Expressions, colloquialisms, Maine is famous for them.
Like the classic Downeast humor when asked by a tourist with a mess of a Maine map smashed against the driver’s wheel, his window rolled down. When needing directions to someplace and being told after a long drawn out pause by a crusty sea coast local “ya can’t get thar from he-yuh”.
Many of our expressions have rural Maine farm based origins.
References to Maine agricultural activities working the land. Like when I was a kid and with my Dad to get a tractor part, something at the hardware store. And Dad’s response in how are you doing as “oh you know, plugging along”.
My Mom if on board for the trek to down would roll her eyes and wish he had another response. She thought it sounded a little like an old farm plow horse comparison and that he could vary it up, add some other “thanks for asking” expressions when queried how his day was going out in public.
Bob Aucoin a local car dent puller and Maine autobody painter always has projects. Pretty much working all the time but after the 9-5 job with making wrinkles in car’s disappear, he shifts to puttering.
Or on longer projects where they won’t possible get done in one day or two, he takes a pearl one, knit two approach. Terms progress when asked how’s it going as fine. He’s “knitting on it”.
Not “I’m working on it” or pretty much half way done for a response. Something more Bert and I, Tim Sample, Bob Marley coloroful needed, called for. Like the three Maine comedians who amplify the local life style, expressions, situations in rural Vacationland for profit, humor, fun would use to communicate.
Saying the same thing different ways. Learning the language of Maine where we use the same alphabet as you but just have a little fun playing around with where we put this word. Dropping or adding a few letters without Vana’s help. The biggest offense to some is the vanishing “a”. And bolting on, adding an “er” to the say the state Florida when it comes up in conversation. “I’ve got my heart set on a trip to Florid-ER” this winter school vacation”. Or “hold it guys, I got a killer idea-er about another way to approach this log jam quandry.”
Where I live in Maine is not the center, heart of the state in the upper right hand corner of the nation.
Oh no, being parked on the Canadian border of New Brunswick means how I say something, communicate has another “across the lines twist, colloquism” flare variable attached.
Instead of would you like a soda, it’s fancy a tin of pop? And when asked how it is going, the retort is “everything is right on schedule” (pronouced SEDG-rule). Or “half an hour later in Newfoundland” if you grew up with Canadian television beamed in, picked up by your black and white tube rabbit ears.
I’m Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers, ME Broker
207.532.6573