them a ride in the car and a lot of them don't "live" anywhere but they "stays there"!  Some with a real bad southern accent call a floor, a fore…turpentine is temp time and there are a bunch of others I can't remember right now.

After the "icebox" came the electric refridgerator. But all I remember it being called was a Fridgidair. No matter what brand it was. One that my sister and I argue about is oleo-margarine. I remember it being called olie (sp?). She swears she never heard such a word. I know we were raised in the same house by the same parents. Go figure!

When we went into the city we were going downtown. Also warshing was another big one still is.

mammaleigh said:

 My fathers stepdaddy was Pennsylvania dutch and he would say thing backwards (to me) all the time like "throw me out the door my hat" that always made me giggle as a child. My in-law says water like whater. I just thought I would put my 2 cents in too!

 

mammaleigh,

What are you talking about the PA Dutch talking backwards?  Throw momma down the stairs her hat, makes perfect sense to me.  Another favorite is throw Pappa over the fence some hay!

I learned many colorful PA dutch phrases from my father.  It wasn't until later in life that I learned many of them shouldn't be said in polite company   I don't remember much of what I learned as a child and there's no one left in my family that speaks "Dutch", actually a form of German.  If I'm in Lancaster Co I'll hear phrases that are quite familiar.  I wish I would have learned more as a child.

BuckeyeGirl, you have a point with the local and proper separation of European languages … we have both in English but I agree to the stubborn streak as to the persistence of local speech both in America and English-speaking countries.  I recall engaging with a couple of Cockney sellers in London and was confounded by how little I understood of the words they bit off.  Same tongue, another planet !  Speaking to a New Orleans denizen steeped in patois was a similar experience although, being older, I found it more enchanting than exasperating.

Seems to me that areas where folks are born and remain until their natural end in one place tends to cement local speech.  Those with restless feet, more so with the last few generations, have speech patterns that blur with time.  Oh yeah, I would looooove to see Ms. Deen attempt clear English sans the twang … and her accent seems to have thickened over the years.  Then again, that liquid Southern drawl is terribly contagious as I twaanged for ah daiy or two ahfter comin' home from Geeore-jah!  Funny how an inherent mimicry can take over your mind when immersed in the area.  Curious as to why it doesn't always work in both directions, lol!