While visiting Massachusetts last week, I saw this and couldn't resist snapping a photo with my wicked smart dog. I grew up in Mass over 50 years ago and we always said wicked back then, but I thought it was just a passing fad. 50 years later, its still going strong. You still see it and hear it everywhere. Someday, Id like to take the RMW down to the homeland of my grandparents (Newfoundland) and see if they say it down there. I think they say it down N.S. My pug is wicked smart
Yeah, wicked is pretty firmly entrenched in my vocabulary. It's not just an eastern MA thing, either; I'm west of Worcester by a good bit.
I'm originally from Shrewsbury and it's "wicked cool" if it's good. If it's REALLY good then it's "wicked pissa cool".
We didn't say that in the midwest or down here in the boonies of Florida. Most things they say here can't be repeated on a family forum. And this is from the young mothers and grade school kids!
Well *$# stop hurting your *@^ self! When I was a kid the neighbor guy would say "Son of a biscuit eater" A guy at work said "well my stars." I rarely swear but when I do it's usually not pretty.
When I was little, if something vexed Mom, she would shout out "Damn Sam!" I thought she was pissed off at Samantha Stevens! My older brother does a great imitation of Darrin Stevens hissing "Sam!!!" and uses it to tease his stepdaughter.
I miss all of the different ways and sounds of how people used to talk. Sadly our melting pot melted more together. Except for older people and those who never get out of town, we all sound alike.
I agree. It's not just the accents and dialect that have blended together, but also everybody pretty much shops at the same national chain stores, eats the same food, watches the same TV shows, etc. That's why it's nice when you can still find the local or regional stuff. When everywhere looks and feels the same, why travel. I love the differences. I must say New England appears to have held onto its peculiarities more than some other areas. Maybe because it's been settled for so long, and nobody really ever moves in. They generally move out. Someday, I'll get back there, and hopefully they'll still be drinking moxie soda, and eating brewis while watching some locally produced TV.
Twenty years ago we retired to Florida. (Hard to believe) From Tennesee on down locals said ya'al and thank ya ma'am or hi Miss Dollie in my wife's case. Even our young son's teachers were called names like Miss Betty or Mr Joe. All locals had an accent. Our new neighbors who'd lived here many years were from the Bronx, NY. You can imagine how they still talked. After they died a couple from lower Canada bought the place. They only stop once or twice a year. But it's also easy to tell where they are from eh? Florida really is a melting pot of retirees from everywhere. Without asking we often knew where they were from. I was born and almost raised in the midwest. I didn't know I had an accent till I moved here. Twenty years later either the real Florida Crackers have died or moved. Or learned how to talk like easterners and mid westerners. We all sound alike except for the real rednecks. We pass through Georgia and Alabama and most sound just like I do. And for the most part wherever they are from across the pond they still sound like me. Scary ain't it?
