American linguistic differences

Saw this on facebook and thought it'd be fun to share here: http://www.businessinsider.com/22-maps-that-show-the-deepest-linguistic-conflicts-in-america-2013-6

It's a series of maps that show how people pronounce things different in different areas of the US and how they use different words for things. Fun to go through, for sure! I am definitely from NJ/the northeast according to my answers to the questions. Do other parts of the US really not pronounce Mary/marry/merry differently?!?! They all sound totally different to me!

Saw this on facebook and thought it'd be fun to share here: http://www.businessinsider.com/22-maps-that-show-the-deepest-linguistic-conflicts-in-america-2013-6

It's a series of maps that show how people pronounce things different in different areas of the US and how they use different words for things. Fun to go through, for sure! I am definitely from NJ/the northeast according to my answers to the questions. Do other parts of the US really not pronounce Mary/marry/merry differently?!?! They all sound totally different to me!

I'm from Phila and pronounce them all differently as well, but if you look at the map I think the light blue bleeds over into Phila (after all, we're just 'right over the bridge')!

I like that only the Phila area uses the word 'hoagie'!

Do people in a large part of the US pronounce 'crayon' like 'cran'??

Fascinating!

interesting; I've lived in NC, VA, IN, VT and NH, so definitely recognize some of the differences. And where I lived in VT, a hoagie/sub was a "grinder".

I love this stuff!

I've always called a water fountain a "bubbler" though. According to the map, my part of Massachusetts calls it a water fountain, but I've only ever heard the word "bubbler" used. Weird.

I love this stuff too! I was just sitting here saying all the words out loud, luckily no one is around but the dog and the cat haha!
Thanks for sharing it aimlesstraveler 

I love this stuff!

I've always called a water fountain a "bubbler" though. According to the map, my part of Massachusetts calls it a water fountain, but I've only ever heard the word "bubbler" used. Weird.

Silly you. It's a Bubblah.  There's where you're going wrong 

interesting; I've lived in NC, VA, IN, VT and NH, so definitely recognize some of the differences. And where I lived in VT, a hoagie/sub was a "grinder".

It is definitley a grinder!!!

My hubby says 'car-ml' is wrong - I say no, that's how it's pronounced!

And Merry - Marry - Mary -- yup all the same!  Same thing for ferry & fairy - so DH laughs at my calling that Liverpool song - Fairy Cross the Mersey.

I'm from Kansas & I say y'all! 

Grew up saying 'pop' but later on hung around people who said 'soda' enough that it became 'soda' or 'soda pop'. 

It is definitley a grinder!!!

It mostly certainly is not!  It's a sub and you all know it!

Grew up saying 'pop' but later on hung around people who said 'soda' enough that it became 'soda' or 'soda pop'. 

This one is really interesting for me because it's a major bone of contention in Wisconsin...and the map reveals why! 

I say marry, merry, Mary all the same as well.  My MIL is Marie pronounced almost like Mary, but not quite.  I can hear how it's different, but not imitate it.  DH says it's the same as marry, which doesn't help. 

I also pronounce shore, sure, and Shaw differently, but the people I work with (British) pronounce them all the same. 

Good stuff

This one is really interesting for me because it's a major bone of contention in Wisconsin...and the map reveals why!  

Definitely! I always say Kansas is a weird state (well in addition to the creationist 'Intelligent Design' nutters etc) in that it's not quite midwest, not quite south, and not quite west - it's all of those, depending on what part of the state you're from.

People (and especially Brits) frequently peg my accent as a southern one - I'm from south central Kansas, and there is where a drawl continuum begins that slowly gets slower as you progress down into Oklahoma and then Texas from there.

I've always called a water fountain a "bubbler" though. According to the map, my part of Massachusetts calls it a water fountain, but I've only ever heard the word "bubbler" used. Weird.

Oh definitely -- or as PB says "bubblah"    But what about soda/pop?  We always called it 'tonic' (or "tawn-ic").  Although my grandfather called it 'belly-wash' 

And I don't think I ever heard anyone referring to Boston as "The City".  We'd say we were going "in town" as opposed to "downtown" (the local shopping center).

If you are in northern Indiana, "the City" is just as likely to refer to the prison in Michigan City. So if someone says they've 'just returned from the city', that might not be a good thing.....