# "Do what" and other regionalisms that make you see red (too mild for the Pit) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 22, 2011, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-what-and-other-regionalisms-that-make-you-see-red-too-mild-for-the-pit/575616 "2011-03-22T15:56:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/22080_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2011, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-what-and-other-regionalisms-that-make-you-see-red-too-mild-for-the-pit/575616/21 "2011-03-22T19:42:52Z")
> [@shiftless](#): > > I am from the south, sort of, and use the phrase, “Say that again..?” Apparently some people find that to be rude but I can’t stop myself. A gazillion years ago when I was an active pilot, I got into the habit of using “Say again?” It’s perfectly acceptable in the cockpit but not so much in the real world, and I tried to be very conscious of it. As a kid, I had to endure all the neighbor kids who were going to "take an’ " do something. As in “I’m gonna take an’ wash my dad’s car for five bucks!” or “We’re gonna take an’ scare the little kids.” I don’t know how widely spread that expression was, but I haven’t heard it in decades. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2011, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-what-and-other-regionalisms-that-make-you-see-red-too-mild-for-the-pit/575616/22 "2011-03-22T20:54:43Z")
Who shot who with what now? ---
**Author:** ![Uber\_the\_Goober](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/58956e/32.png) [@Uber\_the\_Goober](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uber_the_Goober)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-what-and-other-regionalisms-that-make-you-see-red-too-mild-for-the-pit/575616/23 "2011-03-23T00:19:36Z")
Johnstown/Western PA: Y’uns. Contraction of “You” and “Ones”. Pronounced as “Yoo-uns”, super fast, so it’s kinda like “yoons”. My wife does it. It’s dumb. Also, a West Virginia thingy: “_Whenever_ I was in my car today, …blah blah blah”. No, it’s “WHEN I was in my car today”. Not whenever, just **when**. When and Whenever are two different words, and have different uses…different applications. “Whenever you find yourself in a car” is acceptable. “Whenever I find myself in a car” is acceptable. “Whenever I was 5 years old” is not. God I hate that soooo bad. ---
**Author:** ![Cort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/77aa72/32.png) [@Cort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cort)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-what-and-other-regionalisms-that-make-you-see-red-too-mild-for-the-pit/575616/24 "2011-03-23T00:21:24Z")
The one I hate? “Aw, bless your heart.” “Actually, go fuck yourself. Condescending prick” ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-what-and-other-regionalisms-that-make-you-see-red-too-mild-for-the-pit/575616/25 "2011-03-23T00:22:35Z")
Explain this thing you call ‘a bubbla.’ This strange concept angers and infuriates me! ---
**Author:** ![Kolga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e56c9b/32.png) [@Kolga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolga)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-what-and-other-regionalisms-that-make-you-see-red-too-mild-for-the-pit/575616/26 "2011-03-23T00:26:42Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > Who shot who with what now? I say this, and it probably drives people crazy. I also sometimes say “do what now?” And I am from the south, although my accent has somewhat diminished. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-what-and-other-regionalisms-that-make-you-see-red-too-mild-for-the-pit/575616/27 "2011-03-23T00:40:16Z")
Fixin’ & fittin’ Wha ‘choo fittin’ to do? I’m fixin’ to go to the store. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-what-and-other-regionalisms-that-make-you-see-red-too-mild-for-the-pit/575616/28 "2011-03-23T00:51:43Z")
The more regionalisms, the better! Some sound funny to me, but I wouldn’t want them to go away. Also, many of them carry more meaning than is commonly understood by people who don’t share them. They’re not always just alternative ways of saying the same thing. Here’s my peeve: A drawl is not a twang. I’m tired of hearing these terms used as if they were interchangeable. I’m not very good at explaining speech in writing (I know it when I hear it), but I’d say drawling has to do with the structure of the sound; twang has to do with the tone. (If anyone who’s studied language can do better here, please jump in.) It’s possible to have one, or the other, or both, or neither. There are certainly lots of non-Southern voices with twang. Finally, it strikes me that people who are _employed in telephone customer service_ would do well not only to tolerate and understand the widest possible range of accents and speech patterns, but also to cultivate their own voice to be comprehensible to the widest possible range of listeners. ---
**Author:** ![cuauhtemoc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecb155/32.png) [@cuauhtemoc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cuauhtemoc)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-what-and-other-regionalisms-that-make-you-see-red-too-mild-for-the-pit/575616/29 "2011-03-23T01:31:56Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > Would this have been around 2003? It might have come from the movie _A Mighty Wind_. I don’t think it was that. My theory is that it came from Spanish speakers, who sometimes say “¿Qué pasó?” when they want you to repeat something, and if they’re thinking in Spanish and speaking English, sometimes they’ll translate directly and say “What happened?” when they mean “What did you say?” My Venezuelan friend used to do that sometimes. And if you say “What happened?” with an accent, it sounds like “Wha’ hoppin’?” ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-what-and-other-regionalisms-that-make-you-see-red-too-mild-for-the-pit/575616/30 "2011-03-23T02:06:03Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > Who shot who with what now? I believe you mean “[shot who in the what now](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dAHhr5xreQ)?” I work with people who use the “needs” thing all the time and it drives me insane. This needs checked. This needs washed. Or even better, “this needs warshed”. GAH! I don’t make too big a deal of it, because I’m sure I say lots of strange things that annoy everyone else, since I’m from a foreign country. At least I’ve mostly dropped my accent, eh. But I still close the lights, dammit. Can’t seem to shake that one. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-what-and-other-regionalisms-that-make-you-see-red-too-mild-for-the-pit/575616/31 "2011-03-23T02:09:10Z")
Monty Python, of all people, had a little ditty that went like this: Do what John, do what John? Come again, do what? Do what John, do what John? Do what, do what, do what? Do where John, do where John? With what, with whom and when? T’rrific, really t’rrific! Pardon, come again? It was on their _Contractual Obligation Album_, and of course it just comes in out of the blue with no explanation. I like it actually. ---
**Author:** ![Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Springtime_for_Spacers)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-what-and-other-regionalisms-that-make-you-see-red-too-mild-for-the-pit/575616/32 "2011-03-23T02:33:24Z")
> [@rachelellogram](#): > > I talk on the phone at my job all day, every day. Something that peeves my pet is when a southern caller who didn’t hear something asks me to repeat myself. This only happens from callers with VERY drawly southern accents, which I tend to dislike already. Instead of saying “Excuse me?” or “Can you please repeat that?” they say “Do what now?” And it comes out as “Doo whuuuut nooow?” > > I DIDN’T TELL YOU TO DO ANYTHING! I asked you for your name, for fark’s sake. If I was telling them to do something, then I guess I would understand this terminology. Where did it come from? Why is this so prevalent? Why don’t I have to power to smack people through the phone line? aughgughugh You tend to dislike _already_ Ugh! ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-what-and-other-regionalisms-that-make-you-see-red-too-mild-for-the-pit/575616/33 "2011-03-23T02:44:01Z")
> [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](#): > > The Northwestern (Central CA & up) term “hella” (analogous to the Northeastern term “wicked”) used to annoy the crap out of me. I’ve made my peace with it in recent years, though, and even use it from time to time. Hella is hella lame. I, a civilized person from Southern California, never say hella. I did find out they said it in Las Vegas, which was weird. ---
**Author:** ![lisacurl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/41988e/32.png) [@lisacurl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisacurl)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-what-and-other-regionalisms-that-make-you-see-red-too-mild-for-the-pit/575616/34 "2011-03-23T03:04:48Z")
Stop saying hella, Cartman! ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-what-and-other-regionalisms-that-make-you-see-red-too-mild-for-the-pit/575616/35 "2011-03-23T03:04:51Z")
> [@Cort](#): > > The one I hate? “Aw, bless your heart.” “Actually, go fuck yourself. Condescending prick” This simply shows that you don’t understand it. 99+% of the time, in any given context, “Bless your heart” is offered with absolute sincerity. No sarcasm, no irony. It’s mostly an expression of empathy. It can, however, in extreme cases of rudeness, be used as an expression of dismissal. This usage is a double-edged sword, however, since the user can easily be thought rude for acknowledging the rudeness to begin with, or for using such an extreme response for something that might not have called for it. Make no mistake. “Bless your heart” of the second type, that which you so brazenly decry, is an absolute dismissal which is _only_ used to respond to the most deadly, uncalled-for insults. It is not used lightly. And you have it pretty much backward. Any fiery “Actually, go fuck yourself”, or “Condescending prick” would be what earned you a quiet “Bless your heart” of the dismissive type. And rightfully so. ---
**Author:** ![MacCat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maccat/32/216_2.png) [@MacCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacCat)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-what-and-other-regionalisms-that-make-you-see-red-too-mild-for-the-pit/575616/36 "2011-03-23T03:06:31Z")
> [@Springtime\_for\_Spacers](#): > > You tend to dislike _already_ Ugh! Alright already… ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-what-and-other-regionalisms-that-make-you-see-red-too-mild-for-the-pit/575616/37 "2011-03-23T03:24:08Z")
Indiana is the only place in the world (that I know of) that refers to a vacuum cleaner as a “sweeper”, and this I cannot stand. It’s not a sweeper! It’s called a vacuum cleaner because it CLEANS using a VACUUM. On top of that they will use the word “sweep” as a verb just like normal people use vacuum. Them: “I’m going to sweep the carpet while you’re gone” Me: Oh really? I don’t think that will work very well because the broom and the carpet won’t work together. You should vacuum it. grrrrr ---
**Author:** ![cerberus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@cerberus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cerberus)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-what-and-other-regionalisms-that-make-you-see-red-too-mild-for-the-pit/575616/38 "2011-03-23T03:30:18Z")
It isn’t regional, but I dislike the " X had Y ", as in: Bob had his colon perforated. Jill had her car stolen. I really doubt that people ( outside of masochism, fetishes or insurance fraud) have these things done to them. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-what-and-other-regionalisms-that-make-you-see-red-too-mild-for-the-pit/575616/39 "2011-03-23T03:35:56Z")
> [@rachelellogram](#): > > No, I didn’t ask them to do something. When people call me, they’re asking me to do something for them (namely, file an insurance claim), not vice-versa. Specifically, I would say “What is your name, sir/madam/alien species?” not “Can you give me your name?” Yeah, but by requesting them to say their name, you are asking them to do something. You may dislike the phrasing but technically they’re not wrong. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2011, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-what-and-other-regionalisms-that-make-you-see-red-too-mild-for-the-pit/575616/40 "2011-03-23T03:55:44Z")
> [@Autolycus](#): > > Explain this thing you call ‘a bubbla.’ This strange concept angers and infuriates me! Watah bubbles up outta it as ya drink from it. What’s so hard to understand? What do you want, for it to spay watah out at ya? We got one of those ovah theyah. It’s called a hose. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-what-and-other-regionalisms-that-make-you-see-red-too-mild-for-the-pit/575616.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-what-and-other-regionalisms-that-make-you-see-red-too-mild-for-the-pit/575616.md?page=3)