I got this from a client in the Boston area. It’s funny because it’s true.
Welcome to Bawstin …
For those of you who have never been to ‘Bawstin’, this is a good guideline. I hope
you will consider comi ng to ‘Beantown’ in the near future. For those who call New
England home, this is a pissa !!
Information on Boston and the surrounding area:
There’s no school on School Street, no court on Court Street, no dock on Dock Square,
no water on Water Street.
Back Bay streets are in alphabetical ‘oddah’: Arlington, Berkeley, Clarendon, Dartmouth,
etc. So are South Boston streets: A, B, C, D, etc.
If the streets are named after trees (e.g.) Walnut, Chestnut, Cedar), you’re on Beacon
Hill. If they’re named after poets, you’re in Wellesley.
Massachusetts Ave is Mass Ave; Commonwealth Ave is Comm Ave; South Boston is
Southie. The South End is the South End. East Boston is Eastie. The North End is east
of the former West End. The We st End and Scollay Square are no more; a guy named
Rappaport got rid of them one night. Roxbury is The Burry, Jamaica Plain is J.P.
How to say these Massachusetts city names correctly: **Say it wrong, be shunned**
Worcester: Wuhsta (or Wistah)
Gloucester : Glawsta
Leicester: Lesta
Woburn: Wooban
Dedham : Dedim
Revere: Re-vee-ah
Quincy: Quinzee
Peabody: Peabuddy
Waltham : Walth-ham
Chatham: Chattum
Definitions:
Frappes have ice cream, milk shakes don’t.
If it is fizzy and flavored, it’s tonic.
Soda is CLUB SODA.
‘Pop’ is Dad.
When we want Tonic WATER, we will ask for Tonic WATER.
The smallest beer is a pint.
Scrod is whatever they tell you it is, usually fish.
If you paid more than $6/pound, you got scrod.
It’s not a water fountain; it’s a bubblah.
It’s not a trash can; it’s a barrel.
It’s not a shopping cart; it’s a carriage.
It’s not a purse; it’s a pockabook.
It’s not an Italian; it’s a sub.
They’re not franks; they’re haht dahgs. Franks are money in France.
Police don’t drive patrol units or black and whites they drive a ‘crooza’.
It’s not a traffic circle, it’s a rotary.
‘Going to the islands’ means Martha’s Vineyard & Nantucket.
If something’s good, it’s ‘pissah’. If something’s really good, it’s ‘wicked pissah’.
The Pat’s = The Patriots
The Sox = The Red Sox
The C’s = The Celtics
The B’s = The Bruins
Things not to do:
Don’t pahk your cah in Hahvid Yahd. They’ll tow it to Meffa (Medford) or Slumaville
(Somerville). Don’t sleep in the Common. (Boston Common)
Don’t wear Orange in Southie on St. Patrick’s Day.
Things you should know:
There are two State Houses, two City Halls, two courthouses, two Hancock buildings
(one old, one new for each).
The colored lights on top the old Hancock tell the weatha’:
‘Solid blue, clear view….’
‘Flashing blue, clouds due….’
‘Solid red, r ain ahead….’
‘Flashing red, snow instead….’ – (except in summer; flashing
red means the Red Sox game was rained out)
Route 128 is also I-95 south. It’s also I-93 north.
The underground train is not a subway. It’s the ‘T’, and it doesn’t run all night
(fah chrysakes, this ain’t Noo Yawk).
Order the ‘cold tea’ in China Town after 2:00 am you’ll get a kettle full of beer.
Bostonians… Think that it’s their God-given right to cut off someone in traffic.
Bostonians…think that there are only 25 letters in the alphabet (no R’s).
Bostonians…think that three straight days of 90+ temperatures is a heat wave.
Bostonians…refer to six inches of snow as a ‘dusting.’
Bostonians…always ‘bang a left’ as soon as the light turns green, and oncoming
traffic always expec ts it.
Bostonians…say everything in town is ‘a five-minute walk.’ (pronounced ‘wok’)
Bostonians…believe that using your turn signal is a sign of weakness.
Bostonians…think that 63-degree ocean water is warm.
Bostonians…think Rhode Island accents are annoying.
