Courtesy of
rimrunnerWhere did you grow up:
First 2 years of my life - Memphis, Tennessee
Next 5 - San Jose, California
Nearly the rest - Seattle metro
I specify all these because I've heard that kids absorb quite a bit in terms of pronunciation the first couple years of their lives. I tend to pick up southern accents very easily when I travel, and I've always wondered if it's because of the early time I did in Memphis. *shrugs*
Another bit of info: Most of my older relatives are from the midwest, Minnesota and North Dakota, specifically, and my dad has been known to drop into "Fargoese" when he hangs around them. Seeing the movie Fargo marked a huge insight for me because I finally *got* why my dad's folks sounded so weird.
Not that this really makes a big difference to my answers. Just fun info I thought I'd share.
1. A body of water, smaller than a river, contained within relatively narrow banks.
Stream. (Stream is the first tier down from river. Then creek.)
2. What the thing you push around the grocery store is called.
Shopping cart.
3. A metal container to carry a meal in.
Lunch box.
4. The thing that you cook bacon and eggs in.
Skillet.
5. The piece of furniture that seats three people.
Couch.
6. The device on the outside of the house that carries rain off the roof.
Gutter.
7. The covered area outside a house where people sit in the evening.
Porch in the front; patio or deck in the back.
8. Carbonated, sweetened, non-alcoholic beverages.
Soda.
9. A flat, round breakfast food served with syrup.
Pancake.
10. A long sandwich designed to be a whole meal in itself.
Sub. (Although that's only with the advent of Subway. I remember them being called Heroes when I was younger.)
11. The piece of clothing worn by men at the beach.
Trunks.
12. Shoes worn for sports.
Sneaks or tennies.
13. Putting a room in order.
Cleaning up.
14. A flying insect that glows in the dark.
Firefly.
15. The little insect that curls up into a ball.
Potato bug.
16. The children's playground equipment where one kid sits on one side and goes up while the other sits on the other side and goes down.
See-saw.
17. How do you eat your pizza?
Flat, with my hands. If it's soggy, I'll cut it up into pieces or fold it over and eat it like a sandwich. Depends on how messy it is.
18. What's it called when private citizens put up signs and sell their used stuff?
Garage sale.
19. What's the evening meal?
Dinner.
20. The thing under a house where the furnace and perhaps a rec room are?
Basement.
21. What do you call the thing that you can get water out of to drink in public places?
Water fountain.