Surprisingly, I got Nevada, even though I've lived most of my life on the east coast (RI and southern Mass) and the rest in either the Bay Area or Seattle. I think I actively suppressed my RI accent when I moved out west. When I go drinking at PAX East, I lapse back into it and start dropping my ah's
Surprisingly, I got Nevada, even though I've lived most of my life on the east coast (RI and southern Mass) and the rest in either the Bay Area or Seattle. I think I actively suppressed my RI accent when I moved out west. When I go drinking at PAX East, I lapse back into it and start dropping my ah's
I'm just the opposite. I play it up a bit when I'm out of NE. Though, you never really realize how often you say "Wicked" naturally until you try to say it more often.
It blew my mind a few years ago when I first learned that most people say "waiting in line". I have always, and will always say "waiting on line". You're all wrong.
Luke, that sounds like "wait on" in the sense of "wait for", which is not so bad.
However, you can't interpret "waiting on line" as "waiting for line" because that's also nonsense; you might possibly interpret it as "waiting on a line" in the sense of "waiting for a line", which has a somewhat different meaning, or you might also interpret it as serving an entire line.
Honestly, if someone said "waiting on line" without much context I would almost certainly interpret it as "waiting online", i.e. waiting for someone on the Internet. Anything else is simply too much of a logical leap. I would only understand that they actually meant "waiting in line" if they gave plenty of additional context.
On another note, how do people feel about "off of"? I think it's a little silly, but ultimately it doesn't bother me, and in fact I probably do use it once in a while. That said, is there a legitimate use case for "off of" where either "off" or "from" doesn't work better?
Off of is standard usage, at least around New England. "I live off of Smith Street". "Get off of that couch". It might be one of those things like "gotten" that nobody outside of here uses, though.
Off of is standard usage, at least around New England. "I live off of Smith Street". "Get off of that couch". It might be one of those things like "gotten" that nobody outside of here uses, though.
When I was much younger, I dated a girl who didn't believe that Gotten was actually a real word, and would get annoyed when people said it.
I think its usage is fairly widespread - definitely in the U.S., but with some penetration outside it as well.
In my case, "off of" definitely feels weird to me, and yet when I put my mind to it there are situations where my brain tells me it's OK and maybe even preferable to "off".
The question is, what are the grounds on which that subconscious distinction is made?
Comments
Durham Richmond and Providence. Reflects my mixed New England/Southern heritage.
Yeah, New York is a really distinct dialect.
It blew my mind a few years ago when I first learned that most people say "waiting in line". I have always, and will always say "waiting on line". You're all wrong.
1. Waiting "on" line
2. Aks instead of ask
Boston/Worcester/Providence. Yeah, makes total sense.
I just looked up the words:
I'm the one who wants to be with you
Deep inside I hope you feel it too
Waited on a line of greens and blues
Just to be the next to be with you
However, you can't interpret "waiting on line" as "waiting for line" because that's also nonsense; you might possibly interpret it as "waiting on a line" in the sense of "waiting for a line", which has a somewhat different meaning, or you might also interpret it as serving an entire line.
Honestly, if someone said "waiting on line" without much context I would almost certainly interpret it as "waiting online", i.e. waiting for someone on the Internet. Anything else is simply too much of a logical leap. I would only understand that they actually meant "waiting in line" if they gave plenty of additional context.
On another note, how do people feel about "off of"? I think it's a little silly, but ultimately it doesn't bother me, and in fact I probably do use it once in a while. That said, is there a legitimate use case for "off of" where either "off" or "from" doesn't work better?
In my case, "off of" definitely feels weird to me, and yet when I put my mind to it there are situations where my brain tells me it's OK and maybe even preferable to "off".
The question is, what are the grounds on which that subconscious distinction is made?
Okay, I grew up pretty close to Reno and had a friend in high school who was from Idaho, but what the heck am I doing in Kansas?
nyti.ms/QIzUlf