Warsh?

A forum for discussing US dialects (accents).
wordlady1
Junior Lexiterian
Posts: 24
Joined: Wed Sep 19, 2018 2:27 am

Re: Warsh?

Postby wordlady1 » Sun Oct 25, 2020 5:07 am

In Baltimore, where I'm from, we have a lingo called Baltimorese, or as they pronounce it, "Ballamorese." My grandmother when she was doing laundry would say she was going to do the "warsh." She would also "wrinch off the dishes in the zinc." More: "Ballamore, Murlin, is right next door to Warshinton, D.C." "It's so hot you could fry an egg on the payment." "My car needs new taurs and an ul change." And a diphthong o: "If you don't stop, I'm gonna call the poelice." Going to the beach: "I'm going downa shore." And my favorite, when I'm going to visit you: "I'll see you over the house."

bbeeton
Senior Lexiterian
Posts: 552
Joined: Sat Oct 24, 2020 11:34 am
Location: Providence, RI

Re: Warsh?

Postby bbeeton » Tue Oct 27, 2020 3:25 pm

Another "Baltimoron" here, although transplanted to Rhode Island ("Vode Eyelin") when I went off to college. I can vouch for the Ballamorese pronunciation as reported, although my mother (a second grade teacher) broke me of the accent. When I arrived in Providence, at a freshman mixer a smart aleck said he could tell where someone grew up by listening to them speak. He claimed I grew up in Chicago. Never figured that one out!

Two more Ballamer specialties, "pixture" and "chimbley", featured prominently in a dialect rendition of "The Night Before Christmas" in the local newspaper (The Evening Sun) when I was in high school. I've tried in vain to find that in the newspaper archives. Sad. It was a real winner, and I'd love to have a copy to show to friends from other places.


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