Words And Phrases Only Heard In New Hampshire

I grew up in the south. And thanks to the gypsy lifestyle of morning radio, I've lived all over the United States: West Virginia, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas, California, Maine, Pennsylvania, New York, and New Hampshire.

Each state and region of the country has their language. Sure it's English, but each state puts their own spin on it by the way they pronounce certain words, or say things you'll only hear there.

For example, when I lived in Texas I learned when asking for directions, the location I was looking for was often "up the road a piece." And when preparing to do almost anything, Texans are "fixin' to do that."

In Pennsylvania, a common question was, "Where are you's guys goin'?"  When I moved to Maine, I learned everything was "wicked." And the reason I didn't know that was because I was from "away."

After living in New Hampshire for almost a year, I've discovered a few more unique words, phrases, and tidbits. Such as: "Bang a uey up there." I heard this one for the first time last week while going out to dinner with my girlfriend. Of course for those of you from New Hampshire, you know that means to make a u-turn. So after banging the uey, and making it to the restaurant, I discovered something else uniquely New Hampshire: American Chop Suey. I'm still not certain what it is exactly, but I do know I've never seen it anyplace else in the world other than the Granite State.

This last one always makes me laugh for some reason. Growing up in West Virginia, we went to the State Store to buy booze. When I was in the United States Air Force, serving overseas, we went to the Class 6. Here in New Hampshire, we all go to the packie! I've been told that's really a New England thing, but it still makes me laugh. And honestly, I can't bring myself to say it for some reason.

I love life in New Hampshire and New England. I do my best to embrace every part of life here: the food, the outdoor way of life, the winter weather... And yes, even the language.