In parts of New England (I’ve noticed it especially in Mass.), a frappe is what the rest of the world calls a milkshake, while a milkshake is just flavored milk with no ice cream.
In Conn. a grinder is what the rest of the world calls a hoagie, submarine sandwich or hero sandwich.
A package store is what others call a liquor store.
A bubbler (“bubblah”) is what others call a drinking fountain.
Tonic is what others call soda.
A dooryard (“doah yahd”) is what others call a front yard (sometimes back yard).
Forenoon is what others call late morning.
In many parts of New England, wicked means very. But only Mainers say “wicked good,” and other New Englanders make fun of them for it.
In the Rochester, N.Y., area
Pop is what others call soda.
Leotards is what others call tights.
Also, I heard the word “catawumpus” once in Minnesota, but I’m not sure if it’s unique to that state. It seems to mean askew or out-of-kilter.
I had always assumed it was an ironic mangling of “puissant,” which does ultimately come from the French.
As it turns out, though, the concept of a “pissant” is pure English. Compare “pismire”, which goes back to the 14th century.
(The connection between ants and pissing is that an anthill is so whiffy of the formic acid excreted by its inhabitants that it smells just like a pissoir.) “Inhabitants!” I slay myself! (Maybe it’s just the opiates. Probably.)
“Envie” does = “envy,” but “en vie” does seem to make more sense, on the face of it. I don’t know - I am just beginning to learn French and am barely at the “I have a red pencil box” level.
In Australia, “piss ant” is used to describe an alcoholic. More specifically, a skid row guy drinking hooch probably wouldn’t be described as a piss ant, but it’s more for the jovial bar fly type. It’s slightly but not entirely negative in connotation.
It’s actually spelled “envie de caca” (unless you want to get a little more vulgar and use “envie de chier”), and I don’t think this expression is specific to Canada. Also, it’s definitely “envie” in the sense of “want”, “need”.
But since I believe Larry’s girlfriend is francophone, it’s not really an English expression common to his region. It’s more of a mistake done by someone who’s fluent in many languages.
Sunspace, I think what you’re looking for is “en voie de” (literally: “in the way of”).
How about minerals for soft drinks?
It’s a bit old fashioned but you’ll still see it on shop signs here. Larry Mudd in parts here I’ve heard pishmire for ant.
Oh yes, here too. Oh, and, although I’m not sure if it is still used, it used to be common in Glasgow for some people, perhaps especially children, to use “ginger” as a sort of generic term for soft fizzy childish drinks such as lemonade, fizzy orangeade etc. I suppose it was somehow developed from some whenever-time of popularity of ginger beer.
How about “plook” for a boil or a pimple? Drat, why did I have to think of that just when i was eating?
I don’t know if they still use it in England today, but “fete” as a term for a community or charity garden party shows up in English novels from the 1920s and '30s. You can find fetes being held in at least a couple of Agatha Christie mysteries, and in one of the Mapp & Lucia novels from which I take my username, Miss Mapp is furious when Lucia, who is renting her house for the summer, holds a charity fete and invites all the ordinary folk of the town into her garden.
I wasn’t aware that “fete” was used anywhere in the States until now.
It’s widely used in Australia to refer to a weekend event schools hold every year or two as a fundraising exercise. There are cheesy handicrafts and sweets donated by parents, secondhand stalls, tractor “train” rides and traditional things like hoopla and possibly Punch and Judy.
I have lost track of my previous posts in this thread. If I have previously written about “fete,” then paint me yellow and call me Thursday.
When I occasionally hear the word “fete”, it rhymes with “get.” It usually refers to an event that honors somebody for some milestone (50 years married) or a new marriage, graduation, or being named Rutabega Queen. Being so honored is being “feted,” not the same as “fetid.”
“When I was knee-high to a Nehi (soft drink,)” means when I was a small child.
At the risk of posting before reading more than the first two pages of this thread, it’s worth pointing out that in Toronto at least, the streets are referred to in this way because that’s the official addressing scheme. Addresses on Queen Street west of Yonge Street are officially “Queen Street West” (as a quick lookup on Canada Post’s website will confirm, or would if the site was currently operational).
