New England Terms Ipsum

Basement: the restroom, especially of a school. when i was growing up in the 60s and 70s, we would ask to go to the basement. butts: smoking, in reference to a cigarette, either an unused one, or the ones in the ashtray. draw: this is the way my friends and i pronounce, drawer, as in, "it's in the top 'draw' of my bureau." or, "open the 'draws' and look for it!" which tends to confuse people from out-of state, who don't really understand what drawing has to do with shelving. elastic: also known as a rubber band. frappe / cabinet: a frappe is made with milk, ice cream, and flavoring syrup, blended together in a frappe machine (mixer). cabinet is a word used primarily in rhode island. grinder: i'm told that elsewhere the long sandwiches they serve in pizza joints are called subs and hoagies. bizarre! hamburg: um.. no. hamburg is not short for 'hamburger'. it's a way of referring to 'ground beef'. hoodsie cup: commercial at first, but came to include ice crean manufactured by companies other than hood. a small cardboard cup of ice cream. ice cream soda: i don't know where you get your ice cream sodas but in lowell, ma. an ice cream soda is a mix of equal portions of cream, syrup, and soda water mixed together with a scoop of ice cream on top. kind of like a float. jimmies: tiny candy that goes on ice cream. come in plain 'chocolate' and 'rainbow' varietys. known elsewhere as sprinkes! sprinkles to me sounds a little, well, feminine. milk shake / flavored milk: milk and syrup. parkie: a summer employee of the city or town who organizes games for the local children. usually a college age boy or girl. skilled in snaps and/or gimp. piazza: a word for porch, especially a porch of a three decker. not heard much anymore. piss-ah: (really spelt pisser). which means awesome, very good. no, i'm not making this up, i don't know how this one started. pock-a-book: it could also be pronounced as pocket book. it is another name for handbag or purse. soda: pop is your father, not a drink. spa: not a health club. a corner store with a soda fountain, selling candy, newspapers and lime rickeys. spuckie: south boston, "southie" spuckie is a grinder and or sub sandwich. tin foil: aluminum foil.