Favorite slang and regional expressions? Let's chat!

mistybison said:They aren't strictly formal phrases, but they're idioms I've picked up right here on this forum. Honestly, they come in handy more often than you'd think. 😁

'I wouldn't trust you to watch a blade of grass.'
'Even a dog wouldn't touch that.'.

Instead of those, my grandad used to say, "The devil himself couldn't make sense of it."😬

hiddenmarlin14 said:instead of using that phrase, my grandfather used to say, "the devil and flies are equally troublesome."😬

Pardon, it isn't "is it," it's "it is."

The devil and flies are equally troublesome. 🙂

mistybison said:These aren't just random words; they're idioms I've picked up right here on this forum. They actually come in handy quite often when you know how to use them. 😁

'I wouldn't trust you to watch a goldfish.'
'Not even a starving dog would touch that.'

They're idioms.
Some of them are actually pretty great:

https://www.slideshare.net/Ivana_Golic/frazemi

darkhawk30 said:Those are just idioms.
There are some truly spectacular ones out there:

https://www.slideshare.net/Ivana_Golic/frazemi

Exactly, idioms. I spent quite a bit of time studying grammar and spelling back in the day. 😁

While most are common throughout the US, the specific ones I mentioned aren't things I hear every day here. They caught my eye, so I decided to include them in my daily vocabulary. 🙂

mistybison said:Yeah, phrases. It’s been a long time since I actually sat down to study grammar and spelling. 😁

Most people just make do. It’s happening all over the country.To be honest, I hadn't actually heard those specific ones used back home, which is exactly why I liked them. I decided to start working them into my everyday vocabulary myself. 🙂

Reading through what you wrote, that bolded part really caught my eye. It made me wonder—exactly what kind of spaces are we talking about here?
It was impossible to tell from what you wrote whether you were using one dialect or the other. I went back and checked your previous post, and it’s clear you're using the standard Midwestern accent.

Let’s talk about those differences. I’m not saying they don't exist, but the truth is, sometimes even we struggle to wrap our heads around how a Highlander or a Dalmatian thinks. 🙂

darkhawk30 said:Reading what you wrote, that bolded part really caught my eye, and I found myself wondering which specific regions you were referring to.
Based on your post, it wasn't immediately clear if you were using a Southern accent or a standard Midwestern dialect, so I checked your previous posts and noticed you tend to use more Midwestern phrasing.

That's about the extent of the differences. I'm not saying they don't exist, but the truth is that sometimes it's harder for us to understand someone from the deep South or a New Yorker. 🙂

I experience the exact same thing. Recently, I stumbled upon a show on TV by accident. Out of pure boredom, I started watching an episode, and after a while, a very specific regional slang word popped up that isn't used in the Midwest, and only then did I realize I was watching a Southern drama. 😁 When I spend a lot of time on this forum, it becomes even more noticeable; it takes me longer to tell if I'm reading something written in a Southern dialect or standard American English. Constant exposure builds familiarity, but dialects can be tricky for everyone if you didn't grow up in those specific areas. 🙂

darkhawk30 said:Pardon, it’s not "is," it's "was."

Even a devil can get tripped up by flies. 🙂

My bad, young man. I just wrote what I was told. 😍I'll take the correction gladly. 🙂

EDIT: oops 🙂 lady 🙂 I couldn't tell from your username if we were talking about a piston and rod or a hat and umbrella 😵

hey

man

chilled out

goodness gracious

absolute morons 🧐
damn
jerk
brat
obvious as hell
thug
clinging on for dear life
standing there like a statue
crooked

hiddenmarlin14 said:Yeah, my bad, young man. I just wrote what I was told. 😍 I’ll take the correction gladly. 🙂>

EDIT: Oops. 🙂 Ma'am, 🙂 I honestly couldn't tell from your username if we were talking about a cylinder and a rod or a hat and an umbrella. 😵>

I'm not criticizing you; I'm just trying to keep you on track. 🙂

(hat and an umbrella🙂)

hiddenmarlin14 said:angry maggots 🧐
freaking
jerk
punk
clear as day
thug
clinging on for dear life
standing there like a statue
wonky

I first heard the term "angry maggots" back in elementary school when my art teacher asked some kid, "What kind of angry maggots are those?"

I couldn't stop laughing for the entire period!

And what exactly do you mean by "wonky"?🤔

A bit pathetic... Has anyone actually heard anything about this?

darkhawk30 said:I first heard the term "furious worms" back in elementary school when my art teacher asked some kid, "What kind of furious worms are those?"

I couldn't stop laughing for the entire period!

And what exactly does "dreary" mean to you?🤔

When something leaks or isn't sealed and just drips... dreary weather is that annoying rain where it stops and starts, and a dreary nose is just one that's constantly, annoyingly dripping.

polyester - cheap fabric

zipper - fastener

dustpan - standard dustpan used up north

dustpan - standard dustpan used down south

salad spinner - strainer

Clumsy
As awkward as a tangled wire
Carrot Beet

shortie

basket 😍 that’s what we used to call our home economics teacher 🤣

hiddenmarlin14 said:When something leaks, it isn't shut tight—it just drips. Like a messy kind of weather—that annoying drizzle where it rains a bit then stops, a constant drip... just tedious, slow leaking.

I’ve honestly never heard anyone use that phrase before.

Where exactly does one even use an expression like that?

Nicole Myers said:cheap, flimsy fabric

a punch tool

Isn't that cheap stuff usually just old work clothes?

And I've always known a puncher as a tool, you know... like an actual tool.

darkhawk30 said:I’ve honestly never heard that one before.

Where on earth do people actually use that expression?

I'm a total New Yorker, and my folks are from NYC too.🤷 Just a leaky, useless little container that can't hold water for a second.🤷