We usually assume that words are pronounced as they are spelled, but in Massachusetts we make the rules, we don't follow them so we pronounce words, especially towns and cities words as we wish and no as theyu are spelled. For example: Quincy, birthplace of President JohnQuincy Adams is pronounced Quinnzee; Leominster is Leminstah; Haverhill is Haverill. Revere is Reveeyah. Medford is Mefid is you went to college and Meffa if you did not and Worcester is Woostah if you went to college and Wistah if you did not. Anecdotally what you call a milkshake we call a frappe, what you call a liquor store we call a packy and when a southerner calls us a yankee we assume he or she means we're yankee fans and you want us to physicallt attack you. We prize education, yet hate college sprots. We hate corporations, but kow tow to corporate professional sports teams. We;re blue state liberals who have had one Democrat as Governor in the past 30 years. It is one fucking weird place to live.
Pretty complete list. One of the only obvious thing that you missed is the rotary, which is called a turnabout or traffic circle in most other states. Then there is the yard sale, which in many other places is called garage sale. I won"t even go into what passes for Chinese food outside of MA.
Somebody else’s hoagie is a cheese steak sub to some of us!
Just because you’re from here (me) doesn’t mean that all my pronunciations are native. Lobstah is lobster in my words, but tomato/potato can come out interchangeably (native) or the less provincial form.
Everyone I know from MA is like the same guy. All angry irish guys who are little too into sports. That being said I gotta get up there have beer with some of those dudes.
But MA is also a very diverse state, especially in the Boston metro area, with thriving Asian, Orthodox Jew, Latino and other ethnic communities.
It is also a foodie paradise. Even small little mom and pop breakfast joints in MA turn out better food than you'll find almost anywhere else in the country. MA residents have very high baseline expectations for their grub and even basic fare like Chinese food and pizza are simply amazing compared to the slop pumped out in most areas. And the seafood is remarkable and fresh, offered even by small pubs and dive bars in coastal towns. There's is a reason why there is no Red Lobster in MA.
If it wasn't for the Nanny State politicians that they keep voting in, who seem determined to make everything harder and more expensive, it would be a great state to live in.
I was in MA on a business trip a couple of years ago. I had some bomb ass pizza that was on par with the best pizza I had in Italy. And yeah I concur with rickdugan that the food overall was good. And of course the worst Italian food at the North End is still the best in many other cities. I had so much good Italian food that trip.
===> "And of course the worst Italian food at the North End is still the best in many other cities. I had so much good Italian food that trip."
Just walk up Salem or Hanover St at lunchtime and you'll still see unbelievable lunchtime specials for fantastic Italian food. Some buddies and I used to joke that they must be using these restaurants as money laundering fronts because they couldn't be making money on the food - it was just too good and too cheap. But fuck if I care how they did it.
===> "You'll find some pretty fantastic Italian food on Federal Hill in Providence, RI."
I agree with this, but Providence is really just an extended suburb of Boston anyway. There are some excellent seafood options there as well and even a couple of Chinese restaurants that are more Massachusetts style.
I would agree with those folks that say Boston and Providence have some pretty good Italian food, but for an even better Italian food experience come a bit farther down I95 and hit Arthur Ave in the Bronx, Mulberry Street in Manhattan or Knapp street in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn that’s where the real Italian comes from 😀
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Just because you’re from here (me) doesn’t mean that all my pronunciations are native. Lobstah is lobster in my words, but tomato/potato can come out interchangeably (native) or the less provincial form.
So in other words, they have personality and show loyalty? ;)
It is also a foodie paradise. Even small little mom and pop breakfast joints in MA turn out better food than you'll find almost anywhere else in the country. MA residents have very high baseline expectations for their grub and even basic fare like Chinese food and pizza are simply amazing compared to the slop pumped out in most areas. And the seafood is remarkable and fresh, offered even by small pubs and dive bars in coastal towns. There's is a reason why there is no Red Lobster in MA.
If it wasn't for the Nanny State politicians that they keep voting in, who seem determined to make everything harder and more expensive, it would be a great state to live in.
It changes a lot once you get outside the Boston suburbs. West of Worcester is essentially "beyond the Wall".
Just walk up Salem or Hanover St at lunchtime and you'll still see unbelievable lunchtime specials for fantastic Italian food. Some buddies and I used to joke that they must be using these restaurants as money laundering fronts because they couldn't be making money on the food - it was just too good and too cheap. But fuck if I care how they did it.
I agree with this, but Providence is really just an extended suburb of Boston anyway. There are some excellent seafood options there as well and even a couple of Chinese restaurants that are more Massachusetts style.