Bang a U-ey, Rotary, and Other Boston Slang

Boston University students talk about the unique words Bostonians use when describing a water fountain, milk shake, liquor store, and more.
Read more about Boston slang in BU Today: www.bu.edu/today/2017/masteri...

[@bobdonovan34]

It's true. We have no patience for long sentences. Everything's shortened up. Extra words waste time. We're always in a rush even when we have nowhere to go.

[@74artgrrl]

The Pike is another one.😊

[@jenniferwalsh1338]

I live in Boston and I use a lot of these words I was surprised when some of them didn’t know what a bubbler was 😂

[@oop2270]

Sassy Chicken Nuggets ......every New Englander knows what a bubbler is.... I’m from Worcester out in central mass and I know what a bubbler is.

[@ellenw391]

LOL I just posted on this...no one, in recent history has used that word for "water fountain." And by recent, I mean MANY decades lolol

[@InMyBassMent]

Sassy Chicken Nuggets when they didn’t know what a rotary or bubbler was I was losing my shit

[@Baconator1368]

Ellen W i use the word bubbler and most people i know do

[@zolarczakl3880]

Don't forget frappe.

[@pinkpeachlake]

"Rotary" and "nor'easter" are not Boston slang. They are common throughout New England, New York State, and, I bet, a vastly larger area.

[@jimeb2jim256]

Rotary is not slang at all. Roundabout is a UK word imported into the US a century or more after the correct US Rotary, but most of the country did not use them in traffic. In essence traffic planners were adopting a foreign word and feature as they were ignorant of the correct term.

[@kingwise2074]

New England follows Boston

[@74artgrrl]

@@kingwise2074 and Boston follows New England.😊

[@kenb3552]

A Nor'easter is not just a big snowstorm. It is a particular type of storm and while often used to refer to snow storms, they can also just be rain storms. It's the direction they move in. North and East. The usual scenario - a tropical system containing lost of moisture comes out of the Gulf of Mexico travels North East towards New England and runs into a cold front usually over the Northeast and or Mid-Atlantic states. The collision of fronts causes strong winds. The moisture hits the cold and causes a lot of snow. If it happens outside of Winter, then it will be just a nasty wind and rain storm.

[@marilynpagliuca1478]

For those not knowing, Boston accent is the last of the old British accent. Remember the British were the first inhabitants!

[@cinnamonape3045]

You're thinking of the Boston Brahmin accent.

[@dhruvadeshmukh1248]

@@cinnamonape3045 how do you know Brahmin? Are you Indian?

[@teachertrail4390]

It is also a term for the uppermost Boston people

[@Donkey_Lips]

Only in Boston, using the word "wicked" as a superlative adverb. It is wicked hot out!

[@maggaman1603]

wicked pissa man, fuchin A

[@PilarAYah]

I went to subway one day here in NC and I asked for an "Italian Grinda" ....they looked confused and one lady laughed and said, youll find that at a strip club. hahahaha

[@277kne]

Bubbler because the water bubbles up. On the older ones

[@MegaALLCAPSRAGE]

alot of these are used in Australia in very similar ways. Bubbler = Bubbler , Nor'easter = Nor'easter (but means north-east wind) and Bang a U-ey = Chuck a U-ey

[@interstateeddietv8551]

A bubbler lol I learn something new everyday. Don't confuse us Texas folks with this. 😂 This is awesome!

[@wonderworld5606]

We use bubbler, blinker and u-ey in Australia 🇦🇺

[@crazychickSHENA]

Noreasteer are strong Winter Stroms

[@melissab2339]

💗 U BU!

[@antiqueshistoryandconspira3791]

I so whish that these slang words as well as the accent existed everywhere is Mass. Though in western mass some of these words are used, like rotary.

[@teachertrail4390]

The accent is all over eastern Massachusetts. It changes a bit in Rhodesia island

[@leslieraymond6372]

Jimmies

[@Davanthall]

Leslie Raymond no. I’m a Bostonian, born and raised, and even I think that’s a horrendous nickname for sprinkles.

[@lozloz7418]

Leslie Raymond here in Australia it’s dingers

[@davidpetrusewicz7729]

Sprinkles not Jimmy cap

[@MichelleDespres]

When I was in college, I had one roommate from Attleboro who knew what I was saying, but my other two roommates from NH and upstate NY respectively had to be taught the correct Massachusetts terms. They had no idea what a packie, a bubblah, a grindah or a rotary was.

[@Davanthall]

Yeah I’m from North Attleboro and the only one of these that confused me was “bang a U-ey”, never heard that before in my life. But all the other words were normal to me.

[@notsure6187]

Michelle Despres they didn't know what a grinder was? musta been one of those people who say sub or hoagie.

[@Blackphillipsupporter]

Doood I’m from Attleboro!

[@teachertrail4390]

I’m from North Attleboro but I live in Illinois now.

[@InMyBassMent]

Were half these people even Bostonian?

[@bridgettorpey8206]

yes

[@Davanthall]

InMyBassMent I sincerely doubt it, they were all college kids from other parts of the world.

[@gordonhall752]

don't think any of them were

[@petalchild]

@@bridgettorpey8206 No. They're kids who moved to Boston for college.

[@shantanu925]

I wrote all these in my application essay, haha

[@noahmcdonald5208]

I knew all of these sines I’m from boston

[@frosting6439]

I was shocked to learn people outside of New England say tennis shoes instead of sneakers. I have never use the word tennis shoe we all use sneaker.

[@seventiesgirl6449]

Why did they ask people who obviously are not from Massachusetts?

[@teachertrail4390]

To see if they knew those words.

[@Futureone]

I neva knew my accent until the internet..lol

[@bubulunaidoo]

I need Dunk

[@MsSmitty9]

Med-Fid. Never Meffa. Unless your from Mall Din. !! 😂

[@myradioon]

In Boston we use "Kid" instead of "Bro" or "Dude". Even between middle aged people. "Nah Kid, I stayed home last night and watched the Bruins".

[@crazeyjoe]

New York: fuhgeddaboudit Boston: wicked

[@user-lf7nf3kl7t]

Wicked pissah kid

[@jacquir8331]

@@user-lf7nf3kl7t Kid so right!

[@davidthaler7018]

Frappe, not milkshake Grinder, not sub, hero, or hoagie Pizzas aren’t sold as “pies”; they just pizzas. Pies have fillings, not toppings. Packie, not liquor store Old-school New Englanders may say “tonic” instead of “soda” And remember the accent: Kin ya spawt me three dawluhs? Whose cah we takin’? Can’t drive in this weather, no sah! Oh, and Peet’s coffee is WAY better than *cough* Dunks.

[@lewis7315]

i-yah means yes ...... " Down East" means the NorthWest towards Maine... as the prevailing schooner wind is coming from the SouthEast

[@gordonhall752]

"Nor'easter" is an invention of the weather people on television on Boston stations. It was always called a "Northeast storm". And what's with their pronunciation of "garden" with equal emphasis on BOTH syllables? HUH? It's pronounced "gah dn" with what's known as a schwa between the "d" and the "n" at the end (meaning you nearly skip over the vowel all together.

[@kiwitrap25]

Whenyacda dunk’n ondalef banga’uy’ dengo bouttwomo streetsdown you’llc apackie Honda left look for a packareds on the winda that’s my ca

[@asdic888]

Anyone who's driven in Boston should understand "bang a uey." Boston drivers are notoriously aggressive, so turns need to be made quickly and decisively. See also: "Bang a left at the next set of lights" or "Bang a right on Boylston."

[@matthewlorono]

Commentary for anyone that happens along this video from an outsider that lived there for a few years: I never actually heard any use the word "bubbler" in the context of actually talking about a drinking fountain when I lived there. I heard the word by someone showing off unusual local words, but never in actual contextual use. Rotaries and Traffic Circles aren't true Roundabouts. There are distinctions in how a driver approaches and when to yield. The other problem here is that most Americans never encounter any type of round intersection, so none of these words would be familiar. Advice to any region thinking about putting in Rotaries, Traffic Circles or Roundabouts into their communities, just don't do it for any traffic where the speed limit is over 25MPH. Rotaries are traffic choke points in New England for all but the least travelled roads. Nor-easter isn't just any storm. It's a storm coming out of the North East, which has distinct properties that sets it apart from storms (including Tropical Storms) out of the South or storms (including Lake Effect Snow) from the West. Weather in New England is incredibly complex. Bang a u-ey? Similar to other phrases for quick U-turns around the US. In context, I'm sure most people would get this one. The- is a common practice throughout the world in many languages. Carthage simply means "New City" and Istanbul means "Into the City". Los Angeles has a similar habit using "the" with nicknames for their freeways. ::shrug::

[@LoveNotesAndLies]

Have you really never heard the word "bubbler" used as a drinking fountain while in Boston? I'm just surprised because I grew up just south of Boston, and didn't know it as anything other than "bubbler" for most of my childhood haha. However, although my parents use the word "bubbler" exclusively, I pretty much always say "water fountain" now as an adult. It's definitely a dying regional word, kind of like "pissah."

[@matthewlorono]

Yup, never heard "bubbler" genuinely used. "Wicked" I heard, and "wicked pissah" from time to time. I definitely heard the conserved R (taken away from words like "pissah" and added to other words that actually did end in an "a". :)

[@tiedough7481]

I’m 40 minutes north and I’m suprised you haven’t heard it

[@davidthaler7018]

A Nor’easter is a storm that TRAVELS northeast, originating south of New England. If it originated in the northeast, then every storm in New England would be a Nor’easter.

[@Davanthall]

I’ve never heard “bang a U-ey” I’m a native Bostonian. Also the T is what the MBTA calls itself, I mean it right in the freak’n logo.... I thought “round-about” was what they called it England?

[@Jayden-we9ie]

really? Im a native Bostonian and I hear it almost every time I ride with someone lol

[@dinoradja2980]

You're not from Boston

[@AkilezNewEngland]

The Philippines has Rotaries lol. We call them Rotary.

[@DspaZZfrmdaf]

Shoulda did Dorchester slang

[@davidpetrusewicz7729]

T or Catipiller

[@gunnarfrawley]

MA PASS ME THE CLICKA

[@johndoe-wv3nu]

Ma pass da clicka..... born and raised.

[@reloadpsi]

Let's just say that word for the liquor store is wicked awkward if you're from the UK.

[@user-lf7nf3kl7t]

Any students coming to Boston. learn the slang sure....just don't try the accent please.

[@kat4truth396]

The Gah-den not gaRden that just weird minus the R... who Eva made this isn’t from Boston lol

[@btm380]

"Hook a u-ey" is also acceptable.

[@johnnybravo1196]

Doesn’t everyone talk like this?

[@annadraper6]

I always thought bang a uey was universal.

[@MsFeiji]

and you can bang a left or bang a right also

[@gordonhall752]

NO. "make a u-turn is".

[@atex6175]

These words aren't slag they are words. Why didnt you ask people from Boston instead of half the yuppies from outta state that go to your school? Why am I surprised you gave aoc an economics degree

[@robertgraham5486]

It’s not the Boston Commons its the Boston Common

[@pepsiq11965]

Please don't call it the Boston Commons. There is no S in the Boston Common

[@ellenw391]

Ok I've lived in Boston since I came up to go to BU, back when COM was SPC (and that is as close to dating myself as I dare). I have not ONCE heard anyone, anywhere, call a water fountain a "bubbler" except on videos like this. Just silly!

[@annadraper6]

I've never called a water fountain a bubbler.

[@helenakronick5741]

Ellen W I and everyone I know from New England uses the word bubbler.

[@Davanthall]

Ellen W the kids called it that in elementary school all the time.

[@71sc502]

Sorry, but youre wrong. Im 15 min south of boston and we always called it a bubbla in school when i was growing up.

[@Alison0305]

Ellen W I came here in 5th grade and have lived in several towns as far out as an hour from Boston. Everyone at school (including teachers) all referred to it as a bubbler

[@hsun7997]

People in Boston say bubbler? I thought it was only a Wisconsin thing.

[@teachertrail4390]

Nope. It’s a bubbler in New England.

[@betsybaldwin4342]

White out storm

[@jumpingjeffflash9946]

that English accent at 0:28....swoon........

[@jimdellavecchia4594]

The most common Boston slang is in Southie, where they are ultra racist. I can list those terms here.

[@TomSmith-dp9zb]

the T's not reliable? there's a train every 15-20 minutes buddy

[@kimcreate1]

You people are saying it wrong. It's bub-bla, and Nor Eaststa

[@billie6528]

Who cares about a bubbler? Are they still around? Lol