Watching an episode of the Jerry Springer show, I’ve noticed that there’s no such thing as “husbands” and “wives” Nope … they’re “old ladies” and “old men.” “My old man treats me like crap … that’s why I’m sleeping with his sister now!”
When I was living in a … uhh, I’ll save the use of the “r word” and just call the population “white working-class of a rural Confederate cultural orientation,” the slang that was used seemed a bit different than that used by middle-class or white-collar folks. “Old man” and “old ady” are the ones that stick out in my head now, but what other slang phrases do you hear among the mulleted Crew Cab crowd?
There’s white working class all over the USA, not just in " rural Confederate cultural orientation" areas. (This is not any sort of a slam against the OP, btw. Relax.)
Might be interesting to see if the same slang is used or if it’s regional in nature. And if it is regional, what are the different slangs?
There was a fascinating thread about SEV vs AAVE that I learned a lot from when I first came to the SDMB.
I work in the trades, some may call that blue collar, and I have had to work around some rather ahem “interesting” people. Sometimes, I can’t pick up on their version of English.
“Boy!” is often used as a mild insult. Esp towards newbies on the work force. Doesn’t seem to have a thing to do with race in that context, as I’ve heard it directed to any one new.
If I can think of anything else, I’ll be back.
As far as my area, currently OKC, OK. Formerly south/east Texas.
Around here “wifebeaters” are - well - wifebeaters! The sleeveless shirts are called “muscle shirts”.
We do use “old lady/man” a lot. Cigarettes are “butts” and a pouch of tobacco is a “bale” (especially if you’ve been in jail.) You never go to a tavern, it’s a “pub” or if you’re past forty it’s a “Beer Parlour”. Something stolen is “ripped off”, likewise a thief is a “ripoff artist”. Almost everything is prefaced by “f-ing”, interspersed with “f-ing” or followed by "f-ing’. Usually all in the same sentance!
Growing up in white, working-class, Irish Catholic Queens, New York, “old man” was used exclusively to refer to one’s father. As in “how’s the old man doing these days?” or the like. Never heard it used to refer to a husband. Nor did I hear “old lady” used to refer to a wife. Or a mother.
Not to nitpick, but I think the OP was more about actual terms, not accents or differences in pronunciation.
NCB, “boy” is often used around home in a warning/mock threat sort of way, especially with kids. It’s age/experience related, not racial. Near as I can tell, it’s short for “Boy, if you don’t watch your mouth/stop that right now/straighten up and fly right you’re in for a heap of trouble.” In the case of females, substitute “girl.”
Well, I’m definitely from whitetrashville, but I can’t think of much. Although I do occasionally refer to my husband as my old man. People think it’s funny.
There’s also, “I’m fixin’ to do this…”, “I reckon it’s time…”, “I don’t feel like packin’ my sister to the grocery store…” We had a lot of people from Kentucky in my neighborhood.
I you listened to three “white working-class” men (or women), one from New York, one from Alabama, and one from California, I kind of doubt they would use the same slang. Just MHO and no offense meant to anyone from those locations. BTW, is “working-class” meant to define low-income workers or anybody who works for a living? And whites are the only ones on Springer?
