Thursday, April 10, 2008

A what barn?

So yesterday I was having a normal conversation with a friend from a west coast state. You may recall that I am a mid-westerner, more specifically a proud Hoosier currently living in the "Land of Lincoln".

For once that was not a digression, but actually relevant to the topic.

Anywho....We were talking about lack of storage space and how more was always needed. I said, "Ideally I would have at least a 3 car garage and probably a pole barn"

To which she said, "A WHAT barn? Sorry you lost me"

Did I lose any of you?

I had no idea that other people didn't call those multi purpose buildings with aluminum siding "pole barns". So I decided to ask a few Lincolnians if they knew what I was talking about. They did not.

I had the same feeling I did my freshman year when talking to my college roommate. I told her that when I was little I was "Dutchy".

Lose you on that one too?

Dutchy is what you call a little kid with a speech issue. It's not meant to mock the residents of Holland. I'm not really sure where it came from to be honest.

For example: I couldn't say L sounds so I said Yuve for Love, or Yucky for Lucky. My dad was Dutchy too. He said Tair Tep instead of Stair Step. Don't worry. Dad and I both got over our issues, turns out he had hearing issues, and well who knows what my issue was. But a little time in speech therapy cured me!

So I'm wondering if anyone else has ever run into this "regionalization" of terms. I would love to hear some examples!

And for the record, a pole barn is where you would keep your shop, classic car, horse, derby car, dirt bike, tractor, hay bales, four-wheeler, or anything else you might not be able to fit into your garage.

And no, it's NOT the same thing as a regular barn. Those have wood for siding.

http://www.mortonbuildings.com/

6 comments:

david said...

Generally a "pole" building refers to the type of framing rather than siding. Poles are set directly into the earth or on concrete pads below the frost line as opposed to a continuous concrete and or block footing and foundation. Otherwise, you are exactly correct.

For regionalization of words how about "soda" vs. "pop" (or coke in the South)? I say pop (Western Illinois roots).

Nicole said...

LOL. I had a similar conversation with a friend whose house we are going to rent.

It has a "mud room". Most people here ask what's a mud room?

I am picking up words from whereever we live as I learn English and I started with British English LOL like "rubbish".

thirdworstpoetinthegalaxy said...

I thought a "Pole barn" was where you kept your poles?

Regionalization: "reckon" for southerners and "tonic" (instead of "pop" or "soda"), and "carriage" (instead of "shopping cart") in Boston.

That Nora Girl said...

I say carriage too (I'm from Massachusetts/Maine), and when I lived in Texas people called them buggies. That one always made me blink a couple times before I remembered what they meant.

I also say "wicked" way too much. Like today, it was wicked nice outside.

XOXO said...

I was told this weekend that my family is rather country. I wonder if that person's family is rock 'n' roll. Relevant? Not really.

I do think it's funny that things I take for granted others know, they have no idea.

Heather said...

I can safely say that I have never heard of a pole barn, or the term dutchy, but then again I am from CA!