Social / History
Settlers to the Inland North and surrounding areas mainly came from this area of the United States
What is New England
The Northern City that has a heavy, aggressive and prolonged R.
What is Buffalo?
The most similar dialect to General American
What is the Midlands Dialect?
You Betcha
What is an enthusiastic way to say “absolutely!”?
Used to communicate relief, surprise or tiredness
What is “uff, da?”
This canal was constructed across New York state during the early 19th century and became a superhighway for Western migration
What is the Erie Canal
This vowel shift causes a domino effect, where one vowel moves into the position of another.
What is a Chain shift?
Of the three following dialects, Northern Cities Shift, Midlands, and the South, the most steady and stable
What is the Midlands Dialect?
Puppy chow
What is a sweet snack made of chex mix, chocolate and peanut butter?
An exclamation for when you bump into someone, usually used in conjunction with “Let me squeeze right past ya”
What is “ope?”
Northern Cities Shift vowels became associated with this as young people began looking for jobs elsewhere following deindustrialization in the NCS dialect area
What is lower socioeconomic class
A Chicagoan way to say that you are marking something as your own
What is dibs?
traveling northward to spend time in cabins, lakes, forests, etc.
Skeeter
What is another word for mosquito?
A Minnesotan variation of the phrase “for sure!”
What is “Oh for sure?”
The two regions in Europe that many immigrants to Minnesota originated from in the 19th century
What are Scandinavia and Germany
The omitting of the "t" in middle/end of words. Prevalent in the Detroit accent
What is Glottal Stop?
neighborhood convenience store that sells alcohol and snacks
What is a “party store?”
Hunnert
What is another way of saying one hundred?
A Minnesotan equivalent of the exclamation “cripes”
What is “for Pete’s sake?”
The isogloss of the Northern Cities Shift sits roughly on this historical division (line) that predates the supposed origin of the NCS itself
What is Historical migration streams from Pennsylvania vs. New England based on house construction techniques
The "a" flattening in the Buffalo dialect emerged strongly from these types of speakers (age, ethnicity, gender)
What is older, Italian, female Buffalonians?
natural stream or creek
What is a “crick?”
Windy City
What is another way of referring to Chicago?
A way to say that someone is unfortunately correct
What is “yeah no yeah?”