T hat jawn was on his way to the pre-funk with the Trixie and the Chad; but he was so thirsty that he stopped at the bubbler on the devil strip near the street that is cattywampus. He will most likely have a whoopensocker at the pre-funk and eventually be involved in an upscuddle before he would eventually tump over at the end of the night out in the pogonip — something about which his mom’n’em would not want to know. Would he do it all over again? Shoots, brah. It beats being a leaf peeper hunting and playing with pinkletinks. Yinz better believe it.
I have been to all 50 states of the United States and have heard all sorts of slang words used — and typically in the accents which are native to the areas where I heard the slang words — but I have to admit that I have never heard of most of the slang words which were highlighted in this article written by Kristin Hunt of Thrillist. as I attempted to use in the opening paragraph in this article.
Some slang words emanate from a certain region of the United States and become the in thing nationally — which can be pretty cool when people become hooked on them — while other slang words never seem to escape the region from which they are used. Dunno why. It just happens. I guess those words left behind must feel ripped off…
…and that is where this article comes in. Here are 15 of those slang words which never achieved national status of usage in the United States — yet, anyway.
Jawn
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
This slang word can mean almost anything: a person, a song, or even a collapsed building. To me, it sounds like a pronounced sound one creates when really, really tired as the grass is being cut with a machine while the sun first rises early in the morning.
Bubbler
Wisconsin
A drinking fountain. Well, this is certainly better that this definition — and story — of “Bubbles”. Be careful not associate the two — which have nothing to do with each other — in your mind; or you may never drink from a water fountain ever again.
Cattywampus
The South
All out of sorts, askew, craaaazy. This word is cattywampus in and of itself, in my opinion.
Pre-funk
Pacific Northwest
Pre-game — as in, drinking before another event that likely involves more drinking. It should also mean the period of time where a passenger does not shower before sitting next to poor unfortunate you in the economy class section aboard an airplane prior to a flight which is expected to be 16 hours in duration.
Tump (over)
Texas
To tip, fall, or spill over. I am tumped as to how this word became slang in the first place. Perhaps it came from the sound when hitting your bare stomach with your hand after you ate a huge meal?
Shoots
Hawaii
A general affirmative — similar to “yeah” — and can be followed with “then” or “brah.” Leave it to a Hawaiian to — er — Spam this word.
Trixie
Chicago, Illinois
A “Trixie” is a former sorority sister who lives in Lincoln Park, organizes bar crawls, and dates a Chad, who is the male version of her. Either that; or it is The Honeymooner period of the voting debacle which occurred for the election of president of the United States in the year 2000 due to hanging pieces of scraps from punched voting cards in Florida.
Leaf peepers
New England
Those tourists who come to New England in the fall to take photographs of themselves with all the colorful foliage. Sometimes it is used affectionately; and sometimes it is not. Although I keep reading the word as leaf peppers, the slang term sounds like what people do when they want to be aroused by…leaves.
Devil strip
Akron, Ohio
That little grassy area between the sidewalk and the street. This slang term seems to be similar to neutral ground, which is the median strip — typically grassy — in the middle of a highway in New Orleans and surrounding areas of that portion of the southern United States. Does this mean that highway pavement can be located between the neutral ground and the devil strip? Speaking of New Orleans…
Ya mom’n’em
New Orleans, Louisiana
Basically, your family. For example, people will say, “How’s ya mom’n’em?” instead of “How are your folks?” You can also tell someone to “Say hi to your mom’n’em for me.” By the way, I asked someone from Biloxim Mississippi if this slang term is familiar — and the response was in the negative: “I never, never heard that slang term.” I wonder if this slang term is where Marshall Mathers got his stage name…
Upscuddle
Southern Appalachia
A loud fight. This word is not to be confused with that Applachian delicacy known as scrapple. All right — scrapple is actually found east of the Applachian Mountains in eastern Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland. Just don’t confuse them — nor should this word give you an excuse to upscuddle with someone who does not want to do it with you…
Pogonip
Nevada
A freezing fog which shows up in deep mountain valleys of the Western United States. The first thought which came to my mind is that it is a small bite perpetrated by the lead character of this comic strip; or it could be what happens as a result of a minor accident when using this device used for jumping.
Yinz
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
A second-person plural pronoun — such as the similar slang terms of “y’all” from the American south or “youse guys” from New York and New Jersey. To me, this slang word sounds like a name of a mass-produced snack cake with creme filling from Hostess Brands or Little Debbie. I have yet to decide if the cake is angel food or devil strip — er…devil’s food — and what flavor is the icing or coating. Perhaps the color of the icing is pink, as in…
Pinkletink
Massachusetts
A tiny frog — also known as a spring peeper everywhere else. This slang term is brought to you by the region of the United States which has traffic signs warning if an area is “thickly settled”.
Whoopensocker
Wisconsin
Something “extraordinary of its kind.” I thought it was a whoopie cushion made out of a sock; or flatulence as the result of consuming a whoopee pie. Big whoop.
Summary
Summary is not a slang word.
Slang words can help define a culture and way of life in a region of the United States — or anywhere in the world, for that matter — along with the accents of how people from that region speak; as well as food and other customs.
Consider this song called Slang of Ages by Steely Dan, which has the notable distinction of being the only Steely Dan song where Walter Becker is the lead singer instead of Donald Fagen. Listen to the words and you will hear slang terms which has been used over the years. By the way, I like listening to this song when I am in Amsterdam and the Netherlands, as they are mentioned in the song.
What slang words and terms are missing from this article?
