# Disappearing New England regional terms **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 10, 2006, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappearing-new-england-regional-terms/368189 "2006-08-10T18:40:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappearing-new-england-regional-terms/368189/1 "2006-08-10T18:40:07Z")
Inspired by post #41 here, > **[Do you call it pop, soda or coke? A county-by-county map](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=383427)** > > http://www.popvssoda.com/countystats/total-county.html Very interesting. The regional differences are certainly obvious. Of course, all right-thinking people KNOW that it’s pop, dammit! 😃 what examples of regional New England dialect are on the way out? Which have hung on? Which do you expect to see gone in, say, the next 25 years? And just what IS a spuckie? ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappearing-new-england-regional-terms/368189/2 "2006-08-10T19:16:13Z")
I have no idea what a “spuckie” is, but here are a few: **Tonic** Soda or pop, of course **Bubbler** (Pronounced “Bubblah” Water Fountain **Spa** Convenience store. I swear. You can get cigarettes and high-fat food at the Spa! **Packy** Package Goods Store – a Liquor Store ---
**Author:** ![lorene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/65b543/32.png) [@lorene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lorene)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappearing-new-england-regional-terms/368189/3 "2006-08-10T19:32:55Z")
A Spuckie is a sub. Grinder. Hero. [Whatever](http://www.boston-online.com/glossary/spuckie.html). ---
**Author:** ![Sal\_Ammoniac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Sal\_Ammoniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sal_Ammoniac)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappearing-new-england-regional-terms/368189/4 "2006-08-10T19:33:14Z")
A spuckie is a sub, more or less. I think the word derives from an Italian word for the sub roll. This term had a narrow range – maybe Southie and Charlestown, maybe some of the areas immediately around. It’s a lot deader as a term than “tonic” is. Anyone else every heard the T referred to as the rattler? ---
**Author:** ![lorene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/65b543/32.png) [@lorene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lorene)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappearing-new-england-regional-terms/368189/5 "2006-08-10T19:41:03Z")
Never heard rattler. My college roommate (from Milton) used to say “Spuckie”. I grew up in Arlington, saying “sub” like all the normal people, so I didn’t have a clue what she was talking about at first. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappearing-new-england-regional-terms/368189/6 "2006-08-10T19:55:37Z")
Here are a few I remember: “Mustie”-probably very few people (certainly no one younger than 60) have heard this one…it refers to a mix of 50% beer and 50% ale. It was popular in and around Boston “Grinder”- a submarine sandwich (“spukie”). Tjhis term is used in western Massachusetts, from Worcester west. Bayzo"- used in South Boston to refer to a drunken person-just about extinct “frappe”-a milkshake I expect all of these terms will disappear within the next 10-20 years, as American English melts down to one common format ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappearing-new-england-regional-terms/368189/7 "2006-08-10T20:02:45Z")
> [@](#): > > frappe"-a milkshake And a “milkshake” in Boston used to be a drink wityh milk and syrup, but without ice cream. But now I can get ice cream-laden milkshakes easily in Boston, and Frappes are dying out. Never heard the T called the “rattler”. Old timers call it the “MBTA” (Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority". Older Timers call it the “MTA” (as in “Charlie on the …”) for Metropolitan Transit Authority. “MassAve” and “CommAve” (for Massacvhusetts Avenue and Commonwealth Avenue) aren’t really in the same class. Do people in D.C. say all the syllables in “Massachusetts Avenue”? It seems a waste of time and breath. ---
**Author:** ![Sal\_Ammoniac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Sal\_Ammoniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sal_Ammoniac)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappearing-new-england-regional-terms/368189/8 "2006-08-10T20:34:24Z")
“Frappe” is in no danger of dying out, so far as I can tell. It’s what I routinely order, anyway. Except when I got to Rhode Island and have to call it a “cabinet.” ---
**Author:** ![JustAnotherGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/58f4c7/32.png) [@JustAnotherGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustAnotherGeek)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappearing-new-england-regional-terms/368189/9 "2006-08-10T21:02:02Z")
> [@Sal Ammoniac](#): > > “Frappe” is in no danger of dying out, so far as I can tell. It’s what I routinely order, anyway. Except when I got to Rhode Island and have to call it a “cabinet.” This gets even more complicated; it can depend on which side of the bay you live on. I’m in Cabinet (or Cab) country. I have absolutely NO FRIGGIN IDEA why it’s called a Cab, tho. Oh, and to the OP, “Chowdah” _Say it, Frenchie! Say ‘CHOWDAH!’_ 😃 ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappearing-new-england-regional-terms/368189/10 "2006-08-10T21:04:08Z")
> [@Sal Ammoniac](#): > > Except when I got to Rhode Island and have to call it a “cabinet.” Ah. I was going to mention cabinet, but I thought it was just an old MA term. And a wicked pissah one at that. ---
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappearing-new-england-regional-terms/368189/11 "2006-08-10T21:17:25Z")
Well down here in Conneddikit Grinder, and Packy are in no jeopardy of going extinct, Frappe for that matter either. I plan on passing down all the good NE terms to our next generation with pride. I don’t care how many New Yorkers come up hea. ---
**Author:** ![Caricci](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/85f322/32.png) [@Caricci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caricci)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappearing-new-england-regional-terms/368189/12 "2006-08-10T21:21:32Z")
> [@Sal Ammoniac](#): > > “Frappe” is in no danger of dying out, so far as I can tell. It’s what I routinely order, anyway. Except when I got to Rhode Island and have to call it a “cabinet.” I’ve lived in Rhode Island for more than 9 years and I’ve only heard OF people calling it a cabinet, never actually heard it called that. ---
**Author:** ![kiz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7feea3/32.png) [@kiz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kiz)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappearing-new-england-regional-terms/368189/13 "2006-08-10T21:34:35Z")
I can’t see “frappe” or “packy” dying out. They’ve always been part of my daily vocabulary, along with the ubiquitous “wicked”. “Spa” and “spuckie”, OTOH…they’re both still alive and well, as another poster pointed out, in the little ethnic enclaves scattered here and there. And yes, a “spuckie” is another word for a sub/hero/grinder. You hear fewer young’uns saying “tonic”, although it’s still quite popular with the over-60 set. We said “soda” or “Coke” when I was a kid. ---
**Author:** ![Sal\_Ammoniac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Sal\_Ammoniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sal_Ammoniac)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappearing-new-england-regional-terms/368189/14 "2006-08-10T22:12:18Z")
> [@Caricci](#): > > I’ve lived in Rhode Island for more than 9 years and I’ve only heard OF people calling it a cabinet, never actually heard it called that. Wish I could remember where it was that I actually saw “cabinet” on the menu. It’s been a while. I go to Rhode Island a certain amount, but I’m usually not getting ice cream. ---
**Author:** ![Merhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Merhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merhouse)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappearing-new-england-regional-terms/368189/15 "2006-08-11T02:20:21Z")
I spent 4 fun years in RI in the 70’s, and might even still be there if someone would have given me a job 🙂 Do people now sit next to each other, or are they still sitting side by each? BTW, The Grinder Man was the most popular person at URI. He was also probably the wealthiest 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappearing-new-england-regional-terms/368189/16 "2006-08-11T03:16:18Z")
I am not from New England but I live here. I have no idea how common this phrase was but I wish it would die out. I ever heard my wife use it once and recoiled in horror: Regular Person: “I just love snow skiing over Christmas” New Englander: “So don’t I.” [http://www.boston-online.com/glossary/so\_dont\_i.html](http://www.boston-online.com/glossary/so_dont_i.html) Also “Sawr” as in “I ‘sawr’ it with my own eyes.” ---
**Author:** ![Lionne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Lionne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lionne)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappearing-new-england-regional-terms/368189/17 "2006-08-11T03:30:24Z")
Feh chrissakes, it’s a ROTARY, not a ‘roundabout’. Say that and I think you’re butchering Paul Hogan. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappearing-new-england-regional-terms/368189/18 "2006-08-11T11:19:48Z")
I forgot the best regionalism: “wikkid pissuh”! (a term meaning something really good). Haven’t heard it in years! ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappearing-new-england-regional-terms/368189/19 "2006-08-11T12:34:27Z")
My Old New England Mother used the expression “Going all the way around Robin Hood’s Barn” to describe hasing something out verbally to the point of ridiculousness. I still say “going around the barn,” and everyone knows what it means and thinks it a cool way to say it. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2006, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappearing-new-england-regional-terms/368189/20 "2006-08-11T12:54:19Z")
Well, I haven’t heard the term “packy” in ages, and it’s been years since I heard “frappe”. You may say they’re not going extinct, but my experience is that they’re gone already. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disappearing-new-england-regional-terms/368189.md?page=2)