# The NYTimes 25-question American Language Guess-Where-You're-From map/algorithm **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 24, 2013, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nytimes-25-question-american-language-guess-where-youre-from-map-algorithm/677104 "2013-12-24T21:10:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2013, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nytimes-25-question-american-language-guess-where-youre-from-map-algorithm/677104/41 "2013-12-25T01:14:02Z")
Until it asks me the time in German, no one knows I’m a spy. ---
**Author:** ![toast\_pakora](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3ec8ea/32.png) [@toast\_pakora](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toast_pakora)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2013, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nytimes-25-question-american-language-guess-where-youre-from-map-algorithm/677104/42 "2013-12-25T01:14:09Z")
I got pegged accurately (Boston, Worcester, Providence). Some of the questions were obvious, eg, \*rotary \*although I generally just say roundabout or traffic circle, and \*tonic \*which I haven’t heard anyone say since I was a kid. \*Sneakers \*surprised me, I thought everybody said that. ---
**Author:** ![jharvey963](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/54ee81/32.png) [@jharvey963](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jharvey963)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2013, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nytimes-25-question-american-language-guess-where-youre-from-map-algorithm/677104/43 "2013-12-25T01:23:41Z")
It was close, but not exact for me. My 3 cities were Modesto, Salt Lake City and Seattle. I was born near San Francisco and currently live in San Jose. So Modesto isn’t too far off, but Salt Lake City and Seattle are. J. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2013, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nytimes-25-question-american-language-guess-where-youre-from-map-algorithm/677104/44 "2013-12-25T01:30:30Z")
“Tree lawn”? “Bubbler”? Good Lord! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2013, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nytimes-25-question-american-language-guess-where-youre-from-map-algorithm/677104/45 "2013-12-25T01:40:43Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > “Tree lawn”? > “Bubbler”? > Good Lord! > 🙂 Do **NOT** disrespect the Bubbler! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2013, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nytimes-25-question-american-language-guess-where-youre-from-map-algorithm/677104/46 "2013-12-25T01:49:05Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > Do **NOT** disrespect the Bubbler! > 😉 So, people talk funny in…“slithering on the hull”? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![BlackKnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eb8c5e/32.png) [@BlackKnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlackKnight)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2013, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nytimes-25-question-american-language-guess-where-youre-from-map-algorithm/677104/47 "2013-12-25T01:50:01Z")
It suggested the following cities for me: Santa Rosa, Salt Lake City, and Minneapolis. Minneapolis is the closest, and also the darkest red on their graph, so I’ll give this one to them. It’s strange to see such a large spread, though. I wonder what made them think of Santa Rosa or SLC. I once had a coworker from Wisconsin. We tried not to hold that against her, but one day she used the word “bubbler” in a sentence. It took us a while to figure out what she was talking about. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2013, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nytimes-25-question-american-language-guess-where-youre-from-map-algorithm/677104/48 "2013-12-25T01:55:23Z")
It put me in Modesto/Fresno/Bakersfield. I was raised near Silicon Valley; perhaps my parents’ Rocky Mountain background pushed me slightly rural. ---
**Author:** ![Wolf333](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf333/32/3460_2.png) [@Wolf333](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolf333)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2013, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nytimes-25-question-american-language-guess-where-youre-from-map-algorithm/677104/49 "2013-12-25T02:12:23Z")
Denver, Tucson and Phoenix. I’ve visited Denver and Tucson, and I did live in Las Vegas for about two years. I think the fact that I moved every 3 years or so for 23 years through off my results. ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2013, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nytimes-25-question-american-language-guess-where-youre-from-map-algorithm/677104/50 "2013-12-25T02:12:44Z")
Interesting. I’ve lived pretty much all my life in Southern Ontario. That wasn’t on their map, but they pegged similarities with Detroit, Buffalo, and Rochester - three of the closest US cities to where I am. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2013, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nytimes-25-question-american-language-guess-where-youre-from-map-algorithm/677104/51 "2013-12-25T02:47:56Z")
The underlying map actually looked like central Ohio (where I am) was the darkest red, but it gave me Des Moines, Omaha, and Lincoln. ---
**Author:** ![Jamicat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c67d28/32.png) [@Jamicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jamicat)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2013, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nytimes-25-question-american-language-guess-where-youre-from-map-algorithm/677104/52 "2013-12-25T03:16:31Z")
I think too independent for tests like these. My demographic is on the other side of the country. Maybe that’s why I hate it here. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2013, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nytimes-25-question-american-language-guess-where-youre-from-map-algorithm/677104/53 "2013-12-25T03:16:50Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > I’m from Minneapolis, Buffalo, or New York. Freak show. Interesting. I am from Calgary of course and the thing pinged Seattle, Spokane and Portland/Vancouver for me. If the map extended into Canada, Calgary would have been in the red area the test placed me in. ---
**Author:** ![D18](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@D18](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D18)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2013, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nytimes-25-question-american-language-guess-where-youre-from-map-algorithm/677104/54 "2013-12-25T03:31:17Z")
They need to include “What do you call a small, independent convenience store, that sells smokes, beer, and other sundries?” If the answer is “bodega”, it nails you as New York or Long Island. Anyway, life-long Ontarian here except for two, two-years stints in NYC, 20 years apart. Placed me in Buffalo (hardly surprising), but then got cooler in upstate New York, then hot again in NYC. ---
**Author:** ![LavenderBlue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e95f7d/32.png) [@LavenderBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LavenderBlue)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2013, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nytimes-25-question-american-language-guess-where-youre-from-map-algorithm/677104/55 "2013-12-25T03:43:04Z")
New York City, Jersey City and Yonkers for me. I grew up in Queens and Brooklyn and currently live in NJ so spot on. ---
**Author:** ![Invisible\_Chimp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f05b48/32.png) [@Invisible\_Chimp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Invisible_Chimp)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2013, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nytimes-25-question-american-language-guess-where-youre-from-map-algorithm/677104/56 "2013-12-25T03:57:38Z")
It said Portland/Vancouver, Salt Lake City, and Sacramento. I’m a third-generation Portlander. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2013, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nytimes-25-question-american-language-guess-where-youre-from-map-algorithm/677104/57 "2013-12-25T04:00:20Z")
It pegged me as on the Virginia, N. Carolina border and I actually grew up in northern Virginia. My family is old Virginia though and we have people living all over the state. ---
**Author:** ![Mdcastle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/958977/32.png) [@Mdcastle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mdcastle)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2013, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nytimes-25-question-american-language-guess-where-youre-from-map-algorithm/677104/58 "2013-12-25T04:30:15Z")
Found it pretty accurate, but it’s annoying when things don’t work with Internet Explorer. I did it with Firefox and got the map, but the share to Facebook link didn’t do anything. I guess Minnesota speech extends west and south into Utah. ---
**Author:** ![CT\_Damsel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CT\_Damsel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CT_Damsel)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2013, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nytimes-25-question-american-language-guess-where-youre-from-map-algorithm/677104/59 "2013-12-25T04:35:06Z")
> [@D18](#): > > They need to include “What do you call a small, independent convenience store, that sells smokes, beer, and other sundries?” If the answer is “bodega”, it nails you as New York or Long Island. Anyway, life-long Ontarian here except for two, two-years stints in NYC, 20 years apart. Placed me in Buffalo (hardly surprising), but then got cooler in upstate New York, then hot again in NYC. We call that a spa where I grew up. ---
**Author:** ![MissTake](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misstake/32/3189_2.png) [@MissTake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissTake)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2013, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nytimes-25-question-american-language-guess-where-youre-from-map-algorithm/677104/60 "2013-12-25T04:35:10Z")
It gave me Minneapolis, Omaha, and some other city near Omaha. I’ve lived all my life in Minneapolis or its’ immediate suburbs. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nytimes-25-question-american-language-guess-where-youre-from-map-algorithm/677104.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-nytimes-25-question-american-language-guess-where-youre-from-map-algorithm/677104.md?page=4)