h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

4/8 and 8/12. Harder!

You people say 'pot liquor', too? In the Southeast US, 'pot likker' is the water from cooking blackeyed (or crowder) peas, usually with some fatback or bacon thrown in. Therefore we believe that pot likker is naturally supposed to be greasy, salty, and above all, black.

PS Good for dipping cornpone in.

He shoots – he scores!

So we're both learning that local dialect isn't always as local as we first think. Must be very difficult for Joseph Wright when he was compiling 'The English Dialect Dictionary' (1906) to try and work out what words are unique to which areas, which words are common in many areas, and what is the line? When does dialect that is common in many areas across the country cease to be dialect and part of the language, especially when the language is changing all the time? Even comparing three different dictionaries based on the Isle of Wight's dialect results in different spellings and definitions of the same words sometimes.

<BB<

Sure. It gets even more complicated when you try to do it historically. People get into all sorts of arguments over here, particularly. Think about it: we don't have 100% records on early migrations. For a long time, they claimed people in the Appalachians spoke, ahem, 'Shakespearean English', which made some people very proud.

Ages ago, my uncle asked me what I was studying at uni. 'Old English,' I offered.

'My grandmother spoke Old English,' he said. 'What does 'sugain' mean?'

'Sugain' is Irish for a straw rope...and my great-grandmother came from a long line of Ulster Scots people.

I got the matching by a process of careful elimination, as I knew a few already. 10/12 on the main round too, so I've impressed myself!

I laughed at the third Pride o'the Mornen definition I noticed 'haemorrhoids' appeared as possible definitions three times, too!

I like the Piechart smiley!