South Jersey
- Thread starter bobpbx
- Start date
My grandmother, originally from Kentucky, used "crick" all the time. I've always heard it said by folks south of the Mason-Dixon line, not so much South Jerseyans.
I have to say, "Cedar Crick" sounds so much better than "Cedar Creek!"
I have to say, "Cedar Crick" sounds so much better than "Cedar Creek!"
Crik is very commonly used near the Delaware Bay.The folks down here do seem to use jargon uncommon to the north.I've even heard the term "I reckon" used on occasion.
Al:
If you are interested in the jargon and regional language spoken by West or South Jerseyians, you might want to take a look at an article on my blog:
http://jerseyman-historynowandthen.blogspot.com/2010/09/jerseyisms.html
Best regards,
Jerseyman
I must say most of these I have never heard of and a few I have only heard from My grandparents and assumed they were strictly WV terms.
Jerseyman! Love it. The word I hate most is "Ax." For example..let me ax you something!! I do not see "wooder" or water as the proper term and would say that is the most common mistake of us all!! Haha! Great great read as always...humbled.... Mr. Jerseyman.
I once had a coworker ask me why I didn't AX him because I could not find something,he was being an ass when he said it so I informed him I did not want to spend the next twenty in jail.He was totally bewildered as to why I said that.It never occured to him that if I AXED him he might now live to tell about it.he was a prisoner off on work leave anyway so a good AXING may have been preferable.
Pineywoman and Manumuskin:
You will generally find that the mispronunciation of “ask” as “ax” is an ethnic-cultural language tag, almost bordering on ebonics, which I often view as a purposeful affectation. Contrarily, the seemingly strange pronunciation of the word “water” is more of a regional dialectal variation based more on how a particular area expresses vowels contained within a word. A Bostonian would have a completely different take on “water” or “creek” than someone from South Jersey or even the Midwest.
Best regards,
Jerseyman
You will generally find that the mispronunciation of “ask” as “ax” is an ethnic-cultural language tag, almost bordering on ebonics, which I often view as a purposeful affectation. Contrarily, the seemingly strange pronunciation of the word “water” is more of a regional dialectal variation based more on how a particular area expresses vowels contained within a word. A Bostonian would have a completely different take on “water” or “creek” than someone from South Jersey or even the Midwest.
Best regards,
Jerseyman
You should have "AXED" him Manumuskin.. and sent him "Swimming with the fishes" another Jersey expression. Hahahahaha! LOVE THIS! Bostonians are funny in how they say "CAR" as "CAH." I also find it hilarious when folks say we have no distinctive accent. That is very far from the truth.
When someone says "AX" I cringe. It literally is like fingers on a chalkboard.
When someone says "AX" I cringe. It literally is like fingers on a chalkboard.
Yes AX man was an ebonic.My mother in law is from the Mass R.I. border and she routinely leaves R's out of where they belong and adds them where the don't.She drives a CAH and her grandaughter Sheena has become Sheener.
Jerseyman, this is one of my all time favorites of things you have ferreted out! For instance, the meaning of Cubby Hollow south of Bridgeton now makes sense (cubby: a little hollow-square cabin: charcoal industry). This seems an appropriate fit. The site is on the Cohansey Trail near where it crossed the Maurice River to Pamphylla Spring.
S-M
The Cohansey was a byway well trodden by colliers, particularly Blacks including the Still family. The path ran from Greenwich (Lenape = Cohansey) to Springtown to Bridgeton to Parvins Mill to Buena to Mays Landing, and thence shoreward. Thanks again.S-M
Haha thats great, when I was younger my dad always told me to stay away from the "crick" (Rancocas Creek), I still call it the crick.
Now why would a boy stay away from the crik?The crik is where everything worth wasting time bothering with is at!
Bridgeton was the most industrious town in all of NJ back in the day. It held 2 prestigious womens academies and considered an industrial "Mecca" after the Civil War. It is so sad to see its decline. The 80s killed them when all the factories up and left. The zoo is great. Free. Not many people are aware of it. Love it!
Don't forget "Crik Stomping." That was a fun pastime of mine.
Don't forget "Crik Stomping." That was a fun pastime of mine.