New Englanders have a certain way of saying things.
In Yankee country, we call remote controls "clickers," traffic circles "rotaries," and subs "grinders." Mainers tack unnecessary "r"s onto words, like idear, while Bostonians drop 'em all together. It's wickedweeeahd.
As many natives of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island travel home for the holidays, we're celebrating the 14 New England sayings that remind us of home.
"Wicked"
A dead giveaway that you're talking to a New Englander, "wicked" is a general intensifier often followed by "pissah," to mean superb.
Given the Puritan past of New England, the term emerged as a pseudo-curse word during the Salem Witch Trials; although it's also said to originate in Maine. In the last 20 to 30 years, the region adopted it as an affectionate nod to the past.
"Bang a uey"
Whether you're cruising the Pike or navigating a parking lot at one of tax-free New Hampshire's outlet malls, to "bang a uey" (pronounced yoo-ee) is far from being a suggestive slur. "Bang" is to turn and "uey" is short for for U-turn, so this basically is just a directive to turn the car around.
"Frappe"
The milkshake that brings all the boys to the yard is the frappe (pronounced with a silent "e"). It's an ultra-thick blend of milk, flavored syrup, and any flavor of ice cream available. If you order a milkshake in New England, you'll likely get a soupier concoction of just milk and syrup.
The frappe, often called a "cabinet" in Rhode Island, worked its way into the national vocabulary when in 1994, Starbucks bought the rights to the name "Frappuccino."
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