LANGUAGE FROM COAST TO COAST

So, What Exactly Is a Hoosier? Learn 10 American Regional Words.

Image: Morgan Lane

As the fourth biggest nation in the world, America is understandably home to many dialects, cultures, and traditions. All fifty states have their very own identity, constructed over generations of Americans working, communicating, and building a legacy. In that sense, each of these states' individuality has paved the way for thousands of unique regional terms and phrases to sprout.

Like we said, America is a massive country, so odds are most of us won’t get the chance to visit every single state and learn all the different dialects this country of ours has to offer. But don’t worry, we got you covered! We have compiled ten of our favorite regional terms for your enjoyment. They might help you on your next road trip! Enjoy!

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We’ll start with what’s probably the most versatile word in this article. If you ever visit Philadelphia, you might hear people use the word "jawn" as a replacement for pretty much every noun you can think of. Someone might ask you to pass them "that jawn", or ask you if you know where "that new jawn" is.

Jawn is a context-sensitive word, so in most cases, you would know what the word replaces. Nevertheless, it is the noun to replace all nouns: If you hear someone in the City of Brotherly Love say jawn, they might be referring to anything in existence, from the Declaration of Independence to that salt shaker right in front of you.

Image: Patrick Fore

Need to add a touch of color to that plain-looking ice cream? You might want to ask your server for a spoonful of sprinkles and witness a full rainbow descend upon your vanilla cone. However, should this hypothetical ice cream parlor be located in New England and parts of the Midwest, then you might want to use the preferred word for these small colorful pieces, and ask him or her for some jimmies.

While this term is definitively a New England staple, particularly in Boston, the truth is that jimmies is used in more places than you might imagine. Some places make the distinction depending on which food item is being consumed: For instance, you might call them jimmies when applied on an ice cream, while calling them sprinkles when they are on a donut.

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The word "Hoosier" is the official demonym of Indiana: The state has proudly boasted the nickname "The Hoosier State" for over 150 years. However, as proud as the good people of Indiana are of their nickname, the truth is that no one is completely sure about what the word means, or even where it came from.

The origins of this word are shrouded in mystery, but some theories have gained traction over the years. Most agree that the first popular use of Hoosiers as a demonym for Indiana comes from an 1833 poem titled "The Hoosier's Nest".

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This one is rather imaginative. It takes a particularly creative mind to see an avocado and think "Doesn’t this green, rugged fruit kind of look like the green, rugged skin of an alligator?" It is no wonder that this term likely originated in Florida, where alligators abound.

While avocados were not commercially grown in the United States until the late 1800s, a small production of avocados existed in Florida before that. The pear shape of the avocado combined with its similarities with alligator skin are clearly the origins of this regional term. Although still considered a Southern icon, the term "alligator pear" has seen a decline in popularity.

Image: Phillip Goldsberry

In 1897, the Massachusetts-based furniture company A. H. Davenport and Company designed a particularly popular couch that became known as "the Davenport". While the company itself is now defunct, its legacy continues: This line of sofas is still considered a design icon, and perhaps more importantly, the word "Davenport" has become synonymous with sofas and coaches all around the Great Lakes regions.

Because of the broad meaning this word has gained, it has grown to describe different pieces of furniture in different American regions. For instance, in some New York areas, Davenport is used to describe a couch that can be turned into a bed. However, is still mostly used to describe any sofa, particularly if it's an old or more formal sofa.

Image: Pascal Bernardon

Should the Wicked Witch of the West take a quick trip to Boston, she might be welcomed by a warmer crowd. This adjective has become synonymous with New England, appearing in countless movies, TV shows, and books about the region.

What’s curious is how a word that means evil or nefarious in the rest of the world evolved to become "excellent" or "extremely good" in New England. A theory makes the connection between wicked’s literal meaning and the witch trials that famously took place in Salem, Massachusetts. However, no definitive explanation has been discovered.

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The stoop is a New York institution: these small staircases in front of apartment buildings have been a part of the Big Apple’s origins. They were brought over by settlers from the Netherlands in colonial times. The word comes from the Dutch word stoep, which means "sidewalk" and is pronounced the same way as the English "stoop".

Stoops are not just an architectural staple, but they are also considered a vital component of social life since they have provided New Yorkers with socializing opportunities. Perhaps more importantly, stoops have been used as a playground for generations of children to play street games, even inspiring its own game known as "stoop ball."

Image: Daniel Hooper

Are you out on a hot day and your bottle is empty? Don’t worry, look for the nearest "bubbler" and enjoy some fresh, cold water. While most of the country knows this device as a water fountain, several American cities and towns have been calling them "bubblers" for decades now.

A few examples of states that use the word "bubbler" are Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and southern and eastern Wisconsin. Notably, residents of Portland, Oregon sometimes use the word, in reference to a series of water fountains installed in the 1900s by Simon Benson. These fountains are known as the "Benson Bubblers" and 52 of them are still functional.

Image: Evan Tahler

This one is rather tricky to describe, not because of its complexity, but rather because it means different things in different regions of the country. Should you look up the word "breezeway" in the dictionary, it will describe an open passage, usually roofed, that connects two buildings. The main purpose of this structure is to allow the passage of breeze, whether it is to allow aeration or to accommodate to a high winds region. Notably, in Minnesota they are known as "skyways".

However, this word has a different meaning in the Mid-Atlantic region of the country. In places like Philadelphia and Baltimore, a breezeway is the space that separates two groups of rowhouses in the middle of a city block.

Image: MOHAMMADREZA Kr

We’ll end this article with multiple regional variants of the games we all enjoyed in our childhoods. As we mentioned in our "stoop" entry, these small staircases provided generations of New York children with the perfect playing ground for street games. These countless hours of fun have resulted in a couple of regional variations of our favorite pastimes.

For starters, the game of hopscotch is known in New York City as "potsy". The origins of the word are debated: many believe it is simply derived from the original name, while others believe it comes from "potsherd", which describes a piece of ceramic that would be used to draw the hopscotch line on the pavement. Other regional games include variations of baseball, like stickball (played with a broomstick), or punchball (where the "batter" instead punches the ball).

ORGANIZED HOME, ORGANIZED MIND

The Ultimate Guide To Home Organization: Tips For A Clutter-Free Home

Image: Douglas Sheppard

We all know keeping a house organized takes time, energy, and even money at times. But none of those are enough when you don’t know how to get the organization ball rolling.

Organization, whether it is for a house or personal, can be a powerful tool to gain control over every aspect of your life. But that is not the only benefit of having an organized home, by learning some techniques, you can maximize your spaces and make them functional to your lifestyle.

Read on and see which of these tips you can put into practice today!

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The first step to becoming an organization expert is to declutter. Decluttering means removing everything you don’t need or use, or everything that is broken or is no longer functional to you or your family.

To declutter successfully you have to be honest with yourself about those things you keep out of attachment, for example. Assess your home, and everything you own, and get rid of everything that no longer serves you any purpose to create new free space.

Consider selling or donating the things you don’t use but keep in a good state!

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After assessing your space and removing everything you don’t use or need, start creating zones in your home. This will allow you to allocate specific areas for different activities or moments of your everyday life. For example, if you work from home, consider having a separate working space, and set up a desk with everything you need.

Establishing clear zones will make it easier to keep track of your belongings and create a more functional living space. Not to mention having specific zones for each activity will strengthen your routine and habits.

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After you have created different zones, assign specific homes for each item. For example, you may place a container for the keys by the main door; or a rack for the shoes you use frequently. Having a designated area and a specific home for each of your belongings will help you keep your home organized at all times.

Moreover, you will avoid losing objects and, every time you need something, you will know exactly where to go look for it. The only thing you have to work on after doing this is taking a moment every day to put things back where they belong after you have used them.

Image: Annie Spratt

Once you have taken the previous steps, you are ready to invest in storage solutions and this will feel like a pivotal step towards organization. Storage solutions will make your house both functional and visually appealing. The right containers and organizers not only help you declutter (because the space is limited), but they will also help you ensure everything has a designated spot and maintain order.

Look for available options within your area, but consider using baskets, bins, plastic containers, or any other storage item that works for you. If you still haven’t got the budget for this, use plastic containers you already have, you can always go back on this step to prioritize aesthetics.

Image: Tamara Malaniy

If you choose to use colored containers, labels come in quite handy. Even with clear containers, labels will help you quickly locate items. Moreover, if there are small children in the house, labels can help them find the right container for their stuff easily which will, ultimately, strengthen their own organizational habits and independence.

Labels give uniformity and coherence to a space and you can either make them yourself or use an electronic label maker.

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This is a smart strategy to maintain your space clutter-free and well-organized throughout the year. Seasonal items such as clothes, decorations, sports equipment, and more specific items like suitcases can be kept in special areas like the garage or on the highest shelves of a closet.

As you can imagine, the first step to do this is to assess your belongings and categorize them by season.

As you pack away off-season items, take the opportunity to assess their condition and decide whether anything needs to be repaired or replaced before the next season.

Consider using hard-material containers to keep your belongings well protected and avoid any possible damages unforeseen events may cause.

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When you don’t have much space for furniture or your furniture is full of stuff (if they are, you should go back to the first tip!) vertical and dead spaces are a great solution to maximize space and create alternative areas.

You can install shelves or hanging organizers to keep your belongings off the floor and on common surfaces like the dining table. On a similar note, you can take advantage of areas such as under the bed, and behind the doors to keep appropriate stuff.

This not only creates additional storage space but also adds visual focus points to your home decor.

Image: Pierre Bamin

When defining specific areas and homes for your belongings prioritize two things: quick location and easy accessibility. Vertical space can only be used so much, that is, there is no point in having a shelf for mugs if you have to get a ladder to reach one every morning for breakfast. The same goes for kids’ wardrobes, they will never be able to hang their own clothes if they can’t reach the hangers or the rail.

Prioritize placing items in the space you most frequently use them and within reach so you don’t have to move things around, hence, creating a mess around one single item. Keep essentials accessible and less frequently objects higher up or in less accessible places.

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Regardless of how digital our lives can be, a house is always full of important items, especially paperwork. Developing and working on a system for managing it will foster organization in the house, but also your personal life and finances.

Consider investing in a filing cabinet or organizer and set aside a time and day each week to sort out paperwork. Create folders for different types of documents and label them accordingly to make it easier to find what you need when you need it. And never forget the first step, declutter when necessary, and get rid of old bills or documents that are irrelevant to your present life.

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Rome wasn’t built in a day, organizational habits weren’t either, so, be patient and find ways to foster your habits. Create routines for tidying up and maintaining organization. For example, divide the chores within the week. That way, you will ensure everything gets done at least once a week. Laundry on Saturdays, bathroom cleaning on Sundays and Thursdays, and so on.

Now, within a day, create small routines that guarantee everything is in its place before you go to sleep. There is nothing like waking up to a clean and organized home every day, this will boost your inspiration and productivity.