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I’m going to try to keep this short since yesterday’s 100 things was so long, which makes sense since it was 100 things.
About a month ago I listed the southern expressions I found strange/unique. I think it is only fair that I do the same for Kansas, but I couldn’t come up with as many. Feel free to let me know of any you think of. It’s harder to find unusual things I say when they all sound normal to me!
Kansans have been known to say:
1. Sweep, as in “I’m going to sweep the carpet with the vacuum.” I don’t vacuum very often/ever, so people rarely hear me say this, but this is normal to me.
2. Pop, instead of any of the various alternatives. As far as pop goes, Kansans are big Dr. Pepper fans.
3. “R-Kansas River” rather than pronouncing the Arkansas River as the state. Besides, it’s “our Kansas river” so it makes sense. It threw me off when I was in Colorado as a kid and I heard someone pronounce it as the state.
4. “Dinner” for the noon meal and “supper” for the evening meal. I don’t know how common this is, but it’s how it’s done in our family.
5. Jip instead of skip, as in “I decided to jip philosophy class and hang out with some clowns.” I don’t know where this come from, but I’ve never known anyone not from the immediate Wichita area to say this.
6. “Worsh” instead of “wash,” “squorsh” instead of “squash.” This one annoys me, and I don’t say it, but many in Kansas do. I think it might be Kansas hick, or just hick.
Bonus: I say (but nobody else I know) “crown” instead of “crayon” for what you use to color with. I always have, and it just sounds right to me.
If you know me in person, is there anything else weird that I say? Do you know any other Kansans that talk funny?
my friend Kari Breed says crayon the way you do. she’s from texas, though. she said something to me at church one morning and i just looked at her. she started laughing and said, “oh! i say “crown” not CRAY ON.” lol.
Ronnica – Here’s one from Michigan that’s like your “R-Kansas River”. We have a big beautiful bridge in our state that connects the lower Peninsula to the Upper. The Bridge is the Mackinac Bridge. Rightly pronounced “Mackinaw”. Pronounced by outsiders “Macki-knack”. Makes my hair curl!
I say ‘crown’ too! I thought I was the only one!
I love your blog. I’m adding you to my blog roll. Hope that’s okay.
Hi, I’m writing a novel set in Kansas, but I live in the South. In the South, if you’re talking about a young person, you might say Miss Jill or Miss Susan casually, semi-respectfully. Do they do that in Kansas, too? Thanks