Of all the modern languages the English language is most certainly one of the hardest languages to learn and become fluent in. Centuries of influence from other languages, many of them Latin-based, have changed this Germanic language to become a unique one with a mixture of pronunciations and spellings that tend to break the few rules the language does maintain. This is made even harder when thick accents and slang words are used by the people speaking it. Being such a large country, American English has developed these accents and slang differently from region to region. In the south you will often here the term “y’all” to refer to the plural of “you” while in other parts of the U.S. the slang term “you guys” is the informal plural of the word. In Boston in particular heavy accents and frequent usage of slang make understanding some people extremely difficult, even for other New Englanders! A common phrase spoken by Bostonians and people from New England is “park the car in Harvard yard” because it emphasizes the Boston accent in which the r’s are pronounced like h’s, so a Bostonian would pronounce the phrase as “pahk the cah in Hahvahd yahd”. Although not all Bostonians speak with this heavy accent, this remains one of the most prominent features of the region. As a result it is frequently the butt of jokes about Boston, like in Jon Stewart’s America where he stated that the Massachusetts legislature ratified everything in John Adam’s 1780 Massachusetts Constitution except for the letter “r”. Here are a few other common words and phrases you’ll hear only around Boston:
The B’s: This is in reference to the Boston Bruins hockey team. True Bostonians are die-hard (unconditionally loyal) fans of the sport and the team. The Garden refers to TD Garden, where games are held.
Beantown: An old term meaning Boston. Bostonians themselves don’t often use this term, but other New Englanders tend to as it refers to the many baked bean manufacturers that used to be abundant in the city.
Bubbler: A water fountain.
The Charles: The Charles River that flows between Boston and Cambridge
Chowdah: Chowder- a cream-based soup native to New England containing potato and usually seafood like clams or fish.
The Common: In reference to the Boston Common, the oldest city park in the United States.
Down Cellar: Refers to the basement of the house, typically cellar is pronounced “cellah”.
Flurries: Light snow
Frappe: A milkshake
The Hill: Typically in reference to the Mission Hill area- frequented by college students
Massholes: A derogatory term in reference to Massachusetts residents, most often used when speaking of driving and driving ability
Nor’easter: The strongest of winter storms with winds coming from the Northeast, common during the winter months and often causing large snow accumulation
The Pats: The Patriots- the American Football team representing New England.
The Pike: In reference to the Massachusetts turnpike
The Pru: The Prudential Center
The T: The MBTA, the underground public transportation in Boston
Wicked: Very; or interesting. Almost always used as an adverb and very commonly used in everyday speech. “Wicked pissa” is a common phrase, meaning great or awesome.
Although such accents and slang words can make it difficult to understand what people are trying to say, they are intrinsic to the culture of the region. Similar to the variety of dialects spoken throughout other countries (such as Galician spoken in Spain) it is representative of the people and culture that make up the region. Don’t be afraid to ask for clarification if an accent or certain words are hard to understand. Although Bostonian’s are often as gruff as their accent, they are often very willing to help so asking someone to speak more clearly or in more general terminology will help you pick up on what’s being said.
For a fun video of a new Celtics basketball member trying to learn the Boston accent click here!
Have you run into Boston slang words you didn’t understand? Are there essential words and phrases missing from this list? We want to know!
