Only Massachusetts Folks Would Understand
#112, Thirteen Things I truly Understand
1. You know how to pronounce the names of towns like Worcester, Billerica, Gloucester, Peabody and Haverhill.
2. Paranoia sets in if you can’t see a Dunkin Donuts or CVS Pharmacy within eyeshot at all times.
3. You know how to pronounce Yastrzemski.
4. You love scorpion bowls.
5. You know what they sell at a Packie.
6. You know at least one guy named Sean, Pat, Whitey, Red, Bud or Seamus. Bonus: You know how to pronounce Seamus.
7. You know there are 6 New England states, but that Connecticut really doesn’t count.
8. The words ‘ WICKED’ and ‘GOOD’ go together.
9. You know what a Frappe is.
10. You can complete the following: “Lynn, Lynn …”
11. You know what candlepin bowling is.
12. Calling Carrabba’s an ‘Italian’ restaurant is sacrilege.
13. You voted for a Republican Mormon as Governor just to screw with the rest of the country.
The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
bonus points if you know where this shot is from…and if you can pronounce it correctly!
Posted in Photos, T13 | 33 Comments
April 23rd, 2008 at 7:47 pm
Wusster, Glosster, Shaymus, no idea about the others.
April 23rd, 2008 at 8:01 pm
I wish you could teach me how to say some of those names. I’m sure I would murder them otherwise. Happy TT!
April 23rd, 2008 at 8:14 pm
Mine are up and yes I can pronounce those names too but Julie did a top notch job of SPELLING the pronounciation – rock on Julie!
April 23rd, 2008 at 8:16 pm
OMG Scorpion bowls!?!
I only went to college in Massachusetts, so really scorpion bowls and frappes and Worcester are okay, but some of the others…nope.
April 23rd, 2008 at 8:18 pm
You such a good girl and followed the rules! (Not me, of course!
This is very fun. I knew some of them but not all. My bil is from Worcester.
April 23rd, 2008 at 9:19 pm
I just love Dunkin’ Donuts. My favorite donut there is the vanilla creme filled. Mmmm…I get one every Saturday on my way to services.
April 23rd, 2008 at 9:37 pm
I know some of them, not all though.
I do like the mix of herbs that carrabbas has for the oil!
April 23rd, 2008 at 9:39 pm
Girl, I grew up in the south….I have such a drawl that I can make one syllable words into two!
As for scorpian bowls, isn’t that why the Orkin man comes out?? LOL
April 23rd, 2008 at 10:00 pm
PS, the rock is at Stage Fort Pahk, Glosstah.
April 23rd, 2008 at 10:05 pm
My gawd… I may actually be from Mass. Wicked cool!
April 23rd, 2008 at 10:14 pm
Scorpion bowls are the only one I don’t know. I still get made fun of for saying “wicked.”
April 23rd, 2008 at 10:19 pm
I am getting better at saying “Wicked” – and I can say a few of those names and I don’t sound like an idiot.
What the heck is a scorpion bowl??? And, don’t know the “Lynn, Lynn” thing…
April 23rd, 2008 at 10:20 pm
PS – What do they sell at a Packie????
April 23rd, 2008 at 11:17 pm
I can pronounce the names in #1 because they are all names of places in England (old)!
April 23rd, 2008 at 11:33 pm
I know about “wicked good” over here in California. I have a friend from Boston.
April 24th, 2008 at 8:20 am
LOL! So, So true! But then, The above mentioned names may be pronounced with a different ending depending on the part of the state you are from!
April 24th, 2008 at 9:14 am
Well, I’m obviously not from Massachusetts–the only one I knew was how to pronounce Seamus.
April 24th, 2008 at 9:17 am
re: #1 throw in Leominster, Leicester and Assonet for good measure.
re: #6 it should also mention someone named Sully!
i can picture the place the picture’s from in my head… but i can’t place the picture!
April 24th, 2008 at 10:32 am
These were awesome. I know how to pronounce Worcester, so I’m feeling wicked good about how damn smart I am (did I do that right?). That was fun and awesome.
April 24th, 2008 at 12:07 pm
I take exception to Number Seven. I know each & every one of those listed items! =P
April 24th, 2008 at 12:19 pm
Shaymus! And I agree that Carrabas is not Italian!! “Wicked” is a favorite word in my vocab!
Maybe I’d fit in!?
April 24th, 2008 at 12:32 pm
I’m from WI, but I can say most of the names. Always say wicked, but yes, what do they sell in a Packie?
Mine is up if you’d like to pop by.
April 24th, 2008 at 12:47 pm
Ok just how do you pronounce billerica? In my head I pronounce it BILL ERICA (as in two names).
My friend likes to tell me I pronounce things weird so that is my defense. Well that and I live on the other coast.
***I don’t know anyone named seamus but I do know how to correctly pronounce it….because I am wicked good like that (I use wicked a lot).
April 24th, 2008 at 1:41 pm
When I first moved to Boston in the early 80s as a journalist, I repeatedly stumbled over the names of some of those cities. I thought Worcester was like Worcester sauce until several of the town’s people called up the station to complain! Maybe that’s why I’m not working there anymore…hmmm…ya think?!
April 24th, 2008 at 2:46 pm
I think I learned how to pronounce Seamus from Harry Potter. In NC they have a road called Leicester pronounced like “Lester”…
yep, I’m from the south. lol
April 24th, 2008 at 2:54 pm
That was a fun list! I live on the Cape and am headed to Worcester in a few minutes for a convention. This is a yearly convention we attend and every year some speaker slaughters the pronunciation of Worcester.
I noticed your comment on Sassy Mama Bear’s blog and had to pop over and see why you were explaining “packie’s”!
Amy- it’s “billricka”
April 24th, 2008 at 5:13 pm
Quite the wicked cool list. My Mum was born in Massachusetts and I’m told that a whole branch of my family lives there. (The Thayers, FWIW.)
Happy TT!
April 24th, 2008 at 5:26 pm
LOL! I was just saying I wanted a Frappe the other day and thinking to myself…does anyone use that word anymore? or is it just a milkshake?
April 24th, 2008 at 6:28 pm
Yastrzemski I met Carl Yastrzemski once, when I was 19, didn’t follow baseball or know who he was till someone told me. My Red Sox loving son was upset that I didn’t get an autograph for him, like I knew at 19 that I would have a son someday even.
April 24th, 2008 at 8:35 pm
Wicked good list Janet!
For those who asked & no one answered- Haverhill (my adopted hometown & both my mother’s & grandmother’s true hometown) is pronounced ‘Hav-rill’ (the a says it’s own name)
Billerica is ‘Bill-ricka’.
Bottled alcoholic beverages are sold at packies (aka Package Stores- privately owned stores- not state run like in many states)
#10= City of sin- you never come out the way you went in.
Man- I could use a black & white frappe right about now.
April 24th, 2008 at 8:41 pm
Ah…and true Massholes like myself will know at least one person who routinely drove to New Hampshire on a Sunday to evade those frickin blue laws…
April 27th, 2008 at 7:37 am
What a great and interesting TT. But, as a Viking, I must admit it left me with some questionmarks. I’m honest. LOL.
April 28th, 2008 at 11:46 am
What a great list! I was smiling, laughing, and nodding with all of them – except the scorpion bowl. Don’t know that one.
I guess 6 years in MA wasn’t enough to be “in the know”. ;P