Excuse me, can you repeat that?

Hey, have you happened to notice the accent that us Northerners seem to have down here? I’ve also noticed a slight difference in the way Southerners talk. Truthfully, the differences are hardly even detectable by the average ear. Ok, I’m kidding. Hello? Are we all speaking the same language?

One of my first Southern friends and is a born and bred Georgian. We talk almost daily but I must confess – many times I can’t understand a word this boy is saying. I’ve come to realize though, that it’s not just the accent, it’s the dialect. Sometimes we are speaking a “different language”.

Dialect, as you know, is a regional variety of a language. So, in this new region of the country, it makes complete sense that we may have some communication issues.

I thought it may be helpful to provide a dictionary of sorts to help ease the communication barrier you may face on a day to day basis.

For the Southerners who, on occasion, respond to my comments with a look of question in their eyes I give you a cheat sheet of common New Jersey terminology, courtesy of Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, where they offer a dialect course:
Block: everything in North Jersey is measured by blocks. Any walking distance is a certain amount of blocks away.
Coke: a common term for any type of carbonated beverage.
Fired-Up: to get all sorts of angry.
Foul: a term used in Jersey to describe something that is "messed up" or morally wrong.
Italian Ice: opposed to "Water Ice". A colorful frozen dessert very popular in the summer months.
Shady: One who is of questionable character. Especially, when dealing with issues of love and relationships.
Sub: a sandwich containing various types of meat, cheese, and vegetables.
Slider: a pork roll, egg and cheese sandwich found in every New Jersey deli and diner, breakfast food for many. (Hint to local deli owners: add this to the menu and you’ll have a hit!)
As transplants, we have a responsibility to adapt to our new surroundings. Some Southern terms, that I have come to love include:

Bubba: Originally short for "brother." Now refers to all good ole boys.

Damn Yankee: Anyone from above the Mason-Dixon line, or Southerners who fought on the Union side during the Recent Unpleasantness. I don’t necessarily love this one, but I’m getting used to it.

Fixin: Getting ready.

Sugar, Honey Pie, Purdy Thang, Darlin: Terms of endearment. And damn if they don’t work. There is nothing sweeter than hearing a southern boy utter the term “darlin.”

Perhaps my favorite term is “bless her heart.” It seems that adding this qualifier to the end of any sentence softens the sentiment. As in, “Did you see how tight those pants were on her? She must have gained twenty pounds, bless her heart.”

Go forth my friends and communicate!

Courtney Naughton is a Jersey Shore native who relocated to Bluffton. She talks fast, laughs out loud, and has an air of sarcasm about her, bless her heart.