US folk: map your language use

[jesse_the_k]

U.S. language research!

It's happening now:

https://www.dialectsofenglish.com

I answered fifty questions and they really made me think. The survey offers various vocabulary and pronunciation options--you can choose one or all, and add chatty comments.

Based on the first box you tick, the survey shows a "heat map" (inaccessible to screen readers) where they think you're from.

Not surprisingly, my language is mixed: most often from Wisconsin and Boston-area.

Comments

[jesse_the_k]

Yeah, the whole notion of a single zip code--people don't live in one place anymore. My folks grew up speaking Yiddish and Philly-english. I lived all over the world, and the test placed me in all four corners of the continental US.

Is there a tell/shibboleth for native Californians?

[wendelah1]

Well. We give our freeways names, like the Ventura Freeway, the Hollywood Freeway, and so on. If we use the number, we put a "the" in front of it, as in "Take the 5 south and get off at Burbank." If someone is writing a character who is a Californian, and they get that wrong, it would be a dead giveaway. We call the HOV a carpool lane. When giving general directions, we don't talk about distance. We always talk about time. "It takes 20 minutes, depending on traffic." So, more like 40 minutes. *g*

"June Gloom" describes a weather pattern specific to our area.

People who work in any aspect of show business work for "the industry."

I'm sure there are others.

[jesse_the_k]

Oh -- the time for mileage makes so much sense (as if the whole trip isn't a parking lot).