Regional Phrases, funny expressions and Idioms

[snowwite]

The creative curse words thread got me thinking of funny and unique phrases families use.
I think a lot of them are regional but because my mom was from Boston and my dad from Bismarck and no one else’s dad sounded quite as colorful.
When asked how he was doing he would say Oh fair to middling. After cancer it was well I’m still on this side of the dirt.

Weather ones-
colder than a well diggers butt in the Klondike
hotter than a picnic in hades
sweating like a politician on election day
drier than a popcorn fart

Driving words-
dumber than a hoe handle
ain’t got the brains to be a gopher
if he had half a brain he’d be dangerous

He also used to say he liked both kinds of music, country and western.
if I asked if he wanted this or that for supper he would say something like I sure do meaning either option was fine.

Please share your own!

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

I once said "uff dah" (or however it's spelled) in southern Indiana... people looked at me really weird

 

[luvnwdwgal]

“O-H!”, which you would reply “I-O!”

 

[snowwite]

I once said "uff dah" (or however it's spelled) in southern Indiana... people looked at me really weird

I’m not sure how its spelled either but I hear it like oof dah

 

[design_mom]

colder than a well diggers butt in the Klondike

My parents would say "colder than a well digger's ankle." (same meaning I guess. I always pictured a well-digger without socks.)

"You're slower than molasses in January!" was another one that I didn't really understand at the time, too.

 

[GreatLakes]

I'm sure there are plenty I don't even know are regional idioms since they are just "normal" to me. Calling carbonated cola beverages "pop" is apparently a give away im from NE Ohio and based on one of those dumb online surveys I guess calling the strip of grass between the street and sidewalk "tree lawn" is another.

I have a lot of friends from western PA and there are 2 phrases that are dead give aways. Yinz and "read up".

 

[Boopuff]

My husband’s family always says “hey-lo” for hello or “ya hey der“. Northern Wisconsin- ya betcha!

 

[firefly_ris]

Hmm. More like a dialect/accent than specific phrases I guess except "goin downy ocean" or "jeet?" [Eta] and maybe "how bout dem O's?". And saying "Ohhh" really loud during the Star Spangled Banner

https://www.baltimorehon.com/

 

[PollyannaMom]

fair to middling

My Dad's family says that too!

slower than molasses in January!

And I've definitely heard, and said, that one!

I grew up in the finger lakes area of NY, and we called quick, hard rainstorms "gullywashers".

 

[Kitty 34]

Here in Michigan we pretty much say Up North to anything that is north of us.

 

[snowwite]

My husband’s family always says “hey-lo” for hello or “ya hey der“. Northern Wisconsin- ya betcha!

Oh ya. I forgot about You Betcha! Also common in ND. Doncha know.

 

[snowwite]

My parents would say "colder than a well digger's ankle." (same meaning I guess. I always pictured a well-digger without socks.)

"You're slower than molasses in January!" was another one that I didn't really understand at the time, too.

I always thought of some poor guy deep in a hole hand digging a well!

Definitely heard slow as molasses!

 

[snowwite]

Here is Michigan we pretty much say Up North to anything that is north of us.

In MA we usually mean Maine. In Scotland I noticed the highway sign just says The North.

 

[snowwite]

I'm sure there are plenty I don't even know are regional idioms since they are just "normal" to me. Calling carbonated cola beverages "pop" is apparently a give away im from NE Ohio and based on one of those dumb online surveys I guess calling the strip of grass between the street and sidewalk "tree lawn" is another.

I have a lot of friends from western PA and there are 2 phrases that are dead give aways. Yinz and "read up".

Tree lawn is a new one for me!
I asked for a tonic in ND as a kid and my grandmother was like a what? I said like a coke? She said it’s pop!On a work trip to GA the server asked what kind of coke I wanted then listed Coke, Diet Coke, ginger ale and orange. I was like orange Coke? I was so confused. I guess everything is Coke, including Coke.
In Scotland my husband asked if I wanted any juice. But he didn’t mean fruit juice he meant like soda pop.

 

[GreatLakes]

Thought of a few more.
No, yea = yes.
Yea, no = no.
Ope = excuse me, sorry about that.

I think these are more made Western than just Northern Ohio idioms.

 

[TheIncredibles!]

Down the shore Where am I from?

 

[Oldie13]

I’m from Texas, we have whole books and magazines dedicated to the things we say. Obviously “yall” is a big one.

We also use “coke” for any soda beverage and then list off what kinds we have: Sprite, Dr Pepper, Big Red.

Most of the ones I can post due to some word not being allowed here.

Raining harder than a cow peeing on a flat rock comes to mind

 

[MKCP1984]

In Chicago and surrounding suburbs, we order "pop" for coke, sprite, etc. It'll always be Pop for me!
Specifically in this area, we'd call high school freshmen (9th graders) "bennies" for some reason...
The living room was always the "front room" pronounced "fron-tchroom."
The Chicago bungalow houses are built on 25' lots, so we had "gangways" between the houses, just enough room for a small sidewalk and some shade-loving ferns or plants.
Fun times.

 

[NYCgrrl]

“If all your friends jumped off the Empire State Building would you?”
Uhh some days I might say yes was an occasional thought. Still it was important to keep certain thoughts to yourself (see #2)

“Hard head makes a soft behind” translates to “Danger, Will Robinson!!”

“You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink” Go back to #2

“Pompasetting!” Important that you suck your teeth and slit your eyes at the same time you say this.

 

[Nora03]

Eh?