BellaOnline Forums Career Fiction Writing 11 Obscure Regional Phrases

EXCERPT: Now that you�ve added those 19 distinctly American words to your vocabulary, here are 11 more phrases from different linguistic regions around the country�courtesy of the wonderful Dictionary of American Regional English, edited by Joan Hall, which released its fifth volume this spring.

Keep in mind that these phrases are representative not only of a geographic region, but also of certain linguistic subsets, which split down generational, racial, ethnic and socioeconomic lines. So if you�re a 25-year-old, chances are you may not have heard every phrase uttered by an octogenarian living across the state.

11 Obscure Regional Phrases

A couple of things, tho' I hate to disagree with DARE.

I think "buck beer" is simply a variant of "bock" beer. Bock beer is traditionally a German beer style although also made elsewhere now. It is a strong, high alcohol, beer.

As for "that dog won't hunt", I'm from the Mid-Atlantic and have heard and used this phrase.